The next day, I'm walking down a bored tunnel. It's dark at the entrance, but I use my wolf's eyes to navigate the area. There are no signs of people down here. I cut into the next turn, and I find the water conveyance at the centre of the now cut and covered tunnel. It's rising from the pit below and flowing through the city. I step down the stairs. There are overhead pipes lining the walls as well as florescent bulbs. It stinks. I curse under my breath because I won't be leaving soon. There's also graffiti on the walls of the sewage tunnel. I walk down a path, whiling away my time with the words in spray paint. It's all sorts of nonsense. Someone clears their throat behind me, and I turn. Bessie approaches me on the edge. She's wearing a nosebleed boot, a net panty hose, and a green tee shirt underneath her black short dress. Her choker necklace matches the round shades over her eyes. She takes off her black hat and flaunts her red, flawless hair. "You clean up nice." I flash
It's been three weeks since Alexis left, and I called a truce with the Diamond witches. Three weeks since Marelyn said a word to anyone. She lost a lot of weight. Grief was taking a toll on her. I cancelled my trip to London and gave up the lead role because I had to stay by her side, even from a distance. I'm in my study, scanning through a few files, containing new business ventures I'm planning on expanding into. Jai-Blynn and I usually handle matters like this together. He brings up ideas on the way forward all the time. I blot that thought out as soon as it comes. There's no place for a traitor in anything that concerns me. Drusila knocks on my door and enters. She comes in with a cup of tea. The content of the tray before me smells fresh and earthy. "Have some black tea. It will help," Drusila says, giving me those intrusive eyes. "Thank you." Of course, she seats... "How are you feeling today?" "It's the anniversary of my mother's death. Drusila, I feel like shit."
MAREI can't flee fast enough. I rush into my room, lock the door, and tear my nightgown off my body before I enter the bathroom. Tears roll down my cheeks as I clog the drain with the stopper and fill the bath with ice cold water. I'm freezing. I bring my knees to my chest inside the bathtub.The scene comes to mind. I pushed him. It's all my fault. I'm not stable enough to be around anyone. What's the point of living anyway if I've lost this much? My child, my best friend, and my father, who raised me. I missed them all. I wish for this grief to be a lie.The tears stop coming after a while. I'm still sitting inside the bathtub with my knees to my chest like a scared puppy. I'm anxious, and I don't even know why. It's been like this for days. First, I won't be able to sleep or eat anything. Then, the constant stages of sadness and pain. I feel like I'm slowly dying inside while I'm still breathing fine.I finish my bath and walk into my room after drying my body and hair. My movement
ZEKE Drusila talked about doing the right thing and paying for my sins. I've set a ticking time bomb, and I'm waiting for it to catch up with me. I check my watch. It's time. I know he's here. Aiden rushes into my study. He stops before my desk and bows with his hands crossed before him. He's dressed in a black wife beater and faded denim jeans. I can see his question before it comes. "Chase Erickson is walking free within Moon Grove's walls, and we are just going to let him?" I toss those files I've been trying to figure out for days inside the bottom left drawer and steeple my fingers on my desk. "Yes." "He's the enemy." "You, of all people, shouldn't question my decisions. I don't have to school Orson and school you as well." He lowers his head, calming himself down before me. It's a lost cause to fight me or disagree with me. He should respect his position as my beta. They all should remember that before anything else, they are beneath me. "My apologies, Alpha Zeke.
I don't know how many times I read the note. I'm making sense of it because it's hard to believe it's finally over. My hand supports me as I lower myself onto her bed. I run the other one over my mouth. She's gone. I read the note again. It's hard this last time because my shaky hands won't let me. Drusila finds me after a few minutes. She sees what I'm staring at and instantly gets alarmed. She checks the bathroom, the terrace, and even my bedroom, but Marelyn's in neither of them. She plops down on the bed, flanking me. "She was just right here." "Chase Erickson must have come for what is his. I made it easy for him again." "Again?" She frowns. I spare a vague smile, staring off at the wall with distant eyes. She's gone. I've pictured this moment since I found out we were pregnant. It's everything I thought it would be. Unbearable. "Drusila, do you think I can still get her back?" "Let her go, Zeke." I roll right on. "I should probably remind her how madly in love with
Nostalgia sets in as Chase extends an open palm. I take it and climb out from the boat at Carodia's harbour. We are dressed differently from the people around us. I'm in an ankle-length dark blue gown with a noodle strap hand, and he's in a tee and jeans, too. It's late at night when we arrive. "Are you up for a run in the woods?" "Don't we have a feast to get to?" I turn to him on the stave. He steps closer. "Marelyn, we call the shots here. I think we both could use these last free hours before we face our wolves. What do you say?" I think about it. I've not had a good run in months. The full moon hangs in the night sky gloriously. It's a sight to behold. When I look at it, my wolf feels it. I'm stuck in Red Valley for good. This is my last chance as a free person. "Would you fancy losing to your Luna, Chase?" "I'm faster." He declares with his eyes on me. The raven dismisses himself and leaves us to it. He bows before walking away with a brown envelope in one hand. Money
Her tawny brown hair is matted and hasn't been washed for weeks. She looks different from how I left her. When Chase said Ruby meant nothing to him, I didn't know this is what I would find. A slave. "Ruby." She averts her gaze and wipes the spot underneath her eyes with her finger. I see the way she tightens her hold on the basket in her hand. I ask. "What happened to you, Ruby?" "Chase Erickson happened." She smiles ruefully. I know I've heard those words before. Zeke had said them to me when I woke up at the hospital, and he carried me home. I pause for a moment because thoughts about him always make me feel things I shouldn't feel. I hate him. I remind myself that. "Can we talk?" She eyes my clean clothes and hair and snarls. "Why? Did you come here to gloat, Mare? I see that bastard is finally treating you right." "Ruby, don't say that. We have a lot to talk about. You're still my sister." "But are you still mine?" My lips quiver in hurt. "At least invite me in."
ZEKE I'm surviving on alcohol that does nothing to reduce the pain. Pack matters have been unattended for days. I live inside clubs now, combing through different calibres of women, but none can compare. It's unlike me to act this, but Marelyn's departure turned my world upside down, and I don't know how to reverse it. I'm stuck in limbo, looking for my saviour. Talking doesn't help, but Drusila has been trying to get me to do that for days. She's persistent, but the way I'm broken is far worse. Nothing can penetrate. Today, I'm home and in the living room flipping through channels. I settle on a channel showing a movie I starred in last fall. It's about a girl whose mother died of cancer, and she was forced to live with Foster parents and attend a new high school. I played the evil teacher, who ended up being the star character in the show. Maybe I've dealt my career a huge blow by standing the director for the new series up, but I'm in a phase where everything just feels numb.