BALIN“Dimitri is planning a return…” the words echoed in my head and my insides churned.The elder was speaking but I wasn't listening anymore, my mind was distant, I had gone AWOL.My gaze unconsciously fell on jarek who was looking at me to see my reaction. That snapped me out of my daze and I looked at the elder still ranting.“Wait” my voice was a low growl and he immediately shut up.“Yes?” He asked, his arms crossed behind him.“Do you have any evidence or do you expect me to believe any thing you spit out?” I asked, my voice low.Elder oakwood spoke up. “I'm sure that Elder Matthias has no reason to play around”, he began to protest when I sent him a glare.“Elder oakwood, I see you patched your shoulder up quickly” I smirked, gesturing towards the bandaged shoulder making him wince.“Uh, well…yeㅡ” he stuttered before I cut him off “If you don't want it permanently damaged, I suggest you shut the Fuck up and not interrupt me” I threatened. He immediately shut his mouth, his
ALICIAIt was a full day since everyone in the pack was at alert. We had heard the newsThe exiled Alpha was near.It had thrown us into a state of emergency but not me. I was calm because I wanted to use this to my advantage.Balin hadn't come to his senses, he was still blinded by the mermaid and what hurt was that she wasn't even around but she seemed to have clouded his mindI was standing in front of my mirror, a dark ball of energy swirling around in my hands as I played with it.What to do now?I tilted my head and manipulated the dark orb to whatever shape I wanted.This was a simple trick I had learnt from Tabitha and now I was stuck here.I racked my brain for any useful spell that may help me in this but I was drawing a blank.And no, I didn't regret killing Tabitha, she cost me that stupid mermaid but I was pissed off that there was no one around. I had to go through her spell books alone and by myself.Suddenly something clicked as I remembered Tabitha once telling me som
DAMIENIt had been one full day since we had argued and now we were sitting to dinner or rather she was poking her food while I stared at her with an uneasy gaze.“You're not hungry?” I finally asked after a couple minutes of silence.She dropped her fork down and looked up at me with a sad smile. “I guess not”I sighed, feeling annoyed at her nonchalant behavior. “Do you want to talk about it?”“No”Her reply made me get even more irritated but I kept myself in check.“Marilyn” I called her.She arched an eyebrow but she didn't meet my gaze.“Can you stop looking at the food like you're interested in it and look at me for a few seconds?” I asked irritatedShe sighed, looked up and gave me a slow, long look with a raised brow.“You're acting like a child right now. I want you to talk to me” I said annoyed.She sighed again and ran a hand through her hair. “There are some things which I can't tell you because you won't want to hear about them and I really don't need you nagging me abou
ALICIA“You should skip” my wolf said in my head.I stood up on wobbly feet, feeling lightheaded and I shook my head. “I can manage myself” I muttered.The feeling of something trickling down my nostrils made me freeze and rush to the mirror and the sight wasn't anything nice.Dark red blood slowly trickled out of my nose, the metallic taste seeping into my mouth as I parted my lips. “Holy shit, what's happening?” My voice cracked and I gripped the edge of my table tightly.My wolf was alarmed and she began pacing about.“I don't know. Your body is acting on it's own will now” she said in a panic.My legs gave out and I fell to the ground, wiping my bloody nose with a tissue that I had grabbed from the table.No no, something was awfully wrong. I should stay in for fear that someone might see me like this but I instead kept my cool. There was no telling that Balin wouldn't kill me if I didn't show up.I forced myself to stand up and I quickly wiped my nose again, the smear of blood p
BALINWhen Kabal came up to me with such a preposterous thing, I was beyond angry and irritated.There was already a lot of ground so a growing demon in my pack was certainly not what I wanted and it wasn't what was on my mind.I had immediately called for a meeting because this was a grave matter and I needed to get to the root of it. Firstly Marilyn then Dmitri and now a demon. Such pleasant ways to start my day.My eyes was kept trained on the crowd and I nodded to jarek who was standing with Aylin in the crowd, he bowed slightly to me. I turned my attention back to Kabal who was answering some questions.Everything seemed in place as I looked at the people, everyone seemed to be taking the news well so far but there was a sense of unease as people spoke in hushed whispers.My eyes fell on a certain figure that seemed at unease and my eyes narrowed. Alicia. She was shambling from feet to feet and discreetly wiping her nose while looking at the ground.Tilting my head, I frowned noti
BALIN“She's a shifter” Kabal said gravely.There was a tense silence as I looked at him with a raised brow. He continued to stare at me, probably expecting me to be shocked or angry but I remained passive, just staring at him.After a while, I sighed and frowned at him.“She's a shifter? Wow, so insightful” I sneered.He looked taken aback by my comment and he looked away, thinking of something so I continued.“In case if you can't understand what I mean by that statement, allow me to break it down, it simply means that I have no idea what a shifter is” I said to him.Now, he looked truly shocked at my revelation and his jaw dropped slightly.“You really don't know what a shifter is?” He asked, his voice cracking.I sat up straight and stared at him weirdly. “Educate me. I never had to deal with something like it so what is it?” I asked him.His eyes fluttered close and he muttered a few words just as shadows writhed around him forming some kind of whirlwind of dust but it was showin
AYLIN“Aylin, wait up,” Jarek's voice sounded behind me as he rushed to catch up with me.I ignored him and kept walking briskly, only one destination in mind. My room“Wait!” He snapped, grabbing my hand making me halt.“What the hell is it, jarek?! Can't you just leave me alone?!” I almost yelled at him angrily.His grip tightened on my hand and he was staring into my eyes.“Aylin…”, he whispered.I avoided his gaze. “What is it?”He sighed and looked around to make sure that we were alone in the hallway.“I need you to help me understand what all this is. I need to understand because I want to help. You know I do” He whispered to me.Matching his gaze, I sighed, biting my lip.“I can't…” I muttered back.He released the grip on my arm slightly even though he was still holding me.“I'm not asking for much, Aylin. Just the truth. I can handle it. Are you…?” He paused and was peering at me.My eyebrows furrowed in confusion before I understood what he was saying. “Seriously?!” My voic
MARILYN“When are you going?” Damien asked, staring at me from the doorway as I double checked the materials in my bag.“Early morning” I said simply as my hand hovered above a picture of me and the other mermaids In the foundation.Damien pushed himself off the doorway, looking at the picture. “You're not going to Bold bite pack right now, are you? You said that you would be there at the wedding but that's in two days so tell me where are you going now?” His voice was soft and cracked often.“I can't… I can't stay here” I whispered.He sighed and rubbed his face. “I can cancel the meeting with him if you please” he suggested without thinking.I looked at him Incredulously. A few hours ago, we had been informed that Balin would be coming over to this pack to discuss some things with Damien and I wasn't sure If I wanted to be there. Balin didn't know I was here. I had killed off the connection between us by building a mind shield so he couldn't reach me and I always kept that shield up
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 tonight…It 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 stil
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 couldn’t stop myself fro
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. “Aylin, I'm good. Just... contemplating.”She 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. “Still, 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 guar
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. “You're here.”She 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 ha
"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. “It's fine. You know I always wanted revenge and now I'm helping rebuild. Ironic”Jarek 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'
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 words—his final words—ringing 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.“Someone got the healer!”“Is she breathing?”"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 yelle
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 t
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. “I think it's only fit that we face off against each other” he suggested.Balin immediately opened his mouth to protest but I beat him to it.“Deal.”“No weapons? Is that how confident you are, Maren?” 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.“Since we're playing dirty,” 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