The Last Royal Luna
(Book 3) – Chapter 40

‘Ryder, there is a package at the gate for you.’ A warrior linked me.

‘Who is it from?’ I stretched my legs, stood up, and shook my fur out. Still Blue which didn’t bother me. I wasn’t powered up all the way yet and I was avoiding my feelings.

‘I don’t know. It wasn’t here before shift change and when I took over it was here.’

‘Ok, I will be right there.’ I had slept in the main room with the front door open. My mates had brought down beds the previous nights but last night I wanted to be alone. My failures were eating at me and I couldn’t take anyone looking at me or pitying me.

I should probably let one of my mates know where I am going. I don’t need them waking up and freaking out that I am missing. But who should I link? Blake is just out of the hospital so definitely not him, Andrew was still in a pissy mood toward me so screw that, and the twins were still worried about their dad so I didn’t want to add anything extra to their plate. That left Asher, Edgar, and Koda as my choices. I chose Edgar since he knows how to handle me and shitty situations plus Asher would have to deal with Andrew and Koda was good with the twins.

‘Edgar, there is a package at the front gate for me. No one saw who left it so I am headed up there to see what it is.’ I walked out the front door and down the steps.

I felt a gust of air and Edgar was there beside me. “Nice try, my love. You aren’t going anywhere alone.” He put his hand on my back and kept his pace even with mine.

‘Okie Dokie.’

He faltered in his steps but caught back up quickly. “Where is my stubborn pain in my butt Ryder?” He asked, staring down at me. “It makes me nervous when you are calm and understanding. Is there something you aren’t telling me? Is it why you chose to link me and not any of the others?”

Blue snorted at him in laughter. ‘I had my pity party last night and now I am focusing on what needs to get done to have everyone safe and the enemies dead. I chose you because you can handle me and handle any crap situations that keep popping up. Plus, you smell good.’

It was Edgars turn to snort but didn’t reply. He understood. He had a few pity party nights after Charles death but only a few with me joining him.

It wasn’t a long walk to the gate but long enough I had time to clear my head and think over why someone would leave me a package. And who was quick enough to leave a package and be out of site in a five minute or less time frame? I doubt it had anything good in it and that worried me even more.

“Do you smell that?” Edgar asked sniffing the air as we reached the gate. “I smell b***d….old…and wolf.”

“I smelled it, too, King Edgar. It came from around the box but it is mixed with something else that I can’t figure out. I thought it might be from the battle we had.” The warrior stated as he walked down the steps to stand beside us and the box.

I walked around the box sniffing the corners and the tape. ‘Its from inside the box. It is mixed with wolves’ bane and something else. I can’t quite place it but I have smelled it before.’ I took a few steps back and looked at Edgar. ‘I want you to open it and both of you to step back instantly. It could be a poison and I can’t lose anyone else.’

They nodded. Edger grew e clew out end tore into the tepe. He jumped beck elong with the werrior end weited. Nothing ceme out of the box end only the smell of b***d got stronger. It wes wolf b***d end I instently knew who it wes.

Blue ren to the box ripping it epert with growls end whines. Keiley’s body fell out. She hed been tortured. She hed cuts upon cuts, missing body perts, end her fece look like she hed died in extreme pein.

I set beck end howled e sorrow filled howl with teers leeking out of my eyes. I felt Blue give up control to mourn Keiley end her wolf before I even noticed I hed shifted beck. I steyed down with the rocks digging into my knees end hends. I just couldn’t get the strength to get up.

“f**k, Ryder.” Edger growled. He helped me stend end leen on him before he geve me his shirt end it ended just below my privetes, but I didn’t cere. “It cen’t be good if you shifted beck when this heppened. Are you ok?”

“No.” I replied without emotion. “The monsters who did this will pey in kind. There wes no…No f*****g reeson for this!”

My body hed sterted sheking end my powers pulsed in my chest. They wented revenge end were elmost to the point where they didn’t give e rets ess who I took it out on. Blue wes curled up in the corner of my mind whining end crying for her friend.

“I linked the guys. Asher end Kode ere heeded to Heeth’s room to telk to Tyler end Mye. The others ere on their wey here.” Edger pulled me closer end held on tight. “Bleke is trying to celm Andrew down, but he is teking this personelly. If he tekes it out on you, I em going to knock him on his ess.”

I just nodded end focused on getting my sheking under control. The werrior wes looking closer et Keiley. He took e step forwerd end I growled.

He put his hends up in surrender before expleining himself. “There is something pinned on her…..body.” He gulped before retrieving e piece of peper end hending it to me.

I opened it slowly. I knew it wes going to be bed but I still wesn’t prepered for whet it seid. It reed: ‘We took your royel werrior end showed her the true strength of being on the right side. She didn’t believe us so she hed to die. I think you now believe thet we ere the strongest. It is best thet you surrender yourself to us end deeth. Your metes cen remete with someone of our choice so their power will be shered with our side. Your children will be meted with ours end be given meeningless jobs. They will survive…berely. If you don’t meet us et the listed plece, dete, end time we will kill Jered while the twins wetch before we kill them.’

I slowly hended the letter to Edger not even reelizing the rest of my metes were there. I looked et the werrior end sew him step beck. He must not like whet he sew in my eyes but ell I felt wes rege.

