Page 15 of His Sunshine Baby (The Silver City #2)

“Stop staring at it.”

I blush. Daniel caught me reading Nate’s text again. I try to put my phone away, but Ben grabs it before I do.

“Elena’s got a boyfriend?” he suddenly asks.

“Give that back!” I yell, annoyed.

I try to climb over the couch to get my smartphone back, but Daniel decides to team up with his brother and holds me back, long enough for Ben to throw it to Bonnie.

“This is so cute. Text from Nate: ‘I’m sorry we fought. Can we talk? I miss you,’” she reads.

“Bonnie!” I protest.

Come on, even she betrays me to gang up on me with her brothers? She smiles and gives it back to me only because everyone’s already heard the content! The Lewis twins sit on either side of me, Bonnie grabbing the popcorn bowl and Ben annoying me to no end with his questions.

“Who is Nate? Your boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Crush? Potential boyfriend?”

Daniel is laughing behind his little brother’s back. Can’t he help me out of this, that idiot! When I went along with him for a movie night at their family house, I didn’t think I would fall into a trap about who’s going to gossip more about my private life! Their father laughs, sitting in his armchair next to us.

“Ben, enough. It’s Elena’s private life, don’t put your nose into it.”

The twins laugh a bit but eventually, the conversation changes to who will have the final word about which movie we will watch. I sigh and scoot over to get next to Daniel, pinching him as revenge until he squeals.

“That wasn’t necessary!”

“You deserve it, you traitor!”

“All right, all right, sorry. But you’ve been glued to your phone, girl. Just text him if you miss him that much already.”

I sigh.

“You know I can’t, Daniel.”

He rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, whatever.”

Half an hour later, Bonnie got the last word, and we are watching some catchy sci-fi movie, something pretty interesting with spies and con men. Suddenly, Joseph jumps up, surprising all of us. Ben even drops his soda on the couch.

“What the heck, Dad?”

But Joseph stays standing, frowning, as if something was bothering him. I understand right away he’s mind-linking. His eyes turn to me, and I immediately get a hunch as to what this is about.

“Is it Diego?” I ask, worried.

“Yeah. He’s fighting Eric and Jace.”

“Shit!”

I grab my jacket and prepare to follow Joe, but Danny suddenly grabs my arm.

“Babe, you really shouldn’t go.”

I hesitate for a second. Damn, I know I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t get involved in anything Diego is involved in. I spent the last three days avoiding him, brushing him off, and ignoring him, but it wasn’t easy. He almost fought with Levi yesterday just because I refused to answer when he talked to me at the pack’s reunion.

But…

“Daniel, if he injures them, I won’t forgive myself for it.”

Danny spurts out a profanity I really don’t hear often from his mouth and comes after us. The twins are about to come too, but their father orders them not to. We run outside, all three of us shape-shifting right away into our wolf forms.

Damn that guy! He hasn’t been back for a fucking week and he’s already messing with others!

Joe guides us all the way to another street, actually pretty close to where we were. When we arrive, there’s already a crowd around the fight. We have to growl to get through it, until I can see the scene.

A dark-gray and a brown wolf are fighting, all claws and fangs out. It’s a mess, there’s fur and blood flying. I immediately recognize Eric’s dark gray wolf, covered in blood. He is fighting angrily, growling, and standing his ground. The other wolf, however, barely has any injuries, but its maw is covered in blood.

When he is about to attack again, I instantly jump in and growl furiously. He stops his attack, stumbling to the side. My wolf warns him in an outraged growl.

“ Don’t you fucking touch him! ”

“ Elena.”

He steps forward, but I growl even louder.

“ Fuck off! Get away! ”

He stays nearby, though, walking left and right as if there was a perimeter around me he couldn’t approach. Joe, in a dark brown blur of fur, suddenly gets in between us, growling at Diego too. But Joseph is a beta, and Diego isn’t afraid to growl back. I feel Daniel’s father trying hard to stand his ground, but I know how strong Diego is. I step in front of him and growl again, keeping Diego from approaching.

“ Let me finish him. He asked for it! ”

“ Don’t you fucking touch Eric! You stay away! ”

He tries to come toward us, and my wolf growls even louder as a warning.

“ Don’t. ”

“ You can’t attack me anyway. Let me finish him! ”

I keep growling, ignoring the mind-link to use my wolf’s full aura.

Diego takes another step, but suddenly, a big silver wolf jumps over my head and hits him full force, growling.

“ What the hell is going on here? ”

Clark’s furious voice resonates in our heads, and a lot of werewolves that were watching on the sides until now flee the scene quickly, unwilling to be exposed to the Alpha’s wrath. Only a few of us remain, and that’s when I finally notice Jace, his wolf knocked out on the side. I run to him, worried, while Joe stays by Eric’s side.

