Jillian’s parents came to visit her again that evening, and they were extremely wet. They were laughing though.
“It is pouring rain out there,” her dad laughed, as water dripped on the floor from his clothes.
“I can see that,” Jillian grinned.
“I am sure there are towels around here somewhere.”
He nodded and started looking for towels in the bathroom as her mom pulled a bag out from under her jacket.
“I know how hospital food is,” she grinned, handing it over to Jillian. Inside was a hamburger and fries, and amazingly the bag was dry.
“Oh mom, you love me,” she grinned, pulling out a French fry. It was still warm.
Her mom smiled at Jillian as she was handed a towel to dry off.
“I can’t believe anyone would want to be out in this storm,” her father said, drying his hair with the towel, and then his pants.
“Why were you?” Jillian asked.
“Your mother insisted we go get you some food,” he said, looking at his wife.
“I saw the stuff they were serving you, and I know how much you love Jell-O,” she teased her daughter.
“You two are the best,” Jillian sighed, feeling much better with the food in her stomach.
They had been right, hospital food was nasty, and she hadn’t been given anything but clear stuff anyway.
Once her parents were as dry as they could get, and Jillian’s mom had put the towels over the shower in the bathroom, they came to sit down.
“Thanks, mom and dad for being here for me,” Jillian smiled.
“You are welcome dear,” her mother said.
“We’ve been so worried about you, how are you feeling?”
“Better mom, thanks.”
“You are looking better. I’ve been so worried about you,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.
“When they first brought you in, and the doctors were telling us what had happened, I was so scared we would lose you.”
“I was in a lot of pain,” Jillian admitted, “but the pain meds help,” she lied. She hadn’t been on anything since the first day she had been there.
“Have you been able to shower?” her mom asked her.
“Yes, the nurse came in earlier and helped me,” Jillian told her.
“Oh good. I know I always feel better after a nice warm bath or shower.”
“How long has it been raining?” Jillian asked. Her room had a window, but the blinds had been closed all day, and she hadn’t gotten up to open them.
“Since early this afternoon,” her father told her.
“It’s been coming down in torrents. I am sure there has been some flooding. I don’t think we have had this much rain in months.”
“I just hope it doesn’t wash out our dig,” her mother sighed.
“I hope the men covered the dig like I asked them to,” her father said.
The door opened then, and Edric walked in.
He looked extremely worried. “Edric?” Jillian frowned.
She knew he didn’t have good news.
Emerson and Warren walked in a moment later, they also looked worried.
“What’s going on?” Jillian asked them.
“Some of your classmates decided to have a yacht party this afternoon, despite being warned of the impending storm,” Edric ground out.
“The Coast Guard is trying to battle the storm to try and find them. The yacht capsized.”
Jillian gasped as did her parents. They hadn’t listened to Edric’s warning.
They had gone out anyway.
“Why would they do that?” Jillian’s mom asked.
“Especially if they saw the storm moving in.”
“I do not know,” Edric shook his head.
“But I don’t think they are going to find anyone in this storm. I am sorry Jillian.”
“I am too,” she whispered sadly.
“How many people were on board?” Jillian’s dad asked.
“Twenty,” Edric ground out.
His phone buzzed then. “Yeah.”
He listened for a moment, his face grim. “Yes, I understand,” he then hung up.
“The coast guard is coming back to shore. The storm is getting worse, and they don’t want to lose their lives also.”
Jillian closed her eyes,tears running down her face.
More of her classmates gone, all because they wouldn’t listen.
She felt a hand on her chin. She opened her eyes to see Edric.
“I am sorry love,” he said. He then wiped at her tears.
“I am too,” she whispered.
“Even though I didn’t know them, I am sorry.”
Edric kissed her softly and whispered, “It’s not your fault, we tried to warn them.”
“I still feel guilty,” she whispered back.
“Don’t,” he shook his head.
“Don’t ever feel guilty about something out of your control.”
She nodded, but still felt sick to her stomach.
He kissed her again, and then looked at Jillian’s parents.
“Can I give you two a ride home? My limo is probably parked closer than your car.”
“That would be nice,” Jillian’s mom said, “but what about our car?”
“I will have Warren bring it to you when it quits raining,” he assured them.
He then looked at his men. “Emerson, will you take them home?”
“Yes sire,” he nodded.
Jillian’s mom hugged Jillian. “I am sorry about your classmates dear.”
“I am also,” Jillian said.
Her father hugged her.
“We will see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks dad. Love you both.”
