26. A Word of Warning or I Am The Luna Chapter 104 By Moonlight Muse
ZAIA.
“My patience is gone, and I don’t want to resort to any harsh methods, but I will if I have to,” I warn dangerously, my eyes flashing as I look over at Annalise. “Who was the person you talked to back in Atticus’s pack on New Year’s Eve?”
It’s the following day and although I did not get any sleep, it didn’t stop me from doing what’s needed. I hate that I had to make Jai work so soon, but I had sent him to Dad’s pack to question the guards and staff around Mom’s home.
A postmortem would be carried out to see what injuries she had been dealt and hope we get an idea of when they snuck into Mom’s home.
Our home…
By her final words, it was clear they wanted to know about the Moon Dust. That would be my second goal of the day after this visit to Annalise.
“I don’t remember!” She says in an extremely stressed-out voice. “You do!” I growl, slamming my fist onto the table. She flinches, her heart thumping as she stares at me fearfully.
I know my eyes are as orange as my hair and I know I’m being harsher than normal, but I have no option. Kindness did not get me far.
“I… I don’t… it… Gaspard! It was Gaspard!”
She’s still lying…
I can tell from the way her eyes are darting around the room that she just said his name on impulse.
I sit back. “I know you can’t mention the name of the person behind it all as it can affect you and the baby… So how about this? I will ask a few questions, Annalise. A yes and no can work… I’m sure that can get us past the magic.” I say thoughtfully, hoping it did.
“The man you spoke to is the same man you could not mention when you said you were told to pretend you were kidnapped, correct?”
She purses her lips before she looks down, then back at me.
That’s a yes…
“Do I know this person? I ask.
Her lips tremble, and her heartbeat races, but she doesn’t reply.
“Ok, you can’t say…”
She stares stubbornly to the side, stroking her stomach, and I stand up. The moment the baby is born, it will be taken from you and you will serve a proper sentence,” I say coldly as I stand up.
She simply stares off to the side, and I turn about to leave the room when I look back at her. “I met Zade, my brother… he killed mother. As for our father… he’s missing.” my I’m terrified… terrified that what if Zade has forced him to give him the Alpha title. Maybe something has happened to Dad, and I won’t know because he’s done the same ritual with Zade and that would override the first one-
Stop Zaia.
My heart is thumping and even she’s tensed at my words, and I know although she is not his biological daughter, she is still his daughter.
“Wait, what happened to Dad? Is Mom ok?!” she asks, panicking.
“She is for now, but the way things are going, everyone is in danger.” I remind her. “We need the answers, and you need to reevaluate whose side you are on because they will kill anyone who is of no use to them or those who defy them.”
“They won’t kill me! I’m carrying a baby! Gaspard won’t let them!”.
“And what power does Gaspard hold?”
Her heart skips a beat, and I look at her suspiciously.
“Gaspard…” He is from Dad’s pack, and Mom mentioned a boy…
Could it be?
The puzzle contains a thousand pieces and I keep finding more that do not fit. “What power does Gaspard hold, Annalise?” I ask, now turning to face her fully.
She remains silent, and my eyes flash.” Answer me if you are not bound by magic!” I say, my alpha command rippling through me.
“He is important to them!” she shouts, her eyes flashing and her heart thumps as she realises she’s answered me. So that at least rules out the fact Gaspard was definitely not the one in Atticus’s pack.
“Important… everyone has a purpose and when that purpose is fulfilled, everyone becomes collateral. Just like the Rogue Alpha was.”
“What do you mean?” she asks.
“I killed Olivan, and none of his so- called allies came to protect him, and when I find Gaspard… he too will suffer the same fate as Olivan, I am done playing nice.”
“You’ve changed… What happened to you?” she asks, curiosity and fear in her eyes.
I raise an eyebrow. “I lost my patience. I trusted far too many… now it’s time for the Alpha within me to end this. I will give you one final warning, Annalise… choose your side carefully because the Sublime will win this.”
With those words I shut the door, not waiting for a reply as I make my way out of her new room in the prison facility. She’ll be given everything she needs here, but I can’t risk not having her in prison.
I’ve already reset the security and call it extreme, but I am the only one who can now access the prison and security. Without my permission, no one leaves.
A move that I know will only put me at further risk, but I can’t trust anyone anymore…
I can still trust my friends…
But can I?
I hate that I’m beginning to doubt everyone, but I can’t help it.
I go over to my awaiting car and open the driver’s seat.
“Please get out,” I say.
“Ma’am, is everything ok?”
“Yes,” I say. “I’m taking the car, and you will not tell anyone.” Once again, the alpha command rolls off my tongue with ease.
“Yes, Alpha.” He bows his head and I get in, placing my bag down on the passenger seat and starting the car. I zoom off.
I need to get to Mom’s old house, but I need to make sure no one follows. If Zade was in the house that day, there was a high chance he heard what Mom said… maybe, maybe not….
I drive away from pack grounds and when I reach one of the narrow roads I park my car, and quickly pull on a black coat and a blond wig. I step out of the car, continuing the rest of the way on foot. I’m carrying a large tote bag which holds a gun and a few other supplies.
Under the stairs…
I reach Mom’s home, remembering after the rejection how I came here, and she supported me.
I messed up…
With a heavy heart, I look at the windows. The net curtains still hang in the windows and a part of me feels that perhaps I could walk up to that door and knock…
And maybe, maybe she’ll open it and hug me, telling me it’ll be ok…
I was angry at you Mom… but I didn’t want you to leave…
Brushing away a tear, I remain in the shadows. The neighbours around here have always been nosy…
I make my way around the back of the house, keeping hidden as I inch closer to the house.
Once I cross the patio, I know the neighbours can’t see me and I quickly get to work on the back door. I manage to break the lock quickly and slip inside, shutting the door quietly behind me.
The sound echoes in the silence despite how quietly I shut it and I look around the dark kitchen. The dust particles that were disturbed by my entry waft through the air and I glance around the kitchen.
It looks the same, just Mom’s homely touch is missing.
She’s gone.
She’ll never make me another meal… never give me another hug… despite her flaws, she was a good mother… I just wish I realised that sooner. How many people live with grudges and only when that person is gone do we realise it’s too late…
Too late to say I love you one final time … too late to hold them for another moment…
The pain of losing her hits me like a freight train and I drop into one of her chairs, resting my elbows on the table. I take a moment to reminisce on the time we’ve spent together.
It’s peaceful….
After several minutes, I stand up with a heavy heart, shouldering my bag and leave the kitchen, walking over to the closet under the stairs.
Pulling back the lock, I pull open the door. It creaks loudly, and I glance around the hall before I step into the closet. Taking my gun out, I cock the trigger, placing it down gently beside me. No, I don’t think anyone is here, but you can never be too careful…
There are a few boxes and an old raincoat in here. I move the stuff aside. From the layer of dust that covers them, it’s clear they haven’t been touched. I then pull up the lino flooring and feel around for the floorboards, hoping one might be looser.
She did say at the back… none seem to be loose, and I reach into my bag, taking out one of the screwdrivers I had brought with me and begin prying it loose.
Once I get the first one up, I manage to loosen two more, much easier. Taking out my phone, I shine the light underneath.
Where is it?
I scrabble around, feeling under the floorboards as I begin ripping more up. I cough, trying not to inhale too much dust. I’ve taken apart all the floorboards under the stairs but…
Did I misunderstand her?
I feel and check every corner and niche.
My heart sinks as I realise there’s nothing here.
A dead end…
Once again, another failure.
