Chapter 79: Morning Comes


    Surprisingly, despite my mind working overtime and inability to keep picturing Colton inside my head, I


    fell asleep. Curled up with Meadow, talking quietly until the darkness grew that we could no longer see


    each other, and we faded into tiredness. I don’t remember who fell asleep first, but I woke to her


    rousing me with a shake and telling me we had to get up. Exhausted, groggy, and somewhat


    disorientated, as I came to and impulsively reached for the warm and familiar body of my mate and


    blinked at the shock of his absence.


    It was then that it all came rushing back and I almost cried with the realization that none of it was a


    dream, he’s really not here to wee my day, to kiss me good morning or hug me awake. And that


    today we have to leave to go drive an almost full day to find a witch who may or may not help us. It


    feels like being sucker punched by a cannonball and my heart faltered before pounding through my


    chest in the most agonizing way.


    It’s way too early in the day, sun not quite fully up but I know we have to get out of here at first light to


    make sure we hit our destination before the sunes down again. The goal is to get there without


    stopping if we can and try to make it in one day. The sooner we deal with this, the quicker we can break


    the spell, and the faster I can get Colton back. That our pack cane home again.


    I wander down with her, half asleep, fatigue kicking my ass still and we grab a cold quick breakfast in


    the kitchens as quietly as we can so as not to attract attention and spread the word we are sneaking


    out.


    We didn’t tell the pack we nned on leaving, so as not to cause panic and have the remainder of the


    pack try and talk us out of going. We are relying on Sierra telling them after we go so no one can hinder


    our progress. Wolves are naturally protective and when ites to a Luna, they will hold me against


    my will for my own safety if they feel it’s needed.


    Everyone is on edge and I know the loss of their Luna on top of their alpha’s absence will send them


    into a frenzy and barricade us from leaving. Wolves need the hierarchy more than is logical sometimes,


    especially the peaceablend-dwelling type and by going out there, I am abandoning them to their own


    fate should anything happen to me. They’re going to be unhappy when they know the Rema is now in


    charge and they have neither Alpha nor Luna in the grounds.


    It has to be done. I’m the one with the strongest gifts, and that gives us more chance of doing this


    without death. And the spell books and the bottle seemed pretty certain I was meant to go with


    Meadow to see this through, for whatever reason.


    I walk slowly into the medi bay when Meadow cuts right to head outside and check the sentinels she


    left in charge of loading the truck have done what they were asked. They know she’s leaving but they


    don’t know about me. I am waiting until thest second to go out and jump in the truck with her, besides


    I still have one task to carry out before we go.


    Carmen is standing by the window when I walk in and staring outside at the obvious green mist which


    is still lingering over the horizon. I can tell by the waves of mooding her way she already knows


    what’s happened while she was asleep. She’s quiet, still, somber, and standing upright like that frosty


    bitch I knew so long ago, only now, I can feel her so much better than I used to, and the sadness is


    almost suffocating. If I didn’t know her before, and only saw her like this now, I would be moved to pity


    this vulnerable creature and wonder who had hurt her so deeply.


    I clear my throat to get her attention, feeling like I’m invading her space and a little awkward; she snaps


    around, startled at seeing it’s me and not the doctor, lowering her eyes immediately in submission,


    knowing her ce in our grounds.


    “Luna…. I … I’m sorry for….” She begins with a waiver in her voice, her guilt seeping through so that I


    know what she’s about to say; almost like an overwhelming heavy dampener in the air and I cut her off.


    She is nothing like the fierce and stubborn girl of yesterday.


    “You didn’t do this. She didn’t do this. It would have happened anyway. They were waiting for a time


    and it was just coincidence.” I try to soothe her, but theck of change in her tight expression tells me


    my words are falling on deaf ears and her responsibility in this runs deep. I sigh and try a different


    approach in a bid to remove that dark shroud of worthlessness which is cloaking her and making me


    feel all kinds of emotional. “You can look at me, I give you permission. After all, you are one of my sub


    pack and they’re family. No need for the formalities.” It’s the least I can do, given how awkward it is for


    her to stare at the ground while I am attempting tofort her and making a hash job of it.


