KAYLA.The rituals were commenced by a deafening howl shot through the skies.The sound pierced through the walls and summoned everyone's attention, including mine. It was time, I realized as I made my way down the stairs. I had grudgingly thrown on a leather jacket on a pair of combat pants with the necklace Rafael had given me hanging loosely around my neck.I couldn't explain it but there was a strange feeling of safety whenever I had it on and besides, it tied the whole look together as well. I figured if I put all my attention in my clothes, I might forget what was really happening that night and that if I wore so much makeup, it would be harder for me to cry.I was still in denial, all through the day and I forced myself to act like my heart wasn't breaking with each step I took until I came out of the castle. There was a crowd of both packs merged into one, facing the northside of the field where there was a large bonfire. The winds swayed my hair and I crossed my arms over m
KAYLA.The forest was shaken by my voice and as I breathed heavily from my lips, I was finally relieved. When I settled right beside the tree I used to mark where Sarah was killed, I was now completely shifted into my wolf form. It was the second time ever, though the first was vague in my memory but Rafael explained it all to me.It felt strange being alone out here like this. And as the winds blew against my fur, they danced back in response. I was a white wolf to the extent which I could see but there was a brownish spot running along the nape of my neck. My tail wagged and there was this freeing feeling that came upon me.I appreciated the quiet and the sounds of nature as I crouched low to the earth, burying my snout into my forelimbs. I felt different in that moment maybe it was because I was different. I didn't feel like Kayla neither did I look like her.This was Isla and she seemed so goddamn powerful. She wasn't a slave, neither did she have the million scars from years of
KAYLA.I cowered my head into the toilet to throw up.This time, there was a migraine that pierced through my head as I vomited everything I’d tried to eat since last night. A callous, breath of relief escaped my lips as I lifted my head out. My knees dug into the floor and my back was against the wall—I felt so miserable and sick and I had no idea why. I’d only ever fallen ill like three times in my whole life that wasn’t as a result of the abuse or assault. But over the years, my body had accustomed itself to pain and torture.But just when I thought I was immune, today struck.Beads of sweat trickled down my skin but my whole body was hot. It didn’t help every time I thought about Lucien and what happened the last night—or perhaps, what almost happened. Because then my stomach would tighten again and it would send a shooting pain through my body.Nausea would strike and the next second, I would have my head buried into the toilet again. I breathed heavily from my lips as I sat wit
RAFAEL.There wasn't a single moment that passed that I didn't think about Kayla.I knew she was angry and she had every right to be but what she didn't know was that every second that I was away from her, it hurt me just as much as it hurt her. Veronica, just like everything else would pass and I really wanted to tell her that day.I've wanted to tell her ever since but most of all, I’ve wanted her to trust me. After the ceremony, I did go after her but Kayla had disappeared to only God knew where. I could only imagine what went through her head as she watched both Veronica and I. I'd succeeded in doing to her the last thing I ever wanted to which was hurt her. And I've found it hard to forgive myself ever since.As I sat behind the desk with my arms folded, all I could think about was her and finally making everything right. My mind was unsettled, roaming around with a million thoughts. I needed to speak to Kayla, if only she was willing to even look at me.But then suddenly, there
KAYLA.“So how are you feeling now?” Christina fell to her knees, checking my pulse with her two fingers pressing into the side of my neck. I sat up on the clinic bed, heaving a deep breath and both our eyes met. There was still a little sleep in mine but that was the only reason I felt a lot better.“You were right. Maybe taking a nap was all I needed” I yawned and she chuckled softly. “I told you” With a stethoscope around her neck, Christina stood to walk to the table. She took a piece of paper in her hands and wrote something down.“What is that?” I asked, arching my brows.“What are you writing down?” My step sister threw a look over her shoulders back to me before taking her seat. “Your temperature has gone down but we’re yet to see the results from the blood test. I’m going to diagnose off the top of my head and say you just needed some rest—““That or you ate something that didn’t really sit well with your stomach. That would explain the nausea” She added and I let out a scoff
KAYLA.The second I snapped my eyes open, my face was met with the cold railings of the cell. My first instinct wasn’t to scream but to try to stand to my feet but my body was in so much pain. I had a sour headache, I realized and my joints ached like I’d run a marathon earlier.Where was I?Looking around, it looked like a prison. Like a dungeon but somewhere I’d never been before. I wasn’t sure I was still in Black Mountain but the last thing I remembered was being carried by this uniformed group of men. I was probably sedated later on because my whole memory was a hazy mess and that would explain the pain radiating through my body.My hands fell to the pockets and I felt a lump. I reached out to the piece of paper clumped in my side and saw it was the test result from the clinic. “So it wasn’t a dream” I whispered but the dark empty room returned a hoarse echo of my voice.I looked around and then back at the paper and wasn’t sure why tears filled my eyes that moment. I knew what
KAYLA.The truth hit me like a shockwave that even hours after Lucien had left, I was still curled up in the corner with his words echoing in my ears. I had no idea what to make of the fact that I was here because of Rafael.A man that I trusted with my whole heart was the one to ultimately betray me. He knew of the trauma and the scars that came from being caged through my entire childhood, only for him to now do the exact same thing. I was gutted and to be honest, I’d cried so much that it wasn’t physically possible for any more tears to come from my eyes. It wasn’t until more than five hours had passed and night had fallen that Rafael finally came. I scented him even before he walked through the doors and my heart started to pound in my chest.“Kayla” His voice thundered the walls, only to be followed by sheer silence. I cupped my chin, trying to hold back the tears in my eyes. As much as I wanted to yell at him, I couldn’t bring myself to say a single word yet, even about the f
CHRISTINA.The raging noises through the wall was what brought me to a halt. The person yelling sounded a lot like Rafael and his voice was followed by the slamming of a door that shook the entire building."What do you think you're doing?!" He yelled at the top of his voice, throwing what sounded like a punch. I made my way around the corridor and came to a halt right in front of the door which had somehow bounced open, leaving a partition from where I could see him.It was a vengeful altercation between him and his brother. Although I knew neither of them, I wasn't a stranger to the news and the gossips that spread around the pack about them. Rafael was the first to grasp Lucien by his collar, throwing across the wall and into a pillar. He seemed so furious like he wanted to kill Lucien in that moment.His anger was evident in his eyes."What do you want with Kayla?" Rafael yelled and Lucien raised his head, struggling to stand to his feet but the king didn't allow him so much time