Clark’s growls are directed right at Diego, but he doesn’t stop growling despite facing the Alpha.

“ Diego, are you fucking trying to piss me off? Attacking pack members! ”

“ They started it. You should discipline them better, Clark. Those bastards don’t even know how to show respect to an alpha. ”

I growl even more furiously. He is obviously doing this to piss me off! Of course he’s doing it on purpose, this dirtbag! My wolf wants to attack him, make him pay for what he did! I keep growling, and Clark does too.

“ Shut up! Don’t you dare start fights on my turf, with anyone! I don’t care who instigated it, Diego, everything was fine until you came back and I’m not an idiot! This is a warning! ”

Diego turns his head away, not submitting but not admitting to his wrongs either. I’m so mad at this bastard! Jace is unconscious, and Eric needs to go to the hospital! How could they be stupid enough to even agree to fight him?

Joseph pushes Eric with his head. With the light rain falling, the blood is slowly washing off from his injuries, but he obviously needs stitches. The beta keeps pushing him to move in the hospital’s direction. They both leave, and two other people from our pack run over to carry Jace.

Clark growls to chase away the few people left, and now it’s only Diego and us.

“ I don’t know what game you’re playing, Diego, but it won’t last long. Next time you pull some shit like this, I’m banning you again, and for good this time! ”

I can’t tell if Diego is listening to him or not, his eyes are riveted on me. I’m still growling, and Daniel has come over to my side to growl at him with me.

Clark has to run off to the hospital, but he keeps growling at Diego until he’s gone. As soon as our Alpha is out of sight, my ex walks over. I growl in warning.

“ I told you to stay the fuck away from me. ”

“ Now at least I got your attention. Do I have to injure your friends every time? Or should I kill one? ”

“ You sicko. ”

But he ignores Daniel as if it was just the two of us.

“ So, what’s it gonna be, Elena? Shall we do this the easy way or the hard way? ”

“ What do you want? We are done, Diego. I don’t want to see you, hear you, or even breathe the same air as you! ”

“ Really? Do you have to act so pissed off? Just because we had a fight before we parted? ”

I’m beyond furious right now. A fight? He calls what happened a mere fight? I want to kill him! But Daniel holds me back by biting my paw and then pulling my tail. I know I can’t fight Diego, but damn, I can’t even stand the sight of that bastard!

“ We didn’t have a fight, Diego, you tried to fucking kill me! ”

“ No, you were the one who stabbed me, Elena! Who was trying to kill who, exactly? ”

Moon Goddess, I still remember it all, way too vividly. Like it was yesterday. Every word, every hit, every wound. Like a fucking nightmare I have to live over and over again. I growl, barely containing my rage.

“ You fucking raped me, Diego. You started it the second I said no and you kept insisting. You did it, you did that to me, and I fucking fought back exactly as I should have! ”

“ What the hell is wrong with you? That wasn’t rape, you were my girlfriend! I’m a wolf, and your mate, I could fuck you anytime I wanted! That wasn’t rape, that was merely us playing around! We are alphas, Elena, that was just a game like we always played! Because that’s what we’ve always done, right? Fighting, testing our limits! ”

I can feel Daniel’s wolf, so disgusted at Diego’s words that he wants to jump in and kill him too. But I’m so furious it actually helps me focus and answer him coldly, like the current beneath the ice.

“ No. There was a fucking limit, and you didn’t care about it. You never knew when to stop. You didn’t care about hurting me or anyone else. You thought I said no to ‘playing’ because that’s what you wanted to think, Diego. Being your girlfriend never meant it would be fine to fucking have sex with me when I didn’t want it. ”

“ Is that what you told the pack? That I raped you, really? Was it fun to play the victim to Clark and the others? You liked it, Elena, you-- ”

“ I LOST MY CHILD TRYING TO FIGHT YOU OFF! TELL ME HOW I COULD HAVE EVER WANTED THAT! ”

He growls back at me, acting angry for the first time.

“ I didn’t know you were pregnant! You didn't tell me, how could I have known, huh? You fucking brought it upon yourself! The child died all because of you! ”

Before I can even react, I suddenly see Daniel jump at Diego. I scream.

“ DANNY, NO! ”

For a second, I’m the most terrified I’ve ever been in my entire life. I think that’s it; my best friend is going to get killed in front of my eyes.

But right before they make contact, two other wolves jump in, pushing Danny to the side and out of Diego’s way. I immediately run in to bite my best friend’s ear, standing between him and Diego, and keeping him from getting killed.

