KEILAH
As the words hung in the air between us, I could feel the weight of their truth, and I waited with bated breath for his response, hoping against hope that somewhere within him, he would feel the echo of our bond despite the enchantment clouding his memory.
His eyes narrowed, suspicion clouding his gaze as he stepped closer. “You’re delusional,” he spat, his voice cold. “Get out before I make you.”
Pain tightened my throat, but I held my ground, refusing to let his words deter me. “I won’t leave you, Ralph,” I whispered fiercely, my voice breaking with emotion. I knew he was still in there somewhere. The Ralph I first met was a merciless one who would have killed me by now because he couldn’t bear to breathe the same air as any human. And I was a human standing in his room, claiming to be his mate, which would have made him berserk. Yet, he was playing it cool. This meant that despite Dahlia erasing his memory of me, a part of his mind still held onto me. “Even if you don’t remember me,” I continued, “I’ll fight for us. For our child.”
For a moment, something flickered in his eyes, a fleeting glimpse of recognition. But then, just as quickly, it vanished, replaced by a stony resolve. “Leave,” he commanded, turning away.
Ignoring his dismissal, I reached out, desperation lacing my voice. “Ralph, please-”
He whirled back, his eyes blazing. “I said, leave!” He said as he lunged towards me, his face contorted with fury. A feral growl escaped his lips, sending chills down my spine. As I saw him turning violent, I instinctively wrapped my arms around my stomach to protect our child, closing my eyes and bracing for the impact. I stood there, waiting to be hurled into the air or to feel my body crash against the door or wall.
But nothing happened.
Instead, I heard a loud crash. I opened my eyes to see him sprawled on the bed, writhing in intense pain. He growled, clutching his head as if battling an internal torment. His eyes, momentarily clear, locked onto mine, filled with anguish.
“Ralph?” I whispered, taking a hesitant step towards him. Before I could reach him, Benita appeared out of nowhere, stepping in front of me.
“Where do you think you’re going, human?” she demanded. “How did you get in here in the first place?
Do you know the Alpha?” She asked, then turned towards Ralph. “Do you know this human, Alpha?”
Ralph raked his wet hair back in agitation and ordered her to get me out of his sight.
With a wide, smug grin, Benita looked from me to Ralph. “What exactly do you want me to do with her, Alpha?” she asked.
“I don’t give a fuck what you do with her, just get her out of my sight,” Ralph snarled.
With a smile playing across her face, she walked up to me and grabbed my hand tightly, causing a sharp pain to shoot up my arm. Instinctively, I tried to pull away, but her grip was unrelenting. Desperation and anger surged within me, and in a swift motion, I pried my hand free, accidentally hitting her face in the process. I wasn’t sorry.
Her face darkened with fury, but I stood my ground. “Don’t you dare put your filthy hands on me ever again,” I said, my voice unwavering. I threw a quick glare towards Ralph and then back at her. “I didn’t know werewolves can stoop so low for the sake of power by playing with people’s minds. You won this time, but thanks to you and Zac, my mind and eyes are now open.”
I stood tall, glaring into her eyes. “Mark my words, Benita, I will ruin every plan you and your brother have that made you go this far.”
Benita’s hand shot up to slap me, but I caught it mid-air. As I opened my mouth to warn her again, Ralph intervened. He grabbed my arm and, with surprising force, threw me out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
I stood outside the door, disoriented and unsure where to go. My first instinct was to head to my old room, take a shower, and rest, but then I remembered Ralph had turned it into an office. Confused and lost, I wandered the hallway, my mind racing.
I sat on my haunches feeling like crying but Isabella, the old woman, approached me. “Are you alright, child?” she asked, her voice gentle and concerned. She reached out to hold my hand.
I recoiled instinctively, distrust flaring up inside me. I couldn’t get near this old woman; everything had started with her. Benita and Zac were her children, which meant she must have had a hand in what was going on. She had to.
But then I had a second thought. *If Benita and Zac are my number one enemies, and she’s their mother, then getting closer to her might be the key to finding out how to help Ralph.*
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to relax. “Not really. I need to clean up and rest.”
“Come with me, child. Let’s get you settled,” she said softly, her hand still extended toward mine. After a moment’s hesitation, I stood up slowly and allowed her to guide me into her room. She gestured towards the bathroom. “Take a warm shower, dear. You’ll feel much more relaxed,” she said gently.
I nodded, already feeling the weight of exhaustion settling over me. By the time I emerged, refreshed and wearing the pajamas she’d provided, she was entering with a steaming bowl of soup.
