The Lunar Queen Chapter 35

Winter POV

It’s been six months and she still hasn’t woken up. I’ve been so lost without her. Dom came and stayed with me for a while, but he had to go back to the Royal pack. I just feel so alone, and looking at her lying here, she looks so peaceful and normal, but she still hasn’t opened her eyes. She hasn’t shown any signs of being okay. Dr. Grant said all her vitals are normal, and all the silver and wolfsbane have been out of her system for months now. That almost makes it worse, because there’s nothing obvious left to fight, nothing left to blame it on, and she still won’t come back to me. I miss her so much—her stupid, annoyed face, her ugly snort thing she does when she laughs too hard. Ugh, I hate Summer so much; all she had to do was love her.

“Hey Winter, mind if we join you?” Logan asks.

“She’s your sister,” I say sharply. And I don’t even mean for it to come out sharp, but it does, because I’m tired and angry and she’s the one person I want here, and nobody else is enough.

“You’re more of a sister to her than we have been brothers to her,” Jace says.

“He’s not wrong there,” Vega adds.

“Sit,” I say.

“Have you eaten anything?” Logan asks.

“I had an apple and some coffee,” I reply.

“Winter, you need to eat. Lyric would not be happy if she found out you weren’t taking care of yourself,” Jace states.

“It’s not going to matter if she doesn’t wake up,” I point out. That’s the ugliest part of all this—everybody keeps telling me to take care of myself like tomorrow is promised, and I’m sitting here staring at the proof that it isn’t.

“She will,” Logan says.

“It’s been six months, Logan, and not even a twitch,” I snap. Not a hand squeeze. Not a change in expression. Not one thing I can hold onto when I’m trying not to lose my mind.

“Yes, but she’s breathing on her own, which means she’s in there. She’s been through a lot in a short period of time. Maybe her body just needs more time,” Jace suggests.

“Has anyone been down to the cells since our brothers and the others left?” I ask, trying to change the subject. Because if I stay on Lyric too long, I’m either going to start crying again or I’m going to scream.

“Dad went down there this morning,” Jace replies.

My eyes finally move from Lyric as I look at Jace.

“Uncle Donovan tortured his own pup?” I ask, surprised.

“He said anyone who would do the things she did to her own family and not feel anything is no pup of his,” Logan said. “He is really going through it, knowing he was blind to everything she has been through. Mom hasn’t been out of her room in weeks,” Logan says.

“Your mom has been staying with her, but she said mom feels too guilty. She pushed Lyric to the back burner because she was quiet, and didn’t realize the daughter she favored was causing her quiet, sweet child so much pain,” Jace adds.

“Mind if I join you guys?” Uncle Donovan asks, walking in.

“Of course not,” I say, turning to look at him. He doesn’t look anything like himself right now. Bags and dark circles under his eyes, his beard much longer than usual, as if he has just let himself go. Everyone is feeling her absence, even the pack members. There’s just a sadness that has settled over the pack. It’s in the halls, in the dining room, in the way people talk softer now like they’re scared of making things worse. The whole pack feels like it’s holding its breath with no end in sight.

Mason has been losing it at Alpha training. Dad said they almost kicked him out because he nearly killed an instructor.

I stand and sit in Uncle Donovan’s lap like I used to do when Lyric and I were pups.

“It’s okay, Uncle Don. She will be okay. She has to be,” I say. I say it because one of us needs to, even if I don’t know whether I’m trying to comfort him or myself.

He softly rubs my back.

“I know, rabbit. I just feel so much guilt for missing everything. It was happening right in front of us, and we all missed it,” he says.

“We all failed her. I should have just told you guys the first time it happened,” I reply. “She was my best friend, and I just wanted to keep her secrets because she asked. But if I had said something, we wouldn’t be here hoping she wakes up,” I add. That thought sits with me every single day, and it doesn’t get lighter no matter how many times people tell me it wasn’t my fault.

“This is not your fault, Winnie. This is Summer’s fault. She is to blame for all of this, for being jealous of her own sister,” he growls.

“Winnie, I want to ask you a question. Please be honest,” he says.

“Okay, Uncle Don,” I reply.

“Is Lyric dating our Alpha King?” he asks.

“Not exactly. It’s more complicated than that,” I say.

“What do you mean?” he asks, with Jace and Logan listening in too.

“Please don’t tell Mason or Hunter. Nobody knows but Lyric and me,” I say.

“He is her second chance mate,” I whisper.

Uncle Donovan states, “The Moon Goddess knew she would reject Mason.”

“Yeah, I think so,” I agree. Because the more I sit with it, the more it feels like fate already made up its mind long before any of us caught up.

“It makes sense why you’re mated to his Beta because you two are more like twins than she and Summer ever were,” he explains.

“Yes, she is the other half of my soul. There is no me without her,” I respond. And that’s the part nobody really gets. This isn’t just me missing my best friend. This feels like walking around with something important ripped out of me and being expected to act normal anyway.

Mason POV

Six months. I’ve been on edge ever since I left. My father had to talk to the Royal Gamma about me because I almost tore the head off an instructor. I guess they gave me a pass. I didn’t want to come anyway. I didn’t want to leave her. She still hasn’t woken up, and I don't regret the pain I inflicted on Summer and those assholes who touched what was mine. Not because they didn’t deserve it. Because they did. Because no matter how much I hurt them, it didn’t change a damn thing for Lyric. She’s still lying there, and I’m still here losing my mind.

They’ve had a break from Hunter and me, but I know our dads have visited each of them a few times. When I get my hands on that bitch Kasey, she’ll pay. Apparently, she’s been visiting her grandparents in another pack. How convenient. She better never come back to Moonveil. I know she’s hiding because she knows about that picture. That one picture ruined everything. I should have guessed her stolen camera was a lie.

“She will suffer too, they all will,” Kane roars in my head.

Keeping control of him has been a constant push and pull. I’m almost mid-shift at least twice a day. I can’t keep going like this. I need my sunflower. I need those beautiful green eyes. It’s about to be a new year, and she’s missing it. I hope she wakes up before her birthday. Please let her wake up before her birthday. I keep coming back to that date like it means something, like if she opens her eyes before then maybe everything doesn’t have to be over.

I just got her back, and I lost her just as fast. I miss her so much — that beautiful laugh, those deep dimples, those striking green eyes. I need her to be okay. I can’t imagine my life without her in it. Whether she’s my mate or not, she has to be okay. I can’t shake the feelings of guilt and regret. It’s like a growing fungus in my soul that spreads every day she doesn’t wake up. It’s in everything now. Every thought. Every quiet moment. Every second I’m not distracted enough to pretend I can function like this.

My mother said her parents are taking it the hardest, but nobody is worse than Winter. My mom said she isn’t eating or sleeping and has been at the hospital every day. The school had to excuse her from classes because she won’t leave her side. I can’t even bring myself to talk to her because I feel like she blames me.

I blame myself. That’s the truth of it. Nobody could say anything to me I haven’t already said to myself.

I should have stayed away from her.

“She would have still hurt mate, she was already hurting her,” Kane says.

Alpha training is almost over, and I can’t wait because I just want to be close to her. Being this far is driving me crazy. Please wake up, my sunflower. I don’t even care what’s waiting for me when she does—anger, rejection, distance, whatever. I’ll take all of it. I just need her alive enough to give it to me.