CHAPTER IV

I don't know how I am not shrinking with all the stares thrown my way.

"Everything Lyka." Mr Harry replies.

"Are you serious right now? I don't even know they people you are talking about." I glare at him.

"Really Gabriel? Is this what we are going to deal with?" Marco addresses with distaste. I am going to assume Gabriel is his middle name with how frequent everyone addresses him with it.

Gabriel glares at Marco. "Will you tell her already so we can get this over with?" Marco nudges impatiently. I really don't like Marco. Grumpy and impatient don't suit him.

"I agree with Marco. The sooner the better." Ethel adds. The room falls silent for a second before Gabriel says the statement that undoes me.

"Olivia is not your real mother, Lyka."

Silence. Did I get that straight? The woman I have known my entire life is not my mother. This is got to be some sick joke. On cue I let out a dry laugh but I stop as soon as I start when no one follows along.

I gaze at everyone in the room. Marco looks unbothered. Gabriel holds a hard stare while mom does every to avoid my eyes.

"Mom.." My voice is on the edge but there is no way Gabriel is right.

My mom zeros her hazel eyes with mine. "Mom, tell me that is not true. I am your daughter. Tell them mom..." My voice is gruff but I don't care. I want to prove these people wrong.

"I am sorry Lyka. Whatever Gabriel said is true."

My heart breaks to a thousand shudders.

"That is not true and you know it. Are these people black mailing you?" I scowl.

"It is nothing like that my dear. I can explain."

There is no way she is not my mother. Just no freaking way. I rise up from my seat ignoring the blood whooshing in my ears or how my heart is pounding against my chest.

"Calm down Lyka." I halt her. "Have you been lying to me this whole time?" I snap. Marco huffs at the drama unraveling around him. I don't care of now.

"Ly.."

"Don't. If you are not my mom, then who is it?" I glare. She stares at me lost of words.

"Is someone going to tell her or should  I?" Marco interjects.

"Marco." Gabriel sneers. He shrugs.

"Lyka, your real mother is the alpha of this pack. Evanna Whitrow is your real mother and she is dead."

Alpha. Pack. Evanna Whitrow. Dead. I can't believe all this shit.

"My mom is not dead. She's alive." I yell.

"Will someone get her in check or are we going to all yell at each other?" Marco snarls. My glare does nothing to scare him. He glares back.

"Say something mom." I plead. Mom watches me helplessly. I didn't know I had started crying until the first tears flow down my cheek.

"It's okay Lyka. It's true. Everything they are saying is true."

My heart tatters in my chest. I stop breathing. The confession makes me suffocate. Weak in my knees, I fall back into my seat.

"Lyk.."

I pry her hands off me when she reaches to catch me. Eyes full of hurt, she gives me space.

"How is this possible?" I ask when I breathe again.

"Evanna, your mother. She did this to save you Lyka. You have enemies. We have enemies. They want to destroy you. What happened to the party was just a beginning." Gabriel explains. Like what he says makes sense.

"Evanna had to give you to Olivia when you were so young so that no one would hurt you." Gabriel  elaborates.

I want to make sense of what he is saying but I can't come up with one. People want to kill me. I haven't even done anything to anyone. This is madness. I can't believe these people.

"What are you people?" I frown angry.

"We are werewolves sweetie." Ethel replies in a duh tone.

Werewolf!

"Do you need to be that blunt Ethel?" Mom glares. "She would get to know eventually. I am making it quicker." Ethel rolls her eyes.

"Excuse me." I run out of the room as fast as my legs can take me. I don't care where I go but I want to be as faraway as possible from these people.

I hear my mom's voice call after me but I ignore her. I run for the exit. When I spot a large mahogany door with engravings and a head of a werewolf, that is my cue to escape.

Werewolf

I can't get the word out of my head. I am no monster. My mind is just playing tricks with me.

I run outside before a pair of hands pry me back inside with force. They might be strong but with the need to escape, I fight for my freedom.

"Get her back inside." One of my captors demands. When I try my judo skills, the force on my hands is doubled. When the light slowly disappears from my eyes, I know o have lost.

I stop resisting and a loud sob follows through. The next I feel is a sting on my neck before Gabriel orders.

"Get her back to her room."

Before I let out a protest, the darkness envelopes me.

                        

                       *********

I don't know how many hours I lay unconscious but when I wake up, I am back in the room I was when I first woke up.

Werewolf

The word keeps going off in my brain like a mantra. I gulp down the water in the glass I get from my bedside before I sigh. My whole life has been full of lies. Why did the person I love have to lie to me for all these years.

When the door clicks open, I pull the covers higher against my body. The person I once knew as my mom enters.

"I am glad you are awake." she says coolly. I snare.

"I bet you are." I reply coldly. "That's no way to speak to me Lyka. I am might not have given birth to you but I am still your mother." she scolds.

"Says the woman who has been lying to me for freaking twenty one years." I snarl.

"Lyka." she warns.

"Should I call you mom or Olivia? I think Olivia.."

"Watch what you say to me Lyka." she threatens with a glare.

"Stop with the act, will you Olivia? When were you planning to tell me? Or wait, you were never going to tell me, were you?"

Despite my tone and words, her eyes soften a little.

"I did it to protect you." she murmurs.

"Save me and yourself the lies. You are just a selfish person, admit it." I retort.

"Lyka."

A voice interrupts. My glare meets Gabriel's. "Did you know this whole time who I was?" I question. His silence says it all. I was so stupid that I got played by the people I cared about.

"What were you doing at that college, spying on me?" I accuse him. He doesn't flinch at my tone. And I thought he was a decent guy.

"I was there to protect you." he replies.

"Julian.. Where is he?" I ask hoarsely trying to keep my voice steady.

"He's dead Lyka."

I can't breathe. If am not careful, am likely to develop a respiratory disease in the next one minute. Julian is dead. I was there. Those men killed him. My surroundings start to rotate before they fade.

Before I fall back, a pair of strong arms catch me in time. I have no doubt it's Gabriel's. I need to be alone. I want to be alone. I need to think.

"Are you alright honey?" mom asks warily.

"Get out!" I order immediately when I gain my senses.

"Get out now before I lose mind. I don't want to see your faces ever." I snap cruelly.

Gabriel stops my mom's words with a touch.

"Just go."

Gabriel leaves simply but mom lingers for a while before the door closes behind her. I lie back tears flowing down my cheeks. Julian is dead. He might have hurt me and I hated him but I never wished for him to die.

I pull the covers tighter lying down on the pillow. I close my eyes hoping for this to be one of those very treacherous nightmares. When I open my eyes again, I wish for a new start.