KEILAH
Tears streamed down Deirdre’s face as she held onto Damien, her form seeming to flicker in and out of reality, yet somehow solid in his embrace. Damien’s eyes were closed, his face buried in her hair as he whispered her name over and over, like a prayer.
For a moment, I stood there, feeling like an intruder in their private reunion. I took a step back, giving them space, my mind racing with the implications of what I had just witnessed.
“Deirdre…” Damien’s voice was choked with emotion as he finally pulled back slightly to look at her. “How is this possible? I thought I lost you forever,” he said as he pulled her back into his arms.
Deirdre pulled away, her hands gripping his shoulders as she spoke urgently. “There is something you have to know,” she said, her eyes wide and pleading.
“Ralph has nothing to do with my death,” she continued, her voice trembling with the weight of her words.
Damien’s face softened, a sad smile touching his lips. “I already know that,” he replied dismissively, attempting to pull her back into his arms.
“No, Damien, listen to me!” Deirdre cut him off, her voice rising with desperation. “What Dhalia revealed to you wasn’t true.”
Damien furrowed his brows, confusion clouding his features. “What do you mean?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
“The real culprits are Isabella and her son,” Deirdre said, her words sending a shockwave through the room. “They created a spell using Ralph’s scent to frame him.”
That last part caught my attention, and I walked closer to them, my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to process the revelation. “What do you mean they created a spell?” I asked, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. “Why would they do that?”
Damien’s grip tightened on Deirdre’s shoulders, his eyes darkening with anger. “Why would they do this?” he demanded too.
“They wanted you to kill him,” she explained. “And you were going to, but I managed to sway your mind, convincing you to wait for his mate and turn the tables on him.”
My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped closer, unable to contain my curiosity any longer. “So what you told me was real?” I asked her, my voice trembling. “Is it really true that Isabella killed Ralph’s mother? And my mother-can you please clarify that for me? I don’t understand why my mother was involved in the web of supernaturals.”
Deirdre turned to me, her eyes filled with a mixture of sorrow and urgency. “Keilah, what I told you was the truth. Isabella killed Ralph’s mother… and your mother, too.”
The weight of her words hit me like a tidal wave, and I could barely breathe. “But why? Why was my mother involved in this web of supernaturals?” I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to process the revelation.
Deirdre looked at me intently. “Remember the dreams you’ve been having?” she asked, her voice gentle but firm.
I nodded quickly, the memories of those haunting dreams flooding back. “Yes,” I whispered, staring at her, urging her to continue.
“It’s Ralph’s mother who has been on your head the whole time. She was trying to reach out to you, to lay the truth to rest.”
My patience snapped, and I cut her off, feeling agitated and confused. “What the fuck are you trying to say, Deirdre?” I demanded, my voice rising. “What does my dream have to do with Isabella killing both my mother and Ralph’s mother?”
Deirdre took a deep breath, her eyes filled with sadness. “The three women in your dream were your mother, Ralph’s mother, and Isabella. They were close friends once.”
I staggered back, my mind reeling with the revelation. “Close friends?” I repeated, disbelief coloring my voice. “How is that possible?”
As she began to speak, I noticed her form start to flicker, her outline becoming hazy. Panic rose in Damien’s eyes, and he lunged forward, trying to grip her. His hands passed through empty air, and he growled, “Don’t you fucking leave me, Deirdre.”
Deirdre looked at him with a light, fading smile. “You know I’ll never leave your side. I am always here by your side, Damien. And I will stay by your side until you find someone else.”
Damien shook his head vehemently, refusing her words, his eyes desperate. “No, Deirdre, I don’t want anyone else.”
She cut him off gently, her voice filled with a serene acceptance. “That’s what I want, Damien. It will make me happy. Please, find someone who can love you and take care of you.”
With that, her form shimmered and began to fade. “No!” Damien shouted, reaching out one last time, but she was already gone, leaving behind only a whisper of her presence.
I watched Damien slumping down in agony, his hand on his forehead. I took a hesitant step forward, wanting to offer some comfort, but he lifted his head up at me.
“Leave me alone for a moment.”
I nodded, understanding his need for solitude. I quietly walked towards the door, my heart heavy with the burden of all that I had learned but then something on the floor caught my eye. It was the bracelet Deidre had asked me to wear. I bent down and picked it up and tucked it in my pockets before closing the door gently behind me.
As I walked down the hallway, I spotted Dahlia and Jay waiting. Dahlia was pacing back and forth, her face a mask of worry and frustration. When she saw me, she stopped abruptly.
“Keilah, can we please talk?” she asked, her voice tense but pleading.
“Yeah, let’s talk,” I said, my voice sharp.
I walked over to her, eager to hear what she had to say, when suddenly Damien appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. He grabbed Dahlia by her throat, his fangs bared menacingly. I recoiled in terror as Jay shifted into his wolf form, ready to protect Dahlia from Damien’s grasp.
“Why have you been playing with my mind, showing me false information?” Damien snarled furiously, tightening his grip on her throat.
Dahlia, her eyes blazing with determination, summoned her magic and threw Damien off her. But with supernatural speed, Damien lunged back at her, his eyes burning with rage. Before he could reach her, Jay’s wolf leaped at him, raking his arm with sharp claws.
