Resisting the Moon (Royal Shifters #2)(49)

“I’ll know for next time.” I chuckled.

Her smile faded. “Hopefully, there won’t be a next time. I’ve spent my whole life in war. It’s all Jaret thought about.” She started toward the house and I followed alongside.

The whole morning she’d spent packing up her things to take to Wyoming. Once we got inside, we carried her boxes out to the car. “So, tell me. What did you do that makes you think Amelie and Tyla will hate you?”

Body tense, she set the last box of her belongings in the back of the car and shut the trunk. “Like I said, I spent my whole life with a bunch of wolves who were seeking revenge. I was led to believe that my mother was killed by the Redwood Pack. So, many years ago, Jaret took me out to California where you all fought. The ground had absorbed the blood and I was able to extract it and use it to trace the remaining wolves. It didn’t give me exact coordinates, but it was enough for Jaret to go on the hunt and track them down.”

“And he killed them,” I stated.

Tears filled her eyes. “I never would’ve done it if I’d known.”

“How did you find out the truth?”

Sighing, she closed her eyes and the tears fell. “It was a year ago. I had been walking in the woods picking blackberries, when I overheard Jaret in the barn talking to Stefan. Stefan wanted to mate with me, but Jaret refused him, saying he thought it might mess with my powers.” She opened her eyes and looked down at the ground. “He said my mother tried to use her magic on Vincent to fight him off, but she wasn’t strong enough.” She shook her head, tears springing to her eyes. “The thought of him forcing himself on her made me so sick. I stayed in my room for days trying to clear my head.”

“What happened then?”

“That’s when I came up with a plan on my own. I searched for something of my mother’s, anything would do. There wasn’t much, but I did find a small box. Inside there were a couple of her journals, written in a language I’ve never heard of. I figured it was some kind of fae dialect.”

“Elvish. Your mother used to speak it sometimes.”

“It’s also where I found this.” She pulled a round, pink crystal out of her pocket.

“What is that?”

“It was my mother’s. She’d linked her memories to it just like I had with Amelie and the moonstone. However, this one linked to her memories, not her sight. It’s also a healing stone. She must’ve used it during the time she was with Vincent.” She closed her eyes and smiled. “It’s where I first saw you and your brothers . . . and realized Vincent wasn’t my father.”

“Did you see her with Zayne?”

She opened her eyes and faced me, her cheeks turning red. “Maybe a little more than I should have.” She laughed. “It’s nice to know they loved each other though. But after I saw you and your brothers, I traced you to Wyoming, and never said anything. So one day, I flew out there and saw you and Tyla. I felt an instant connection to you. I tried looking for my father, but he wasn’t there.”

I shook my head. “He didn’t come to the Royal pack until just recently.”

“I wanted to stay, to tell you who I was, but I knew I had to get back to Jaret. He needed to be stopped and I was the only one who could do it. That’s where my betrayal started with Amelie. I had found her first, and friended her behind Jaret’s back. When she showed me a picture of her and Tyla, I knew it was fate. From there, I coerced Jaret to pursue Amelie instead of outright kill her. I told him it would draw Tyla in. If I could get her here, I knew I could get to you.”

“What if it didn’t work and he killed Amelie? What would you have done?” I asked.

Her jaw clenched. “I would’ve attempted to kill him myself. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about that. All I want now is to find out what I am, and if there are others like me.”

As far as I knew there was no one like her, but I didn’t want to tell her that. There were other fae around, but not many. “I bet Seraphina might know more about this. Let’s get in the car and I’ll tell you more about her.”

She grabbed my arm when I started to walk around the car. “What about my father? Do you think he’ll help me?”

Zayne was going to be an issue. He still harbored a grudge and I could see it getting worse when he found out about his daughter. He’d most likely think I’d kept that from him too. “He doesn’t know about you, Laila,” I murmured.

“I know, but I want to see him.”

“Just keep in mind that it might take him some time for him to adjust. I’ll introduce you to him though.”

“Why did he leave my mother?” she asked as she opened the passenger door.

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. That’s a question you’ll have to ask him.”





Tyla

“When are you going to call your parents?” Amelie asked. My phone had been dead for days and when I finally had it charged, there were so many missed calls I lost count.

I taped up another box and sat down on her bed. “I’ll call in a minute. Right now I’m just worried about you. You’ve been quiet since we got back.”

She boxed up her books and sat down with me. “I’m fine, I promise. I just miss my parents more than anything. But I feel free now that Jaret’s gone.”