KEILAH
Ralph’s commanding voice echoed through the room, “Call Isabella, NOW!” He growled as he effortlessly lifted her and strode out.
Everyone followed suit, inadvertently knocking me down in their rush, still grappling with confusion. Despite the searing pain in my foot, I gathered myself and trailed behind.
Everybody made a circle around the sofa where she was laid, their faces worried. A tug of guilt poked me as I realized the girl was now unconscious.
Everyone made a way for that old woman who rushed over.
“How bad is it?” She inquired with concern as she knelt beside the unconscious girl. Without hesitation, she extracted a small bottle from her pocket and, with Ralph’s assistance, poured what looked like slimy green liquid into the girl’s mouth.
The old woman sighed in relief, “Thank the heavens it wasn’t that bad. She’ll be fine.” She then got to her feet and turned to Ralph, confusion etched across her face. “What on earth happened? I don’t get it. She’s a goddamn werewolf and a grown woman, yet she played with a silver knife like a kid,” she exclaimed, eyes fixed on Ralph, whose jaws were tightly clenched.
Without replying to the old woman’s question, Ralph walked over to me and towered in front of me. As he was about to say something, a sudden phone call interrupted him. He answered without diverting his gaze from me,
“Alright then.”
After a brief conversation, he hung up.
“Let’s talk when I get back,” his voice echoed in my head before stroding away.
As I watched him disappear, a wave of uncertainty washed over me, leaving me pondering what he was thinking. Would he believe me if I told him the truth?
The old woman’s voice calling my name jolted me back to the present, and as she extended her hand to touch me, I instinctively recoiled, creating an awkward distance between us. Despite the surprise and hurt etched across her face, she swiftly veiled her emotions.
The conversation I overheard between her and her son yesterday left me shaken. It suggested that she might have known about me all along, clandestinely monitoring my every move until she eventually ensnared me here. But why? The unsettling revelation left me feeling dizzy, compelling me to distance myself from her. Just then, Dahlia approached, offering a welcome distraction.
I didn’t hurt her. I muttered to her and hastily hobbled towards Dahlia, falling into her hands.
“Please take me to my room.” I requested, my voice tinged with apprehension. Dahlia nodded and guided me away from the old woman and everyone’s unsettling gazes.
Instead of taking me to my room, she took me in the aiding room. After helping me down on the check-up bed, she urged me to stretch my leg straight as she moved to the cabinets where she got the bandage and other supplements.
She removed the fake bandage from my aching foot and began tending to it, starting with a thorough cleaning using a dark brown liquid with cotton.
During the somewhat awkward silence as she worked on my foot, I broke the quietness with a subtle throat clearing. Despite her previous declaration that we weren’t friends, I found myself desperate for answers for the questions I have, and she seemed like the only person who could provide them.
“Dahlia,” I began tentatively. To my surprise, she looked up, meeting my gaze. “There’s something that’s been bothering me.”
Her reaction caught me off guard. Instead of dismissing me as I had feared, she seemed genuinely interested. “What is it?” she asked.
I keep hearing Ralph’s voice in my head. It’s like he’s talking to me in my head.
It’s called mind linking,” she explained. “It’s a common thing among werewolves. We can communicate with each other through a mind link.”
“But I’m not a werewolf,” I pointed out, confusion evident in my voice.
“He can mind link with you because you’re his mate.” She exclaimed.
“Being his mate means there’s a strong bond between you two, transcending the ordinary,” she continued, sensing my uncertainty. “It’s a unique connection that allows for mind linking, a way for werewolves to communicate on a deeper level.”
I absorbed this information, grappling with the surreal nature of my newfound connection to Ralph. The fact that I, a seemingly ordinary human, could share a mental link with a strong supernatural being like him left me both fascinated and unsettled.
Dahlia resumed her focus on treating my foot, the rhythmic movements of her hands providing a slight distraction from the weight of the revelation.
“I understand it might be overwhelming,” she said, her gaze meeting mine. “But it’s a part of who you are now. So embrace it.
I nodded, absorbing the information.
“Time will come when you can feel each other’s feelings, such as sadness, happiness, and everything,” she added and I couldn’t help but recall the strange sensation I experienced when Ralph kissed me yesterday. Is she referring to that? I pondered silently.
