Mystery Illness

Book Four: Ghosts of the Past

“Aurora and Everett are finally free. The evil Goddess Nemesis has been killed, along with her minion, Rory’s supposed mentor, the deceitful Professor Xander. Finally, they can focus on their pack and on each other. But Xander’s body is still missing, a mysterious illness is striking at random, and rogues are on the move. Even Rory isn’t immune. They have to move quickly to discover what’s really going on, before someone dies. Will they be able to work together, or will these new problems tear them apart?”

RORY

“Two Months After Nemesis Was Defeated”

Sunlight cascades through the opening of the curtain, illuminating my bedroom. I groan at the thought of having to get out of bed after another restless night.

The memory of Nemesis’s cold, yellow eyes haunts me. Pulling the covers up over my head, I debate whether to continue trying to get some sleep or give up my efforts and start the day.

I feel the warmth of Everett’s body next to mine and smile, happy he didn’t leave before the sun came up. He’s so busy and so dedicated to his Alpha duties.

Now that we have united the Shadow Blood Pack and Red Moon Pack, he has spent more time out of the office. But being Alpha still occupies most of his day.

Finally deciding to give up, I slowly get out of bed. I try not to make any noise so I don’t wake him. Sleep hasn’t been easy for him either lately.

I quickly get dressed, careful not to stumble the way I usually do. Mama is probably waiting for me to meet her in the dining hall by now. I don’t want to keep her waiting, so I head for the door.

“Where are you sneaking off to?” Everett says, sitting up in bed and startling the heck out of me. He’s teasing, smiling at me, and I feel a burst of affection for him.

“I’m sorry,” I reply, coming back to the bed. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I wasn’t sleeping,” he grins, reaching over and pulling me closer to him.

He kisses me softly and the rest of the world disappears for a moment. All that matters is the two of us. I feel safe, wrapped in his arms. Like we can do anything together.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he whispers with a mischievous smile.

“I told Mama I’d meet her for breakfast and then I am going to the orphanage to see how everyone’s doing,” I reply, wishing that I could stay in bed with him and forget about everything else.

“Sounds like a good plan, little mate. I need to go to the office anyway,” he says, kissing me on the forehead.

He gets out of bed and heads to the closet. I watch as he takes off his shirt and exposes his broad chest and arms, remembering how it feels to run my hands over them.

How did I get so lucky? One day I would have to repay the goddess Selene for making Everett my mate. I never imagined I could have a relationship like this.

“I hope you have a wonderful day, little one. I will see you around lunch,” he says, leaning in to kiss me one last time before he leaves.

I head to the dining hall, where Mama is waiting for me with a smile on her face and two plates of pancakes. I can feel everyone’s eyes on me, can see the half-hearted smiles and inquisitive looks.

“Good morning, sweetheart,” Mama says, leaning over to kiss my cheek as I sit down.

“Good morning, Mama,” I reply, shaking off the exhaustion that’s been clinging to me.

“Still not sleeping?” she asks with a look of concern.

“Not much. No matter what I do, I just can’t seem to relax.” I reach for the syrup and in the process knock over the salt. At least nothing broke.

She reaches over and strokes my hair, offering me some comfort. Being a Luna is something I am still trying to master, but at least Mama understands. And doesn’t mind cleaning up after me.

“Don’t worry so much about what they think. You are Luna, and no one can change that. They will come around. They have no choice,” Mama says with a smile.

“I know, Mama. I’m just tired of feeling like I am under a microscope. It makes me question everything I do.” I’ll always be ‘the human’. Sometimes it feels like they’ll never truly accept me.

“Well, unfortunately, you are,” she says, shaking her head. “That is no reason to doubt who you are or your instincts. Trust them, Rory. Trust yourself.”

Mama always knows what to say. I nod my head and smile, thankful that I have her with me. She’s the one person who has always been on my side.

“Have you seen Mia?” I ask, trying to change the subject.

“No, I haven’t. Why? Is something wrong?” she asks, looking concerned.

After everything that has happened with Professor Xander and Nemesis, everyone is on edge. Mama has been especially worried after they tried to kill me.

“No. I just haven’t seen her lately. That’s all,” I reply, trying to be reassuring.

I look around the dining hall but see no sign of Mia anywhere. This makes three days that I haven’t seen her around.

