Chapter 11

The forest Rin guided me through was luminous yet dense, with shafts of sunlight piercing down onto the dirt trail. It was early afternoon, and the tranquility was profound.

The gentle melodies of sprites echoed from their tree hollows. In the distance, the deep murmurs of the colossal Woodlex could be heard as they feasted on the lush greenery, almost indistinguishable from the vegetation itself.

Had I not been feeling so downcast, I would have fully appreciated all that surrounded me. However, my mind seemed to be shrouded in a thick fog, rendering the world, despite its splendor, a dull sepia tone.

Rin was walking beside me and had been mostly quiet since we’d left Jumal. I had the sense that he was thinking about what he’d heard from me and Sherry, and perhaps about how his brother hadn’t allowed him or most of their family to meet me yet.

I couldn’t say that I understood Rayne’s motivations in that either. Even if he did give valid excuses as to why he hadn’t brought me to the palace, it did give off the vibe of him putting it off as long as possible.

“Are you feeling all right, Luna?” he suddenly asked me.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

“You look a bit pale. I could carry you if you’re feeling unwell,” Rin offered.

“You don’t need to do that. I was a bit overheated earlier, but I’ve been feeling much better, and the shade and breeze feel nice,” I assured him.

“All right,” Rin relented. He waited another moment before continuing, “All the trouble aside, it is good to finally be able to meet you. I was talking to Aurora last night about going to the glen to do it, but this worked out much better, even if it isn’t the best of circumstances.”

“I can’t say why Rayne has been avoiding bringing me to see you and your family. I have told him that I’ve wished to meet you, but he’s seemed awful busy lately,” I responded.

“Yes, but I did tell him a few days ago to give that up. It’s not worth driving you both down just to be sentimental. There are plenty of other things he could do for you,” Rin stated.

His words caught my attention.

“Rayne has been trying to do something for me?”

“He has, but it’s not my place to say what it is.”

So this whole time, Rayne had been going out searching for something for me? I wondered what it could’ve been.

He definitely seemed to be having a lot of trouble finding it.

A dense thicket stretched up into the trees at the path’s end. An arch-like opening, adorned with white strands glistening in the sunlight, revealed itself to be a web.

Memories of Rayne’s childhood tales surfaced in my mind, particularly his stories of spiders guarding the palace. He had mentioned the loss of one during his youth, yet the other remained.

Rin tapped one of the strands three times.

“Hey, Vishu, can you let us in?” he called.

“Right away, Lord Rin,” I heard a female voice answer.

In moments, the strands unraveled, opening the archway to us. I kept close to Rin as we stepped into a vast courtyard, gazing in awe as the archway sealed shut behind us.

The space was grander than the glen, brimming with walkways and a diverse array of plants and flowers. Numerous sizable gazebos were dotted throughout, and afar off, an exquisite white stone palace stood.

“This is…your home?” I heard myself say.

Rin smiled. “I always call it that, even though Aurora and I have been living in an area close to here on our own. While our parents believe it’s good for us to be branching out, we’re always welcome back whenever we wish to come.”

“Am I to take it that Lady Aurora is here as well?”

“She is.” Rin stopped to face me. “Also, there is no need to use honorifics with her or me. I know you’re probably used to doing so, but you’re one of our family now, so you can call us by our names.”

I couldn’t stop the resigned smile from crossing my face.

“Yes, I understand, but I admit that it may be hard for me to get used to. I’m certain you know that I was raised to be a servant, so such behaviors are deeply embedded in me,” I explained to him.

“Makes sense, but I’m certain you’ll become comfortable with this in time.” Rin turned toward the palace. “Now, let’s head inside and see about speaking to my father.”

I did feel slightly nervous as I followed him to the palace. I was worried about how this would go over with Rayne.

It was enough that he was about to learn what was being said about me. Now I was also meeting his family without him.

The palace interior was breathtaking, adorned with exquisite carpets and stunning nature paintings on the walls. It housed numerous elegant furniture pieces and seemed to have many rooms.

Upon entering, Rin paused to sniff the air, his ears twitching as if detecting the presence of others.

“Hmm, I don’t believe Father is here, but Mother is with Selenia and Aurora. We could ask them when Father will return,” he said before stepping to our left. “Come this way.”

We headed down the long hallway, and I could hear voices as we approached a half-open door. It sounded like three females.

The nervousness rose in me again. I was about to meet Rayne’s mother and sister, and Rin’s beta. I hoped this went well.

Rin opened the door and entered, with me trailing just behind. I observed that it was a spacious sunroom.

The furniture was arranged with ample room to move around, and various flowering plants adorned the expansive windows.

Three females were seated together on a couch to the right, all glancing up as we walked in. One, who appeared quite young, perhaps fourteen or fifteen, bore a striking resemblance to Rayne.