“We love you,” Jillian’s mom smiled and the two headed out, but not before Jillian’s dad turned to Edric.
“Be nice to my daughter.”
“I always am sir,” Edric assured him.
“Good, or I will have your head,” he warned,
and then walked out, Emerson following.
Edric pulled up a chair by Jillian, as did Warren.
“Why didn’t they listen?” Jillian asked Edric.
“I do not know love. I called the parents of the girl who was hosting the party. When I told them I heard she was having a party on the yacht, and there was a huge storm brewing, as their Alpha, I was concerned for the safety of her and her friends, he assured me he would talk to her. So, either he did tell them and she didn’t listen, or he forgot to tell them,” Edric said.
“So many lives,” Jillian whispered.
“Yes, needlessly lost,” Edric agreed.
“First the plane, then this,” she sighed.
“I wonder why the plane crashed.” Edric frowned.
“About that. One of the investigators called me.”
“Oh?”
“He claimed it was engine failure, but I’m not so sure, especially when the plane exploded on impact. Which brings me to another thing,” he said, watching her.
“I walked out to the crash site today, now that the fire is out. The whole plane was destroyed. The whole thing was just a shell. How you and the other six survived was beyond me. All of you should have died.”
Jillian gasped.
“Not that I wanted you to die,” he assured her, “but there is no explanation as to why you and a few others lived. The pilots died, everyone else died. I just don’t get it,” he shook his head.
“It’s because she is a Luna,” Warren pointed out.
“But that doesn’t explain why her friend Kimberly and five others across the aisle, lived.”
Warren shrugged. “Will we ever know?” he asked.
“Probably not,” Edric replied, watching Jillian.
Edric leaned over and caught her chin in his fingers.
“Quit feeling guilty love, you are not responsible.”
“But I feel like I am responsible.”
“You are not, at all.”
“I just wish I had known it was our plane that was going to crash, I would have said something.”
“You didn’t know,” he replied, kissing her.
He then pulled back. “I saw your parents snuck in food,” he teased, changing the subject.
She blushed. “I hate hospital food.”
“You were only on that diet because your stomach hasn’t had anything for a few days. They didn’t want you regretting eating something,” he pointed out.
“I haven’t so far,” Jillian told him.
“I hope not.” He then looked over at the forgotten tray of food from lunch.
“Still haven’t eaten your Jell-O,” he smirked.
“If you even try to feed me that, you are out of my bed for a year, Alpha,” she warned him.
Warren chuckled.
“Okay, I surrender,” Edric chuckled.
“No Jell-O.”
“Wise choice,” she replied.
“I know who has you wrapped around her finger,” Warren laughed.
“Shut up, Beta,” Edric growled, but he had a grin on his face.
He then leaned over and kissed her soundly.
“Get some rest. I will see you in the morning, then I am taking you home.”
“Yes Alpha.”
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she just smiled innocently at him. Emerson walked in then, ready to take his Alpha home.
Edric kissed her once more, shaking his head at her sass, then he, Emerson, and Warren headed out the door.
Jillian sighed as she settled down for the night. Her poor classmates, she felt awful. Why would they not listen to their Alpha? Just in the matter of a few days over sixty students had died, and she could have stopped it.
She had tried to stop the second accident, but they hadn’t listened. Tears leaked down her face, as she thought about them, and she wondered if she could have saved the whole plane. She had saved the ones closest to her, but what of the others? If only she had tried.
The door opened again, and Edric walked in. He had felt her sorrow, and after sending his men home, he decided to stay the night, Orson and Wes stationed outside the door for their protection.
“Scoot over,” he told her.
“Why are you back?”
“I could feel your sadness, and I didn’t want to leave you alone.”
She started to cry. He laid on the bed by her and gathered her into his arms.
“Shh love, it will be okay.”
“No, it won’t be,” she sobbed.
“I could have saved them all Edric, and because of me they all died.”
“No my love, it is not your fault, I already told you that. It will never be your fault.”
“But,” she protested.
“No, Jillian, you saved your friend, and you tried to save those kids on the yacht, but they didn’t listen. That is not your fault. You can’t cure stupidity.”
Jillian snickered, glad he could make her feel better. He tucked her head against his shoulder.
“Try and get some sleep my Luna, I am right here.”
She nodded, and snuggling against his nice warm body, she sighed.
He kissed her head. “I love you, Jillian, with all of my soul, I hope you know that.”
She didn’t hear him, she was asleep.