The Luna That I Replaced (Book 2 of Witfall Pack)

Chapter 10

Carter opened his mouth to say something before he closed it. Again, he opened his mouth to speak before he closed it without saying a word.

Isen watched him, amused, before he turned his gaze towards me. "I think you broke him," he teased, and I looked down with my face turning red. "Are you going to say something that might help him find his voice?"

I mentally shook my head, no, still staying silent. I had no idea what I could do that would help Carter speak again, and I didn't want to try. I knew that if I did, then I would stutter and make a bigger fool out of myself more than I had in the past.

"Did she break you?" Isen asked, and I shot him an annoyed look before I looked at my mate to see that he was staring at the Dryad. He smiled innocently, but that didn't stop the guarded look that filled his eyes. "I mean, you didn't say anything and kept looking like a fish opening and closing your mouth like that."

"Would you shut up?" I silently hissed through our link, and he flashed me a small smirk that was barely noticeable for my mate to see. "That was uncalled for, Isen."

"In terms of you," he replied. He kept his gaze on Carter, who stayed silent, looking at the Dryad and trying to find answers that he might have. "In all of my honest opinion, I am making sure that he doesn't look like an idiot because he already does without my help."

I held back an eye roll and stayed silent while my mate turned his gaze towards me. My cheeks turned red, and I had to look down after holding his gaze for more than a few seconds. My whole body was tense, and my heart pounded steadily in my chest, but it wasn't as fast as it had been.

Carter cleared his throat, and he rubbed the back of his neck. He shifted on his feet and cleared his throat again, trying to find his voice to no avail.

I shifted on my feet and looked down after I met his gaze again. "Um... sorry, sorry," I said, stuttering slightly with my cheeks turning a bright red. I cleared my throat and shifted on my feet again, wishing that the floor would just open up and swallow me whole. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"It's..." Carter sighed and shook his head while he cleared his throat. "It's fine," he said. His cheeks grew slightly red, and I raised an eyebrow in question while I looked at him through my eyelashes.

"Awwww," Isen squealed teasingly through our link, and my cheeks grew red. "The big Alpha is blushing."

"Shut up," I said, and my cheeks grew redder than his. I shifted on my feet again and cleared my throat. "You don't need to point that out, Isen. I know that he is blushing. I can see it, too."

Isen didn't respond and flashed me a small smirk. He grew serious and looked at Carter, who still hadn't said a complete sentence and still looked bashful because I had said that he was the missing piece that I needed, even though we barely knew each other and had only argued in the past.

"I uh..." He cleared his throat again and shook his head. "I have to go...." He stayed rooted in his spot and looked at me with different emotions swirling in his eyes, most of them I was not able to decipher.

My heart broke, and my face fell while my heart sank. "Oh," I said softly, sounding disappointed and so unlike myself that I had to mentally cringe. "Ok. Will I see you later?"

Carter didn't respond and shrugged. He cleared his throat and shook his head before he left, and I stared after him, not knowing what to say or do and my heart breaking with each step he took away from our daughter and me.

Goddess, please help me stay sane for my kid. Please.

***

"Thar son of a-" Isen cut himself off and looked at my daughter, who was still asleep in his arms. "-biscuit." He looked at me, his eyes turning a darker green while his anger grew and grew fast.

I didn't respond and sank to the floor, not knowing what to say. I had a feeling that he needed time to think, especially since I had dropped a bit of a bombshell, even though our relationship was nonexistent at best.

"I don't know why you don't want me to do anything to him," he said, his voice quivering with the anger that he felt. "I mean, it worked for Jo Anne and Lorcian. It could work for you two."

"He's already been through a lot," I said numbly, deciding to ignore the fact that he said it "could work for us two." "Both of us have."

"But that doesn't mean that he can do this to you," Isen argued and gestured towards me, sitting on the floor. "He shouldn't have the right to make you feel like shit.

I didn't respond and shrugged. I stared at the carpet while I collected myself, not knowing what to do and praying that I could figure it out before I leaned towards Isen's suggestion and let him do something to my mate, even if it was against every nerve of my body.

Isen sighed and shook his head before he pursed his lips, listening into my thoughts. He didn't say a word while I collected myself, my daughter tucked gently by his side, who was oblivious about the constant battle between her parents.

There was a knock on my door, but I didn't look at it, keeping my gaze on the carpet, just breathing and barely hanging on, the thread of living growing smaller and smaller with each passing second.

"Ans?" the person, Blue, asked to which I didn't respond. "What happened?" This was directed to Isen.

There was no malice, no anger in his voice but full of concern like a father's voice should. All he wanted to do was to protect me from whoever had hurt me, even though he had no idea who nor why.

"Her mate happened," Isen grumbled. He gestured towards me, and Blue looked at me before he looked at Isen. "Can you do me a favor and convince her to let me do something to Carter?" he asked. "That boy needs a lesson in how to treat women, and I can gladly teach him that."

I didn't respond and stared at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing that I had ever seen in my life. I didn't care about anything or anyone while I focused on the soft carpet, trying to get my feelings in order so that I could face the world even without Carter by my side.

Warm arms enveloped me in a hug, and I leaned against the person who had their arms wrapped around me.

Their heartbeat was steady and strong, something that I could listen to for hours and focus on instead of the numbness in my head and the thoughts going a mile a minute that I couldn't even understand.

"She's not going to change her decision," the voice, Blue, said, his voice rumbling against his chest and vibrating through my body. "He will be free to choose what he thinks and to comprehend in a way that only he knows how."

Isen scoffed, and I had a feeling that he rolled his eyes and scowled. "Well, his way is plain stupid," he said with a small grumble in his voice. "And her way is stupid, too."

"I know," Blue replied in a tone that had Isen flinching. "And she does, too, Isen, but that doesn't stop her feeling that way." He did not make a comment about his other comment, knowing full well that he could say something dangerous.

Isen groaned, and I had a feeling that he moved a hand across his face and shook his head. "It's just not right," he said, sounding tired about the whole thing. "Why can't he see that it isn't?"

"He will in time," Blue replied. "He has his own demons to face and kill. When he does that, then he will be able to move forward with life."

I closed my eyes and buried myself closer to Blue. I took in his scent, his presence calming me and making me feel safe and comforted, even if I wanted Carter's arms wrapped around me instead of his.

"And when will that be?" Isen asked.

Blue sighed and rubbed his thumb across my arm, leaving a small trail of goosebumps in its path. "I don't know," he said finally. "All I can do is pray that it is soon."

"And if it isn't?"

"Then a hope of a future between the two of them is lost and done before it has even begun."

And I pray that it isn't so...