Her hair was a mix of white and black, and she possessed the same white ears and tail. Her eyes, too, were reminiscent of Rayne’s. It was likely she was his sister, Selenia.

The other two women were undoubtedly human. The one at the center of the group was strikingly beautiful, with long, raven-black hair and light brown eyes.

She was elegantly dressed in a simple blue dress featuring a high-low skirt. Adjacent to her stood a woman who contrasted in appearance, with long, golden-blonde hair and light blue eyes, clad in a charming green sundress.

“Rin?” The dark-haired woman looked surprised and slowly stood up. “You are back already? And you have brought a friend?”

“I’d say she’s a bit more than that.”

Rin gently nudged me forward a little more so that they could see me better.

The dark-haired woman’s eyes widened as it dawned on her who I was, and she stepped in front of me.

“You have brought Luna?” She looked around. “Is Rayne not with you?”

“No, ma’am. He was not with me when I happened to meet with Lo—” I caught myself. “Rin. I had been out in Jumal on my own while Rayne was out taking care of what he wished to.”

Selenia quickly stood up. “You are Rayne’s beta? Oh, wow! I was starting to believe he’d never allow us to meet you!” she exclaimed.

“Now, now. Do not overwhelm her, Selenia,” the dark-haired woman reminded her before turning back to me. Her eyes were gentle as she took in the sight of me. “It is so nice to finally have this chance to meet you. I am Lana, Jekia’s wife, and this is my daughter Selenia and Rin’s wife, Aurora.”

So this was Rayne and Rin’s mother. She certainly was beautiful, and I could see the resemblance between her and Selenia, even if Selenia had her father’s and brother’s hair and eyes.

“It is nice to meet you. I’m Luna,” I introduced myself.

Aurora stood near Rin. “I get that you happened to meet Luna in Jumal, but why did you bring her back without Rayne? Won’t that upset him that she’s met us without him?” she asked.

“I can’t say I care too much about him being upset. He’s the one who’s kept putting us off, and it isn’t fair that he’s basically isolated her,” Rin countered.

“Come on, Rin. You don’t truly believe that,” Selenia chided him.

“Why wouldn’t I? I know Rayne better than anyone. We were born together,” Rin reminded her.

~Interesting~, I thought. ~Rin thinks that Rayne was trying to isolate me from them.~

“That is enough. There is no reason to get into such things in front of her, and I have the sense that you did not simply bring Luna here because you wanted the chance to override your brother and let her meet us. What is really going on, Rin?” Lana asked him.

“Well, there is more to it, but I wanted to speak to Father first about it, if you don’t mind,” Rin admitted to her.

It was easy to tell that Lana was suspicious about what was going on, but she did concede. “I suppose I will accept that for now, but you will not leave us in the dark about things. Aside from that, Jekia is not here at this moment. He had to go out to Chimi about an hour ago to look into an ongoing issue there,” she informed him.

“Is that so?” Rin looked like he was forming a plan. “I think I’ll go out there and meet with him. I would think that Luna will be safe and sound here with you.”

“You are well aware that she will be,” Lana confirmed.

Aurora looked suspicious as she regarded Rin. “You’re up to something, aren’t you?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Rin gave her a quick kiss on her forehead. “I promise you’ll understand what this is about very soon. Just please help Luna feel at home.”

He slipped out of the room before any more could be said. I wondered if he was hoping to catch some of the creatures whispering about me while he was looking for his father.

But that seemed unlikely to me. They only appeared to be doing so when I was around.

Selenia frowned as she looked at the open door. “He shouldn’t leave us in the dark like this if something’s going on,” she complained.

“It’s fine. We know how Rin tends to be,” Aurora sighed. She turned to me, giving me a sweet smile. “It’s nice to finally get to meet you, Luna, even if this was a bit unexpected.”

“Yes, but it’s fine. I’m honestly glad to be here. I’ve told Rayne quite a few times that I wished to come here and see you,” I admitted.

Lana took my hands, guiding me to sit with them at a nearby small round table. She sat in the chair beside me, with Selenia on the other side and Aurora across from me.

I confess that it felt a little strange yet very nice to be there with them, almost like coming home to a family I never knew I had.

Well, maybe in a sense I was.

“It really is wonderful to finally meet you, Luna.” Selenia went on, “It was such a surprise when we heard that Rayne came back from the Western Lands with a beta. We didn’t even know that he wanted one before then.”

“I do not believe that it is a matter of simply wishing for one, Selenia. Alphas know when they have found the one they are meant to find, so it was only natural that Rayne would wish to bring Luna back with him as soon as they met,” Lana reminded her.

“Yes, that is true.” Selena giggled, looking a little embarrassed. “I suppose I still have much to understand before the day comes when I find one for me.”

“If your brothers and father will approve of any,” Aurora teased.

“That wouldn’t be fair of them not to!” Selenia protested.