“ You idiot! You could have gotten yourself killed! ”

Daniel doesn’t listen to me; he’s still growling furiously at Diego. However, with Levi right next to me holding him back too, he can’t get through. His older brother is growling at him as well, trying to get him to calm down.

“ Let me through, Levi, this sucker needs a lesson! ”

“ Enough, Danny! You’re only going to get hurt and punished! Back off! ”

While the two brothers are arguing loudly with growls and through mind-linking, I glance back. An old, white, and silver wolf is furiously growling at Diego and keeping him away from us.

“ You take one step forward and I swear you’ll lose a limb, you little mutt. ”

“ Fuck off, Reagan! ”

But my mentor is not having it and is standing her ground. Diego’s definitely not scaring a veteran like her, especially when she’s this angry. She’s showing her fangs and I know she is more than able to fight Diego. He knows it too, as he goes back and forth, trying to find a way to get to me and Daniel, but he is not getting one step closer.

She growls again.

“ Walk away before I really lose it and kill you, damn dog! Now! ”

Diego growls in response, but Reagan is even scarier. His tail and ears betray him. He’s acting tough but he is scared and wary of my mentor. He slowly steps back, growling but also showing his defeat. I can’t believe she really got him to step back and leave us alone. Reagan stands guard for a while, making sure Diego’s gone for good.

I can finally catch my breath a bit. This tension is too much for me. Moon Goddess, I haven’t felt this panicked in a long while. Daniel finally seems to calm down, shaking his head.

“ Danny. ”

“ What the fuck happened? ”

I explain everything that happened before Levi and Reagan jumped in while keeping an eye on Daniel. My mentor growls, annoyed.

“ Damn your Alpha. He should never have allowed that scum back onto your territory. See what’s happened already. ”

“ Let’s just go home for now. Your family must be worried, Danny. Reagan, can you go check up on Eric and Jace for me? ”

“ Sure. I have a few words for your Alpha. ”

She walks away, taking the direction of the hospital. I’m so freaking tired. Levi mind-links us, not hiding his annoyed tone.

“ That was fucking reckless of you, Danny. You could have gotten hurt! ”

“ Did you even hear what that asshole told Elena, Levi? I was not going to let that slide! ”

“ Daniel, enough. I don’t give a damn what Diego thinks or says, okay? I know where I stand on that matter and I don’t want to discuss it. Now can we go home, please? I’m cold and my fur is freaking soaked. ”

The downpour is drenching us, and I really don’t want to get sick again. I have a headache already. Daniel growls a bit, unhappy, but the tawny wolf eventually agrees to follow us back to the Lewis house.

By the time we get back, my headache is way worse. Bonnie makes me a hot cup of tea and hands me some medicine while Daniel and Levi, back in their human forms, explain to the rest of the family what happened. It’s a pitiful scene, the three of us soaking wet in the Lewis’ salon, towels on our heads. I had to borrow clothes from Rachel and one of Levi’s old sweaters too.

“You shouldn’t have gone,” sighs their mom. “What if one of you had been injured, like Jace and Eric!”

“You think Diego is going to get punished?” asked Ben.

I exchange a look with Levi.

“Clark gave him some sort of warning. It’s probably a bit complicated. If he banishes a wolf he had just let back in the pack, it will be bad for his position. People will think the Alpha isn’t making good decisions.”

“He obviously isn’t!” says Daniel. “What kind of idiot would let a jerk like Diego back into the White Moon clan! That guy is like a pest! Wherever he goes you can be sure there is going to be some sort of trouble!”

“I wonder what he was doing for five years outside of the city,” whispers Bonnie.

“Who cares! He should have never come back and that’s it. If only he could have gotten himself killed or something,” grumbles Daniel.

“Enough, enough!” his mom says to stop the conversation. “I don’t want to hear any more about that disgusting person! You change the subject to whatever you kids want, but enough of this!”

Everyone obeys and a heavy, awkward silence follows. Eventually, Bonnie and Ben agree to continue with the movie night and pick another movie to watch. I exchange a look with Daniel and Levi, and we agree silently. I don’t want to talk about Diego anymore, either. This headache is just getting worse and killing me.

After a few minutes, I stand up and excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Maybe a bit of fresh water on my face will help. Gosh, I haven’t felt this bad in a while. It couldn’t possibly be my period, I had it just last week.

“ Help me. ”

What the hell? I hear a voice echoing in my head, like someone I know. Who is mind-linking me? It’s not even someone from the pack! Aside from me, I don’t know anyone who would be able to-

“ Help me! ”

I feel weird. I’m cold, and out of breath. So fucking cold, as if I was outside, in the rain, under that downpour. What the… I look at my face in the mirror, clenching my fists on the sink as if I’m about to fall. I look behind my shoulder as if someone were there, someone is pursuing me. What the hell is wrong with me?

