EMBRACING REALITY

New Chapter Alert 

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ANNALISE 

Its been three days since Ace got back from wherever he went and nothing big has happened since then. I snuggled closer to Ace who in return pulled me closer to his body. "I am so cold" I murmured into his chest. Ace's chest vibrated "Annalise, the sun is out and it is super hot. How are you cold?" I didn't reply, just tucked my head deeper into the crook of his neck then drifting off.

After a while, I jolted awake because I felt super uncomfortable. Ace was gone and the bed space was still warm which means he left not too long ago. Just when I rose to my feet, felt a sharp sting on my neck, I waved it off thinking I slept off in a wrong posture but as I took a step forward, I started burning. Not literally but I felt so hot it could be equated to burning. I screamed when the pain got worse, I somehow found myself on my floor squirming in pain. Tears pooled up in my eyes as the pain became unbearable. "Ace!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs but it seemed like he wasn't anywhere near me so I screamed louder before Ace finally came bursting through the door.

A look of fear crossed his face before he masked it and ran to me "What's wrong?!" Ace begged holding me in his arms. "I am burning, everywhere is burning. Ace please help me" I cried into his arms. Another look flashed through his eyes, familiarity? but Ace ran to prepare a cold bath for me, dumped bag of ice in it before gently placing me inside. After a while, I calmed down before falling asleep in the bath while Ace washed me.

After a while, I found myself awake on the bed with Ace's chest in my face. From the light breath on my head, I knew he was asleep. Not wanting to disturb him, I gently detangled myself from him and headed down the stairs. I began wondering, what exactly could be wrong with me. All my life, I have lived a perfectly normal life with my mother who told me that my father left her because he was unprepared to be a father. I have also followed my mother everywhere and she never showed signs of not being human. Perhaps it was a condition I caused myself from exploring various countries and continents but then why would it make itself known after I had met Ace. Everything was not adding up and the more I thought about it, the greater my confusion. So I pushed the thought aside and made a mental note to call my mother and inform her about it, just maybe if I was sacrificed to the gods as a child. I snickered to myself and processed to make Ace and I something decent.

While setting the table, I felt Ace's presence in the kitchen "Hey, I was just about to call you for lunch" I said sending him my million dollar smile. Ace smiled back at me and leaned in to give me a peck. "How are you feeling now?" Ace asked settling down to eat his pancakes. I looked at him with uncertainty in my eyes "I am fine now Ace but I don't know when next I'll start groaning in pain" I explained to Ace and proceeded to eating my food. Halfway into the food Ace suddenly spoke out of the blue "What about your father? You never spoke of him" 

I smiled at him with mouth full of pancakes "He never stayed, my mother raised me alone" .

"So you've never seen him or a picture?" Ace asked staring at me with a kind of intensity that kind of scared me "I had a picture of him somewhere in my suitcase. Why?" 

For a moment Ace was quiet. "Go get the picture, I'll give your mother a call now". I spoke with urgency "Is everything alright? You're making me worried" I explained losing interest in my food already. "Your condition has not happened since the 17th century and we are currently in 21st century" Ace explained.

It took me a minute to realise that Ace knew what was wrong with me "Wait?!" I yelled throwing my hands in the hair.

Ace looked me dead in the eyes "Yes Annalise. I know what is wrong with you and I will only get a confirmation from your mother"

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ACE

Its been a while since I dropped the bomb on Annalise and her mum was already on my private plane here to Brazil so the only thing we can do now is to wait 

"When did you know this?" Annalise asked partially glaring at me. 

"The day I left home and didn't take you along" I explained feeling partially bad for leaving her in the unknown. 

"And you did not think it was necessary to inform me that I am probably something dangerous to the world" Annalise spat.

"You don't even know hiw true it is yet. And I need you to realise that you are not the only one in pain here" I explained trying my possible best not to raise my voice at her.

Thinking about it now, I am pretty fucked up. The reality that my mate might be something so vile and unacceptable makes me want to strangle the moon goddess. At the point now, I know I would either have to leave my race to destruction or leave my mate to destruction and I am as attached to my pack as I am to Annalise. 

I can not imagine her absence in my house, my life and her absence in my arms. Shaking my head, I tried wiping away the terrible possibilities of where this might end from my memory.

