A Luna's Flame

Chapter Fifty-Nine

"We are going to die," Diona whispered into the still air of the hospital as my door slowly cracked open.

She walked into the chilled room in a baggy red pajama set with her hair pulled back into a loose braid. The fluffy socks she donned aided in masking her footsteps as she crept down the hallway, her mother genuinely surprised at her appearance. I didn't miss the slight puffiness of Diona's eyes or the slight redness of her nose.

"Diona!" Rhea exclaimed as she hurried to her feet, reaching for her upset daughter.

"What did I tell you about eavesdropping on my conversations? You are not going to die any time soon," Rhea added as she hugged Diona.

"But I heard—" Diona began to refute, moving out of her mother's embrace.

"Something that had nothing to do with you, Dio," Rhea sighed.

I nestled into my pillow as the mother and daughter began to bicker, my eyes growing heavy. Maybe I could slip in a small nap until they are done.

"The pack is my family. It has everything to do with me, Mom. Stop treating me like a child. I deserve to know what is going to happen just like everyone else," Diona pushed back.

"I'm not trying to treat you like a child, Dio. It's just that some things are meant to be handled by adults because they have the experience to help them make the best decisions," Rhea explained, slowly becoming annoyed.

"Because they've done excellent so far," Diona deadpanned as she folded her arms.

"And what would you have us do?"

Diona furrowed her brows as she thought.

"To reason with the Rogues. We must be getting targeted for a reason. Maybe if we could figure it out, we could fix it," she offered.

Rhea softly sighed as she looked at her child.

"If it were that simple, Dio, it would've already happened. They didn't talk to Orion before they tried to take his life. It is far past that," Rhea said.

"You don't know how that world works, baby. What would work for some does not work for others. I fear the situation is more dire than either you or I realize," the doctor added.

"I don't want anyone to die. There has to be something we can do," Diona whispered after a minute.

I peeked my eye open at the sound of her wavering tone, noticing the tears that rimmed her eyes.

"Diona," I called out, interrupting the moment between family.

She sniffed as she looked over at me, standing just a bit straighter.

"Some of your packmates will die when this fight breaks out, and there is nothing you can do to stop it," I said casually.

"Nyx—" Rhea sternly warned, shocked at my words.

"It is the way of the wolf, whether you like it or not. There is always a battle for dominance and retribution. You have to understand that you cannot save everyone, no matter how hard you try. Accepting this now will clear your mind so that you can protect the ones you can. If you do not want to be treated like a child, then you have to be strong enough to accept the world as it is," I continued, ignoring her mother's warning.

Tears streamed down Diona's face as my words weighed on her shoulders.

"Nyx, it is not your place to say that! You will mind what you tell her," Rhea reprimanded, stepping in between myself and Diona.

"I have only told her what I wished someone had taken the time to explain to me. Shielding her from what's to come will only give her more confusion and misguided intentions when the inevitable happens," I explained.

"I am her mother, and only I will determine when to have those conversations. There's a time and place for everything. Right now, it is not either of those. There's a way to say things, and you've gone too far. She deserves to have her innocence a while longer," Rhea retorted.

"Her innocence shattered the moment that wolf attacked her and that packmate. I will concede, but delusions will only make life that much more difficult and put her in more danger. But as her mother, that rests on your shoulders alone."

Rhea held my gaze for a long moment before turning to her daughter, quick to wipe her tears away. I quietly listened as Rhea calmed her daughter's emotions, tucking her into her protective embrace. I heard the quiet reassurances and promises they both knew were false. It made me think of those moments in my past when my mother had once done the same. She knew how to quell my worries and give me hope for the future. But once she was taken, that kindness and warmth went with her, thrusting me into the harsh world. How often I missed those moments in the sun. I thought back to my dream—memory and how I clung to her unconscious body, pleading to the Moon Goddess for something she never gave. Those somber feelings pushed me to make a decision, wanting to protect Diona from ever feeling that state of desolation.

"There's something that you both can do to protect your packmates. I cannot promise that it will save everyone, but it can help plenty," I offered, interrupting Rhea's hushed words.

Rhea looked at me with warning as Diona peeked around her mother's shoulder.

"I will not overstep again. But if you would allow me, maybe I can offer you both what you're looking for."

A tense moment passed before Rhea hesitantly nodded.

"How well do you know your plants?" I asked, holding back my amusement as looks of confusion answered me.

Author's note: I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays! Please let me know if you are still finding empty chapters or repeats.