Chapter 006

I didn't touch the book nor did I allow myself to think of anything related to it.

Not about Thalia, not about my biological parents and certainly not about the visions I've had some times now.

I couldn't bring myself to anyways even if I wanted to.

No, my mind was occupied with other things. Things that were more important to me at the moment.

Like the fact that, tonight's the full moon and another night of horror for me.

Once it was 6pm I packed my things and sneaked out of the house to the only place I knew I would be safe for the night - to the only place I knew I could be.

༺༺♡♡༻༻

The old zoo was locked as usual and thoroughly empty when I got there.

The place, as beautiful as it was, has been abandoned for decades now which makes it a perfect place for me every full moon.

"Hey there stranger."

I turned at Madison's voice and smiled when I saw her approaching me with a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

"Hi Maddy," I greeted the old woman, allowing her to wrap me up in a hug - a very short one because she knew how uncomfortable I could get with body contacts.

"It is another day, huh?" She asked with just a hint of concern in her eyes and I smiled, tapping her shoulders.

"Yes it is. Do not worry, it will be over before you even know it has started."

The look she gave me was clear bullshit!' and I laughed.

Madison was the only one who knew about my... condition, since I don't know what the heck it is.

And she knows just how tough it gets for me.

"Just make sure you eat something beforehand. May the goddess give you strength to pull through."

Another smile, then I walked inside, straight to the familiar cage that had become my second home on nights like this - every month for the past five years.

Madison - may the goddess bless her soul - had cleaned it up as usual, in anticipation for my arrival.

The cage looked clean, and smelled like a mixture of lavender and rose.

And there were candles lit by the side and she had placed a blanket at the far end.

Which really isn't necessary because all these things would- as usual end up being torn apart.

I dropped my bag by the side, staring at the wall, examining the ugly marks that had been left there by me, ugly cuts of my crawls.

This is another day indeed.

Since there was nothing much to do, I sat on the mattress and just waited as seconds turned into minutes and minutes into hours.

The first indication of what was about to come was the sharp pain in my chest.

I sat up immediately, bending to fold up the mattress because it was too late, because that pain hit me again, bringing me to my knees - literally.

Fuck!

I bit down the scream that gathered in my throat with every strength in me as waves after waves of gut wrenching pain tore into me like a tornado, shredding me apart from the inside out.

Fuck!

Tears gathered but it was too soon. Too soon to cry, too soon to shout.

So I crouched on the floor, concentrating on my breathing, trying so damn hard to hold in the pain.

I knew it would be worse, knew that this was just the beginning so I braced myself for the next waves of pain that I knew would sweep me off my feet literally, break every part of my bone.

And when it came, I couldn't hold back the cry, the scream that sounded more animalistic than human as they echoed through the walls.

I was in hell, an almost literal hell.

The sounds of my bone cracking, snapping over and over again filled my head, the feeling of my flesh tearing apart was the worst thing I've ever felt.

No matter how many times this has happened, I will never get used to it.

Then slowly, just slowly it felt like my body wasn't mine anymore and I felt myself slipping away, into a dark void - as something stronger, bigger and faster took over me entirely, blocking me from my own mind and pushing me so far down into that void that I could not control my body anymore.

But it wasn't my body that stood now in the cage.

I heard the guttural howl and shivered.

My wolf.

My damn wolf.

I had no idea how long I stayed in that dark void, waiting for it to be over, for the full moon to hide herself and make way for dawn.

When it finally did, in a blink of an eye I was pulled out of the void and once again I found myself standing in the cage - naked, my torn clothes scattered all over the place.

But to my shock, that was all there is - that was the only mess in the cage.

The mattress was intact, there were no new marks on the floor or the walls and the candles - what remained of them were still burning.

There was no sign of the madness I had anticipated and I had no idea if I was supposed to feel relieved about that - I'd worry about that later. Right now I was just shocked as I staggered to my bag to take out a new set of clothes.

I was still putting on my pants when something caught my attention.

It was actually a new mark on the wall but this wasn't just marks of nails or something. It was a writing - a writing carved into the wall.

I zipped up my pants and walked closer to it then gasped and froze to my bones.

Somehow, some fucking how my wolf with her wolf senses had left me a message.

"THE ANSWERS YOU SEEK ARE ON THIS GROUND.”

The answers I seek are on this ground?

What does that mean, and how.....

My eyes went to the writing again and I shivered.

The answers I seeked.

On this ground - as in this zoo? But how exactly is that possible and what does the zoo have to do with anything?

Dear goddess.

"Sera?"

Madison's voice made me jerk and I turned to see her staring at me with an odd expression.

"Hi!"

"I had to come check in on you. Are you okay? Would you want me to get you anything to eat or..."

I was already shaking my head before she could finish, "No no. Thank you. I have something urgent to attend to."

She still had that odd expression as I walked out of the cage and faced her.

"I didn't hear much last night and I was worried. Are you sure you are okay? Is she okay?"

I nodded, "yes, everything is fine - I hope. I myself am surprised that there was no havoc wreaked. Do I guess that's a good sign?"

A good sign indeed.

Somehow the moon goddess had decided to bond me with a mad wolf, one that I had no single control over.

Which is why I'm the only werewolf in history who can't turn at will - the only werewolf in history who has no control over their shifting.

Also why I do not have any sort of relationship with my wolf. I can't reach out to her, can't call out to her.

I had just decided to accept that as my fate and not have to wonder why anymore.

Madison gave me a curt nod and moved aside, giving me room to pass.

I hesitated for a second as I brushed past her, wondering if maybe I should ask her about...

But then I shook my head. The less people who get involved in this, the better.

So I left the zoo without another word or a second glance at her.

Now that this is over, it's time to get back into this mad mission that I had allowed Kael to drag me into.

Once I got home, and back into my room I picked up my phone and was barely surprised when I saw tons of missed calls from Kael and messages.

I threw the phone back on the bed angrily. I really do not have the strength for this so I decided that a hot shower was in order.

But before I could make it to my bathroom a sharp knock interrupted me and I groaned because I knew damn well who it was.

When I opened the door, Kael was glaring at me with his fists planted on his hips.

Who the fuck even lets him into our house to begin with?

“Yes?”

He raised a brow, “where the hell have you been? Didn't you see my calls? My texts?”

I raised a hand to cut him off “Hold up, Kael - since when did I start answering you? Since when did it become a thing that you had to be aware of my whereabouts?”

His scowl faltered, “Sera, I…”

“Whatever this is,” I pointed to him then myself, “this partnership or whatever the hell you want to call it - should not make you start thinking that you have gained some sort of right to infiltrate my life. It doesn't mean that I answer to you or make you feel that you should be aware of anything about me. The research ends there - the research. Nothing more so don't you dare, come to my house especially so early to ask me questions that are not your fucking business.”

He swallowed and the anger on his face instantly disappeared, “I'm not trying to infiltrate your life or anything.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

Kael shook his head and brushed past me into the room, his shoulder slightly touching mine and I gasped in part surprise and part horror.

I turned and Kael was staring at me, the shock in his face, the way he had frozen mid step perfectly mirrored how I was feeling.

"No.. " I gasped as I felt that sharp pang, that electrifying pull, that familiar push that I was really starting to detest.

Kael's eyes widened in horror and I groaned.

Dear goddess, no not again.

But as my insides warmed I knew that my prayers weren't answered.

I knew without a doubt that somehow the moon goddess was using me to play around maybe as amusement for her and whatever gods existed.

Because how oh how, could I be mated to Kael again.?

For the third time now.

My stomach turned and I ran into the toilet to throw up.