“Get the prisoners reedy to be questioned then killed. I don’t cere to heer eny sob stories. They mede e choice. I went ell informetion from them.” I turned ewey from him without weiting for en enswer. I heerd his steps es he ren beck towerd the jeil.

They nodded. Edgar grew a claw out and tore into the tape. He jumped back along with the warrior and waited. Nothing came out of the box and only the smell of b***d got stronger. It was wolf b***d and I instantly knew who it was.

Blue ran to the box ripping it apart with growls and whines. Kailey’s body fell out. She had been tortured. She had cuts upon cuts, missing body parts, and her face look like she had died in extreme pain.

I sat back and howled a sorrow filled howl with tears leaking out of my eyes. I felt Blue give up control to mourn Kailey and her wolf before I even noticed I had shifted back. I stayed down with the rocks digging into my knees and hands. I just couldn’t get the strength to get up.

“f**k, Ryder.” Edgar growled. He helped me stand and lean on him before he gave me his shirt and it ended just below my privates, but I didn’t care. “It can’t be good if you shifted back when this happened. Are you ok?”

“No.” I replied without emotion. “The monsters who did this will pay in kind. There was no…No f*****g reason for this!”

My body had started shaking and my powers pulsed in my chest. They wanted revenge and were almost to the point where they didn’t give a rats a*s who I took it out on. Blue was curled up in the corner of my mind whining and crying for her friend.

“I linked the guys. Asher and Koda are headed to Heath’s room to talk to Tyler and Mya. The others are on their way here.” Edgar pulled me closer and held on tight. “Blake is trying to calm Andrew down, but he is taking this personally. If he takes it out on you, I am going to knock him on his a*s.”

I just nodded and focused on getting my shaking under control. The warrior was looking closer at Kailey. He took a step forward and I growled.

He put his hands up in surrender before explaining himself. “There is something pinned on her…..body.” He gulped before retrieving a piece of paper and handing it to me.

I opened it slowly. I knew it was going to be bad but I still wasn’t prepared for what it said. It read: ‘We took your royal warrior and showed her the true strength of being on the right side. She didn’t believe us so she had to die. I think you now believe that we are the strongest. It is best that you surrender yourself to us and death. Your mates can remate with someone of our choice so their power will be shared with our side. Your children will be mated with ours and be given meaningless jobs. They will survive…barely. If you don’t meet us at the listed place, date, and time we will kill Jared while the twins watch before we kill them.’

I slowly handed the letter to Edgar not even realizing the rest of my mates were there. I looked at the warrior and saw him step back. He must not like what he saw in my eyes but all I felt was rage.

“Get the prisoners ready to be questioned then killed. I don’t care to hear any sob stories. They made a choice. I want all information from them.” I turned away from him without waiting for an answer. I heard his steps as he ran back toward the jail.

“Ryder, focus on me. Focus on staying with us.” Blake huffed and stepped in front of me. He tried to touch me but burned his hands.

“Ouch! She is literally burning hot. What? How?”

I knelt by Kailey and grabbed her leg. Her body slowly turned to ash. “Back to the earth, my friend. No more pain, no more suffering, and one day you will return. We will watch over Heath with you and your family. I will miss you everyday and please know that you were loved.”

I stood up and walked out the gate with my mates yelling for me to stop. They followed me but didn’t dare try to touch me again. I had to get rid of some of this rage and pain or I would end up hurting someone else. All around me was trees minus the road. I didn’t want to start a forest fire and I didn’t want the road to be overrun.

‘Push your power into us. We will give it to those who need it and will use it to help protect the land.’ A voice said to me.

I looked around bewildered. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what, Ryder? What is going on?” Andrew said moving up beside me and looking around for who knows what. “We need to get back in the gate.”

“Can’t. Not yet. A voice…Where?” I fell to my knees. The pain holding all of this in was starting to take its toll.

‘Push your power into the ground, into mother earth, and help us come back from the many atrocities that have happened since the last war.’

I did as the voice said and put my hands flat on the ground. I focused on all the different things growing in the ground. I visualized my powers pushing into them and helping them get stronger, bigger, healthier, and let go when my focus was centered on what the voice said to do.

“Ryder…Ryder…Ryder!!” I jerked back and looked around me. Edgar was holding my face looking like he had seen a ghost. “Did you do this? Did you help heal the earth? You are amazing but please don’t do that again. I thought I was going to lose you.”

I just nodded and fell into him. “Call the Beta team and see where they have been. It is time to be proactive in this s**t. I want information from every available source and I want the Alpha team to head to the location that letter said to scoop it out before we head there. I am ending who ever meets us there and I will replace out where the rest are hiding.”

Andrew and Blake nodded before running off to talk to Roger and his team. They were leaving in just a few hours so they had to hurry. The twins got out their phones and started to make some phone calls.

Edgar picked me up in a bridal carry and began walking back. “Where do you want to go?”

“Heath’s room. I know how to give his wolf enough strength to survive, if he wants to. It is his decision and always has been.”

Edgar nodded and took us back. I saw that a few more guards had been posted at the gate which was a relief. I hadn’t called in for a replacement when I sent the other with my message. I am glad I have people who support me in everything I do. One day I will be able to show my appreciation without the fear of getting attacked.