The Lost Queen

Ch. 9: Mind Games

Rayne was terrified.

It wasn't the first time she was scared to tell her parents something, but she didn't know what to expect with the news she had. Her secret was bigger than admitting to pushing Ezra off a park swing or hiding in a secret spot she and Ronan found when exploring forbidden territories, both of which she could guess her consequence for. Sure, she was an adult and wouldn't get any punishment.

But things were different from before. Rayne, who was never sure she could commit to taking up the role as being a mother with her overload of responsibilities, was pregnant with Moonshine's future alpha. She'd have to worry about her pup more than a regular expecting mother would. Hello, even more than the mother of an alpha!

Her child would be king or queen of the Fae as well, and she still grappled with how to feel about her baby carrying so much on their shoulders before they're even born.

Rayne and Jarrah still had so much to talk about with just the two of them, and she knew her parents would ask the questions she dreaded having to answer. But until she and her mate could have that conversation together first, she would just have to keep them in the dark.

Nashoba and Nevaeh were the two who greeted Jarrah and Rayne that evening after their feet touched the ground. Nevaeh didn't hesitate to lurch forward once they were near enough, and wrap her arms around Rayne's frame. She relaxed into her mother's embrace and squeezed her back, relieved that her parents were okay.

Her father's hand caressed the back of her head and she looked up to catch his eye. Though he didn't say it, the relief in his eyes to see her was reciprocated. After being a month apart when she and Jarrah got the elixir, her parents hated being away from her for any length of time. Even if it was just a couple days.

Nashoba's gaze looked behind her and she turned her head to catch Jarrah standing there, tense. His jaw tightened and he moved his bare shoulders back. He nodded his greeting at Rayne's parents like the king he was, despite the tension between Nashoba and him.

"Welcome," Nashoba greeted, nodding at him back. He most likely wanted Rayne to have a wolf mate, Ronan preferably Rayne assumed, but he never completely said it. Not since she told them she wanted to be with Jarrah and wouldn't stand for any disrespect towards him.

"Thank you," Jarrah replied, his voice stiff.

Rayne moved out of her mother's arms to step back next to Jarrah, where he relaxed just a fraction more. Navaeh's lips twitched, but she hid her smirk under the serious mask she tried to wear.

"Welcome back, Jarrah," she said. Jarrah's eyes softened just a fraction at her mother's warm welcome and he nodded again.

"Thank you, Mrs. Vance. I'm sorry we came back under such unfortunate circumstances," he admitted.

"Navaeh is fine," she told him, waving off his formal introduction. "And we understand. We're running into the same problem ourselves."

Rayne pushed forward again, her blood filling with ice. "Have there been more?" she asked, anxious.

She prayed the answer would be no, but was she ever that lucky?

Nashoba nodded, his face grim. A flash of pain crossed his features as his eyebrows furrowed, and it took everything in Rayne not to freak out. She took a deep breath, counted to five, and then asked the dreaded question.

"Who was it?" she whispered.

Guilt ate away at her insides. Her pack had lost another member, and Rayne did nothing to stop it like she promised. And to make matters worse, she wasn't even there when it happened! Granted, she had to meet with the Fae council, but it still did nothing to ease her conscience.