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

Chapter 11

Blue picked me up and placed me on the bed next to Isen, with my daughter in between us. He placed a kiss on my forehead and backed away, running my head and leaving the feeling of comfort and warmth in its wake.

Alexandria twisted away from Isen and moved closer to me while she slept. She sighed happily and snuggled, giving me comfort, too, and pulling me a little bit out of the darkness that I felt.

Isen placed his arm around me and started to trace little symbols on my skin. He stayed silent while he looked at me, studying my emotions and feelings but not changing a thing, knowing full well that I would hate it if I ever found out.

The mattress shifted a little under Blue's weight when he sat down at the edge of the bed, and I had a feeling that he was going to be staying there for a while, watching out for me like he had done in the past.

"Do you know why Carter is being this way?" Isen asked finally and turned his attention to the male sitting on the edge of the bed.

Blue sighed and moved a hand through his hair before he cleared his throat and shrugged. "Somewhat," he confirmed and cleared his throat again while he tried to come up with a way to explain but not explain everything. "I understand why Anastasia doesn't want you to do anything to him."

"So you have read his past," Isen stated.

Blue hummed and nodded. "I have," he confirmed. He cleared his throat and leaned back in the bed, growing serious. "Let's just say that they have faced some of the same experiences," he clarified. "In return, they have had similar demons that they both have to face and face them quite differently, for they had different ways of handling it.

"However, one thing that they have done the same was they have turned to violence at some point in their lives. They do feel remorse about what they have done and are trying to be better because of it."

Isen snorted and rolled his eyes. "Carter has a good way of showing it," he grumbled. He placed his hand on my forehead and whispered something in my ear, his voice soft and melodious.

My whole body grew warm for a minute before I relaxed and slowly started to fall asleep, letting the numbness leave me while I drifted off into the pit of Isen's spell.

"I know," I heard Blue say while he reached over and touched my foot. He gently squeezed it before he began to rub it, watching me fall asleep. "But we can only hope that Carter can become the man that Anastasia needs and wants. He needs to learn how to be a better man, and I thi- no, I know that Anastasia can help with that."

"Are you sure?" Isen asked after a moment's pause.

"I am," he confirmed and nodded. "I am sure that she will be able to help him."

And with that, I drifted off to sleep and heard nothing else, grateful that at least someone was on my side and believing in me when I didn't believe in myself.

Goddess, please let me help him, I silently prayed as my mind drifted off to sweet nothings. Please.

***

I was stirred awake by the sound of a bird chirping at my window, and I groaned in annoyance because I did not like that I was being disturbed by something so loud as a stupid bird, singing happily, when all I wanted to do was sleep.

I groaned and turned to my side where my daughter had been lying and stilled when I couldn't feel her.

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach while I felt around more and slowly started to panic when I couldn't feel her beside me.

My baby, I thought when my heart started to pound in my throat, and I quickly opened my eyes to see that I was in an empty bed with no one around. Where is my baby?

Fear settled on me like a warm blanket, and my throat closed while I blearily looked around my room. "Dia?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. "Where are you, baby girl? Wh-"

A wave of relief and peace stopped me from talking and looking frantically for my child.

"Relax, Mama Bear," I heard Isen tease me. "We're downstairs. Dia woke up and was hungry, so we went downstairs to get something to eat. You can join us if you want."

I bit back a small sigh of relief and laid back down, closing my eyes. "Why didn't you leave me a note?" I asked, earning a snicker from the Dryad. "Isen," I warned and narrowed my eyes.

"There is a note on the nightstand beside your bed, goof," Isen said. "If you didn't go into an all panic mode, you would've seen it."

I opened my eyes and looked at the nightstand to see that there was a note on it like Isen said. Slowly, I reached over and grabbed the note, my heart pounding hard in my chest.

'Went to get food. See you when you wake up. Love ya. -Isen, Dia and Blue.' it read.

I breathed a sigh of relief and laid my head back down on the pillow while I closed my eyes. My stomach growled slightly, earning a chuckle from my friend and companion.

"Are you hungry too?" he teased, and I frowned. "Come on, Karen made enough food for you too."

I pressed my lips into a thinner line and didn't move from my bed. "Is he here?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper while my mind drifted over to Carter.

Isen frowned before his frown turned into a scowl. "No," he replied, and I hated the way my body sagged with relief to know that he wasn't there. "But Avery and Michael are, so move your sexy ass before I transport you down here."

I groaned and opened my eyes. "Fine," I grumbled and got out of bed. I moved a hand through my hair and sighed while I shook my head. "I'll be down there in a-"

"No," Isen said, interrupting me, and I scowled and pressed my lips into a thin line. "Go take a shower before you come down. I know that you need it."

"Bu-"

"No, Anastasia," Isen warned. "Shower first and then come down. Your daughters will wait for you until you are clean and "happy.""

I didn't respond and looked at the ground. I wasn't going to be happy after my shower, even though I knew that I was going to be clean, but I wasn't going to be happy.

Isen stayed silent before sighing softly. "Just take a shower for me, please?" he asked softly, and I pressed my lips into a thin line.

I sighed and mentally nodded. "Ok," I said, letting him hear the tiredness in my voice. I ignored the image of Isen's frown while I walked to the bathroom, knowing full well that he was getting worried. "Would you stop?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the snippiness in my voice. "I'm not going to do that again, no matter how shitty I feel. I've made a promise."

"You've made that promise before but did it anyway," Isen sassed, recalling the conversation we had before I had tried to commit suicide twice at base.

I didn't respond and took off my clothes, not bothering to look at myself in the mirror. "That's before I had my daughter," I reminded him. "If nothing else, then I have to stay alive for her."

Even when my heart isn't in it... I didn't quell that thought like I wanted to, letting Isen hear the struggle I was going through.

Isen sighed, and I had a feeling he had rubbed his face. He wanted to talk to me about this shit, but I knew that he didn't want to have everyone question him if he disappeared and reappeared in the bathroom with me butt naked. "No more?" he asked.

I snorted and smirked while I turned on the water. "No more," I promised.

Isen hummed satisfied and disappeared a bit from my mind, letting me feel "alone." He was always there, making sure that I stayed safe, not wanting to leave me in fear that something bad would happen to me.

But I promised, and this time I meant it, and I was going to keep it, no matter how much it pained me in the end.

But:

No more.

No more..

No more...