Lila's POV
“Lila!” Judith exclaimed, obviously shocked by rebellion. I shouldn’t have snapped, but I couldn’t help being peevish when nothing was going my way. My mom doesn’t care about me, I’m in a pack where I’ll always be walked over, and the fact that a kid is going through stuff in this pack and no one is aware just made me doubt Dominic’s competency. These thoughts alone make me want to scream out loud and curse the universe for making me so unlucky. Why does life have to be so difficult? Haven't I suffered enough? “Is there something wrong? I believe I haven’t done anything to piss you off.” Dominic said, fixing his cold gaze on me so that they could literally dig a hole through me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying to avoid his gaze as much as I could. “Do you really think you’ve done nothing wrong to me? I know you saved my life and I’m grateful for that, but you see whatever comes after that, I’m not sure I can be grateful for it.” I shot back, all in one breath as my chest rose and fell, I couldn't tell if it was fear or anger. “Watch it, Lila! you shouldn’t talk to him like that. He’s the Alpha!” Jonathan reprimanded with a warning finger, clearly dissatisfied with my manner of approach to his boss. Judith nodded in agreement. I scoffed, “So what? He’s your alpha, not mine.” I eyed him. Not like I was purposely being a brat, at this point my frustration knew no bounds. “You know if you were not his mate, you’d have been punished for treason.” Jonathan’s right hand balled into a fist as he stood up abruptly from his seat, but Judith held him back. He looked down at her and her eyes were pleading, she gave him a disapproving look and he slowly lowered himself back to his seat. “Treason? Is that not a big word for my crime?” I air quoted ‘crime’, “And besides, I was fucking rejected!” I reminded him, my voice trembled as I tried to suppress the rage in it. I turned to Dominic, whose face held a kind of emotion I couldn’t explain. “I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t care about what you feel about me anymore, but can you just stick to a role!?” I rubbed my hair frantically in frustration. “Lila, what is wrong with you?” Judith tried to reason with me. “I’m sorry Alpha, something must have happened. She doesn’t even react like this when she’s in a tight situation at work.” She tried to appeal on my behalf. “Yes, I was always a reasonable nurse.” Of course, the quiet nurse who always avoided drama was now being a drama queen. I huffed. “You know I don’t mean it that way,” Judith tried to rebrand her words, probably realizing the effects her words had on me. “Fine, I was just ranting. It’s not like you’d let me go at will, you’d still do what you want with me anyways.” I felt a sharp ache in my chest as the words left my mouth. Realization hit me hard. After all, I’m just an ordinary human, I thought to myself. I let out a painful smile. “I can let you leave if that’s what you want,” Dominic's cold voice interrupted my thoughts. He had been silent the whole time this drama unfolded, maybe already regretting his decision to save me, I don't know. He stood and walked to the table filled with files and his computer, “but, would you still leave knowing everyone could die because of you?” He asked, probably hoping that he could change my mind. His back was turned to me so I couldn't see his facial expression. What does their death have to do with me though? Am I some kind of sacrificial lamb? Does this even make sense? After what happened earlier today, I have no compassion whatsoever towards the people here. My thoughts flickered to Dave and I felt my internal organs twitch. How could I ever abandon him? Poor Dave! “What the hell is an elemental?” I demanded. I've been dying to ask this question all day. I made sure they understood that my decision on whether to leave or stay would depend entirely on their response to my question. “Elementals are supernatural beings too, but they can be good or bad depending on the person wielding the power,” Dominic explained, his voice was calm and steady. I've never seen such composure before. So majestic. But I don't understand what it has to do with me. He turned to Jonathan. Jonathan got the cue and continued from where his boss stopped. “There’s been a prophecy long before we were born, that there would be an Alpha born with golden eyes.” He paused just when I was starting to get intrigued. His eyes wandered briefly and settled on Dominic who gave him a nod of approval to continue. “He’d be mated to a human, but their relationship will bring disaster to the world of the supernaturals, it's inevitable.” Jonathan finished his words with a sigh. Almost as if he was saddened by it. “I get that our relationship is ill-fated,” was it really? My heart faltered as my mouth spewed such fallacy. If only my heart would stop trying to interfere with my choices. I brushed it off and continued. “but