Then again, she has school. Like a normal person. My own dream of going to college seems so far away now.

Mama looks relieved. “There’s been a lot going on. Maybe she is just catching up with her studies.”

I nod my head absentmindedly. Now that I think of it, I haven’t heard from Freya in the last few days, either. My attempts to reach her have gone unanswered, and it isn’t like her to just disappear.

Rather than letting the thoughts swirl around in my head for too long, causing me even more stress, I say goodbye to Mama and head to the orphanage.

A strange feeling comes over me as I approach the door. It’s eerily silent. I can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong, and I hold my breath as I open the door.

No one greets me. I walk through the building, looking for signs that anyone is around, but see none. There is no noise or children playing. Where is everybody?

Someone calls my name. “Rory!”

I startle, bruising my hip on a coffee table. It’s Nellie, rushing down the hall toward me. At least the caretaker is here.

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I ask. The look on her face makes my stomach tighten with concern.

“The kids are supposed to stay in their rooms. Some of them are sick,” Nellie says nervously, looking around. “I have no idea what could cause their symptoms or what I should do.”

“Sick? How?” I frown. It’s not flu season and I haven’t heard of anything else going around. “Is there anything I can do?” I’ve only really used my power on injuries, but maybe I can help.

Nellie’s face clears a bit. “Oh, if you could, I’d be so grateful. Come and see. They’ll be happy to see you, anyway.”

I follow her down the hallway, feeling myself getting more anxious. She stops in front of a door at the end of the hallway and looks back at me before opening it.

Inside the room, it’s oddly quiet, and the walls are bare. There is a group of kids sitting on their beds. Their eyes are wide with fear as I walk in. I look around in confusion at their terrified faces.

“Hey there, guys. I hear you’re not feeling well. Want to tell me about it?” I sit on Cassidy’s bed. I know her a little better than the other kids, and she’s got a good head on her shoulders.

“I don’t know. Orion and I just started feeling weird suddenly. Then they started feeling sick too,” Cassidy replies with a shrug, looking over at the other kids.

I put my hand on her forehead. She’s fine, not even sweaty. Her skin is maybe a little cool. “Weird? What kind of weird? Do you have a fever, or a stomach ache?”

Cassidy gives me a look, like she’s tired of explaining obvious things to grown-ups. “No, nothing like that. It’s my wolf. All our wolves. They’re scared. They think something bad is going to happen.”

That surprises me. “Your wolf? So your human sides don’t feel the same way?”

The children shake their heads. I struggle to make sense of it all. The room is quiet while they wait for me to say something that could help them, comfort them.

If it’s only their wolves’ forms being affected by this, there has to be more than just stress behind it. It sounds almost more like a curse than an illness.

A sudden chill goes through my body, causing me to shiver. I wrap my arms around myself as an uneasy feeling sets in. I push away the thoughts and focus on the sick children.

“Is that all? Your wolves are scared? You don’t feel any other kind of sick?” I put my hand on Cassidy’s head, stroking her hair and subtly feeding my power into her.

Orion answers this time. “We’re all chilly. And we get really tired, no matter how much we sleep or eat.”

That’s too vague to go on, but it definitely sounds bad.

I don’t get anything from Cassidy, but another shiver goes through me. I hope I’m not getting whatever it is, too. But I don’t have a wolf, so I probably can’t.

I look at the kids, trying to smile. “We’ve been through a lot. It’s normal and expected to feel scared and stressed after everything. Especially when there are still so many unanswered questions.”

They nod, but doubt and fear fill their eyes. I can’t blame them. I have the same doubts and fears. But as Luna, I have to show strength. Any signs of weakness could lead to trouble.

Cassidy grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Are we going to die?” she asks with tears building in her eyes. She’s normally so strong, but with her wolf panicking, it makes sense that she needs comfort.

Her lips quiver, breaking my heart instantly. The other children have the same confused and scared expressions. They are all terrified.

“No, you’re not going to die. We will find a way to get you better,” I say softly, choking back tears, praying I’m not lying to them.

My mind drifts to Professor Xander, who might have been able to give me the information I need. I shake my head slightly, trying to expel the thought from my head.

He was never trying to help me. He wanted me dead. I was an idiot to have ever trusted him. He used me, lied to me, and I had no idea. I’m never going to let that happen again.

