445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqePKEkviY
"Why isn't she waking up?" Someone asked in a muffled voice. My ears were ringing and everything sounded so far away. I tried to open my eyes, but it was next to impossible, like pounds of weight were placed upon them.
All I could see was darkness yet the light that filtered through the room warmed my bare skin. My muscles were stiff and painful, like I had finished running a marathon.
"You poor defenseless human," A woman snickered, her warm breath brushing over my ear, goosebumps covering my once soft skin.
I immediately knew who it was. Miranda.
"Open your eyes, don't be afraid," She cooed, sarcasm dripping off of her tongue.
Suddenly, a force surrounded me and my eyes sprang open. Slowly, I allowed my eyes adjust to the scent of the trees. The dirt wafted through the air and filled my nose. I was in the middle of a forest.
The large oak trees hung together like a canopy, sealing out the sky. The ground was covered in broken pieces of tree bark and green moss that grew over the rocks and settled on their smooth surfaces.
Was I really here? I ran my hands over my body and pinched the skin on my arm. The pain that surged through my veins confirmed I was wide awake. Rubbing it gently, the red and irritated skin slowly began to fade.
"Come out! I know it's you Miranda," I yelled into the trees, my head swivelling back and forth.
Stepping out behind a large willow tree, her tall figure stalked toward me. Her while silk dress dragged through the ground and accumulated more dirt with every step she took.
"What do you want from me?" I asked, tears blurring my vision.
"I want the rogues in the cells, as I’ve said." She smiled, as the large centipede looking scar on her cheek crunched together. 445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWmYlWqe7p
She slowly pranced around me, stroking my hair then my face with her fingertips. Jerking away from her hand she let out with a giggle.
"Why do I have to become Luna if you just want the rogues? I can release them without Sebastian," I said honestly.
"I'm sure you can, but that doesn't solve my problem."
Turning her back to me, she walked towards the tree, running her fingers along the bark. "My mate is in the cells. However, he thinks that you are his mate." Her head snapped back towards me, eyes burning deep with hatred and disgust.
"What? How is that even possible?" I murmured in shock, violently shaking my head in denial.
"When you become Luna, Cade will be rejected and he will accept me as his mate." She said wickedly, ignoring my previous question.
“But Cade isn’t my mate! Sebastian is!” I blurted out.
“Cade has been through a lot with me. He knows me. You shouldn’t be his mate, I should be.”
She turned her back to me, and I thought she was holding back tears. “But it doesn’t matter, he said that Cade would always be mine.” 445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3h6nOCydE
"I understand, now let me go," I demanded.
“Spoken like a true Luna,” She smirked. "You have 3 days left. Use them wisely or your mate will die." She smiled, then blew me a kiss as the forest started spinning; All the green and browns meshing together, like a child's finger painting. 445Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1wRUsUPgn7
Before I could respond, my eyes snapped open, blankly staring at the ceiling as I gasped for air, my lungs empty and light.
Hoping in vain that I wasn’t alone, I raised my hand only to feel air. Dejected, my fingers settled on the soft fabric next to me.
"Veronica, I'm here, you're okay." Tessa whispered, reassuring me.
Staring at her, I was shocked. How did she know I was here?
Pushing myself up, I flung my arms around her and hugged her tightly. Her short brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, her blood-shot and puffy eyes on full display.
"How do you feel?" She asked, sniffling and wiping the salty tears away with a tissue.
I mustered the strength to smile at her. "I feel okay, just tired," I admitted.
Stroking my hair and winding strands of it behind my ear, she looked over my body, letting out a sigh she had been holding in for too long.
"I don't know what I would’ve done if I lost you."
My heart sank into my stomach as guilt coursed through my veins. I felt horrible for putting my siblings through this much pain.
The door suddenly burst open, nearly falling off its hinges. "Hey V, you're finally awake!" Erik grinned, plopping on the bed next to me.
"Didn't think you were getting rid of me that fast, did you?” I smirked. “So are you guys going to fill me in on why I'm in the hospital wing?"
"Nope, that's Sebastian's job." Getting up, he bent down and kissed the top of my head. "I'll be back in a few, just wanted to see if you were alive."
Erik and I had gotten close over the past few days. He was always there if I needed to talk, even though most of his responses were "Go ask Sebastian."
I expected him to leave the room, but he walked over to Tessa, bent down and kissed her softly. When their lips parted, she smiled at him and I could tell that she was smitten.
"Okay, does someone want to fill me in on what's going on right here?" I asked, interrupting their little moment.
"Yup, Tessa can do the honors." Erik winked at her while closing the door behind him.
Tessa shrugged her shoulders and awkwardly smiled, cheeks blushing pink as her teeth grazed her bottom lip.
"So?" I asked.
"It's a long story. Are you sure you don’t want me to bore you to death?"
"I've got all day." I gestured to my body, where wires and tubes stuck out of my skin.
Giggling, she got out of her chair. "Scooch over," She grinned, climbing into the bed next to mine.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
