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MARILYN Knowing that Balin might get upset if I let Aylin into his room without letting him know, I led Aylin to the room he called mine. Getting in there, I shut the door and turned to Aylin who was suddenly quiet and was staring at me. "Have a seat," I said and gestured for her to sit on the bed, but she declined and made me sit instead. I stared at her wondering what was wrong, she had been so outspoken at the main hall just now, I couldn't understand why she was suddenly quiet. "Are you okay?" I asked and she bobbed her head. "If you need anything, feel free to tell me, I'll quickly go get it for you," she said and bowed her head. "You don't have to treat me like this merely because I brought you out of the water cage. I want us to be friends," I said and approached her, but she took a step back before I could reach her, making me halt my movement. "We are not of the same status. I dare not become friends with you," she bowed her head. "Okay this is getting weird," I though
BALIN "Where is your mother's grave?" I asked again."I'm never telling you that," she insisted.I growled and took predatory steps towards her. A pang of pain shot through my heart and I halted."Marilyn," I muttered. My heart began to thump and ache badly."Something is wrong with Marilyn," Lin whimpered."Alpha, are you alright?" Jarek asked and quickly approached me, seeing how I was suddenly distracted.Before he could get close to me, I took to my heels and raced out of the house, my heart thumping erratically. I've never felt this scared in my entire life. I am usually the one who made people scared, so being scared was a totally new feeling for me.Outside the building, my nails elongated, furs covered my body. And in a matter of seconds, Lin took over and I changed into a gigantic black wolf. In what seemed like a flash, I zoomed off."Alpha," I heard Jarek call but was too worried to look back.I heard the sound of his clothes ripping, making me aware that he was also trans
MARILYN "Escort me to the punishment ground. You will be the one to decide how the offenders will be punished," Balin said and my eyes widened in surprise."Who are we going to punish?"I asked.He stared at me."Did she lose her memory?" I heard him wonder."I can hear your thoughts." I smiled and he smiled back at me.The jerkface guy cleared his throat making me look away from Balin. I glared at him and he glowered at me."This guy didn't seem to like me," I thought.My thoughts made Balin glare at him. They had some secret communication I couldn't hear even though I was there."What did Balin call it again?" I wondered."Mind link," he said."Oh, yeah," I nodded.Whatever conversation they had, made the guy leave the room. But before he shut the door, he gave me an irritated look, as if asking me to leave Balin alone.It's official, I wasn't going to have a moment of peace here. Everyone seemed to be against me."Let's leave," Balin said and took my hands, helping me rise from the
MARILYNâIsn't this you?â the lady asked.I took the painting from her and indeed, it was a painting of me.âHow did you get this?â I asked, wide-eyed. The painting wasn't just any painting, it was a painting of when I was still in the sea.I held the painting ever so dearly, as it reminded me of my life while in the sea. It reminded me of when I was able to move around without restriction. I sighed as memories of the past filled my mind. Balin held me as if he truly understood how I felt. I sighed and leaned into him.âYou are still the same,â the lady said.I stared at her, wondering what she meant. She in return stared back at me, smiling. Seeing that she wasn't ready to talk, I took the initiative to question her,âHave we met before? You talk as if you've met me somewhere before.The lady smiled at me and came even closer to me. Balin took a protective stance and growled at her.âI'm not here for you, murder. you think I will be afraid of you. My respect for you ended the day my
ALICIAThe other members of the pack had chosen to keep me and the butler safe. Since the both of us work right inside the Alphaâs mansion, they decided that they will bear whatever punishment the Alpha gives them alone. And in return, I and the butler had to report everything about the mermaid to her. No pack has ever had another breed as their Luna and the Bold Bite Pack wasn't going to be the first. The Alphaâs punishment almost didn't have any effect on them as they were currently being healed by their mermaids. That mermaidâs decision to let them go further fueled their urge to reject her. "Does she think they will suddenly accept her if she lets them go free?" I thought and scoffed. That one act of hers shows weakness. And the pack members weren't ready to have a weak creature as their LunaI smiled happily as I recalled my conversation with one of the pack elders. He had assured me that there was no better candidate to be the Alphaâs Luna other than me.âThat classless mermaid
MARILYN Once we got to the building where the young wolves were being led into, I decided to stay outside while Balin went in to address them. I gestured to him to move in and that I will be right outside waiting for him till he gets back. He smiled and told Jarek to stay with me. I had protested initially, but he seemed not to hear any of it, so I gave in and sat in a corner, with Mr jerkface standing guard beside me. The entire time I sat there, I couldn't help but notice that Jarek kept glaring at me and muttering incoherent words. I suddenly felt annoyed at the fact that I couldn't speak. I wanted to ask him why the heck he was staring at me. Balin had sent Aylin off once we arrived and right now, he was too busy to hear my thoughts. I stayed silent and endured the glare. But then it suddenly became too much. Angered, I gazed at him and raised my brows. He glowered at me. At that moment, I wanted to scream and ask him what I ever did wrong to him. I mean, we never argued, we nev