bringing disasters to the world, is that not far-fetched?” I queried, not buying the whole story. It sounds ridiculous how a relationship between two people would have so much effect on the world at large. This is some make-believe bullshit. “Well, prophecies don’t lie,” Jonathan concluded, leaving no room for further debate. “How does this relate to the elemental?” I pressed further. It's not making any sense. “You may be the elemental.” I laughed dryly. A human supernatural? What a joke! “Let me get this straight, you don't want me as a mate but you want me by your side as the elemental?” My question was directed to Dominic. When he didn't say anything i took that as a yes. He wanted to keep a close watch over me, to be the one weilding the power. “He rejected me, so we are not going to have a relationship and he already has an arranged mate. So, I guess we already avoided the inevitable. There, it's fixed” I reminded. The disaster thing shouldn't be a problem anymore, right? The rejection has already taken place and there's a replacement standby, there's no point of exaggerating anymore. “An arranged mate?” Dominic's voice held a glint of surprise. He finally turned to face me. I almost choked on my breath when his eyes met mine. What's wrong with me? “Yeah, Juliana. I met her already, though our meetings weren’t so pleasant.” I smiled dryly. Why's he pretending? He rejected me, he should be proud to show off his desired mate right? What's with him an being unable to stick to his role? His gaze on me intensified, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. He didn't say a word, he took slow strides towards me and stopped right in front of me. He stood so tall and mighty. His figure hovered over me and I didn't dare to meet his gaze. I felt so small, maybe smaller than an ant. The room was as quiet as a graveyard, I could hear my heartbeat echo in the room. What's with this intimidating aura? Wasn't I supposed to find out? Could he be a two faced alpha who couldn't just stick to one role? This’s how he leads the pack? I wanted to scoff so badly but I was to intimidated to do anything silly. “Stop talking nonsense” His sharp voice echoed in the room. It was commanding. He probably wasn’t expecting me to find it out so soon, because why else would he try to scare me out of it. I nervously rubbed my palms together. “I understand” I managed to say. I just wanted him to move atleast a few steps backwards. I couldn't breathe well. I felt like I was going to faint soon. “You understand what?” His deep dominating voice came again. “I understand that you can’t have a human mate, and avoiding a disaster said in a prophecy is a must too.” I said like an obedient puppy. I could feel my scalp sweating already. He didn't say anything else. He turned and made his way to his seat, his neatly polished shoes collided with the floor and made loud click sounds. I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding, I couldn't believe I almost died just now. I brought my left hand to my face and used it as a hand fan. Slowly I started to feel the coldness in the room again, I had almost forgotten about the AC. “Juliana is the daughter of a family friend, not who you think she is,” Jonathan interfered, trying to ease the tension. I gave him a thumbs up, to show I didn’t really care. “I think the prophecy won’t happen as long as we steer clear of each other.” I concluded. This place’s definitely not healthy for me. I needed to get out as soon as possible. “That’s what we thought. But not anymore now, since there’s someone out there that knows about you. It was meant to be within us that the alpha found his mate. And also they mentioned you are an elemental which has made things worse.” Jonathan said, folding his hands together. “You believe so?” I asked, moving my eyes from Jonathan to Judith since they were sitting before me. “We can’t throw away the chances that you might be an elemental,” Dominic said, but I didn't look at him. I wouldn't dare. Not after what just happened. I still haven't steadied my breath. “I’m just an ordinary human, I don’t possess such power.” I laughed halfheartedly. Hoping he'd see things from my point of view. How could I possibly possess such power? It was laughable and sad at the same time. “That’s why there's the need for further confirmation,” Dominic replied, standing up to pick a file from his table and walked towards me. “Not again” I mumbled under my breath. I avoided his gaze completely. I couldn't meet them, maybe another day but not today. “I have your BioData here, but the fact that you were adopted means there’s a chance one of your parents might have been an elemental.” He handed the file over to me. My hands trembled as I held tightly onto the file. I didn’t open it, I was afraid of the things written inside; Huge debt, had seven fathers, was an outcast. The fact that Dominic might have known about everything made me feel like a loser. Even