If I had a playlist for this book, the song 'Do you want to build a snowman? ' would have been for Elijah. XD. Also thank you for all the lovely gems. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far.
VERENAElijah curses under his breath as if he said something he should not have.My worry spikes. “What happened to you, Elijah?” I ask.He hesitates, then pulls off his overcoat and rolls his shirt sleeves. Faint black burn marks appear on his forearm. They are subtle, almost faded under the afternoon light, but I recognize them instantly.My breath catches in my throat. “Those…” My voice is barely above a whisper. “You were poisoned?” It's more like a confirmation than a question. The black marks are a sign that he was poisoned by the same toxin that affected Dad’s wolf.Elijah fixes his sleeve and sighs. “I was poisoned by Nixie that day. I would have endured it better if not for the war I had with Theon. My body was already weak, so the effect of the poison was strong.” He turns his head and looks into the space, his eyes wandering into the distance.My chest tightens at his words. If he faced a war, then his body wouldn’t have stood a chance against that deadly poison. I remembe
VERENAShock morphs his handsome face. “No, of course not.”“There’s a difference, Elijah, between protecting someone and keeping them in the dark,” I explain, my voice regaining its calm. “I understand your fear, but a relationship is built on trust and communication. We support each other, share burdens, face the world together. Not fight our battles alone because we think the other person can’t handle it.”His gaze softens, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “I understand, and I am sorry,” he says, his emotions true. “Do you forgive me, Rena?”The anger still simmers within me. “No, Elijah,” I say, my voice firm. “I don’t forgive you for not even trying to communicate with me before.”His broad shoulders slump, sadness clouding his eyes. It's a look I don’t enjoy seeing, but it's a necessary step.“But,” I continue, making his attention shift back to me, “I do forgive you for doing what you did for us.” My voice softens, and a wave of guilt washes over me. “I am sorry for how I
VERENACarlisle averts his gaze. “So he told you everything,” he says in a low voice.“Why did you lie to me?” I ask, feeling a little betrayed by him. “Elijah was dying, and I had no idea.” Guilt gnaws at me, a heavy weight in my chest.He runs a hand through his blonde hair, frustration creasing his forehead. “I didn’t trust his motives. For all I knew, he could have orchestrated the whole thing with Nixie, some elaborate plan to win you back. How can you trust a word out of his mouth?”Anger bubbles within me. “He had the same burn marks on his hand, Carlisle, the ones dad had. He was the one who sent the cure. Dad is alive because of Elijah’s sacrifice.”It makes me happy knowing that Elijah went out of his way to protect my dad. It shows that he really cares for me. The thought warms my heart.Carlisle’s eyes turn wide in shock. “I–I didn’t know that.” He looks at his glass. “The doctor did talk about him needing to find a witch, but I felt like he had put the poison in him delibe
VERENAThe sterile scent of disinfectant fills the air as I stand across from Dr. Walker, my heart hammering against my ribs. Ezra lies unconscious in the bed behind me, hooked up to a dizzying array of machines. My baby.“He has aplastic anemia,” Dr. Walker explains, a grim expression on his face.Shock rips through me. “Aplastic anemia?” I rasp.“Yes,” he continues, his voice low. “But interestingly, his medical history shows no prior indications or risk factors.”Confusion clouds my mind. “Then how is it possible?”He looks at the bed before looking back at me. “That’s what I also want to know. Aplastic anemia in children is uncommon. But what—” he stops abruptly. I don’t understand why he does until I see Ezra.A gasp leaves my lips as faint, shimmering silver markings appear on Ezra’s face, like intricate tattoos. I rush to him and touch his face. As my finger comes in contact with his skin, I flinch. His skin is so cold.“Luna,” Dr. Walker’s voice, filled with horror, reaches me
VERENAMy dad’s reaction is instantaneous. A guttural growl rips from his throat as he glares at Elijah. “Who the hell let you in here?” Hate burns in his eyes. He hates Elijah for everything he has done to me, and I didn’t get the time to explain anything to him. “Security! Throw him out!”I lunge forward. “Dad, wait! He can be the donor. He’s an Alpha. O negative, remember? We need to save Ezra first.”Dad’s face contorts, his emotions battling. He hates Elijah but also wants to save Ezra. “Fine,” he spits. “But you’ll give your blood and leave. Nothing more.” He warns.Elijah simply nods and walks with the medical staff to run some tests to check if his blood is compatible. Since our medical technology is top-notch, the tests don’t take much time, and they confirm that Elijah can donate his blood to Ezra.Relief floods me as they begin the transfusion process.I stand inside the ward, keeping my back pressed against the wall. A pressure cuff on Ezra’s upper arm inflates and deflate
VERENAElijah’s face morphs into worry as he says, “Nixie’s body was replaced in the cemetery, so we believe she’s alive. Also, Theon’s body is missing.”My stomach coils into knots. “Did you learn this after our meeting at the fair?” I ask sternly.He shifts his gaze to the window through which the afternoon light filters in, painting his sharp face in an amber glow. He shakes his head slowly. I can hear his heart race. “I knew about this the night we met. The night you shifted.”Anger blazes inside me. My fist curls. “Why? Why didn’t you tell me this, Elijah?” I ask, glaring at him.Why does everyone keep hiding things from me?He looks back at me, his brow furrowing. “I believed I'd find Nixie soon. I was searching for her before I came to the fair,” he explains. So that’s why he was late. His face softens. “I didn’t expect things to escalate this far.” The sadness and guilt are clear in his voice.But that’s not enough to reduce my anger.I keep my voice low so that Ezra isn’t dist
VERENAElijah lifts his gaze at me. “Can I stay?” There’s that longing in his eyes that I can’t miss.A heavy sigh leaves my lips. “Alright.” It's true that I am angry at Elijah. But I can’t let that get in between him and Ezra. “He can stay.”Ezra beams with happiness. “Yay.” His voice is still a little hoarse, but he looks much better.I slowly feed him and once he’s fed, I wipe his mouth with the wet tissue. Ezra has a sad look on his face as he asks, “Mommy, when will we go back home?”My heart clenches at his words. He has no idea of the silver marks on his face, no idea what he went through. I ruffle his head while plastering a smile on my face. “Soon, sweetie.” I assure him, but it all depends on his condition. I can only pray right now for him to get better so the hospital releases him.Ezra nods while laying down on the bed. I tuck him under the sheets. “I don’t like sleeping here.” He pouts. My heart breaks on seeing him so sad.“How about I tell you a bedtime story?” Elijah
ELIJAHI yank Verena by her wrist, and she muffles a gasp as she falls on my chest. When she looks up, her green eyes glare at me through the darkness of the room. “You—” she whispers.“Wanted to sleep with me so badly? You could have said so.” I tease with the edge of my lips lifting in a smirk. But my mind is elsewhere, focused on her soft breasts pressing on my waist, not very far from my pants.I want to play with them, but I keep that thought to myself.Rena’s eyes shoot daggers at me. “I have no intention of sleeping with you. I came here to give you the pillow.” She points at the white pillow that’s on the floor now.“Oh really? Then why is your heart racing?” I ask seductively and enjoy the soft red hue on her cheeks as she blushes. So cute.“I—I am not.” She denies, her voice betraying her intentions.I slowly snake my arms over her waist, making her gasp. My fingers run down her curves. “How about now? Hmm. I smell something…maybe that’s you getting wet—”“Shut up!” She yell