    Her eyes sh up at me, a hint of shock on that normally noble face as she second guesses my words,


    looks away again and then flickers back at me unsurely. I think she’s trying to figure out if I actually


    mean it, or if I’m trying to catch her out, but I haven’t got time to waste today.


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    “Look, I didn’te here to have a chit chat… I came to ask you something.” My nerves are building,


    knowing it’s almost time and I sigh and look around the room trying to ground myself and sound


    stronger than I am at this moment in time. I feel like time is ticking away faster than I can deal with and


    yet also not. Like wading through sand in terms of how long it’s been since Colton held me.


    “Yes, Luna.” She has the sense not to question anyway. I guess she really is trying to step in line with


    my new role, or that she’s so bogged down in her own grief that all her fight has left her. I’m thinking it’s


    more that than anything else.


    “Meadow and I… we have a n, a possible solution to the fog, the spell. I’m sure the doctor has filled


    you in on yesterday’s events and where we’re at. I want you toe with us, Meadow and I. I think you


    may be useful, and we need the help while numbers here are not what they were. It’ll be the three of us


    and only a couple of days away from here in the hopes of finding a solution.” My voice is steady and


    low, afraid any passing wolf hears me but inside I’m a crumbling mess of doubt and insecurity. I have


    no idea if this is even a good n or going to help, but we have to do something.


    She gasps, in first surprise, and then eyes me up, mistrust all over her face as she thinks something


    through, and I can almost taste the apprehensioning from her in waves. That sharp look in her eye


    as her thoughts align.


    “You think it will ease my sense of guilt!” She homes in on that right away, stating it bluntly with a chill in


    her tone and I have to pull myself rigid to not react in how well she saw through that ploy. It’s not all


    about easing her guilt though, it’s also about her being useful. Meadow wouldn’t have suggested her if


    she thought she would be a dead weight we drag along and right now; we need all the help we can get.


    I’m terrified about what we may face out there and won’t turn down someone with a gift like hers.


    “You have gifts. Meadow vouched for your worthiness as a fighter and as we are going without guards,


    I think three is better than two.” Ipletely dodge her statement, not willing to confirm that yes, I’m


    worried her sense of responsibility will have a long-term effect on her and I don’t want to burden Sierra


    with her in our absence. She is going to have enough to deal with while we are gone and not have to


    babysit Carmen for fear of another wolf legging it out into the forest to end things.


    “I can fight. I’m fast. I can break eardrums, ss, sometimes brains….and I want to make up for what


    my mother did that put us here. I brought her here. I did this. If I kept her at the mountain then … so


    what I’m saying is, yes. Don’t cotton pad me, I’m capable and I’m willing.” Steel determination, even


    tone and no hint of weakness as she locks an eye on me. Her emotion stabilizing as she regains


    control and I’m impressed with how coldly she states it.


    “Then you would all be enchanted too. And useless. The fog hit them not long after it hit here. We think


    every pack in this entire area was probably caught the same way. We were not the aim; we were only


    part of it.” I point out, needing her to know that what her mother did was not the only cause of this.


    “So, everyone…” she starts, and I cut in.


    “Yes. Which is why we have to leave now, because we have a possible fix.” I turn, motioning her to


    follow me, but she hesitates, and I am forced to pause while she verbalizes whatever the issue is.


    “Is it true…. that Sierra is a witch? That Colton’s also a ….” She trails off, her voice weakening to a


    whisper and she gazes almost through me, caught somewhere in her head, and I realize, despite living


    with all the exposed secrets all these months and making peace with them, this is all new to her. That


    months of getting used to this fact has normalized it into a mute topic, but for her, it’s like suddenly


    finding out everything you knew was wrong and she is still reeling. I don’t doubt she found out a whole


    lot of things recently beforeing here and is still digesting it all.


    “It’s true.” I look over my shoulder at her, confirming with my serious expression, and her eyes widen on


    me as she swallows noticeably. A sudden wave of unnatural wariness ovees her aura.