Who’s voice is that? It’s a woman, no, a girl’s voice I’ve never heard before. Yet, it’s resonating like an echo in my head, like someone talking underwater or behind a wall.

“ Run, run… ”

Who is running? To where? Is she in danger?

I stagger, trying to distinguish between what’s real and what’s in my head. Her voice is so strong, I have to fight to remember where I am.

“ He will kill me! ”

I start crying, irrepressibly. I’m scared, I’m so scared. I crouch down, unable to keep my balance. My tears pour out, without me being able to control them. I don’t know what’s going on!

“Elena? Elena, are you okay?”

Bonnie just appeared at the entrance of the bathroom to find me sitting down and crying. She runs to me, putting her hands on my shoulders.

“Elena, what’s wrong? Elena? Danny! Levi! Mom! Elena, tell me what’s wrong, please?”

But I have no idea what’s wrong with me, or why I’m so cold and scared. A few seconds later, half the Lewis family is around me, trying to soothe me and get me to calm down. Their mom even puts a blanket around me, and Daniel checks me everywhere to look for an invisible injury.

“Babe, talk to me, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

I just shake my head and struggle to calm down. I should probably try to ignore that voice, break that link between her and me, but for some reason, I can’t. I don’t want to lose it, to lose that connection.

At some point, I realize Levi is carrying me out of the bathroom. I’m taken to the couch, where they surround me again, trying to decide on what to do.

“Should we get a doctor?” asks Bonnie, worried.

“She is not injured, it looks like a panic attack. Can you grab the tablets in my bag? Levi, go get another blanket, she’s shivering. Get the thermometer, too! Mom, can you make us some hot chocolate?”

Everyone runs to do whatever Daniel said, while I’m still struggling. My crying has stopped, and I’m getting less and less scared too. It’s like it’s fading away.

“Babe? Elena, are you with me? Talk to me, babe.”

“I’m fine.”

Daniel rolls his eyes.

“How are you fine? I’ve been trying to get you to talk or mind-link for at least ten minutes! What happened? Do you need anything?”

I try to catch my breath and think.

“Can I get something to drink? My throat feels awful.”

“Mom’s making it. Elena, what was that? Your skin is freaking cold, too. That wasn’t a panic attack, right?”

“No… I think someone mind-linked me?”

Danny and Bonnie exchange a look, surprised. Behind them, I notice Ben’s on the phone, talking about my condition to someone.

“Mind-linked you? Someone in the pack?”

“No, that’s the weird part. I think she was someone outside of the pack.”

“Wow, wait. I thought you were the only one who could do that?”

Abigail comes back before I can answer and puts a huge mug of hot chocolate in my hands, and I drink it right away. Levi comes back at the same time, carrying a blanket, and covers me up with it. He sits beside me and rubs my back to help me warm up while all the others sit on the table, the couch, or the floor in front of me. Daniel quickly tells them all what I just said.

“Sweetie, are you sure?” asks Abigail. “Aside from you, no one can mind-link someone who isn’t part of the pack.”

“Could it be someone you just didn’t recognize?” says Ben.

“No, it felt totally different. It sounded like she was very far away, but I feel like I've heard her voice before, a very long time ago. Her wolf felt like... like mine.”

They all exchange looks, while I take a sip of that hot chocolate. Moon Goddess, it’s hot but it feels good.

“What if… it’s someone from your family?”

I almost drop my cup and look at Bonnie, totally surprised. What… What did she just say? Her mother frowns, looking lost in her thoughts for a while.

“Bonnie’s theory could explain it… The only other way you can mind-link someone who isn’t from the same pack as yours is if they are your family member.”

“Either that or this person has the same power as Elena,” says Ben.

“If that were the case, I doubt this person would have reached out to her specifically.”

Levi’s right. If I was in utter panic like the girl I heard, I would have reached out to anyone, not to one specific person, but I felt like I was the only one with her at that time, if she even felt me at all.

“I’m not even sure she realized she was mind-linking me. She was in total panic, like she was in great danger. She kept saying someone was about to kill her. And I could feel she was outside, in that rain, as if I were too…”

“How did it stop, then?” asks Ben.

I shake my head.

“I’m not sure. It was very weak, to begin with, and it just faded away, like she was falling asleep or losing consciousness.”

They all keep quiet for a few seconds, while I try to find that link again. This is so weird. It was as if the connection had reached out from the surface for a few seconds, and suddenly went away again… so confusing.

