LUNA ELIZABETH POV
Rory lay unconscious on the bed, her body still struggling against the effects of the silver. A weight pressed heavily on my chest. The man who had brought her in told me that Linda had no other choice but to use the silver—it made things easier. But I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that this wasn't the full story. And where was Linda? She hadn't come since they brought Rory.
"Don't worry, Luna. Everything is fine. The silver will leave her body by tomorrow. She's a fast healer—like all werewolves," Dr. Olivia reassured me, her voice calm but laced with concern. But then her words shifted, and I froze. "But Luna... it seems it wasn't just the silver affecting her. She was triggered."
I blinked, confusion clouding my mind. "Triggered?" I repeated.
Olivia nodded, her brows furrowed in thought. "What I mean is… the reason she fell unconscious wasn't just from the silver. There was something else. It looked like a memory or a vision. Something in her mind that made her… collapse before the silver even touched her."
My heart sank. A vision? Rory had visions? My mind raced—had she always had them? Was this something I missed? She had no memories of me—no memories of us. We hadn't spent any time together before. So, what could have caused this sudden reaction?
Olivia's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "I'll leave you to it, Luna. She'll be fine. Just give her time."
I nodded, though my mind was still spiraling, lost in confusion. I turned back to Rory, gazing at her delicate features—her smooth, pale skin and the vibrant orange hair that mirrored her father's. She was beautiful, just like him. And like a cruel twist of fate, she was lying here because of choices I never had the chance to make.
Then, the door creaked open, and in walked Linda, as smug as ever, a smirk playing on her lips. It irritated me, that smirk—the one I used to find charming, but now… it only fueled my frustration.
"Well, well, what a beautiful sight," she said, walking over to Rory's side, her eyes gleaming with some hidden amusement. "Looking at your daughter… the one you sent away sixteen years ago."
I stiffened, my jaw tightening. "Where have you been, Linda?" I demanded, my tone sharp. I hated when she didn't take things seriously, especially now. This was my daughter's life we were talking about.
Linda had been my closest friend for years. Through the highs and lows, she'd been there—like a sister. But now, with everything that had happened, the weight of my own guilt was amplified when she acted flippant about the situation.
She rolled her eyes. "Relax, Luna. It's not like I've been gone for ages. I went to sort things out with that woman who took Rory. You know, the one who seems to think she's in charge."
I narrowed my eyes at her, still seething, but she was already looking at Rory with an almost nostalgic gaze. "She's really beautiful, isn't she? Just like every she-wolf," Linda murmured, her voice softer now.
I sat down next to Rory, rubbing my temples, trying to calm the storm in my chest. I knew Linda had done what she thought was necessary, but still… silver? On my own daughter?
Linda let out a deep sigh, her expression shifting, as though she could sense my growing anger. "Look, I didn't want to hurt her. Her wolf was pushing her—forcing her actions. It wasn't like I had a choice."
I wanted to scream. I did scream. But I was too exhausted. Too afraid of what might happen next. "Olivia said the reason she passed out wasn't just because of the silver," I said, my voice tinged with frustration.
Linda raised an eyebrow, her attention now fully on me. "Oh? Then what was it?"
"She said it was something in her mind—a vision or a memory. Something that triggered her… before the silver even touched her."
Linda's eyes flickered with interest, and then something else—a glimmer of recognition? "A vision, huh?" she mused aloud, her fingers lightly brushing a lock of Rory's hair. "That's unexpected. What kind of vision? What memory?"
I shook my head. "I don't know. But I plan on finding out when she wakes up tomorrow."
There was a long, heavy silence. Linda stood there for a moment, almost lost in thought, before giving a half-hearted shrug. "You know I wouldn't have done it if there was another way, Luna. I just wanted to make sure we weren't making things worse."
I stood, my anger simmering but not boiling over. I didn't have time for this now. Not with everything at stake. "I'll deal with it in the morning. You should go, Linda. I need to think."
Linda gave a low, almost regretful sigh, but she didn't argue. Instead, she leaned down, brushing a kiss across Rory's forehead before turning and heading toward the door.
"I'll be back tomorrow. Take care of her, Luna," she said softly, her usual teasing tone absent for once.
As the door clicked shut behind her, I returned to Rory's side, taking her hand gently in mine. My heart ached at the sight of her, so young and yet already caught in the whirlwind of a world she hadn't asked for. I pressed a kiss to her knuckles and whispered, "Hold on, my sweet girl. You're not alone anymore."
Tomorrow, we'd uncover whatever it was that had triggered her. And maybe… just maybe, the answers would help us find a way forward.