Moana
Even though I half expected to hate the bodyguard who Edrick supposedly found for me, I actually wound up liking my new bodyguard, Kat, quite a lot. During my interview with her, I found out that she was funny and sweet, and she got along well with Ella and loved kids in general. She really seemed perfect — almost too good to be true. Although I still didn’t like the idea of being followed around by a bodyguard all day, I figured that if I had to choose one, then I would choose Kat. The next morning, I returned to work with Kat and Ella by my side. The headmistress and everyone else were under the impression that Kat was just a medical aide that my doctor wanted me to keep nearby due to pregnancy complications, and I preferred to keep it that way. If news got out that the late bloomer with all of the mysterious absences from work was walking around now with an undercover bodyguard, then it would only create more of a fuss over me. I was already despisMoanaI decided that I couldn’t let Edrick go on for any longer without telling Ella the truth about her biological mother.“I know that you didn’t tell her everything,” I said as I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips. He was standing in front of the bathroom sink in his bedroom and was brushing his teeth. With a sigh, he slowly spit out his toothpaste and then looked over at me.“What do you mean?” he asked. I could tell that he was trying to play it off like he didn’t know what I was thinking about.A frown came across my face. “Don’t play dumb. I know that you didn’t tell Ella about her mother even though we talked about it. Are you going to tell her the truth, or do I need to? Because the longer she goes without knowing everything, the more she’ll resent you when she eventually does find out.”For a few long moments, the handsome Alpha billionaire stared at me unblinkingly with a somewhat shocked and emb
Moana“Moana, wake up!” my wolf’s voice suddenly said. That wasn’t a dream… It was real. The rain was real. The wind beating down on me, whipping my hair into my face, was all real.I opened my eyes, and shrieked at what I saw.I wasn’t in bed. Iwas standing on the balcony, up on the ledge in my nightgown. I felt my stomach drop as I stumbled backwards and clung to the rail, heaving in my chest as the feeling of fight or flight kicked in. Every fiber in me screamed to get away from the ledge, and I scrambled away and back to my feet, sobbing loudly. Nothing could be heard over the sound of my own racing heartbeat and the sound of the wind and the rain; for all I knew, I was really on that cliff from my dream, and Michael very well could be standing behind me with the knife in his hand.The door behind me stood wide open with the wind blowing the curtains aggressively. I ran inside to safety, and as I did, I ran straight into not Mi
EdrickI was sleeping soundly when I suddenly heard Moana’s screams.By the same I jolted myself out of bed and frantically began to scramble in the direction of the balcony where the screams were coming from, she ran into my arms and nearly knocked me to the floor. She was soaking wet and completely inconsolable, repeating things about my father having a knife and killing her with it. When she finally was able to tell me everything that happened, I felt my soul practically leave my body.I didn’t want to let her know how terrified I was, so I kept my calm until she was safely asleep in bed. Her sleeping pills knocked her out quickly, and as soon as I saw her chest begin to rise and fall in a steady, deep rhythm, I quickly jumped to my feet and began to pace while frantically tugging on my air. I couldn’t hide my terror any longer.I had heard stories about these visions before. It was an uncommon phenomena, but it was known to hap
MoanaI woke up after a night of dreamless sleep to the sound of someone rushing around the room. When I cracked open my eyes, I saw Edrick pacing back and forth. He had a pile of shirts in his hand, and I watched in a state of shock as he walked over to a suitcase and quickly shoved the shirts inside.“What are you doing?” I asked, sitting up.Edrick didn’t even look up at me. “We have to go,” was all he said.My eyes widened. “Go where?”“We’re going back to the mountain estate for real this time.”As Edrick spoke, I felt my heart sink. My limbs still felt too heavy from the sleeping meds to move quickly, and as I threw the covers off and swung my limp legs over the edge of the bed, it felt as though I was moving through a thick mud.“Why?” I asked. “You didn’t mention that we would be leaving before. Was it because of last night?”Edrick didn’t answer. I watched with wide eyes
Edrick“Moana… Just… Go inside.”Moana’s eyes widened. She glared at me for a long moment before she took off like a bolt of lightning into the house.Maybe I was being a little too harsh when she was only trying to at least help me carry the bags inside, but the property wasn’t fully secured yet and I didn’t want her standing out in the open if someone was trying to hunt her down. Maybe tomorrow, when the property was deemed safe, she could go outside with her bodyguard. But for now, she needed to be inside where it was safe.“Should I go after her, Mr. Morgan?” Kat asked.I nodded. “You don’t have to be right next to her if she doesn’t want it. But at the very least, keep an eye on her whereabouts.”Moana’s bodyguard nodded understandingly, then took off after Moana. I sighed as I heard the echoes of Kat calling Moana’s name.Of course I felt bad for suddenly ripping her away and not b
