Lila's POV Not long after my episode, I began to feel a bit better; the elixir Judith gave to me was now working. I told her I wanted to sleep, even though she was reluctant to leave, she later left after much persuasion from me because I needed some time alone. I kept turning in bed even though the storm inside of me had been getting calm. I couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness and shame. How I would be neglected and become an outcast if I eventually became what I saw myself become through the mirror. Finally, sleep came, and it wasn’t as bad as I had expected it to be; instead, it was full of calm with a strange dream. I had a dream where a woman appeared to me. I found myself in an old house; the paint on the walls was peeling, and the roof was falling apart. I looked around carefully to see where I was, but it didn’t look familiar. I took careful steps towards the window that was draped in a black curtain. I was so close to the window when I heard a voice behind me. “Li
Lila's POV Maybe he was used to my unexpected kisses because he didn’t look surprised at all. I retraced my steps and lowered my head as I fiddled with my fingers. It wasn’t like I was feeling embarrassed or shy, but I was hoping he wouldn’t think I was shameless for throwing myself at him like that. I cleared my throat in an attempt to stop the silence between us. “It doesn’t mean anything or that I have an expectation. I just wanted to do it in case it might be my last chance.” I said, trying to make sure he didn’t get the wrong idea. But his quietness was more unnerving—how could he remain calm in such a situation?“It’s fine.” He said, his hands were now back in his pockets. “I’ll be away for some time.” He quickly added. And just like I had expected, he would be leaving. I really shouldn’t have asked that we be separated in the first place. “I’ll drop by often to see how you are doing though.” He swiftly added as if noticing the worry on my face. I smiled slightly at his
Dominic's POV I mindlinked Brian to keep Lila’s company for as long as he could. It appeared she was overthinking and given her state of mental health, I wouldn’t want her to feel more burdened. I couldn't stay with her because of work and our investigation—also our situation wouldn’t let us be together. I let out a sigh of uncertainty—who knew what was waiting ahead?“Have you sent anyone ahead to scout the area and see how much advantage we have? I do not want us to draw the local police.” I said to Jonathan, pointing to the map he handed to me before I stepped into the car. “Yes, I had Moore—our best tracker to see. He went there to blend in with the people living in the town, and since it’s an old town down the country, security is a bit loose there.” He explained carefully. It wasn’t like we were going to commit a crime, but that was how we had been living. We wouldn’t want to expose ourselves to the rest of the world. This reminds me of the story of the werewolf that got
Dominic's POV “What do you mean by you have dementia? You are a witch.” Jonathan retaliated. He looked rather annoyed than surprised. The fact Lila had been subjected to a few mental disorders made me find it plausible that she could have dementia. Jonathan was probably too blinded with rage to reason that far.“I guess that’s what happens when you keep looking into other’s memories for a long time.” She said, taking a deep breath after her words. “Maybe I shouldn’t have overdone it,” she continued, “now, I can’t tell my memories apart from others' memories. So subconsciously, I lock some of my memories away and claim to live the life I’ve never lived before. Do you know how excruciatingly painful that can be?” She asked tears welled up in her eyes. “How come you seem fine now?” Jonathan asked, looking at her skeptically.“Because you mentioned my husband.” She sniffed her nose, “He was the only reason I had to stay sane for a while and he was the reason why I started digging
Dominic's POV “How did you know your husband died?” I asked Morinda right after she mentioned her husband’s death. If she knew her husband was dead, why was she still going around asking about him? The more I thought of it, the more strange it sounded. “Werewolves are not the only ones with their souls connected to their lovers.” She leaned forward. “My husband was a wizard and we both got connected after making a blood covenant between ourselves. I could feel his pain and I could feel his joy.” She said, staring into space like she was trying not to picture what she was about to say. “And the night he died, I felt what he went through—it was antagonizing.” She finished, but not without letting out a deep breath. “You mean his death wasn’t natural but murder?” I asked her, my eyebrows furrowed in curiosity as I wondered how she must have felt. Would it be the same for Lila and I? When I die instead of her, would she feel the pain of the death I would be going through?“Yes. He
Lila's POV “I’m so sorry to hear that, Brian,” I said. My smile faltered already, and I couldn’t help but wonder how he managed to keep smiling despite having experienced such a tragic ordeal. If it were the former me, I’d have kept looking at him with probably teary eyes, telling him he has his friends and all that bullshit people use to console others. He waved his hands before me. “It’s fine, Lila. I’m okay now.” He smiled, returning his candy to his mouth. “You are the first person though.” He said, confusing me. “You didn’t look at me with pity.” He quickly added after noticing the questioning look on my face. “Because I understand. I just lost my mom, remember?” I smiled at him, and he gave me a big smile in return. “To those who have never lost someone dear to them, it’s just sympathy. But to us, it’s beyond sympathy, it’s like a void has been created in us and no amount of sorry or condolences can fill it up.” I said solemnly, trying not to sound pathetic and sad at the
