Rise of the Rejected Luna - Chapter 170

Chapter 170: _Painful Reunion
We successfully took the children to Elder Gita’s sanctuary, watching as some pack soldiers took them off my hands and into the duplex.

There were several wolves in the building but I couldn’t spot my family.

“What if they aren’t here?” I asked, my heart racing. “Does this mean they’re dead?”

Soon, I wasn’t able to control my breathing and started hyperventilating, placing my hands on my chest.

Negan placed a hand on my back, trying to comfort me but it was to no avail.

I drew out my phone, trying to dial my brother’s number first.

However, my heart skipped a beat when I heard the sound of his ringtone behind me.

“Caleb?!” I nearly screamed, swerving my body to the sound of the phone only to see him standing there with a wry smile on his face and his phone placed on his ear.

The tears that I had been fighting to hold back began falling as I ran up to him, drawing him into an embrace as my shoulders relaxed.

“By the moon, where have you been?” I queried, sniffling when I pulled away from the hug and took a closer look at his face. “I’ve been looking all over for you guys. I even tried calling your number but–”

“I’m fine now, sis.” Caleb gave me a warm smile, placing his hands on my shoulders. “It was hell out there. Mom and I managed to escape but… But dad…”

He trailed off, his voice cracking.

Oh, no.

Goddess, please, no!

“You guys can’t find him? W– Where’s mom?” I stuttered, trying to remain positive despite the chaos unfolding around me.

Caleb sighed, wrapping his arms around me and placing his face on my neck.

I stiffened, wondering what the hug was for.

Could he just speak up and stop keeping me in suspense?!

“Dad is dead, Phoebe.” Caleb suddenly sobbed, his body wracking erratically. “H– He got caught in one of the blasts on our way here and then got cornered by hunters. He held them off while I and Mom escaped.”

Each word he said seemed to add a new nail to my heart, his sobs twisting those nails and making me feel like I was about to collapse at any second.

Dad is… Dead.

I didn’t know how to feel. I felt empty. I felt alone.

My father is dead.

I tried to be strong for Caleb. I WANTED to be strong for him.

But I couldn’t hold myself together and ended up breaking down, crying into his shoulders as he cried into mine.

“D– Dad was a good man.” I sniffled, my eyes getting blurry from all the tears.

Negan just stood there silently, watching us with a blank expression on his face.

I had half expected him to step forward and try and comfort me, but I guess he was trying to give us space to grieve.

I don’t think there’s any amount of space that would be enough to make up for this.

Just then, my heart tightened as I thought of something.

Kaene…

The mission he was currently embarking on was too dangerous.

I’d already lost my Dad and my bereaved mother-in-law on the same day. I couldn’t afford to lose him too.

“We need to go help Kaene,” I muttered, pulling away from Caleb and turning my gaze to Negan who sighed heavily.

After a while, he spoke up. “What you need is to rest and let Kaene handle this. He–”

“Could die!” I snapped, feeling a headache coming in. “I can’t afford to lose someone else, Negan. Not Kaene, not my mother, not Caleb… Not you… NO ONE!”

I could feel the stares of the pack soldiers who stood around but I didn’t care.

Negan stared at me as well, seeming hesitant.

Seeing that, I grunted, turning my gaze to Caleb and placing my hands on his shoulders. “I’ll… I’ll be back, okay? I need to make sure Kaene is alright.”

I proceeded to turn away from him, snapping my fingers as I was about to shift.

However, Caleb held my elbow, forcing me to pause.

“I can’t afford to lose you too, sis.” He said, tears still streaming down his eyes.

My heart felt like it was going to shatter into a million pieces if I looked into his eyes any longer.

“You’re not going to lose her.” Negan blurted just then, stepping forward. “I’ll tag along with your sister. You don’t have to worry about anything.”

I held my breath, staring at Negan with gratitude. He was such a good friend, I didn’t even know where to start.

“Kaene went to the main entrance of the estate. We’ll be able to make it there and help him from the shadows.” Negan said with a tense tone, taking the lead and walking out of the compound.

I gave Caleb one final glance before following behind Negan, clutching the hem of my dress and hoping it wouldn’t be a burden to our mission.

“I wonder what plan Kaene has to get them to take the bait,” I said out loud, fiddling nervously with my fingers. “D– Do you think he’ll be able to get them to–”

“Let’s just get there, Phoebe.” Negan interrupted with a hasty tone, brushing his hand through his hair.

However, he paused, glancing back at me and placing a hand on my shoulder. “If you want to sit back, you can. The hunters would want to capture the Beta as well so I could be a good bait. Not to mention, you’re… Grieving.”

I balled my hands into fists, trying desperately to hide the tears lingering in my eyes away from him. “I’ll be fine. Kaene’s safety is our priority right now.”

“Well, I know something for sure.” Negan paused, raising his hand and signaling me to stop as well. “Kaene has never struck me as a man who needs babysitting.”

I squinted my eyes, following his gaze only to spot a huge white wolf running toward our direction with a few arrows sticking on his body.

Kaene…