Damien’s eyes glowed with fury as he turned to face the snarling wolf. With effortless strength, he grabbed the huge wolf and sank his teeth into its furry body before tossing it aside, making it whimper in pain.
As Damien turned his attention back to Dahlia, ready to launch another attack, Dahlia spoke in a foreign language, her voice filled with anger. She unleashed her magic, sending Damien into the air and binding him with magical restraints. She continued chanting in the foreign tongue, her power crackling in the air.
Despite being bound, Damien’s eyes remained fixed on Dahlia. “Why have you been playing with my mind, showing me false information?” he demanded again, his voice dripping with venom.
Finding a surge of bravery amidst my fear, dashed furiously towards Dahlia and grabbed her hands, breaking the magical hold on Damien.
“Why are you showcasing your magic on him? Why didn’t you use it on Zac and Benita when they ordered you to erase Ralph’s memories?” I still don’t get it… Why would a powerful witch you are accepted to play with someone else’s life? And we’re not talking about just anyone, we are talking about Ralph, your Alpha, Dahlia. I snapped.
Dahlia’s eyes widened in shock at my outburst. “Keilah, you don’t understand-”
“No, I don’t understand! You have all this power, but you could’ve used it on Zac and Benita to erase their memories instead, while you stand here fighting Damien?” I interrupted, my grip on her hands tightening.
She pulled her hands free from my grasp, her eyes hardening. “There are things you don’t know, Keilah. Things you can’t even begin to understand.”
“Then make me understand. Stop keeping us in the dark.”
Before she could respond, Damien stepped forward. “This isn’t over, Dahlia. You will answer my every question,” he growled, his eyes glowing with menace.
Dahlia sighed, her resolve stealing. “Fine. But not like this.” She glanced at me, her expression softening slightly. “I promise, Keilah, I will explain everything. But right now, we need to focus on the bigger threat.”
I stared at Dahlia, my anger boiling over. “What could possibly be a bigger threat than the chaos you’ve already caused?” I demanded, my voice sharp and unyielding.
Dahlia’s eyes flickered with sudden intensity, but she masked it as she cut me off curtly. “Ralph will be marking Benita as his Luna today.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. “What?” I gasped, my mind racing. “Why would he do that? I’m sure this is one of the outcomes of your actions. I snapped. I have to stop him.”
I turned to Jay, who was already on his feet in his human form, blood dripping from his wounded shoulder. “Take me back to the packhouse,” I said urgently.
“You can’t stop it,” he replied.
“Why?” I demanded.
“By the time we get back, the ceremony will be over,” he answered.
My resolve hardened as I met Jay’s gaze. “If that’s the case, I’m still going. I have to stick by Ralph’s side. I promised myself and this child that I will bring him back to us.”
“I understand, Keilah,” Dahlia started. “But if you go to the pack house now that Benita has become Luna, you might lose your life. They might not even allow you near the gate.”
Damien stepped forward, his voice steady and reassuring. “No one will be able to hurt her. She’ll be perfectly safe.”
I turned to him, a question in my eyes. “Do you mean because of…?” I gestured to my neck where his mark was.
Damien’s expression hardened as he avoided the question. “Enough talk. All of you, leave my estate. I have somewhere very important to go.” He said, and just like that, he disappeared.
As we made our way to the car, I could feel the tension in the air. Just as I reached for the door handle, I turned to Dahlia, who had been trailing behind us. “Where do you think you’re going?” I demanded.
“I’m coming with you,” she replied firmly. “You need me, Keilah. I have to protect you. It’s the only thing I can do for Ralph.”
I shook my head, my voice cold. “I don’t need you anymore, Dahlia. I can and will fight my own battles. I can’t trust you.”
Jay stepped in, his tone authoritative. “You don’t have a choice, Keilah. Dahlia is coming with us. So it’s up to you to get in or stay behind.”
I looked at Jay, my frustration evident, then let out a chuckle followed by a heavy sigh. Without another word, I got into the car, accepting the inevitable.
As we arrived at the pack house late at night, loud music poured out from inside, mingling with the night air. Jay maneuvered the car towards the gate, but as we approached, I felt a sudden intense sensation on my neck where Ralph’s wolf had bitten me. It was a sharp, burning ache that shot straight to my heart, making me gasp in pain.
The pain was unbearable, not just physical but emotional. It felt like my heart was being torn apart, and I cried out in agony, clutching my chest.
“Keilah, what’s happening?” Dahlia asked urgently.
Unable to speak through the pain, I managed only a choked response. “I don’t know what’s happening to me,” I gasped, clutching my chest and neck where Ralph’s mark throbbed. The ache felt as if it could rip me apart.
Hot tears streamed down my cheeks as the intensity overwhelmed me. Each breath was a struggle, the anguish cutting deep into my soul.
Jay and Dahlia exchanged a glance filled with empathy and sadness, silently acknowledging a truth they feared to reveal. Tears blurred my vision as I looked at them, my voice breaking with anguish.
“Why those faces?” I shouted, pain and confusion driving me to desperation. “Do you both know?” I demanded, my voice trembling. “Tell me!”
Dahlia hesitated, her voice gentle but firm as she finally spoke. “The reason for this pain, Keilah… it’s because Ralph is sleeping with Benita now.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, shattering the last remnants of my composure. I slumped back against the car seat, disbelief and heartache washing over me in waves.