Dominic's POV I kept thinking if I made the right decision on my way back to the pack with Morinda in the car with me. I couldn’t care less about her revenge. But the more I pondered on it, the more I saw how it was a win-win situation. She might not need Lila’s power because I signed a contract with her that I would help her with her revenge. Whoever killed her husband did deserve to be punished. “I’ve heard of Blackwood, but I didn’t know it would be this far,” Morinda commented on our journey. It was the first word she had said since we left her apartment. It was hard to convince her caregiver that we would be taking her with us. She thought we wanted to take advantage of her vulnerability. I wondered how she had lived with Morinda for six months without knowing her real identity. “What if she has a breakdown again and her dementia gets in the way of our plan?” Jonathan asked me through the mindlink. I lowered my head a bit, using my thumb to rub my temple. How come I didn’
Dominic's POV I felt a mix of unease and curiosity about Morinda’s actions toward Sophie. After all, she had just outmaneuvered her. That eerie laughter of hers sent a chill down my spine. I knew she wasn’t a good person, but because someone like her would be near Lila made me uncomfortable. Maybe Jonathan was right after all—I was making a big mistake. “I can imagine the terrific look on her face when she sees that I had tricked her.” She continued with a sly smile. Jonathan and I already lost interest in her story. Jonathan was probably casting me a look of I told you so, while I was thinking of possible scenarios of her encounter with Lila.As we pulled into the driveway, several wolves acknowledged my presence with respect. I looked around to see if something had changed during my departure, even though I was only gone for about half a day.I took the lead while Morinda and Jonathan followed behind. “I know you might be tired from the journey, but I want you to meet Lila be
Judith's POV “Where is Lauren?” I went straight to the point, definitely not in the mood to put up with her behavior. She can wait for Lila to get better then they continue their feud.“And how am I supposed to know that?” She folded her arms over her breasts with her gaze matching mine.“Don’t mess with me, I don't have the patience for that,” I warned, my voice instantly turning cold.She scoffed, stepping closer. “I don't know where Lauren is, if I were you I'd be worried about much bigger things than trying to get an innocent lady upset.” The way the words rolled out of her mouth felt so wrong. Like she knew something we all didn't. Something is wrong. Her confidence, everything.I arched an eyebrow, “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”She shrugged nonchalantly, “I don't know, we'll see.”Her eyes sparkled with something deadly, something darker. Something beyond my understanding. I watched as she walked away, swaying her hips, my self-control slipping by the second. The s
Judith's POV I watched her struggling to hold them off, her arms vibrating as they stretched forth holding the already breached barrier in place. A stray tear rolled down the corner of my eye at the sight of her fighting to keep her eyes open.“Lila,” I called softly, a little whimper involuntarily escaping my mouth.I didn't think she could hear me, but she did; her eyes searched everywhere until they found me, her formerly lively face now paler by the second.“Lila,” I called again, feeling a little helpless at her current state. She's all alone out there, scared, drained. Fighting for the people who once treated her as an outcast because she was birthed by a witch. For the people who had wanted nothing more than to throw her out of the Packhouse.“Judith,” She whispered weakly, “You shouldn't be here.”I shook my head, tears spilling from my eyes. Tears I didn't want to shed for the fear of making her weaker. Tears I fought to hold back just so I could give her some kind of motiva
Brian's POV Saying I expected those words from Judith would be a blatant lie. I was taken aback myself. Didn't she break down a while ago when they got separated? Now she's throwing it all under the bus for some heroic move? Is this how quickly it is with women? The mood swing thing?“Excuse us,” I pulled her to the side, maybe I could talk some sense into her, just maybe. “What are you doing?” “Staying here to help. Isn't it obvious?” She asked back, feigning confidence even though I could see through her eyes that she wanted to be with him more than anything else.I sighed, shaking my head slightly.“There's nothing left for you to do here. Go to your mate.” “No.” She replied bluntly, making no attempt to comply, her eyes holding mine as if this was a staring competition.My hands moved until they settled on my waist, maintaining that posture for a while, just peering intently into her face. “You know, you and Lila, I'm starting to wonder who is more stubborn.”She shrugged casua
