Esmeralda
I had almost finished meditating on my powers when my stomach growled in hunger.
The more I tried to focus on building my strength, to control my powers, the more the war in my stomach doubled.
When I couldn’t take it anymore, I got up from the floor where I knelt, picked up the piece of cloth that I knelt on and went inside the house.
I almost missed the melodies the birds filled my ears with.
I love nature and it helps me concentrate better. It fuels my strength when I draw powers from it.
A smile crept on my lips when a delicious scent wafted my nose.
I couldn’t wait to devour the new recipe I just tried.
I decided to try out a recipe that I found in an old jotter in the kitchen.
I was sure it belonged to the man’s wife that owned the house.
After several hours of mixing, frying, stirring and boiling, it came out well.
Even though I turned the kitchen upside down.
I couldn’t wait to try out more recipes in the book when I get to the present world.
I intentionally burped loudly when I finished eating as I was expecting to be thrown a pillow by Selene, followed by her angry voice, pig!
But she was lost in her thoughts as her eyes didn’t leave the window.
She had been like that since yesterday.
Cedric, her mate, didn’t show up… and it left her worried sick.
She couldn’t even concentrate on her spells.
A feeling of jealousy settled within me as I observed her.
Since she found her mate, he had been everything to her, including her new friend.
“I was sure you were like that when you found Kade,” Emerald teased me while I growled at her.
“Stay out of it,” I warned. I didn’t want to be reminded of Kade.
I tore my gaze off her, clearing the dining table.
She didn’t even eat with me because she was waiting for Cedric!
Stop being a jealous bitch!
My subconscious yelled at me.
Maybe I was being jealous. Jealousy wasn’t healthy in friendship.
Blocking the unwanted feeling of jealousy, I carried the plates and dropped them in the sink to wash.
I had just finished washing the plates when I was interrupted by a loud banging on the door.
That wasn’t good.
Who the hell was it?
I looked at Selene who turned to me in confusion.
We weren’t expecting anybody… except she was expecting Cedric.
But Cedric wouldn’t bang the door in that manner.
“I’ll get the door,” She rose from the chair, hope brightened on her face.
“What the fuck are you thinking? Stay back!” I ordered, “We don’t know who it might be and you are not putting your life in danger,”
“I’ll go,” I said, grabbing a small kitchen knife and hiding it in my sleeve.
I would never be caught off guard.
The banging grew louder but that didn’t make me increase the pace at which I walked.
Whosoever it was could wait.
What if it was Phoebe?
Fear gripped me that instant and my knife fell on the floor, leaving a sound.
Fuck!
I hurriedly picked up the knife, pointing it at the door as I tiptoed toward it.
It can’t be Phoebe. She won’t knock.
Since the door didn’t have where I could peep to see the person outside, I opened it quietly and Cedric rushed in, locking it immediately after he entered.
“I know it won’t hold them, but it will slow them down,” He said, gasping for breath and holding his chest.
He looked scary. His cloth was covered in blood, his eyes were dark as if he was punched. His lips were swollen.
Why was he panting hard? Has he been running?
What in the world happened to him?
Selene screamed immediately she saw him and ran to meet him.
She couldn’t hold her feelings again as she broke down in tears before him, caressing and kissing his broken face.
I looked away for a few seconds as a familiar feeling arose in my heart.
I recognized it.
The feeling of being with your mate.
If only that bastard didn’t treat me like trash, I wouldn’t be here.
But I couldn’t deny that I missed him.
His care, his words, the sex, the romance, the play.
“Snap out of it, Esmeralda. Move on. He doesn’t want you anymore,” Emerald said, whimpering in my head.
Despite being sad, my heart swelled in joy when Selene cuddled up with Cedric.
Cedric had effortlessly opened a new side of Selene. A side of love.
This new side I had never seen.
Their bond grew stronger every day and she almost couldn’t live without him, even though it was just four days they met.
At first, I didn’t want them to get close because Cedric was one of Phoebe’s loyal dogs. But as time went by, I grew to trust Cedric.
I trusted him more when he vowed to help us take Phoebe down because he knew a lot about her.
Even if Cedric was slowly taking my space in Selene’s heart, I was happy for her.
I was happy that he finally found her mate, even if he wasn’t a wizard like her.
He accepted her identity.
She deserved happiness after all these years of suffering and I was glad the Moon goddess gave her as a mate.
I just wish Kade would turn a new leaf too.
I deserved to be happy too. And I hated it when my happiness was short-lived.
“Are you alright?” Selene asked, interrupting my thoughts.
He looked beaten.
I watched her fingers trail marks on his body and I didn’t miss the new mark I saw on Selene’s collarbone.
Was I dreaming?
Those were fucking bites… not just love bites, they were marks to show that she had been marked by her mate.
How come I didn’t see it?
How did I not know when it happened? I knew she had always been hanging out with Cedric lately, but I never thought they would be so fast.
When would Selene tell me Cedric had already marked her?
Silly Selene.
“My love, there is no time, you have to run, hide, and cast more spells that would take you out of here because she is coming. Just do something so that she won’t see you,” He said hurriedly, coughing afterwards.
“Why are there marks on your body? Who did this to you?” Selene sniffed, touching the bruises while he winced in pain.
