Alpha and Aurora Book 4
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Delta Winters
Gelesen
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Mystery Illness
Book Four: Ghosts of the Past
âAurora and Everett are finally free. The evil Goddess Nemesis has been killed, along with her minion, Roryâs supposed mentor, the deceitful Professor Xander. Finally, they can focus on their pack and on each other. But Xanderâs body is still missing, a mysterious illness is striking at random, and rogues are on the move. Even Rory isnât immune. They have to move quickly to discover whatâs really going on, before someone dies. Will they be able to work together, or will these new problems tear them apart?â
RORY
âTwo Months After Nemesis Was Defeatedâ
Sunlight cascades through the opening of the curtain, illuminating my bedroom. I groan at the thought of having to get out of bed after another restless night.
The memory of Nemesisâs cold, yellow eyes haunts me. Pulling the covers up over my head, I debate whether to continue trying to get some sleep or give up my efforts and start the day.
I feel the warmth of Everettâs body next to mine and smile, happy he didnât leave before the sun came up. Heâs so busy and so dedicated to his Alpha duties.
Now that we have united the Shadow Blood Pack and Red Moon Pack, he has spent more time out of the office. But being Alpha still occupies most of his day.
Finally deciding to give up, I slowly get out of bed. I try not to make any noise so I donât wake him. Sleep hasnât been easy for him either lately.
I quickly get dressed, careful not to stumble the way I usually do. Mama is probably waiting for me to meet her in the dining hall by now. I donât want to keep her waiting, so I head for the door.
âWhere are you sneaking off to?â Everett says, sitting up in bed and startling the heck out of me. Heâs teasing, smiling at me, and I feel a burst of affection for him.
âIâm sorry,â I reply, coming back to the bed. âI didnât mean to wake you.â
âYou didnât. I wasnât sleeping,â he grins, reaching over and pulling me closer to him.
He kisses me softly and the rest of the world disappears for a moment. All that matters is the two of us. I feel safe, wrapped in his arms. Like we can do anything together.
âYou didnât answer my question,â he whispers with a mischievous smile.
âI told Mama Iâd meet her for breakfast and then I am going to the orphanage to see how everyoneâs doing,â I reply, wishing that I could stay in bed with him and forget about everything else.
âSounds like a good plan, little mate. I need to go to the office anyway,â he says, kissing me on the forehead.
He gets out of bed and heads to the closet. I watch as he takes off his shirt and exposes his broad chest and arms, remembering how it feels to run my hands over them.
How did I get so lucky? One day I would have to repay the goddess Selene for making Everett my mate. I never imagined I could have a relationship like this.
âI hope you have a wonderful day, little one. I will see you around lunch,â he says, leaning in to kiss me one last time before he leaves.
I head to the dining hall, where Mama is waiting for me with a smile on her face and two plates of pancakes. I can feel everyoneâs eyes on me, can see the half-hearted smiles and inquisitive looks.
âGood morning, sweetheart,â Mama says, leaning over to kiss my cheek as I sit down.
âGood morning, Mama,â I reply, shaking off the exhaustion thatâs been clinging to me.
âStill not sleeping?â she asks with a look of concern.
âNot much. No matter what I do, I just canât seem to relax.â I reach for the syrup and in the process knock over the salt. At least nothing broke.
She reaches over and strokes my hair, offering me some comfort. Being a Luna is something I am still trying to master, but at least Mama understands. And doesnât mind cleaning up after me.
âDonât worry so much about what they think. You are Luna, and no one can change that. They will come around. They have no choice,â Mama says with a smile.
âI know, Mama. Iâm just tired of feeling like I am under a microscope. It makes me question everything I do.â Iâll always be âthe humanâ. Sometimes it feels like theyâll never truly accept me.
âWell, unfortunately, you are,â she says, shaking her head. âThat is no reason to doubt who you are or your instincts. Trust them, Rory. Trust yourself.â
Mama always knows what to say. I nod my head and smile, thankful that I have her with me. Sheâs the one person who has always been on my side.
âHave you seen Mia?â I ask, trying to change the subject.
âNo, I havenât. Why? Is something wrong?â she asks, looking concerned.
After everything that has happened with Professor Xander and Nemesis, everyone is on edge. Mama has been especially worried after they tried to kill me.
âNo. I just havenât seen her lately. Thatâs all,â I reply, trying to be reassuring.