Judith's POV I staggered backward until I crashed to the ground, my legs suddenly finding it difficult to carry my body.Fear gripped me, my eyes taking in the gruesome scene before me.My ears suddenly became alert, realizing that the killer might still be lurking around waiting for the next victim.My heart throbbed vigorously against my rib cage, fear clouding my senses at the thought that there was a murderer in our midst and on the loose. And we had no idea who it was.I sprang up to my feet with determination, sprinting out of the room as fast as I could. I had to warn the others. Whoever it was that had managed to penetrate the Packhouse and eliminate Morinda was dangerous. They had to be alert.My legs descended the stairs rapidly, my steps were as light as a feather. It felt as if I was flying over them. “There's a killer in the building!” I announced breathlessly. My intention wasn't to scare anyone, just to keep them alert, but my approach was wrong. They stared at me wit
Judith's POV The ache in my body threatened to rip me apart. It was too much, too intense. This is probably the end of it for us. How did we not know it was the full moon tonight? Now we're all a wrecking mess, praying for some kind of miracle to happen.“Urgh!” My throat cracked along with the bones of my body. Why did this have to happen now? Has the moon goddess forsaken us? Is this how we perish?I would never have thought that the witch could harness the full moon’s energy to resurrect the dead. I've heard that it was possible. Only heard, not really believed it. And this was said to have happened over two hundred years ago. When witches were still allowed to coexist with werewolves. It all seemed like a nightmare I wanted to make up so badly from.“We have to leave now.” Jonathan’s voice interrupted my train of thought as he wrapped his arm around me, nudging me to move. His eyes burned with contained pain. He was trying his best to be strong for me. For us.Shaking my head in
Lila's POV I found it difficult to sleep after my encounter with the witch in that memory lane. For some reason, it scared me; I feared that she would reappear in my dream and trap me there. I've been trapped before, it's not a funny experience. Not something I wish to experience again.Her presence felt oddly familiar and I feared what that could mean. In the library, I searched for a book on ancient spells; I was bent on finding out how she was about to touch me in a trance. Despite looking for a while, I couldn't find anything tangible, but I kept looking, keeping my mind open for possibilities.Then the lights went out and I found myself stuck at the library. It was just me there, nobody else. A feeling of fear washed over me as my heart thumped rapidly against my chest as if it could explode at any minute.Luckily I was with my phone, so I was able to keep my corner illuminated until the saved energy was restored. I was going to return to my room when I met Judith and the rest.
Brian's POV “Where's your phone?” I demanded, my voice calm and measured despite the crawl I felt under my skin. I needed to find mine but I couldn't see a thing. The darkness thickened, increasing the tension in the air.“Wh– why should I give you my phone?” I could hear her shallow breathing through the silent night.“I need to find my phone!” A frustrated groan left my throat. What did she think I was going to do with her phone? Couldn't she see that I need even a flicker of light to help my vision? Moreover, I was losing patience. I needed to be with Lila. I needed to make sure she was safe.The feeling of uneasiness clung to me like a second skin, triggering my senses.Her phone's screen shone softly on her face, making her the only glowing spot in the dark. Slowly, the flashlight came on and I immediately spotted my phone. Without hesitation, I reached for it.The screen was cracked but it was manageable. At least the flashlight was working.I dashed for the staircase, determin
Juliana's POV It's been one week since I got disowned by my only surviving parent. This increased my hatred for Lila; since her arrival to the pack, things have gone the direct opposite in my favor. She has taken everything from me.This was the height of it all. I couldn't take it anymore. I could kill her if I got the chance. She's a bad omen and doesn't deserve to live among people.She carried trouble with her everywhere she went, effortlessly emitting bad luck like a transmitter, inflicting everyone within reach.‘Just wait until I'm done with you.’ I said in my mind as I glared at Lila from across my table as she ate with Brian and a little girl. Today is the night of the full moon. I can't wait to finally put her in her place.As it stands, I don't care about the details. I only cared about eliminating Lila. She's the biggest threat to the existence of wolves and the supernatural world. I sat patiently, waiting for Lauren's signal or role designation.Over the past few days, w
Juliana's POV There's something strange about the determination in Lauren's voice that piqued my interest. There was a hint of disgust in her voice if I'm not mistaken.“Are you already giving up on Dominic? Deep down you know he belongs to you. You know she hasn't done anything to deserve him.” She spoke steadily, peering intensely into my eyes. I fought the urge to scoff. “What should I do when he already chose someone else instead of me?”He made his choice. Despite the pain that comes with admitting to this fact, I've come to accept it.“Their union is a disaster, I'm sure you've heard that. Would you rather intervene now or stay apartheid and watch the worst come to Blackwood? Even if Dominic might die in the process?” Her eyes never left mine as she spoke.If she was aiming to scare me, then she was definitely doing a great job at it because a dreadful shiver overtook my body for a split second after the words left her mouth.Luther had mentioned the same, now Lauren. There ha