Chapter 21

Anita’s Pov

Darkness engulfed me, an oppressive weight pressing down on my chest as I struggled to breathe. The last thing I remembered was the cool water surrounding me, the familiar feeling of being in control, until that sudden wave of dizziness took it all away.

I felt my body betray me, refusing to respond as I desperately tried to reach the surface. But the darkness had other plans, pulling me under, deeper and deeper, until everything faded away.

I was floating now, somewhere between consciousness and oblivion, my thoughts disjointed and scattered. Memories of the past mixed with fragments of the present, creating an alarming pattern of images and sensations.

I saw the forest, the tall trees casting long shadows as I stumbled through them. My body was battered and bruised, and every step sent a jolt of pain through me, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let them catch me.

The wolves were close behind, their snarls growing louder, more ferocious with every passing second. I could feel their hot breath on my heels, their hunger for blood driving them forward. I was alone, with no pack to protect me, no Alpha to command them to stop. I was just alone, a nobody, running for my life in a world that didn’t care whether I lived or died.

And then, through the haze of fear and pain, I heard a voice, his voice. It was strong and commanding, cutting through the terror like a blade of light in the darkness.

“I will save you,” Alpha Hades' voice echoed in my mind, and I clung to it, desperately trying to hold onto the one thing that felt real. His voice was my lifeline and even in the midst of the chaos, I believed him. I believed he would save me.

But as the darkness closed in around me, swallowing me whole, that belief began to waver. I felt myself slipping away, my grip on reality loosening as the shadows of the past threatened to drag me under once more.

Suddenly, I was pulled back to the present, gasping for air as my lungs burned with the effort. My body convulsed, water spilling from my mouth as I coughed violently. The sharp pain in my chest was a harsh reminder that I was still alive, that I had somehow survived the darkness that had tried to claim me.

The world around me slowly came into focus, my blurry eye took a slow curve as I became aware of my surroundings. I was lying on the shore, my body trembling from the cold, and above me was Alpha Hades kneeling.

His hands pressed firmly against my chest. His face had a mask of concern and I was shocked to see that his usually composed demeanor was shattered with a more confused look on hid face.

“Anita,” he said, his voice rough and filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place. “What happened?”

I tried to sit up, but my muscles were weak, and my head was spinning. The memory of the water, of my body going limp, flashed through my mind, and I felt a shiver of fear run down my spine.

I had never felt so powerless, so completely at the mercy of something beyond my control.

“I—I’m sorry,” I stammered, with pleading eyes, “I don’t know what happened. I just… lost control.”

Alpha Hades’ eyes darkened and he looked away with a clearly frustrated look on his face.

“You nearly drowned,” he said through gritted teeth, as if he were trying to keep his emotions in check. “I should have been able to protect you. This never should have happened.”

His words struck me like a blow. Guilt and self-blame was evident in his tone. I knew he felt responsible, that he believed he had failed to keep me safe, but it wasn’t his fault. How could it be when I was the one who had pushed myself too hard, who had ignored the warning signs?

“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head, trying to ease the burden he was placing on himself. “It wasn’t your fault. I… I suddenly lost control of my body. It must be because of an old injury i had.”

Alpha Hades’ expression shifted with a flickering hint of surprise in his eyes. “An old injury?” he echoed.

I hesitated as the memories of my past came creeping back into my mind like unwanted ghosts.

I had worked so hard to bury them, to move on from the pain and the betrayal, but now, in this moment of vulnerability, they were surfacing once more.

“When I was exiled from my previous pack,” I began slowly, forcing the words out despite the lump in my throat, “I was attacked by rogues. They… they hurt me badly. I thought I had healed, but sometimes… sometimes the pain comes back.”

The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of my confession hanging in the air between us. Alpha Hades’ gaze was now intense, his eyes started searching mine as if he were trying to see the truth behind my words, to understand the full extent of the damage that had been done.

“I didn’t know,” he said finally with a regretful tone. “I didn’t know you had been through so much.”

I looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. The memories were too raw, too painful to face head-on. “It’s in the past,” I murmured, more to convince myself than anything else. “I’ve moved on. I don’t want to dwell on it.”

But even as I said the words, I knew they weren’t entirely true. The scars of my past were still there, hidden beneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to remind me of everything I had lost.

Alpha Hades was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was more gentle, “Anita, you’re under my protection now. Even if you’re not a citizen of this pack, I’ll make sure no harm comes to you while you’re here.”

I stared at him, shocked by the sincerity in his voice. He wasn’t just saying the words out of obligation, I think he meant them.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back, refusing to let them fall. “Thank you,” I whispered as my voice trembled with emotion.

Alpha Hades then looked at me with a small, genuine smile that made my heart ache. “You don’t have to thank me,” he said softly. “It’s the least I can do.”

For a moment, we just sat there, the tension between us easing into something warmer, something that felt almost like friendship. I could see the concern in his eyes, the way he looked at me with a mixture of calmness and protectiveness, and it made me realize just how much he had changed since we first met.

But something wasn't right.

My mind quickly retraced back to the girl that hid behind the walls before I dove into the water.

Up till this moment, that creepy feeling i had when i was looking at her still lingered in my mind.

I could still remember her fake smile then and thinking about it over and over again,  It made more sense.

Her smile was suspicious and also mischievous.

I remember that this dizzy feeling came immediately after taking the cold juice which Damian had given to us because before Damain handed the drink to us, he had placed it in a tray on one of the tables.

What if she had gine there to drop something inside?

My face contorted into a puzzled expression as I try to merge my instincts together which made Alpha Hades look at me intensely.

"Anita, is there any problem?" He asked me.

"No, not really. I am just trying to think about something."

"And what could that be?" He asked again with a concerned look on his face.

"I am suspecting that someone is behind this act." I said.

"Suspecting? Who could that be?"

"Initially, before we started swimming, I saw Kira standing at that corner." I said, pointing at the place. "She had a mischievous grin on her face and I feel like she might have something to do with what happened to me."

Alpha Hades eyes widened.

"Really? "

"Yes." I nodded in acknowledgement. "But I'm not so sure."

"Damian." Alpha Hades shouted, his eyes scanning round the vicinity to find him.

Damain was actually talking to someone and when he heard his name, he raced to meet us.

"Alpha Hades, i'm sorry for the delay." He said with a bow.

"Nevermind. I'm sure the CCTV around this place is still functioning. Get the footage of today. Preferably, before I and Anita started swimming." He commanded him.

"Ok sir. Would be right back."

A few minutes later, Damain returned with a laptop and placed it on the table.

"Here is it."

The three of us started watching the replay of what happened.

Our eyes widened in shock and disbelief when we saw Kira dropping something into my cup when I and Alpha Hades were swimming.

"I said it." I muttered to myself.

Alpha Hades now clenched his fist hard and turned to Damain.

"Bring her here now." He shouted with fury laced in his voice.

Damain nodded and rushed out. Minutes into the moment, he came in with Kira who didn't have glint of remorse in her eyes.