“Phoebe’s soldiers. She sensed that I was always out and she sent her spies to monitor me. She knew something was wrong so she told her spies to keep an eye on me. They found me on my way here yesterday and dragged me to her,”
He stopped to catch his breath, “She ordered them to beat me, tie me up and lock me in the dungeon. I escaped to tell you that she is coming to kill your friend. Then she will use you because you are a witch. She needs you to get out of this world before she kills you,”
“That’s insane!” Selene gasped in shock, “You’ve been through a lot. I’m so sorry,”
“It’s nothing. But there is not much time, you must run, my love,” He pleaded.
“He has lost a lot of blood, get him water,” I said while Selene dashed into the kitchen to fill the glass cup in her hand.
“What does he want from me?” I asked in a low tone.
“She wants your heart, with it, she’ll be able to get the powers she had been obsessed about. I know those powers are yours,” He replied.
My heart.
That explained why she had always dug her claws in my chest whenever she came to haunt me.
And that explained why she sent one of her soldiers after me to kill me in the forest and put my heart in a strange-looking vessel.
But seeing my innocent face, he couldn’t harm even a hair on my head. After advising me to run away and never return, he killed an animal and placed the heart in the vessel, gave me directions on where to go and disappeared into the thick forest.
I never heard of him after that encounter. I know Phoebe would have had his head dangling on a pole.
I was grateful that he saved my life.
That explained it perfectly. In order to possess my power, she needs a vital part of me.
She wants my heart.
She won’t get it.
“Selene, you have to cast a spell now!” Cedric screamed desperately.
My heart picked a new speed, racing dangerously in my chest.
I could sense it. She was near.
“But what about you?” Selene asked.
“Forget about me. Save yourself. Leave me with her. Go on with your friend and take yourself out of this place. I’ll distract her to buy you more time,” He said, pushing Selene.
“But she will kill you..”
“I don’t care. I just want you safe. I’m just glad that I found you after all these years. And you are the best thing that happened to me. I love you, Selene and I want you safe from that devil,”
“I won’t leave you,” Selene cried, holding on to him tightly.
My heart shattered at the sight.
All these were because of me.
She met her mate because of me and she would lose her mate because I dragged her into my messy life.
I was a bad friend.
If anything happens to Cedric, I won’t forgive myself.
“I can’t leave you. I don’t want to. I can’t live without you,” She said, kissing him passionately.
“Please, Selene. Do this for me. I hope you forgive me. But I’ll have to reject you before she kills me so that you can find another mate,”
“Stop talking like that,” Selene shook her head.
“Cast a fucking spell and leave!” He yelled, pushing her to the door of her room.
“Too late!” A voice rang in the room, snatching our attention.
“Fuck!” Cedric muttered slowly as his face grew pale with shock.
The door opened by itself slowly to reveal my worst nightmare.
I didn’t need to be told that she had dipped her hands into black magic because it was oozing all over her.
Her dreadful aura engulfed the room, but I will never submit to her.
Without hesitating, Emerald took over me, she was afraid that I would ruin things with my feelings.
Immediately my body sensed danger, and my powers awoke. My hair turned strawberry and my eyes flashed bright green.
“Looks like someone has been taking lessons,” She smirked, making her way in as the door opened wide by itself.
“I wish I could say the same. Thanks to black magic,” I replied, allowing my aura to radiate in the room.
“Hello sister, good to see you,” She smiled sweetly, revealing her dentition and the sharp canines that were slipping out of her gums.
I knew she couldn’t wait to devour me and rip my heart out.
You got this, Esme.
“Good to see you too,” I replied, keeping a straight face.
“I thought this day would never come. I can’t believe I’m pinching myself to be sure that it’s real,” She squeaked.
Cunning fox!
I would never fall for that again.
“Let’s get to it, Phoebe, enough of the pretence. You are not getting what you want!” I stated, spitting on her face.
“Your nerves!” She gritted her teeth while cleaning my saliva from her face with a dark handkerchief.
“Has grown incredibly well since I’ve learnt how to use my powers. The one you are so obsessed with,” I completed, annoying her with my laughter.
“Let’s get to it, Phoebe! I know why you are here. Come get it!” I dared her, “Come get my heart if you can, you power-hungry greedy bitch!”
“Very well then, I see how prepared you are. But don’t even try to use those useless powers on me…” She turned to look at Selene who froze on a spot, holding her lover tightly, “And you too. They are useless,”
“Thanks to black magic,” I sneered. Shooting her a mockery look.
“I see that you are doing well and it makes me happy to rip your heart out!”
“If it’s a war you want, let it begin!” I yelled, watching her charge at me like a hungry beast.
Emerald growled in anger, slamming her to the fridge, but she was quick to recover quickly.
Without even getting to me, she directed her hands and I felt something squeezing my neck, making me choke.
She was using black magic!
The bitch wasn’t fighting fair.
“I didn’t come here to play, bitch! I came here to take what belongs to me,”
I felt some invisible fingers digging into my chest.
I tried to use my powers but they were suppressed by the might of her magic.
“Let her go!”
Another voice screamed. Our heads turned to meet the person and my jaws dropped in surprise.
How did he get here?
It must be Selene’s magic that brought him here.
She must have made a mistake in one of the spells she cast while teleporting us to the past.
“Leave my mate alone at once!” Alpha Kade thundered, his eyes flashing green as he was vibrating in anger.
Were my eyes deceiving me?