Juliana knew a lot more. I felt a mix of shame and pain. I cleared my throat, and blinked back the tears that threatened to embarass me even further. I'm strong, I won't let them caress my wounds and make me a laughing stock. They won't see me weak. “I’ll do whatever you want me to do, but how long do I have to be here? I don’t want to lose my job and my mom will be worried.” I lied about my mom. I was more interested in getting out of here. Truly my mom didn't care but I had a life I was trying to build before all these, I won't throw it under the bus just like that. “I can’t give the specific date you’ll leave but I promise you that I’ll do my best to make sure it ends soon,” Dominic’s voice held no warmth, it saddened my heart that he wanted to get rid of me as soon as he could. I know it's what I wanted but hearing it from him was just too painful. Of course he had Juliana, what use could I possibly be to him. I'm just a weapon in all of this, a weapon that will become useless soon. “And if you want me to send a message to your mom, I’ll do that for you, about your job…” He paused for a moment as if searching for the right words to use. “Why don’t you apply for a leave now? You’ve been working for years without taking a leave, I’m sure the director will grant it right away.” Judith reasoned, saving Dominic the stress. She was right. It’s not like I didn’t want to take a leave, but I had nowhere to go and I didn’t have the luxury to go on vacations. “So, Judith..” Dominic's voice trailed, now colder than usual, as if hearing from Judith reminded him of something he’d almost forgotten. He strode closer to Judith, both hands in his pocket and face held high. “Why did you leave the pack and why is your name not in any of our registers?” Judith froze. She obviously was not expecting it. I was curious too. Why did she leave the pack? And her name’s not in the register? What was she hiding?Lila’s POV Judith rubbed her left forearm with her right hand, a habit she has developed over the years. She often did this when she’s about to lie to the director or her supervisor for coming late. I knew at that moment that whatever she was about to say would be lies. My concern was; why? “I wasn’t born in the pack and my parents didn’t want me to be involved in the pack's politics and all since they were members of the council. So, I’ve been away from the pack since I was born.” She lied smoothly, with a smile wilder than her lips. You'd never be able to detect her lies. Such a smooth talker.“And who are your parents?” Dominic asked, obviously not seeing through her lies. “They are the Coles.” She replied. “Yeah, I know them. Very devoted members of the council.” Dominic praised her parents. Judith nodded with a smile. I was tempted to rat her out, but I've always been good at minding my own business. She probably has her reasons.“She’s on the first floor, Alpha,” Jonathan i
“What does that mean?” My gaze drifting from Jonathan to Judith. When they didn’t respond I turned to Lauren. It was as though she read my mind, she smiled at me and walked out of the room before I could find my voice.“Why did you hide the fact that you were a Genna??” Dominic demanded. He stared at Judith with displeasure.“There must be a good reason for this. Let's give her a chance to explain.” Jonathan interceded. I knew there was something between them, why else would he be so defensive?“It wasn't my intention to hide it, but it’s a rule the Gennas abide by.” She sighed in defeat.“We are never to reveal the identity of the elemental, regardless of the situation. You found out as anyway.’’ She stood up and walked over to the window, staring straight into the sky. She knew I was allegedly an elemental all along? This keeps getting more interesting. I wonder how many more shocking revelations are yet to surface. “Just like how you were born with golden eyes, making you the ca
Lila's POV It was so stupid of me to think I could tease them.Even Dominic knew they were mates, but I didn’t, and just a few minutes ago I could swear I noticed everything. How did I miss that?I felt so embarrassed after calling them out for flirting with each other openly, only to be told they were not trying to hide it but were being polite since there were single people with them. The elevator stopped on the 10th floor and I hurriedly escaped from it. I could feel their eyes on me but I kept my head down as I walked away briskly.I was back in my room drowning in embarrassment. Good thing there's no one else in the room. If I had planned to eat with them before, after my finding out they're a couple—I wouldn't do it. The fact that I’ll be in my room till the next day, made my stomach rumble in hunger. I clutched tightly on my stomach at the thought of starving for the rest of the day.I layed down on the bed, doing nothing, only staring at the ceiling for a few minutes. The