Her voice interrupted my thoughts. “What are you thinking?” she asked, redirecting my attention.
“Nothing really,” I replied, hesitating. “I was just wondering if I was going crazy when that happened.”
“What happened?” she inquired.
“I mean, when we kissed yesterday, I felt his feelings. And I thought he did something to me that made me feel that way.”
“Did he kiss you already?” she asked, looking perplexed.
“What? Is it forbidden for him to kiss me,” I responded in surprise.
“I didn’t say that,” she clarified. “It’s just surprising that he kissed you. But, still, it’s understandable. You’re his mate, and, on top of that, he’s a man with needs.”
“What are you trying to say?” I asked, feeling a surge of anger.
“Don’t get me wrong. I was just surprised, that’s all. Let’s close that chapter,” she suggested. “Just a quick reminder, don’t utter that ‘kiss’ word around pack women. They will kill you.”
I raised my eyebrows in confusion.
“Most of them wanted to sleep with him but never got a chance. All the hate they express towards you is not just because you’re human. It’s because you’re the mate of the man they wanted for themselves.”
Just as she finished fastening the bandage around my foot, the door slammed open, revealing Benita. “Where is that bitch?” she shouted before meeting my eyes. Dahlia got up quickly and wedged herself between me and her as she leapt to attack me.
“Get the hell out of my way,” she yelled at Dahlia.
“No, Benita. You’re not touching her,” Dahlia replied firmly.
“Why? Why can’t I touch her? Who are you to tell me what to do? That human tried to kill one of my girls. A pack member, to make it right, and you’re telling me not to touch her!” she fumed, attempting to push past Dahlia.
“She can’t get away from it. I need to give her a lesson,” she snarled, making another attempt to bypass Dahlia.
“I didn’t do it,” I interjected as I stood up on my feet, frustrated. “Why is everyone saying I hurt her? I admit we had a fight because she started it, and she wasn’t willing to end it. But I didn’t use that knife on her, as everyone claims. Why is no one believing me?” I shouted.
“I believe you,” Dahlia stated, leaving me stunned.
“What? You do?” I asked, not entirely sure if I had heard her correctly.
Benita let out a loud, mocking laugh. “Hold on. Was the loneliness killing you, and you decided to get yourself a little friend?” She sneered at her. “Look here, you pathetic cursed wolf. If you’ve chosen to side with that useless human, then so be it. Wait a second, do you think befriending her because she’s the current alpha’s mate will make him like you more? If that’s the case, honey, you’re wrong. He just pities you. He’s just too good to his people. But when I become his Luna, trust me, I’ll make him send you back to wherever you came from.”
Dahlia couldn’t help but laugh in response. “Wait, are you still dreaming about that? Do you honestly believe that your fantasy will ever happen? All the effort you’ve put into seducing him all those years, I suggest you put them into finding a mat-”
Dahlia couldn’t complete her sentence as Benita abruptly struck her head with hers, making her stagger. As if that weren’t enough, she then shifted into a large golden-brown wolf.
“Oh, shit. This is not good,” I muttered, watching in awe as Dahlia, in turn, shifted into a beautiful white wolf.
As the two wolves faced off, the tension in the room grew palpable. Benita’s golden-brown fur bristled with aggression as Dahlia’s shimmered in the morning light that brewed in. The air crackled with an imminent clash of instincts and power.
I watched in awe as the two wolves circled each other, their eyes locked in a fierce gaze as if they were having an intense conversation. I couldn’t help but feel a surge of fear. The supernatural clash between them was far beyond the realm of my understanding.
Suddenly, a commanding male voice resonated through the air, and it was none other than the person I had grown to dislike the most.
“What in the moon’s name is happening here?” he demanded. “You both need to get your shit together and get out. I would like to discuss something important with her.” He directed his gaze towards me, causing the women’s wolves to turn their attention to him.
“I have nothing to talk to you about,” I asserted, attempting to walk past him. However, he firmly clasped my hand and locked eyes with me, his intense gaze piercing through me.
“It’s about what you heard yesterday,” he stated with a gravity that immediately caught my attention.