MoanaI went to sleep that night with anger still in my heart for Edrick.When I woke up, however, that anger turned into fear.I found myself no longer in my bed, but I was now at the little desk that was in my room. And it wasn’t just that, either. I had my sketchbook lying on the desk in front of me, and what was drawn on it…Was the knife.I gasped and quickly snapped the sketchbook shut. Why was this happening to me? I stood, knowing that I needed to tell someone, but I couldn’t tell Edrick. If I told him, then he would likely only freak out even more, and I already felt like a prisoner.These drawings had to be prophetic. And the only way that I could get to the bottom of what they really meant was by accessing whatever part of my brain that they were coming from. Maybe then, I could start to use them to my advantage before something really bad happened.It was late, but Dr. Rhodes did m
MoanaI let out a yelp. I jolted, and then everything stopped. The rain, the wind, the grass… All of it turned back into the still, calm air of my bedroom. Michael’s hand no longer gripped my wrist, and the golden glint of the knife in his hand turned into the soft amber glow of the lamp on my bedside table.“Moana?” Dr. Rhodes said, sounding concerned. “Are you there?”I quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Y-Yes,” I replied. “I’m okay. It’s just…”“What is it?”I shook my head. “Nothing,” I lied. “Dr. Rhodes… Will you be available to try again tomorrow?”The therapist paused, then cleared his throat. “Sure. You can call me anytime if you want to try again, or even if you just need to talk. Are you sure you’re okay, though?”“I’m fine,” I lied again, even though my hands were shaking. “Thanks, Dr. Rhodes. I’ll call you tomorrow.”…I didn’t sleep very much at all for
EdrickI stayed up almost all night thinking about things.Moana was right about Ella needing to know the truth about her mother. Especially if bad things were about to happen, I felt as though I needed to finally tell her everything. And besides, Moana was angry with me; maybe this would remind her that I wasn’t all that bad, and that I was trying my best.“Ella, can you come here, please?”Ella sighed and pushed her chair back, causing it to scrape against the floor in an unpleasant way. She was upset with me, too, because she didn’t understand why we had to leave the penthouse so suddenly. But nonetheless, she came over to me and sat in my lap.I caught a glimpse of Moana standing in the kitchen. Her green eyes met mine, and as I held Ella, I saw them soften as they looked at the two of us.“Ella, there’s something that I haven’t told you. And I think you deserve to know the truth.”
MoanaI couldn’t help but laugh as I thought back on the beginning of our relationship.To think that, just a year prior, I was just Edrick’s one night stand who also became his nanny… And now, here I was, standing in front of the mirror in my wedding dress.The dress that I picked out was beautiful. We planned to have a late summer wedding to commemorate our meeting,six months after little Daisy was born. My dress was a blush pink color. It was soft and flowy with a beautiful floral embroidered pattern, and sleeves that fluttered in the breeze. It hugged my waist in all of the right places and made me feel more beautiful than ever.Daisy was six months old now, and Ella often mentioned how she no longer looked like a squished little grape. Ella had just turned nine, and thought that she was a grown-up, although she still liked to
MoanaAfter ten hours of intense and grueling labor, little Daisy was born.“She’s so tiny,” I whispered as I held the little crying bundle in my arms. The doctor weighed her at just six pounds and twelve ounces, but she was as healthy as an ox.Edrick, who hadn’t left my side throughout the entire delivery, leaned over my shoulder with a wide grin on his face and held his hand out to touch her cheek. Almost instantly, Daisy’s little hand shot out and gripped his index finger with a relentless force for such a little thing.Her eyes were squeezed shut, and yet she still had an instinct to keep her father’s finger in a vice grip.I couldn’t help but laugh, but I also wanted to cry.When I was on the cliff with Michael, I saw my parents at my birth. I did the same thing to my father, and I also wouldn&
MoanaThe time between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were such a whirlwind of activity that the months practically flew by.Ethan and Kelly wound up being transferred to a mental health facility. I think that was better for them in the long run, as the things that they did were ultimately the result of Michael’s brainwashing. I didn’t hold any grudges against them; in fact, Edrick and I visited them on a monthly basis, and the medication and therapy that they went through seemed to be helping a bit.Of course, Kelly could never get over her obsession with Edrick. Nor could Ethan get over his obsession with me. It was very likely that they would spend years in that place, but at least we could have somewhat normal conversations with them when we went to visit.Michael, however, had no visitors and I didn’t feel the least bit bad about it. Verona ev