ALICIA I left the mansion dressed in black pants and a dark hoodie, I had a backpack over my back. The Alpha and his mate were nowhere to be seen, so I took the opportunity to set out to look for Ophelia. I had one place in mind, the witches' forest. To everyone in the pack, the forest at the end of the pack was merely an ordinary forest, but to me and all those who are power hungry, it was the abode of witches. The witches' forest was the source of all the witches' powers. Even the least powerful which visits the forest in order to survive. I doubted Ophelia won't be there. Knowing that she was a really old witch, there is no place more suitable for her than the witches' Forest. Over the years, witches who lived past two hundred years all survived because they frequently visited the forest, some even made it their home. I parked my car at the public parking lot and casually strutted down the road to avoid suspicion. Getting to the entrance of the forest which is usually isolated due
BALINI stood surveying the entire foodstuff being brought in for the young wolves. Whenever I take up a task, I make sure to see the end of it. These teenage wolves are now left in my custody and it's up to me to do all I can to ensure they shift safely. I couldn't trust anyone with the task of supervising their food. I mean, I don't even trust myself, so who should I trust?"Alpha, you've been standing for hours, go back in while I take charge here," Jarek told me and came to stand next to me.Seeing how annoyed I was with him, he chose to call me Alpha to avoid making me rage. I didn't say a word, I pretended not to have heard him and stood watching the food being heaped. He heaved and stood there. I spent the entire day with the young wolves, making sure they were comfortable and given the best treatment. I missed Marilyn, but there was no way I could go to her right now. I could just choose to leave, but then I knew these innocent young ones would suffer the consequences. Once
MARILYNIt had been two days already since I had that talk with Aylin and following after, I had a discussion with Balin. I felt like we couldn't be walking on eggshells anymore and we needed to address the issue and we did.Which was namely the reason why the celebration in the pack house had started but I was still standing in my room, my gaze locked on the vanity mirror, staring at my reflection. I looked different. And it was in a good way.The slight knock on my door made me jolt back to reality and quickly grab my lipstick knowing that it was probably Aylin.The door pushed open and Aylin shambled in, her green maxi dress accentuating her curves while her hair was tied up in a bun and adorned with flowers.That was the event of today. We had faced devastation not long ago but tonightâŠIt was the celebration of summer and apparently flowers were a big part of the night which is why everyone had a flower on their person tonight.My hair was still casually dropped down as I was still
MARILYNIt has been two days and Balin was out of bed already and already resumed his duties in the pack while I still hung around.I don't even know what I was still doing here, I should leave but I was in no hurry, everyone was nice to me and kept thanking me for saving them.Even though I wanted to be angry at them, I knew how they must feel at this point. They didn't even know what to believe. Alicia had turned out to be a demon, I turned out to be not as weak as they knew, Dmitri finally attacked, they lost people. Things must be hard for them.So because of that, I was nice to them and accepted their every apology while listening to them and getting to know them on a more personal level.I think something that earned me more respect was the fact that everyone now knew that I was a Maren. Occasionally my mind would drift back to the mermaid foundation and I wondered if they were okay.Yes, the mermaids there hurt me and mae life a living hell for me. But I couldnât stop myself from
MARILYNThe cool stone of the fountain stood in sharp contrast to the warmth of my own stormy feelings. I sat by myself, the soothing splashing of water providing background for the recurring scenes in my head.Balin intertwined with another woman, the vision of that night came back agonizingly clearly. It had been the reason for my leaving and the reason I was still madI felt doubt biting at me. Should I have judged more quickly? Had I let wrath distort my view?Aylin joined me beside the fountain, a consoling presence among my swirling thoughts."Marilyn," she asked softly, "are you okay?"Though it felt empty and stupid, I forced a grin. âAylin, I'm good. Just... contemplating.âShe sat next to me, staring across my field of vision. "Regarding Balin?"Not sure I could meet her eyes, I nodded."I know you're hurting," she said gently. âStill, I know Balin as well from the short time I spent here. And I would never think he would act in such a manner."Her remarks caught me off guard