I look around the dining hall but see no sign of Mia anywhere. This makes three days that I havenât seen her around.
Then again, she has school. Like a normal person. My own dream of going to college seems so far away now.
Mama looks relieved. âThereâs been a lot going on. Maybe she is just catching up with her studies.â
I nod my head absentmindedly. Now that I think of it, I havenât heard from Freya in the last few days, either. My attempts to reach her have gone unanswered, and it isnât like her to just disappear.
Rather than letting the thoughts swirl around in my head for too long, causing me even more stress, I say goodbye to Mama and head to the orphanage.
A strange feeling comes over me as I approach the door. Itâs eerily silent. I canât shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong, and I hold my breath as I open the door.
No one greets me. I walk through the building, looking for signs that anyone is around, but see none. There is no noise or children playing. Where is everybody?
Someone calls my name. âRory!â
I startle, bruising my hip on a coffee table. Itâs Nellie, rushing down the hall toward me. At least the caretaker is here.
âIâm so glad youâre here.â
âHey, whatâs wrong?â I ask. The look on her face makes my stomach tighten with concern.
âThe kids are supposed to stay in their rooms. Some of them are sick,â Nellie says nervously, looking around. âI have no idea what could cause their symptoms or what I should do.â
âSick? How?â I frown. Itâs not flu season and I havenât heard of anything else going around. âIs there anything I can do?â Iâve only really used my power on injuries, but maybe I can help.
Nellieâs face clears a bit. âOh, if you could, Iâd be so grateful. Come and see. Theyâll be happy to see you, anyway.â
I follow her down the hallway, feeling myself getting more anxious. She stops in front of a door at the end of the hallway and looks back at me before opening it.
Inside the room, itâs oddly quiet, and the walls are bare. There is a group of kids sitting on their beds. Their eyes are wide with fear as I walk in. I look around in confusion at their terrified faces.
âHey there, guys. I hear youâre not feeling well. Want to tell me about it?â I sit on Cassidyâs bed. I know her a little better than the other kids, and sheâs got a good head on her shoulders.
âI donât know. Orion and I just started feeling weird suddenly. Then they started feeling sick too,â Cassidy replies with a shrug, looking over at the other kids.
I put my hand on her forehead. Sheâs fine, not even sweaty. Her skin is maybe a little cool. âWeird? What kind of weird? Do you have a fever, or a stomach ache?â
Cassidy gives me a look, like sheâs tired of explaining obvious things to grown-ups. âNo, nothing like that. Itâs my wolf. All our wolves. Theyâre scared. They think something bad is going to happen.â
That surprises me. âYour wolf? So your human sides donât feel the same way?â
The children shake their heads. I struggle to make sense of it all. The room is quiet while they wait for me to say something that could help them, comfort them.
If itâs only their wolvesâ forms being affected by this, there has to be more than just stress behind it. It sounds almost more like a curse than an illness.
A sudden chill goes through my body, causing me to shiver. I wrap my arms around myself as an uneasy feeling sets in. I push away the thoughts and focus on the sick children.
âIs that all? Your wolves are scared? You donât feel any other kind of sick?â I put my hand on Cassidyâs head, stroking her hair and subtly feeding my power into her.
Orion answers this time. âWeâre all chilly. And we get really tired, no matter how much we sleep or eat.â
Thatâs too vague to go on, but it definitely sounds bad.
I donât get anything from Cassidy, but another shiver goes through me. I hope Iâm not getting whatever it is, too. But I donât have a wolf, so I probably canât.
I look at the kids, trying to smile. âWeâve been through a lot. Itâs normal and expected to feel scared and stressed after everything. Especially when there are still so many unanswered questions.â
They nod, but doubt and fear fill their eyes. I canât blame them. I have the same doubts and fears. But as Luna, I have to show strength. Any signs of weakness could lead to trouble.
Cassidy grabs my hand and squeezes it. âAre we going to die?â she asks with tears building in her eyes. Sheâs normally so strong, but with her wolf panicking, it makes sense that she needs comfort.
Her lips quiver, breaking my heart instantly. The other children have the same confused and scared expressions. They are all terrified.
âNo, youâre not going to die. We will find a way to get you better,â I say softly, choking back tears, praying Iâm not lying to them.
My mind drifts to Professor Xander, who might have been able to give me the information I need. I shake my head slightly, trying to expel the thought from my head.