    “So, you?…. You’re a … part of them?” It’s part usation, emphasis on the word them, a bitterness to


    her tone that’s cut off with a croakiness of raw emotion breaking, and a tear rolls down her cheek


    before she can check it. I falter because I know this reaction well and should have expected it, given


    what’s happened. The realization that I’m part of the enemy and the people who just ripped her mother


    to shreds, that I share their blood and stand before her, telling her I’m an ally and not foe. It was hard


    for me to digest it so many months ago and it took a while for the pack to fully ept it and stop staring


    at me like I was some kind of abomination at first, so I can’t even imagine what’s running through her


    mind as she stares at me so intensely and see’s part monster who just destroyed her world.


    “I am. Mother was part, so that makes me even less, I guess. Turns out there’s a few hybrids int the


    Santos.” I sigh, dodging her obvious issue with this fact, really not wanting to stand and do this now


    and yet she surprises me with blurting out a statement I suspected but didn’t really think I would ever


    confirm.


    “My mum was half human. It’s why she was…. weak.” The shame that ovees her tone, flushes her


    cheeks red and pushes her gaze back to the ground, overwhelms me. I gasp in shock, turning back to


    her in time to see her dropping her chin to her chest and exhaling painfully as though letting out a long-


    burdened weight on her body and I wonder if this is the first time she has told anyone those words. I


    know being Luna means I can somehow charm her pack into confiding deepest secrets, but I truly


    never thought Carmen would be so willing to share something like this. I know for a fact Colton doesn’t


    have this in his memory banks, so she never told him at all.


    “My dad was livid when he found out. He was so mad, he never touched her again, but she was


    already pregnant with me and he pressured her into aborting. He abhorred her for that part of her, and


    me, because it lives in me too and he hated the fact she defied him and kept me. Inferior…weak.


    Worthless. An impure hybrid with a species who ispletely giftless and he was ashamed to know us


    at all….. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”


    It exins so much, especially Tawna’s inability to heal her mental state with turning. It exins


    Carmen’s sometimes loner personality; while wolves, even me, really long to be part of the pack and


    crave close connections but she always avoided it. ws from hybrids can be devastating on the


    abilities most wolves are born with. Any discrepancy or mutation can affect us, like how I can override


    Colton’s alpha tone even before I was his Luna. Sierra and the Doc found out a lot about this in the


    years they studied and researched hybrids and it’s amazing a human was even able to carry a half wolf


    to term.


    “You’re none of those things. We don’t choose what we are Carmen, we just live with it, and learn how


    to use it to our advantage. If you were weak, inferior, Meds wouldn’t have vouched for you as our back


    up. So pull yourself together, grab whatever you need a for a few days and meet me out front. We need


    to go and as much as I know I should be giving you time, empathy andpassion; I don’t have the


    time right now. Come or stay, we leave in about fifteen minutes and I expect to see you there.”


    I know I’m being harsh, but really, I don’t have the energy for this, if I let her wallow in pity she will


    spiral, and it won’t help. We need to leave; we need to go before people wake and we want to be out of


    here at the break of dawn as the sun peeks to make sure we have maximum time to get where we are


    going. Safe from vamps, and early enough that maybe the wolves out there will be asleep, wherever


    they are. I know that even enchanted that they do rest, we saw them trial off as the sun went down to


    go wherever they were beckoned, and we can only assume it was to sleep. I don’t doubt that even


    enchanted they need to do the basics of self-care, like eat, rest, use the bathroom. Here’s hoping they


    all don’t wake at the same hour as Colton with an energy akin to the sun at that hour.


    I don’t wait for an answer, feeling antsy and knowing I need to stay pulled together and strong, or else


    I’ll break and I’m already emotionally exhausted. I walk off, leaving her there to decide what she’s doing


    and make light work of getting outside in hyper speed. I’m in no mood for more interactions with other


    wolves right now.


    Meadow is outside with a very familiar truck pulled into the center of the drive and it’s covered all over


    with symbols, spray painted on everything I can see. They are only a shade or two darker than the


    green military paint so not overly showy, but I know they’re what I saw in the spell book yesterday. I


    guess Sierra figured this was the best way to cast a protection spell on our vehicle. Keep the fog out


    and maybe our pack too, much like the rune border does.


