78. You look like her

“What the hell happened?” Lilly’s shouts. “Oh my goddess, mom? Mom, wake up…what did you do Ren?”

I throw my hands up, a bit angry that she would assume I did something to her mother.

“I didn’t do a fucking thing. I knocked and she answered then fainted” I yell.

I was on edge. I didn’t like that Lilly assumed things but I definitely didn’t like that her mother called me by someone else’s name then proceeded to faint.

Maybe she was confused or something? It was the only other explanation.

“Help me get her inside” she stammered, her voice brittle.

I quickly help her and we bring her mother to the living room. Gently lying her down on the sofa. The moment we do, Lilly starts pacing.

“I need to go find dad…you stay here and keep an eye on her in case she wakes up” she mumbles unfocused.

I look at her skeptically. “I don’t think that’s a good idea given she fainted immediately after seeing me”

“Just stay here…I’ll be back in a minute”

She doesn’t give me a chance to answer before she’s walking out the door. I start pacing unsure of how to proceed given how things just got weird.

Hunter enters the house carrying our bags.

“What happened?” he asks looking at the woman lying down on the seat.

She looks to be in her fifties but I can’t be sure. She’s a red head just like Lilly but hers is tinged with a bit of grey.

I look down at my own flowing red hair which is a shade darker than theirs. She’s also very pretty, just like her daughter and despite her age.

“She fainted” I state, still looking at her. “Could you please look after Krystal and Jax? Lilly asked me to keep an eye on her mom and I don’t want the kids alone around strangers.”

“Sure thing Luna…let me just get the last bags and I’ll head down the beach with them” he replies easing a bit of my worry.

“Thanks"

He leaves then comes back a while later with the bags before leaving again. I hear the children’s joy when Hunter tells them he’s taking them down to the beach.

I take a seat and wait. Where the hell are you Lilly? I wonder. I didn’t want to be here. With a woman who would lose consciousness after seeing someone. Well me specifically.

I tense up when she begins to move and her eyes open. She sits up and looks around in confusion before her eyes land on me. They widen and she starts trembling as if she’s just seen a ghost.

“Hi… My name’s Lauren, Lilly’s Luna and friend” I tell her slowly. Afraid she was going to pass out again.

“You look just like her” she whispers, tears in her eyes. “Oh my goddess, I can’t believe you’re here”

I stand up to go to her. To try and comfort her even though she wasn’t making much sense. She looked vulnerable and for some reason it tugged at my heart.

I’m halfway to her when she jumps from the sofa and throws herself at me. Clinging to my clothes and sobbing her heart out.

I stand there frozen. Confused like hell and on edge. What the hell? She was acting strangely and it was beginning to make my hackles rise.

“Are you okay? You’re not making much sense” I tell her, trying to get her to release me.

It was obvious she wasn’t okay and I didn’t want to hurt her but if she didn’t let me go I would do exactly that. I didn’t like that she was in my personal space.

“I don’t want to be mean and I understand you’re probably confused but you need to release me, now” I say the last part in warning.

The last thing any of us needed was a war between this pack and that of Sebastian because I attacked the former Luna.

She must have sensed something because she stills before releasing me. Stepping back a little and giving me space. I’m able to breathe a little.

“I’m sorry. I’m just overwhelmed at seeing you. You look so much like her it’s uncanny. You’re like her identical twin” she murmurs, her arms folded around her.

A part of me wanted to comfort her. She looked like she needs a hug. That whatever this was, was as shocking to her as it was for me.

“It’s okay…you just freaked me a little bit”

I ignore what she said deliberately. I didn’t want to think about the fact that she thought I looked like someone else. I’m guessing it’s Hailey. The name she called me before she fainted.

I try to push down the feeling that something was about to go down. That everything that I’ve known is about to be ripped. Shattered into tiny pieces.

“Can I hug you please, I just need to have you in my arms, make sure I'm not dreaming” she pleads.

Pain lacing her voice.

I look at her and see how broken she looks right now. Maybe because I reminded her of someone she genuinely and truly loved. Still loved and still missed.

I swallow before nodding. She then approaches me as if she’s afraid that I wasn’t real. That I would disappear the moment she got too close.

Finally she gets near me and throws her hands around me. She begins crying again. Holding me tightly in her arms. I could feel her sorrow. Her pain and the hope that was budding inside her.

“What the hell is happening here?” The booming voice makes me jump and then freezes.

There was something about the voice. I don’t know how to explain it.

“Blue?” I call her just as Lilly’s mother leaves my side and rushes to whoever the man is.

“I know Ren, the voice sounds weirdly familiar. Like it’s hidden in the deepest unreachable depths of our mind” she says slowly. Just as confused as I was.

I had not yet turned around because for some reason I was afraid. Afraid of the voice that sounded familiar but wasn’t. Afraid that the moment I turned around my world would explode. I was afraid of facing the man.

“Oh goddess Lucas. She’s here” Lilly’s mom cries. “She’s her exact replica.”

“What are you talking about?” he asks, clearly confused.

“Lauren?” Lilly calls me.

My heart is beating frantically. My lungs felt constricted, I couldn’t breathe properly. I don’t understand what’s happening. Why I’m feeling this way or why I’m reacting like this.

“Lauren” this time she yells my name.

I’m panicking for reasons I don’t even know. I want to run but I don’t even know why.

‘You want to run from the truth’ a voice whispers in my mind.

Maybe, but what truth? I don’t know these people. Know nothing about them except what Lilly told me.

I take a deep breath and turn around. Better to face what was about to implode and rip it off like a band aid.

Standing at the entrance to the living room is Lilly, her mom, an older man who has his arms wrapped around Lilly’s mom and a younger version of the older man.

The older man's eyes scan me. I see shock and pain in their depth.

“Oh goddess, this isn’t real. This isn’t real” he mumbles, his voice hoarse He wobbles before falling on his knees as if they couldn’t hold him up anymore. Tears fall down his face.

He looks shaken, like his world has been turned on its axis. Just like with Lilly’s mom, he looks at me as if he has seen a ghost.

I keep my eyes focused on him, confusion engulfing me. Something was happening here. Unfolding.

I just didn’t think I wanted to know what it was because the moment I do everything will change and I’m not sure I’m ready for that.