“Maybe the witch in the woods put a spell on us,” Orion whispers.

“There’s no such thing as a woods witch!” Cassidy says, throwing her stuffed bunny at him.

He hollers and Nellie has to step in to stop a full-on pillow fight.

“What are you talking about, Orion?” I ask once the kids are settled again.

Orion answers eagerly. “There’s a she-wolf who lives all alone in the woods near here. She’s not a rogue or in a pack; she’s a witch, and she can do spells and she’ll curse you if she sees you!”

“I’ve never heard of this woods witch,” I say, though it does sound kind of familiar, somehow… Like something from a dream…

Cassidy sticks her tongue out at Orion. “See? Luna Rory would definitely know! It’s just a dumb story.”

The kids are looking tired. I should probably let them rest. I stand up. “I need to go now and talk to Everett. We’ll figure this out, I promise. In the meantime, be good and listen to Nellie, okay?”

They promise and I give them all a hug before heading out the door. Nellie follows me, shutting it softly behind us. We go a little ways down the hall so we can talk without them hearing.

“Rory, what do I do?” Nellie asks, hugging herself loosely. “I don’t know how to help them.”

“You’re doing great. It doesn’t seem like a normal illness, and my power didn’t find anything, but I have some ideas of where to look.” I’m bluffing a bit, but Nellie seems reassured.

I pat her on the shoulder. “Keep them warm and comfortable while we investigate. When I know something, I will call you. If anyone else gets sick or gets worse, please let me know.”

Nellie looks thoughtful. “Well, your friend Mia is sick too. She was here visiting when some of the children got sick; she said she felt the same symptoms.”

I stare in disbelief. That is why she has been absent from the dining hall? There could be others who are sick as well. How far has this spread already? Is it going to get worse?

So many questions flood my mind with no answers to any of them. I need to talk to Everett. The pack will look to us for answers—and right now, we have nothing to tell them.

DK*“Okay, thanks, Nellie.” I keep my smile up, but it feels very fake now. There’s a plague sweeping through our pack and we didn’t know. Maybe we’re early enough to stop it. I hope so.

We say goodbye and I hurry out. As I reach the door, another blast of cold sweeps through me. My uneasiness grows. I rush out of the orphanage, hoping to leave the feeling behind me, but it follows.

Panic consumes me, keeping me on edge and unable to focus. I only get a few feet from the door when I feel my feet betray me and find a hole. My ankle turns, sending me plummeting to the ground.

I scramble to my feet, glancing around for anyone who might be watching. Thankfully, there’s nobody in sight, and I keep moving. I hurry back toward the pack house, hoping Everett knows something.

People talk to him, if not to me. Maybe he already knows all about it. Or maybe there will be a book in the library that has the answer. I should see Mia, too. I can’t hold all the to-dos in my mind.

As I pass the old pack house, I hear something strange in the distance. It almost sounds like people whispering. There is something familiar about it, and my body tenses in response.

I turn to look but see no signs of anything unusual. Once again, I feel a sudden chill. It ignites a deeper fear in me than I have ever known. I quicken my pace.

The sound becomes louder—incomprehensible voices in conversation. With every step, they get louder, but I still don’t understand what they are saying. I look back again and still see nothing.

My heart is racing, and I struggle to take a deep breath. My ankle stings more, but I keep moving to get away from the voices. They sound like they’re right behind me.

I feel a blast of cold go through me again as my fear grows. Still, I see nothing. I run, my ankle throbbing, but I ignore it. I look back again and feel my foot hit a branch. I crash to the ground.

Searing pain shoots through my head as it makes an impact with a rock. Almost instantly, dizziness sets in. I know I need to get up and keep moving, but my body doesn’t want to respond.

I open my eyes, disoriented as the dizziness increases. My vision is blurry, and my head is hurting. I try to focus my eyes and let out a gasp.

In my daze, I see something floating, but it’s too blurry for me to make out what it is. As my eyes come into focus, the floating figures become clearer. I feel fear engulf me.

I try to yell for help, but nothing comes out. Unable to look away, I am forced to see them. It feels like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.

Above me, I see faces floating in the air. Professor Xander and Nemesis, transparent like the clouds and both with an evil grin. They hover over me, taunting me with their presence.

They are still alive. We are all in danger.