BALIN"I'm awake." I blinked, my eyesight fuzzy, the world around me a hazy swirl of forms and hues. My body felt heavy, as though I had been asleep for a thousand years and my head throbbed with a dull agony.Marilyn's face came into focus as I tried to squint, her lovely features marked with a mixture of relief and... something else. Fury? Indifference?"Marilyn," I said, my voice hoarse from neglect. âYou're here.âShe showed a look of warmth, but it was fleeting and soon she was wearing a guarded look.I reached out to her, my hand shaking just a little. "I'm so glad you're safe," I said, heart aching with a love that refused to die.Her eyes hardening, she withdrew from my touch. "Don't," she murmured, her voice hard. "Just... do not."I felt confusion sweep over me. Why was she pulling away? She had not disappeared. She had stayed and she had been here. I could faintly still feel her lips on my head when I was coming back to consciousness even though I didn't hear what she had
"I'm sure," I replied, my voice firm. "I need to make sure everyone is getting back on their feet."Jarek nodded, a hint of admiration in his eyes. "You've done a remarkable job, Marilyn. The pack... they respect you now. You're doing an amazing job even I'm not sure that I could have done."I scoffed, a bitter taste in my mouth. "Their respect is a fickle thing, Jarek. Earned through bloodshed and fear. It's not the kind of respect I wanted but it's what I got."He sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I know it's not ideal, but it's a start. You've given them hope, Marilyn. We underestimated you, you're clearly one of the best things that have happened to the pack."I sighed. âIt's fine. You know I always wanted revenge and now I'm helping rebuild. IronicâJarek cleared his throat, drawing my attention back to him. "I have the casualty report, Marilyn," he said, his voice a whisper "We lost twenty-three pack members. Another fifteen are severely injured, but the healer is hopeful they'l
MarilynI didn't move for a good 5 seconds, my eyes fixed on nothing and the sounds of the battle ravaging around me faded Into nothing. All I could see was Balin, his lifeless body slumped against mine, his wordsâhis final wordsâringing in my ears."I love you, Marilyn."A sob tore through me as I realized he was still slumped against me, unmoving, I had been harsh on him, I never got the chance to tell him that I didn't hate him, and now he was gone. Because of me.A weird feeling engulfed me. Was this grief? Pain? Regret? Whatever it was, it hurt like hell.My body refused to move, paralyzed by a grief so profound it threatened to consume me whole. I slowly pushed him off me and fell to the ground, my face staring up at the sky, the sound of the demon's laughter echoing around me and the sound of the battle around me. I wouldn't mind death at this point. It was a part of me that had been torn away.Aylin, her face streaked with tears, rushed to my side, her voice a desperate plea."
MARILYNAlmost as terrible as the battle, Alicia's fall had been the cause of the silence that followed. The expressions of the people revealed confusion, incredulity, and a growing fear.Ever the protector, Balin responded first, his focus on the slumped figure of Alicia. He hurried toward Alicia's almost lifeless figure, crouching next to her, his hand extending to feel for a pulse."Alicia?" he asked, his voice full of a desperate hope that made me angry for some reason. "Alicia, can you hear me?"Many pack members, startled, gathered around Alicia, their voices a cacophony of worried questions.âSomeone got the healer!ââIs she breathing?â"What happened with her?"Her face was white and her eyes were wide with panic, Aylin grabbed my arm firmly.She said, "Marilyn," her voice shaking, "What's happening? There's a weird energy"I shook my head, confused yet my gaze fixed on Balin who was worried. "Aylin, not sure. But something doesn't seem right.""She's the demon!" Aylin yelled
MarilynAfter my shout, the stillness that followed was dense and weighted with a mix of amazement, terror, and incredulity. Once a site of wild violence, the battlefield was now terribly quiet.Rushing to my side with a look of mixed concern and shock in his eyes, Balin broke the quiet first.I staggered back unconsciously as he neared me, my heart aching in my chest. He didn't deserve to be this close to me. What was stopping me from speaking to him? Everyone said I should hear him out but what they didn't understand was that the sight I met that day was not something that I could recover from. Ever.He said, "Marilyn," his voice strained, "Are you alright?"I scowled at him, my wrath blazing with every once-over I gave him. I pushed him away quickly, my senses heightened and wary."Don't touch me," I growled, hatred tinging my voice. "You have no rights."He staggered back, his face a mixture of pain and bewilderment.Elder Oakwood, with his pale and drawn-in face, came gently up to
MARILYN"Game on," I echoed, my voice calm and my fingertips flexing as I cracked my neck. I was certain that I could kill Dmitri after practicing for a while.Dmitri unsheathed his dagger and cocked his head at me. âI think it's only fit that we face off against each otherâ he suggested.Balin immediately opened his mouth to protest but I beat him to it.âDeal.ââNo weapons? Is that how confident you are, Maren?â Dmitri asked with a smirk.My hands swirled and a blade materialized on my hand, shining with a blue unearthly glow. Dmitri's eyes flickered to the knife and I knew it unnerved him by the way his smirk wavered but he kept his ground.âSince we're playing dirty,â He muttered, tucking his blade back in his sheath.Ah, he was going to be using his wolf to attack me instead. More the challenge for me."You think you can defeat me with that?" he scoffed, his voice laced with disbelief.I merely smirked. "This is just the beginning, Dmitri," I said, my voice laced with a newfound