    It’s the medical truck from theb that the Doc and I came here in so many months ago and that sense


    of Deja Vue and full circle w at the back of my mind again, making my skin bristle and wonder at


    why this feels like it has more importance than it should. Maybe the fates are coercing something once


    again, but I truly can’t imagine how this circles back to all that’se before. I push the feeling away


    and set my eyes on the truck before me, in all its glory.


    It’srge, roomy, with space in the back for supplies and us toy down and sleep should we need it.


    And when I wander round to the open back doors, I’m not shocked to see two beds clipped into ce,


    one on each side, and another one folded t and pushed into a corner. I guess Meds figured should


    we need to stop and spend a night somewhere, then a truck with a protection spell is the best ce to


    sleep. If the runes keep Vamps out here, then it should be the same on this vehicle, so inside we


    wouldn’t be sitting targets at all. There’s a whole bunch of creates piled and strapped into one corner,


    holding dried and fresh foods, a small camping stove and crates of water beside it. She really has


    thought ahead, and it brings a veil of peace over my fraught nerves for a moment. Reminding me of


    Colton’s capablemand and attention to detail and just serves to remind me why Meadow is his


    beta.


    “Is sheing?” Meadowes around, slightly pushing me over while she closes up the back doors


    and locks them tight, showing more runic symbols painted on them and I run my fingertips over the


    surface of them with interest.


    “Were these sessful?” I ask, not really answering her question when I don’t even know myself.


    Carmen never gave me any real hint if she would actually follow me or not, even if she said she was


    coming.


    “She thinks so but we won’t know until we test it. She put them everywhere, even underneath and on


    the roof. Thinking it will create a bubble, so the fog can’t get in and neither will anyone who’s


    enchanted.” Meadow stands beside me and admires Sierra’s handywork with a silent stuff posture. I


    can feel her tension ebbing my way, her mind caught in ns and the road ahead.


    “How do we test it? I ask curiously and Meadow res at the sentinel who has been helping her, one I


    recognize as being called Tom. Someone Colton trusts and speaks highly of, who’s been on sentinel


    patrol many times. I guess he is sworn to secrecy. He wouldn’t have been part of the search due to


    labor of his mate yesterday and the arrival of twin puppiesst night, so we’re lucky we have at least


    one capable wolf staying here to assist Sierra.


    “I volunteered.” he points out but Meadow shakes her head, giving off that aura of attitude and I know I


    probably missed an argument.


    “No, Tom. I told you. She needs you here, not some mindless whatever, out there with them if it doesn’t


    work. Those puppies need their Papi; the first days are so important for the bond.” Meadow pats him on


    his shoulder and while Ipletely agree with her, I see no possible way to test it if no one is going to


    drive it into the fog. Maybe we should rely on me keeping the fog out until we get beyond its perimeter


    after all, because I don’t want to take any chances at all.


    “I’ll do it!” the voice startles me from behind us and we both turn in unison, surprised by the invasive


    statement, to see Carmen standing there on the gravel in front of the main stairways in. She’s watching


    us with interest and no hint of hesitation on her face at all now she’s fully dressed and out in the


    sunlight to start a new day. “I can drive out there, to the main entrance, and if the fog gets me and I end


    up like them, you don’t lose anything except a burden. If it works, then you’ll know.” Deadpan,


    emotionless tone as she shrugs nonchntly, and I can sense she really does not care if it puts her in


    danger.


    I open my mouth to argue with her but Meadow cuts in instead and silences me.


    “Sacrifice isn’t admirable, nor smart. And we don’t take burdens along for the ride. If I didn’t think you


    were worthing along, you wouldn’t be. Don’t tter yourself.” Its harsh even for her but given how


    they always used to snap at each other, I think it’s the closest to niceness I think she’ll get verbally.


    Meadow and Carmen had issues long before I came along and looking at the way Carmen stiffens up


    and that fire of anger shows instantly, I wonder if maybe Meadow knows how to deal with her better


    than I do.