I couldn’t help giggling a little too. I bet that Selenia could be quite strong-willed, but she would have to be having two older brothers and such a powerful father.

Lana was giggling with me. “Yes, we shall see when that time comes, but let us stick to welcoming Luna for now,” she reminded them.

“I thank you for welcoming me too. Even if you accept me, I know that it probably was a bit of a shock with how quickly I came into the picture,” I responded.

“In some ways, but it was good to hear that you have. We haven’t gotten to see much of Rayne in the last year, and we were getting worried about him,” Aurora admitted.

“Rayne was not coming around the palace even before I came here?” I asked.

“Not too much,” Lana admitted. She clasped her hands on the table, looking down at them. “We have been concerned that Rayne was distancing himself from us out of some misplaced guilt, and though Jekia and I did consider speaking to him about it, we could not find the right way to approach it. That was why we were relieved when we heard that he had found you. Even if he still did not come around often for a while, at least we knew that he would be happy and not alone.”

I hesitated, but forced myself to ask, “I know that you probably know enough about me from Lord Jekia, but are you aware of my heritage?”

“If you are speaking of being born between a Willow Faerie and an incubus, yes,” Lana answered.

“And you aren’t concerned about it?” I pressed.

“Why would we be?” Selena asked me.

I was startled when she said that and couldn’t form an answer. All the times I’d heard those whispers and endured those sideways glances during the last few weeks flashed before my eyes.

How was it that they would not worry yet so many others did?

Aurora read me like a book. “Forgive me if I’m prying, but does that have something to do with why Rin brought you here like this?” she asked.

I didn’t know what to say. Even if they were going to find out about this, it was hard for me to admit to the judgment I’d been experiencing.

Yet, I wanted to do it. I wanted to know that many were on my side.

“I guess I am,” I responded softly, unable to meet their gaze. “Please, don’t misunderstand me. Rayne takes wonderful care of me, and he is so sweet to me. Yet in the last few weeks, I’ve realized that others do not accept me as well as he has.”

“What do you mean they do not accept you? Has someone been saying improper things about you?” Selenia pressed.

“I don’t know that they are truly improper,” I answered meekly.

“If one speaks ill of someone to hurt them, then it is very improper, not to mention quite malicious of them,” Lana reminded me. There was anger in her eyes now, though she gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “It is wrong for anyone to judge how one is born or believe that it dictates who they will be. To do so is detrimental to both that person and ourselves.”

I drew in a shaky breath, forcing myself to be honest and hoping I could do the same with Rayne once we spoke of this.

“I don’t understand what I have done wrong for them to think of me as they do. I would never betray Rayne nor would I ever use him. Meeting him and being able to be his is like the most beautiful dream to me. It’s all I could’ve ever wanted, but I’d never use him for it.”

“Of course, you wouldn’t,” Aurora reassured me. “None of us would ever wish to use the ones we love.”

Lana completely agreed, “Not at all. What brings us together is so much more than attraction and lust, and if that is not understood, then it needs to be. But no matter what is being said right now, you must remember that Rayne chose you because you were meant for him.”

“Speaking of,” Selenia spoke up, “I would take it that he hasn’t overheard any of this yet, or he would’ve been fussing enough for us to have known about it.”

“I’m sorry. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell him. I feel awful every time I think of trying to,” I confessed.

“But there’s no reason for you to. You aren’t to blame for what others do,” Selenia reminded me.

“No, she’s not, but I do understand where she’s coming from. We are hardest on ourselves, and we don’t want to hurt the ones who love us by telling them that someone’s being cruel to us because of something about us. It might be strange from the outside, but they are real feelings we go through,” Aurora told her.

“Pardon me if I’m wrong, but it sounds like you’ve experienced things like this too,” I noted.

“Aurora and I both have in varying degrees, although it was more open against us than this has been against you. It makes me wonder why that is. It is not like them to speak in hushed whispers, even against us,” Lana pondered.

Selenia frowned. “I hate saying this, but that’s awfully fishy, Mother. It’s almost like someone’s trying to drive Luna away from Rayne.”

“You really think that someone has started this to try to harm me?” I asked her.

“I can’t say for certain, but it does vibe that way to me. It’s just too convenient. If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask my father if I can help look into this too once we all can speak more about it. I know many of the younger creatures, and I know there are plenty who will talk honestly with me about things they’ve overheard,” Selenia offered.

I nodded. “I know this may be asking a lot when we’ve only just met, but anything you could do to help me would be very appreciated.

I honestly don’t want to cause any trouble or have any. I only want Rayne and I to be able to be happy together.”

“We know, and that is what we want for you both too,” Lana assured me.

There was hope within me now that I was there with them, and I was resolving to myself that I would talk honestly to Rayne about this when he came there.

I would also apologize for not being strong enough to do so in the first place. Even if I’d faltered, I was determined that I would make things right, and prove to him that I was strong enough to be his.