I hit him so hard that I felt bad for him afterwards.Everyone gasped in shock. They obviously didn't see that coming. I was also surprised at my outburst.“You crazy bitch!” the man I hit moaned in pain. I stepped back hurriedly, he glared at me with so much hatred and anger.Out of fear that they might attack me altogether, I ran as fast as my leg could carry me. I kept glancing over my shoulders as I ran until I arrived outside the manger.Luckily I wasn’t followed by any of them, but I thought it would be in my best interest not to meet the guy I hit till I left the pack house. He was big enough to squeeze life out of me. I pray God doesn't let them gang up against me.I entered the manger and Dave was already there, he curled up in a corner, hugging his knees, like he was cold or something. Did something happen?I approached him and knelt beside him.“Hey, are you okay?” I was genuinely concerned.He raised his head sharply, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the recognitio
Dominic's POV I chose not to publicly reject Lila in front of the pack because I didn’t want to humiliate her.Despite my efforts, word somehow got out, and she became the target of mockery.Who gave them the right to treat her this way? It had to end—it was an affront to me as the Alpha.I quickly mindlinked Jonathan, asking him to address the issue. I wouldn’t put up with such disrespect.He confirmed my request, and I felt confident that he would handle it appropriately. Lila had already faced so much in her life, and now she was dealing with an even more perilous situation due to the unexpected turn of events. She was now living among strangers against her will; that was a huge sacrifice in itself.There wasn’t much I could do to help her feel comfortable, but her safety was my greatest concern.As I left my parents’ cabin, I intended to head straight back to the pack house when I spotted him just a few feet from my car.Instantly, my demeanor hardened.“Dominic, I see you’ve c
Lila's POV The moment she asked me not to move an inch, I knew I was dead. My heart started beating fast and all kinds of thoughts spiraled in my mind. I ignored her warning and bolted out the front yard. I could swear I was almost out before I felt her hand on my hair, fear ran through me as a shiver ran down my spine. I yelped in pain because of how tight her grip was on my hair. “Lady, we can settle things without you grabbing my hair; that’s what cultured people do,” I said nervously, fear written on my face the moment I turned to see her bloodshot eyes. Was she that angry because of me, or was there more to it? I was still lost in thought before she forcefully yanked my hair backward all of a sudden, making me feel pain like my head was about to be removed from my head. I let out a deafening scream again, “What do you think you are doing? Do you even know who I am?” Maybe I shouldn’t have said that because it only made her drag my head down further. And before I could even rea
Lila's POV I noticed the way he placed his hands on his hips, releasing a deep sigh as if he hadn’t truly meant what he just said. The silence that hung in the air after his words allowed us to hear the sound of a needle hitting the ground. My chest continued to rise and fall forcefully, but it wasn’t synchronized with my heartbeat—it was racing so fast that I couldn’t gauge its pace. They had always told me this, how they regretted ever crossing paths with me—my foster mom, my dad, my friends, my first boyfriend, and now my mate. I feared I would experience a panic attack when memories of each of them expressing their regret about meeting me began to flood in, yet I followed the advice one of my therapists had given—I counted silently from one to ten in my mind, inhaling and exhaling until my breath became steady. “I apologize for causing trouble, but I still maintain that I did nothing wrong,” I said calmly, concealing the fact that I had just managed to suppress a rising p
Lila's POV “Lila?” I heard Jonathan's voice calling out to me, sensing I was drifting away from the conversation with Dominic. Panic hit me hard the moment I read the doctor’s text.Blame flooded my mind—I replayed every harsh word I had said to my mom, warning her that her drinking and smoking might someday lead to liver damage, and all the times I should have reached out to help her with her struggles but chose to look the other way.My heart raced, and the space around me felt like it was freezing over. I staggered back, my vision turning hazy.“I think something’s wrong with her,” Brian’s voice broke through as he held onto my arm, steadying me from falling. I couldn’t make out his features, but I heard the concern in his tone. I clutched my chest, overwhelmed by the suffocating knot in my heart. Groaning in pain, I felt like I was losing everything—my mind and my grip on reality.“Breathe into this,” Judith instructed, handing me a paper bag. I looked down and realized I was alr
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