Annalise is currently giving me the silent treatment and I expected her mom to get here any time soon. My private plane was designed to be ten times faster than the usual plane, just in case I need to be somewhere immediately and I can not run in my wolf form. True to my calculation, the door opened and Daniel ushered a young woman with little to no resemblance to Annalise, she also did not in anyway smell like Annalise but I brushed that off.

Annalise looked up from her phone,smiled and ran over to her mother. This was the most reaction Annalise has given in hours, I was grateful to this woman. I walked over to where they stood strangling each other in an awkward hug. After a while, I cleared my throat to alert them of my presence. The woman tore away from Annalise and glared at me "What does a vile creature have to do with my little girl?" 

Annalise looked confused "Mom, this is Ace. He is not a vile creature or whatever you said" The woman looked between Annalise and I before spitting "Don't tell me you have no idea that he is a werewolf?!" At the point, I had gotten extremely suspicious of this woman. I had done my best to hide my scent but it seems this woman has a power of her own.

Unable to hide my irritation any longer, I asked her the question that has been bugging me since I laid my eyes on her "Are you even her mother?" I asked not missing the look on Annalise face.

Annalise walked up to me and slapped me. Hard.

"First, I become an unknown creature after meeting you. Then I start feeling unnecessary pain and being thrown in uncomfortable situations and now you have the audacity to say this about my mother. You're really vile, I can't believe I thought I could love you" Annalise spat at me before walking out of the door with her mother. 

I stood rooted on the spot, unable to move after what happened. I let Annalise walk away from me, I let her walk out of my house and I let her walk away from my life. I convinced myself that that was the best decision I could make for her but something inside me died the moment Annalise walked away from me.

But one thing I realised from what Annalise said is that I have truly been the cause of her problems. The best I could do now was to let go of her. I should let her walk away from me and I did just that.

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ANNALISE

I could not belive I did that. I chose my mother over Ace but in my defence, Ace was being unbelievable. Why would he ask that question? But something deep down in my sometimes questioned why there was no resemblance between my mother and I. I couldn't help but wonder if Ace was right and I was wrong and as I walked away from him, I felt something inside me die that day.

~~~~~~

It has a been a while since the day I walked away from Ace. To an extent, it hurt that he did not even attempt to stop me but I remember that I was the one who slapped him and blamed the events of the last two months on him. 

My mother somehow convinced me to leave Brazil the other day. I has been three months already, I am back in America and my mother somehow convinced me to get an actual job and stop traveling around.

I am with my mother but I am filled with dread. Working in a company I do not care about and living life as a responsible made me feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

"Annalise?" Mary called me sensing that I was lost in thoughts.

Jerking back to reality, I looked up at the middle aged woman and smiled "Yes ma'am?" I replied trying to muster the widest smile I could.

The woman smiled at me "It is time for lunch aren't you hungry?" Mary asked sending me a smile.

I was not hungry, not at the slightest bit so I politely refused her offer and went over my work for the afternoon.

Multiple times, I have thought about going back to Brazil and fixing things with Ace but I felt terrible walking back into his life after leaving like that. I read many werewolf books in the last three months and I sincerely hoped that what happens to wolves when they lose their mates does not befall Ace because that would make me feel more terrible.

I got up and decided to use my lunch break to get something from home. I drove quickly to my house and parked awkwardly since I was in a hurry. When searched my table for the folder and couldn't find it, I headed to my mom's room to have a look. After searching for a while, I gave up and closed the drawers but then an envelop deep inside the drawer caught my attention. 

Pulling it out, it turned out to be an old fashioned envelope. It looked suspicious and since I am not the type to snoop around, I left the envelop on the table and headed out. Turns out the folder I was searching for was on the dining table, I grabbed it and went back to work. But something at the back of my mind reminded me of the envelop and my curiosity could not have gotten worse. Making a mental note to check what was inside after work, I drove into the busy streets of Brooklyn.

~~~~~~~

Work ended later than I expected because the gallery I work at is planning a big end of the season exhibition. 

"I am home mom" I grumbled walking into the living room. "Honey!" My mother called from the kitchen. I dumped my bag on the chair and went to meet her "What?" I asked taking a sip out of a bottle of water. "Help me throw the trash out" My mom said focused on mixing the bowl of kimchi, I guess we were eating Asian today

I grabbed the trash not bothering to tie it up, just when I was about dumping it the ribbon from the envelop caught my attention. I pulled it out and true to my guess it was the envelop from this afternoon. I wondered why my mother would want to throw it out since she has kept it for obviously a long time now. I pulled out the small envelop and tucked it into my back pocket before heading back inside. On getting inside, I headed straight to my room, threw the envelop into my drawer and entered the shower.