He was never trying to help me. He wanted me dead. I was an idiot to have ever trusted him. He used me, lied to me, and I had no idea. Iâm never going to let that happen again.
âMaybe the witch in the woods put a spell on us,â Orion whispers.
âThereâs no such thing as a woods witch!â Cassidy says, throwing her stuffed bunny at him.
He hollers and Nellie has to step in to stop a full-on pillow fight.
âWhat are you talking about, Orion?â I ask once the kids are settled again.
Orion answers eagerly. âThereâs a she-wolf who lives all alone in the woods near here. Sheâs not a rogue or in a pack; sheâs a witch, and she can do spells and sheâll curse you if she sees you!â
âIâve never heard of this woods witch,â I say, though it does sound kind of familiar, somehow⊠Like something from a dreamâŠ
Cassidy sticks her tongue out at Orion. âSee? Luna Rory would definitely know! Itâs just a dumb story.â
The kids are looking tired. I should probably let them rest. I stand up. âI need to go now and talk to Everett. Weâll figure this out, I promise. In the meantime, be good and listen to Nellie, okay?â
They promise and I give them all a hug before heading out the door. Nellie follows me, shutting it softly behind us. We go a little ways down the hall so we can talk without them hearing.
âRory, what do I do?â Nellie asks, hugging herself loosely. âI donât know how to help them.â
âYouâre doing great. It doesnât seem like a normal illness, and my power didnât find anything, but I have some ideas of where to look.â Iâm bluffing a bit, but Nellie seems reassured.
I pat her on the shoulder. âKeep them warm and comfortable while we investigate. When I know something, I will call you. If anyone else gets sick or gets worse, please let me know.â
Nellie looks thoughtful. âWell, your friend Mia is sick too. She was here visiting when some of the children got sick; she said she felt the same symptoms.â
I stare in disbelief. That is why she has been absent from the dining hall? There could be others who are sick as well. How far has this spread already? Is it going to get worse?
So many questions flood my mind with no answers to any of them. I need to talk to Everett. The pack will look to us for answersâand right now, we have nothing to tell them.
DK*âOkay, thanks, Nellie.â I keep my smile up, but it feels very fake now. Thereâs a plague sweeping through our pack and we didnât know. Maybe weâre early enough to stop it. I hope so.
We say goodbye and I hurry out. As I reach the door, another blast of cold sweeps through me. My uneasiness grows. I rush out of the orphanage, hoping to leave the feeling behind me, but it follows.
Panic consumes me, keeping me on edge and unable to focus. I only get a few feet from the door when I feel my feet betray me and find a hole. My ankle turns, sending me plummeting to the ground.
I scramble to my feet, glancing around for anyone who might be watching. Thankfully, thereâs nobody in sight, and I keep moving. I hurry back toward the pack house, hoping Everett knows something.
People talk to him, if not to me. Maybe he already knows all about it. Or maybe there will be a book in the library that has the answer. I should see Mia, too. I canât hold all the to-dos in my mind.
As I pass the old pack house, I hear something strange in the distance. It almost sounds like people whispering. There is something familiar about it, and my body tenses in response.
I turn to look but see no signs of anything unusual. Once again, I feel a sudden chill. It ignites a deeper fear in me than I have ever known. I quicken my pace.
The sound becomes louderâincomprehensible voices in conversation. With every step, they get louder, but I still donât understand what they are saying. I look back again and still see nothing.
My heart is racing, and I struggle to take a deep breath. My ankle stings more, but I keep moving to get away from the voices. They sound like theyâre right behind me.
I feel a blast of cold go through me again as my fear grows. Still, I see nothing. I run, my ankle throbbing, but I ignore it. I look back again and feel my foot hit a branch. I crash to the ground.
Searing pain shoots through my head as it makes an impact with a rock. Almost instantly, dizziness sets in. I know I need to get up and keep moving, but my body doesnât want to respond.
I open my eyes, disoriented as the dizziness increases. My vision is blurry, and my head is hurting. I try to focus my eyes and let out a gasp.
In my daze, I see something floating, but itâs too blurry for me to make out what it is. As my eyes come into focus, the floating figures become clearer. I feel fear engulf me.
I try to yell for help, but nothing comes out. Unable to look away, I am forced to see them. It feels like a nightmare I canât wake up from.
Above me, I see faces floating in the air. Professor Xander and Nemesis, transparent like the clouds and both with an evil grin. They hover over me, taunting me with their presence.
They are still alive. We are all in danger.