    “Look, it needs tested, you said so! I’ll drive only enough to get the hood into the fog, if it starts leaching


    in, I’ll reverse. It can’t cross the runes, so it won’t be something that gets to me if I pay attention and


    keep the wheel behind the runes.” Again, with that shrug of indifference and I squint at her, trying to get


    a read on her emotional state and still find nothing but emptiness. She isn’t afraid of what’s out there,


    she doesn’t care about dying it seems. That’s never good.


    “Actually, that’s a pretty smart idea, thanks.” Meadow doesn’t wait, she turns and much to my despair,


    hops into the truck and revs up the engine with every intention of doing it herself before either of us can


    protest. Carmen nches and I call out in utter panic, fear gripping my soul as my voice rasps in my


    throat painfully.


    “Meadow, NO! What if it doesn’t work, or you can’t reverse in time?” I raise my hands to use my gifts to


    haul the truck back or lift its wheels so it can’t progress, but Carmen catches my wrists and tugs them


    to her instead. Stopping me from interfering and shakes her head at me vigorously, daring to tell ME


    how to react. I’m too shocked by this bold maneuver to initially react. She just detained her Luna and


    stopped her from doing what she felt she had to do. Who gave her the right?


    Meadow isn’t listening, instead she crunches gears of the stick shift and moves off before I can do or


    say anything about it. Stuck in Carmen’s strong grip, wriggling against her, cursing and hating on her


    with a fury as I bare down on her face with fire in my eyes. Carmenpletely nks me and looks at


    the road ahead instead, waiting to see if the truck survives. That crunch of tires on gravel has me spin


    back to her and the blood turns cold in my veins as all sense of fight dissolves.


    “Meadow!” I start to freak out, panic rising in my throat, along with bile, as terror grips me, and I’m near


    hysteria as she moves away from me, dragging my focus back to her departing image. I know fine well


    that if I lose Meadow too, I’ll crumble and break. I can’t do this without her. I need her. She’s keeping


    me sane, my head above water, and a sense of confidence that I can do this in the absence of the


    Alpha. Without her, we’re doomed.


    I lift my hands, yanking them free from Carmen’s now looser grip while she was distracted, ready to


    push the fog back and drag the truck backwards but my wrists are grabbed from the side and yanked


    away for a second time with an almighty sigh, sending a surge of energy out towards the tree line as


    they quiver with the force. I round on Carmen, tears biting my eyes as she holds me steady once more


    and tugs me hard as if shaking sense into me.


    “Pull yourself together. Meadow’s not stupid. We need to know the spell works, because if it doesn’t,


    we need another n.” Carmen’s biting tone, angry scowl, and raspy scold silence me momentarily for


    a second. I really want to punch her in throat for talking to me like that, yet all I can do is blink at her in


    stupefied quiet, that she would even dare address me this way and turn when I hear the crunch of


    brakes and the skid of the truck stopping at the perimeter. Just before Meadow inches it forward slowly,


    carefully, edging out to test, and I’m glued to the spot as I watch it at a distance.


    It seems to crawl onward, more and more, my nails biting into my own flesh cutting skin as I watch in


    frozen fear, Carmen still holding my hands taut and we realize Meadow is not stopping.


    “What’s she doing?” I utter shakily as the truck moves out further into the fog with no hint of stalling,


    being swallowed into the green mist at an rming rate, and my breath catches in my throat.


    “Either… it works and she’s making sure, or …” she swallows loudly, and I stare at the red lights of the


    rear hazards as they dull out mistily and the worst-case scenario floods my mind.


    “She’s been taken and isn’t stopping!” I verbalize the fear but then sigh with relief as the truck halts


    noisily, brakes making the wheels whine and she thrusts it into reverse at speed andes all the way


    back, no hesitation, and moves right to the spot she left us at with precise speed.


    “Pretty sure she wouldn’t have got back in if she had been” Carmen points out factually, raising a brow


    with a somehow know it all expression, and I still hold my breath until I hear the driver door open and


    Meds yells out.


    “Are you twoing or what? We ain’t got all day, Chicas. Move, move!”