MoanaThe months in between Michael going to prison and Daisy’s birth were a whirlwind of emotions and unexpected turns. After the incident with Michael, where he was sentenced to prison for his attempt on my life, my world took another astonishing twist.The news outlets revealed a shocking revelation: Moana, the seemingly ordinary girl who was raised in an orphanage, was, in fact, the legendary Golden Wolf.I never imagined my life could become so entangled in a web of fame and attention.Suddenly, everyone wanted a piece of me. All sorts of brands and non-governmental organizations bombarded me with invitations and tempting monetary offers. It was overwhelming, to say the least. My inbox was flooded with messages from high-profile companies and influential figures, all hoping to capitalize on my newfound fame.It felt like the world had changed overnigh
EdrickWithin an hour, Moana and I were nervously walking up the front steps to my parents’ mansion.We left Ella with Selina just in case we walked in on anything sinister. The house was mostly dark, which was out of the ordinary. As I slowly opened the front door, I felt my heart catch in my throat.“Hello?” I called out, holding Moana’s hand as I stepped into the large foyer. “Mom?”There was no answer. Moana and I exchanged nervous glances and walked in a little further.“Verona?” Moana called, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice travel further. “Are you there?!”Still no answer. We decided to head into the sitting room, where my mother often liked to be during her free time, but it was dark and empty. At this point, I was starting to get even more nervous.
MoanaA little while later, Edrick and I were standing in the front doorway of the mansion and looking out at the scene before us.The security guards were leading Michael, who was cuffed, over to the car. His nose was still clotted with blood from Edrick’s punch, but something about it was satisfying to see. I enjoyed seeing Michael finally face some consequences for his actions, and I especially enjoyed watching Selina scold him like a child.What was even more satisfying, though, was seeing him being shoved into the back of the car to be driven down to the police station.Kat was found by the guards, too. Not long after Edrick punched Michael in the face, Kat was found hiding in the woods. As it turned out, Michael paid her a pretty penny to get close to me and lead me off into the forest to get lost so that he could kill me. She looked ashamed as the guards cuffed her, and
EdrickI hated to say it, but Moana looked more beautiful than ever as she practically assaulted my evil father on the back lawn.“He’s no threat,” she said as she released her grip on his shirt and let him fall back to the ground, then turned and walked back to meet me. “The knife is gone. He’s just an angry old man now and nothing more.”Moana was right; the knife was indeed gone. It shattered when Michael tried to stab her with it.During those moments when the knife was plunged into her belly, it felt as though my heart stopped. I watched in horror as the knife disappeared into her belly. When my father pulled it out, it was covered in blood and he had a maniacal grin on his face.But something happened then. She became enveloped in that golden light again, only this time it was even brighter and more blinding than before.
MoanaEveryone froze and stared at each other with wide eyes as the sound of the groaning and shuffling came closer.“Daddy?” Ella whimpered. “Who is there?”Edrick slowly sat Ella down, then walked toward the door. He gestured to the security guards, but before anything could be done, the last person we expected walked into the doorway.“Thought you could kill me, huh?”Michael stood in the doorway with an evil smirk on his face. Selina, the maids and I all let out a collective gasp. Selina suddenly grabbed Ella by the arm and shoved her behind us to keep her protected.“Michael,” I said, taking a step forward, “you were dead.”Michael just laughed. “I was indeed,” he said. “But not for long. I guess you didn’t realize that I was waking
Moana“Can you trust me to take care of him?” I asked.Ella began to sob, but I somehow knew exactly what to do. It all felt so natural now… I didn’t even really need to think about it. I just knew to wrap my arms around Ella and comfort her, although whether it was my abilities or simply my nurturing instincts, I couldn’t be entirely sure.Suddenly, Ella stopped crying.“Okay,” she whimpered after a moment, stepping back and wiping her tears out of her eyes. “I trust you. Please take good care of my daddy.”I managed a weak smile and nodded at Ella, taking her little hands in mine. “I will take good care of him,” I whispered as I looked into her eyes, still using my pacifying ability to keep her calm. “Don’t you worry.”Ella nodded and stepped away, allowin