After my shower, I tied my mass of fire also known as my hair into my towel and sat the the edge of my bed lost on my phone. I replied work related emails and scrolled through I*******m and as usual my mind wondered off to Ace. I wondered what Ace was doing, has he eaten, did he lock the doors and most importantly has he moved on. Three months is a long time and for a strong Alpha like Ace, he can not waste his time thinking about me. Wiping the tears that managed to escape my eyes, I went into my drawers and took out the envelop almost forgetting about it.

The red ribbon that sat on the envelop looked old and I felt a negative vibe from opening the envelop but my curiosity got the best of me. I gently peeled the envelop open and it was a letter inside. My eyes skimmed through the words, it was hand written.

                       "

                                                   House  of Strength,

                                                   Ms. Eugene Waters

                                                   Jan. 13th 1865

Human,

I have borne a girl and I do not desire to let her grow here and now. Take her, feed her and let her grow well. She bears the blood of the hybrid and the Master seeketh her. Please take her and tend to her. I sense that life shall leave me soon and my last  breath be near. Let not her shed a tear, and let not the other world know about her. I am unable to inform you about her fate but she be a deamon. Her type is Frida, the lady that was murdereth on the seventh year of the King's reign. There will be consequences, but never let her be with Epaphus, the wolf man. I hear some strange prophesies about him. Keep her safe

                                                               Royal Blood"

I released a hot breath that was stuck in my throat and read the letter ten more times wishing the contents will magically change. Instead each time I read it, I understood the grave mistake I had made. Ace said it, I refused to believe him. I slapped him for saying what was right, I accused him of being the basic cause of my life problems. I was suddenly snapped back to reality when my mom walked into the room "Anna honey? Dinner is ready" I looked back and forth between her and the paper in my hands. 

I stood up from where I was rooted and walked over to her "What is this?" I asked throwing the letter in her face and a look of anger mixed with disbelief . Her face held confusion at first, but a better glance at the paper in her hands turned the look on her face to that of realisation and later regret "Annalise, I promise I can explain". I barked a bitter laughter "I wonder why you kept this explanation till I am what, almost thirty Mother?" I said spitting the last word in her face.

I know I should hear her out, I know I should never have read that letter but now that I have, now that I know better nothing can be done. Only one thing rung at the back of my mind "Ace was right" I said trying to keep the look of accusation out of my face.

Tears pooled up in my mother's eyes "Annalise, I promise I can explain. It's not exactly what you think" She said moving closer to me. "I am not mad. I do not hate you but whatever explanation you have would have to be in front of Ace, we have wronged him" As I finished talking, a look of guilt flashed through her eyes. What does that mean, what is going on.

"The look on your face, what's it about?" I asked my mind running miles thinking of anything possible. My mother twisted her hands together before finally talking. "The day you left Ace, you rejected the bond and made his wolf weak and that probably led to the death of Epaphus"

I paused. Blood was rushing through my ears "What does this all mean?". "His wolf is dead. You don't have to go back to him" My mother said like a twisted soul. She reached out to me but I moved away like she was acidic "Don't you fucking dare. And I do not believe you, at least you lied to me for twenty six years" My mother grabbed my arm "Do not go back to him Annalise, he does not love you. It is his wolf that loves you and the wolf is ---" I saw red, totally not in control of my emotions, I slapped my mother.

I have been doing a lot of slapping these past year. I immediately regretted it but there is nothing I can do. "Please leave me alone" I said and walked to the edge of my bed. My mother lurked at the entrace for a while before finally walking out. Just as she shut the door behind her, I let the waterfalls down. I cried for a lot of things. I cried for myself, I cried for the mistakes I had made, I cried for my life decisions, I cried for Ace and most importantly, I cried for the uncertainty of my future.

After mopping around for two more days, I quit my job and took the first trip to Brazil. As the plane landed in the airport, I realized how nervous I am. My palms were sweaty, my heart pounded uncontrollably in my chest, my throat was dry but I convinced myself that I was fine. I realised that even Uncle Alfonso might know something about whatever has happened but now, I have a wolf to love.