“Sit down, child,” she urged kindly, placing the bowl in front of me. “Have this before you sleep. It will help you relax.”
I opened my mouth to decline, but at that moment, my stomach let out an embarrassing growl. With a sigh, I conceded and sat down, taking a tentative sip of the soup. It was chicken broth, warm and comforting, the savory taste soothing my frazzled nerves. Before I knew it, I was enjoying it and eventually finished the whole bowl.
She watched me with a knowing smile. “Rest now, dear. We’ll talk more in the morning,” she said softly. “Judging from your eyes, I can see you have questions for me. But you also seem exhausted, and it’s pretty late. Rest, and we’ll talk first thing in the morning.” She tucked a blanket around my shoulders.
As I settled into the bed, a wave of gratitude washed over me, mingled with curiosity about what she might reveal in the morning.
~~~
As I dozed off, the familiar dream enveloped me once more. But this time I wasn’t a bad friend who had betrayed her friend. Instead it was Isabella’s face I was seeing as a bad friend and I myself, was standing in the middle of the stormy rain watching in horror of everything happening. At the same time, I saw Isabella standing over a defenseless woman, who I now recognized as Ralph’s mother, her face contorted in terror. Isabella held a bloodied knife, her eyes gleaming with malevolence. The scene was ghastly, with Ralph’s mother pleading for mercy as she was assaulted. Isabella’s eyes suddenly turned dangerously over to mine.
“You were not supposed to witness this,” she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “Now, I have to kill you too.” She advanced toward me, the knife glinting ominously. I tried to move, to flee, but my legs were leaden.
Ralph’s mother, barely audible through the chaos, screamed, “Run! Run, now!” Her voice echoed as if from a great distance.
Panicked, I tried to flee, but Isabella’s cruel laugh filled the air. She lunged, and I felt the searing pain as the knife plunged into my back.
I jolted awake, sitting upright and drenched in sweat, my heart pounding. It took a moment to realize it was already morning. The soft light of dawn filtered through the curtains, casting a gentle glow around the room. I looked around, still shaken from the dream for any sign of Isabella but she was nowhere to be seen.
As I tried to steady my breath, I couldn’t help but wonder why that old, tormenting dream had returned after all this time. Ever since I arrived in this place, ever since I met Ralph, the nightmare had stopped haunting me. Why now? And why had it twisted into something even more sinister? The imagery of Isabella with a bloodied knife and stabbing me in the back felt disturbingly real. My mind swirled with questions and unease, trying to grasp the meaning behind this sudden resurgence. What did it all mean?
The remnants of the dream clung to my mind, sending shivers down my spine. The palpable sense of dread refused to dissipate, leaving me unable to shake off the unsettling feeling that the dream might have been real. Desperate to escape its lingering terror, I hurried into the bathroom and cranked the cold shower tap. The icy water poured over me in a torrent, shocking my senses and helping to purge the fear that had gripped me.
Standing there beneath the relentless cascade, I allowed the frigid water to cleanse away the remnants of confusion and ground me in the stark reality of the present moment. Gradually, my racing heart began to steady. Just as the clarity of the new day started to settle in, a familiar voice called out my name, echoing hauntingly in my mind.
At first, I dismissed it as a lingering echo of the nightmare’s grip on my consciousness. But then the voice called again, more urgently this time. I reached out to turn off the water, my hand hesitating on the shower knob, when suddenly she said,
“Don’t turn off the water,” she pleaded softly. “You won’t be able to see me or hear what I’ve come to tell you.”
With trembling hands, I gripped the shower knob, my mind racing with disbelief and fear. “Who are you?” I managed to whisper, my voice trembling as much as my body.
The mysterious voice paused, as if considering my question. “Please, just look at me,” she urged gently.
“Why should I?” I stammered, my voice escalating to a shout. “I don’t even know what you are-ghost, spirit, some other… creature?” Leave me alone!” I screamed, my words echoing off the tiled walls of the bathroom.
But as I reached out to turn off the water, her voice broke through my panic once more. “I can help you bring back your mate’s memories,” she said softly, her words hanging in the air.
Those words froze me in place. Without thinking, I whipped my head around and saw her-a breathtaking woman shimmering through the shimmering veil of the shower’s cold waterfalls.
Her gaze swept down my body, and I instinctively moved to shield myself. Yet, as I glanced down, I realized it wasn’t my body that held her attention but the thread Dahlia had given me. “Before we go any further,” she began, her eyes fixed on the thread, “may I have that first?”