Page 12 of My Only Luna

I don’t reply, wanting them gone so I don’t have to hold myself together anymore. I bite my lip hard as I fight against the pain. I just want this all to go away, for everyone to leave me alone. Forever.

Indigo

We make our way intothe hallway, leaving her bedroom door open. I feel so upset seeing her like this. A hazy memory of long ago seems to come to me but I can’t quite grasp it, but seeing Scarlett in pain is triggering it.

“The mark is from an alpha… her heat is going to get worse,” Grandma Amelia warns us quietly.

“I hate him. I can’t believe he did that to his own daughter. Who could do that? Why is hestillhurting my babies?!” Mama spits. Dad hugs her, stroking her hair. Grandma Amelia sighs.

“A monster, that’s who,” she says, leading the way downstairs. “I’ll put on some tea. I don’t think anyone’s sleeping tonight.”

I shuffle forward. I know it was our sperm donor who had marked her. I know he is a monster, he always has been.

But that niggling thought remains. Why do I feel Scarlett’s been through more than we think? I know she always protectedme, but wasn’t there consequences for her? I’m sure there were even though she’d appear fine, but why can’t I remember it?

“Are you okay, Indy?” Dad asks with concern as he helps Mama to sit at the table.

“I don’t know… I feel like there’s something in my mind that I can’t quite remember… as if I’m missing a hole in the bigger picture,” I say, placing my head in my hands as I drop into a seat.

“Don’t push it Indy; it is probably some awful memories of your father. Don’t try to remember,” Mama says, caressing my dark hair. I frown, but does forgetting or trying to forget things make it alright? What if there’s something big we’re missing? We’re all silent as we sit there until Grandma Amelia comes over.

“What exactly happened, Jackson? Why is no one saying anything?” Grandma Amelia asks, placing a tray of hot tea on the table. Dad hesitates, looking at me.

“Indigo, will you leave? It’s not really-”

“I’m not a child, so please stop trying to treat me like one,” I whisper, wishing Elijah was here.

What exactly happened? Why isn’t he with Scarlett? Does he not care like he said he did?He better not have hurt her. I swear…“You know what, actually, I’m just going to go for a walk. Carry on.” My parents nod, not questioning me as I turn and leave the kitchen, placing my mug down on the side table in the hallway.

I have to find Elijah; he is the only one who can help Scarlett. I stand outside the door as Dad sighs. I’m about to walk away when I hear Dad speak.

“Hank sexually assaulted her.”

I freeze, as Mama gasps, and I hear something shatter.

“Goodness gracious, Jessica!” Grandma Amelia exclaims and I hear a chair scrape as someone stands up.

I stare ahead, those words ringing in my head.

Why?

Why!

“I’m not sure if it was the heat or if there’s more to it but-” Dad is cut off by Grandma Amelia.

“Regardless! It’s not an excuse! How dare he?! Have his head! He deserves to be given the strictest of punishments! Goddess! My poor child!”

I can hear Mama’s sobs, and I brush my fingers across my cheeks, staring down at the tears on my fingertips. If no one else could, then I should have protected her, just as she protected me when we were little. Why does she keep having to suffer? First, the monster marks her, then Hank.

“He has been punished; Scarlett killed him.”

“Good riddance! I hope she made it painful!” Grandma Amelia snarls.

“He… what did he do? She looks… empty. I saw myself in her today. Did he rape her?” Mama sobs.

“Only the medical examination on Hank or Scarlett, herself, can tell us. But Nick thinks she managed to stop him in time,” Dad says.

Mama begins crying uncontrollably and I can no longer hear what Grandma Amelia and Dad are saying.

---