Chapter 7: Flight

'Mum, your friend deceived you. The drug did not work. It was totally useless!' Camellia said to her mother as soon as she entered her room and shut the door. She leanedbà heavily on the shut door and exhaled. It took a lot of effort to act. She most nearly scratched off Alexa's face when she refused an abortion. Her morality was disgusting. And when she hugged her, Camellia had wanted to throw her as far away from her body as possible. The only thing that kept her controlled was the plan she had come up with.

Before her mother could say anything though, she continued, stalling any outbursts. 'I bought her a kit just now and the test was positive. We tried about three times and the result was the same!' she said, panting. It was obvious she was furious. Her father had tried to hide it but she had always known that Alexa held a special place in her father's heart. She would have born it, though it had relieved her when her mother showed she preferred her to Alexa and when her brothers went away to camp for training, she had her mother all to herself.

At first she had felt bad that she liked the way her mother maltreated Alexa, making her do her chores as well as Camellia's but one day when she confronted her mother with it, her mother's response had come as a shock to her.

'Of course, I prefer you to that foolish maid!' Amelia said. Camellia was eleven at the time and Alexa fourteen.

'I know you may not like her as much as you do me, but calling her a maid...' she said, trying to understand the reason for such hatred.

'I do not just like you more than her, I don't like her at all but I love you with all my heart', she said. Then looking intently at Camellia she said, 'It's time!'

'Time for what?' Camellia asked, really confused now.

'Before I say anything to you, you must promise not to breath a word of this to anyone else, not even to your brothers and definitely not to Alexa!' she said , looking earnestly at her daughter.

'I promise', Camellia said, not really sure what she was promising.

'Alexa is not really my daughter. She is my step child!' her mother released her bombshell and Camellia felt her mouth shaped the word 'What?' but no sound came out.

'She is the child from an affair your father had with a woman who was not a werewolf. That's all you need to know about her mother', she said, recalling the pain of the betrayal she had felt when she had found out and though her husband had remained faithful since then, Alexa had always been a reminder of that affair and his betrayal.

'I know you said, I need not know more about Alexa's mother and I assumed Dad sent her away to please you', Camellia said musing over what she had heard. It explained alot. 'Why didn't you send her away with her mother? I feel that would have been the most natural and logical thing to do!'

'I allowed her stay for alot of reasons', she said transported to that time in the past. 'First was that I had no daughter of my own and wanted a daughter badly and denying Melinda her daughter seemed appropriate so that she could feel the same pain I felt when she stole my husband from me', she confessed. 'I also knew that the presence of Alexa in the home would stop your father, though a honourable man, from going after his mistress and make him grateful and indebted to me for being so honourable as to adopt his illegitimate child!'

'Wow, that makes sense!' Camellia said, understanding her father's love for Alexa.

'But when you came along, there was no longer any need for me to pretend to love Alexa except of course when your father is around and the public of course. I had to keep up appearances and not have people doubting that she was not my biological daughter', she ended. 'You see the reason, she or anyone doesn't need to know about all these?'

Camellia nodded. 'Don't worry, mum, this is going to remain between us!'

'Good!' her mother said smiling approvingly. 'I knew I could count on you. You arey daughter afterall!' she added, hugging her tightly.

'Do what is this genius plan of yours?' her mother asked,clearly bothered.

'I tried to convince her to have an abortion but she would have none of it but decided to run away from home instead!' Camellia said.

'That's good, isn't it?' her mother said thoughtfully. 'It will rid us of her and the trouble she constitutes!'

'Yes, temporarily, until maybe, she comes back with her pup and reunites with the Lyncan Prince's, Camellia said. 'I was thinking of a permanent solution!'

'You mean, murder her and when her remains is found, if ever, claim she must have fallen prey to rogues or other wild animals as she fled from home because of her shame!'

'Perfect!' Camellia said, approvingly. 'But I have a better plan. I will stay with her till she gives birth and then I shall carry out my plan!'

'Why are you being so secretive about this plan of yours?' Amelia asked, curiously.

'I'm not!' Camellia smiled. Then she whispered her plans to her mother who kept nodding approvingly and smiled admiringly at her daughter. Her daughter was turning out to be wider than she could ever imagine. She was her daughter afterall.

'So, you will tell Dad that I decided to go visit your people for a while, I could not bear the thought of not having Alexa around, because I miss her terribly'.

'You have thought it all out !' her mother said amazed. 'It's almost as though you planned it ahead of time'.

'I learnt from the best', she said hugging her mother.

'And when you get back, what then?' Amelia asked. 'How do we explain everything to your Dad?'

'We shall know what to do when that time comes!' she said. 'For now, I have to go pack, I have a trip ahead of me!' she said walking away.