I try to warm myself up for a few minutes. Abigail, Ben, and Daniel are discussing what else could have caused it. Abigail even wants me to see a doctor, but my temperature is back to normal, and whatever happened, it’s gone. Meanwhile, Bonnie is curled up next to me, sipping her own hot chocolate too. Levi has his arm around my shoulders, listening to them without taking part.

“Your headache?” he asks in a whisper.

“Gone,” I sigh. “Probably something to do with the mind-linking as well.”

I keep thinking about what Bonnie suggested. What if that girl, whoever it was, was really part of my family? Could we really be related? Our connection felt real, like something I had forgotten from long ago. I try to seek for remnants of that link, but my wolf is as clueless as I am. This is so strange.

Joseph and Micah come home, and everyone turns to them. Micah is in his wolf form, and completely soaked. Bonnie immediately brings him one of the towels to help her blind brother dry his fur. Joseph, too, gets a towel for his hair.

“Something happened.”

“Elena’s fine, dad,” says Ben.

“It’s not about Elena. Or Diego. Something’s up with the Blood Moon pack, they’ve gone crazy.”

I immediately get worried, thinking about Nate.

“Crazy?”

“Yeah. Clark and Xavier are freaking out. Their whole clan is running through the streets of Silver City. They are growling at all the borders like they are going to trespass. Rumor has it they already went to the Gold Moon and Jade Moon territories, totally unannounced.”

“Moon Goddess. Could those be clans who refused to meet them? Is it a punitive expedition?”

“No, they met with the Jade Moon last Saturday.”

A few of the siblings realize I shouldn’t know that information and send me a glance, but Abigail is totally focused on the matter.

“Do you think they will attack?” asks Ben.

“I don’t know, son. This is a first, no one knows what to do. The King hasn’t said a thing, and their people haven't told us anything either. With so many people running around, it’s chaotic outside, so Clark sent everyone home for now.”

They continue to discuss what could be going on for a few seconds, but I slowly walk away, followed by Danny. I take out my phone.

“What are you- Moon Goddess, you’re calling him?” whispers Danny.

I just nod and press the call button. Moon Goddess, I’m calling him when I haven’t replied to his text in days... It rings for a while. Could it be that he's really not available? Or injured? I’m making up all kinds of stupid scenarios for a while, but Nate doesn’t answer.

“What the hell!” I growl, frustrated.

“He’s not picking up?”

“No…”

I try to call him again, with no luck. I give up and just send him a text, asking him to call me as soon as he can. Is he ignoring me, maybe? Daniel takes me back to the salon where Joseph and Levi are arguing about what to do.

“What if they attack?!”

“Levi, Xavier said to stay home. Nothing’s happened for now, so we should stay home and wait. Maybe it’s just an issue with their pack.”

“But our borders-!”

“They’re staying on their land, and they are not threatening us. Now calm down, you’re going to make everyone worry twice as much. Ben, Bonnie, Micah, go upstairs. It’s late already.”

The three younger siblings obey right away, leaving the room even if it’s not actually that late. Abigail gets up to call Rachel. I sigh and sit back on the couch, curling up on my corner. What the heck is going on? Unhappy, Levi leaves, followed by his Dad, leaving me and Daniel alone.

“Moon Goddess, that’s way too many emotions for one day,” sighs Daniel.

I couldn’t have said it any better. I keep looking at my phone, hoping to hear from Nate. I’m dozing off when it finally vibrates a few minutes later.

“Elena?”

“Moon Goddess, Nate, what’s going on? Are you okay?”

“What? Yes, I’m fine. It’s a bit chaotic here.”

“They said your pack is at our border!” I whisper, hoping no one but Daniel can hear my conversation.

“It’s okay, Elena, we are going back now. Something happened, I… I might not be available for a few days. I’ll be in the hospital; I can’t really call you whenever I want.”

“Moon Goddess, the hospital? Are you injured?”

“No, no, not me, don’t worry. Someone, uh… close. I have to watch over them for a while. Just… don’t worry, okay? I promise I’ll call you later.”

I finally calm down a bit, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Okay. Anytime you want.”

I hear him chuckle.

“It’s nice.”

“What?”

“Having you worry about me. I thought we were fighting.”

“We’re not fighting. I just said I needed a break to cool off.”

I’m dying of embarrassment, and Daniel is looking at me like I’m crazy too. He kicks my leg, mouthing “you idiot” with his lips.

“A break, okay, well, I guess I need my share of a break for now too. But I’ll contact you later. If that’s okay?”

Facing me, Daniel is repeatedly making a big X with his arms and whispering “no, no!” but I ignore him.

“Okay. Later then.”