KEILAH
I stood there frozen, staring at the wolf that now stood in Ralph’s place. My heart raced, pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. He took a step towards me, his eyes locked on mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. I stumbled backwards, my feet slipping on the wet floor, and I fell hard on my butt with an embarrassing thud.
Pain shot through me, but I barely registered it. The wolf’s eyes were fixed on me, and I could see a maelstrom of emotions swirling within them-anger, confusion, guilt, and something deeper that I couldn’t quite identify. He moved closer, his powerful form radiating a mix of menace and sorrow.
I could feel the turmoil within him, the pain he was struggling to contain. As he stopped just inches away, I found myself unable to look away from his gaze. His eyes bore into mine, and in that moment, I felt an overwhelming wave of sadness wash over me.
“Ralph?” I whispered, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. His wolf didn’t respond, only stared at me with those intense, familiar eyes. I reached out tentatively, my fingers brushing against his fur. He didn’t flinch, but I could sense the conflict within him.
“Why?” I asked softly, tears welling up in my eyes. “Why did you do this to us?”
The wolf’s gaze softened, a low whine escaping his throat. It was a sound filled with pain and regret, a silent apology that cut through the fog of my anger and pain.
The wolf slowly lowered its head, its tongue gently lapping at the tears streaming down my face. The unexpected tenderness broke through my defences, and I let out a choked sob. The wolf’s whine deepened, resonating with an apology that echoed through my head. It then crouched down, bringing its massive head to rest on my thighs, I instinctively began to stroke his fur, feeling the rough texture beneath my fingers. Its eyes closed, a soft rumble escaping him, almost like a purr.
But the peace was short-lived. A sudden, intense pain gripped my stomach, forcing a sharp cry from my lips. “Ralph!” I gasped, doubling over.
The wolf immediately sprang back, shifting on the spot. In an instant, Ralph was kneeling before me. His eyes were wide with worry as he crouched down and scooped me into his arms, taking me out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, his eyes scanning the room urgently. For a moment, he seemed puzzled, his gaze darting to the empty bed as if searching for something.
“Where?” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “Why…?”
He gently laid me on the bed, his eyes filled with concern. “Keilah, what’s the matter?” he asked, his voice strained with worry.
I clenched my jaw, the pain in my stomach intensifying. “It hurts… so much… my stomach,” I managed to gasp out. Just as the words left my mouth, I felt a warm liquid trickling out of me. My eyes widened in horror as I looked down to see blood mixed with what could only be Ralph’s semen.
“The baby…” I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath. “The baby might not be safe.”
Ralph’s face drained of colour as he followed my gaze, his expression one of shock and disbelief.
“I’ll go get Isabella,” he said, starting to move away.
I grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Not Isabella,” I insisted, my voice trembling. “Get Dahlia.”
Ralph’s expression darkened. “Keilah, Dahlia doesn’t live in the pack house anymore.”
“She’s here,” I insisted, desperation lacing my voice. “She came back last night.”
Ralph furrowed his brows, clearly surprised by the news. “Please, Ralph,” I snapped, the pain and urgency making me more forceful than I intended. “Get me Dahlia.”
“Fine,” he relented, glancing around the room. “I’ll get her. But put some pants on.” I uttered.
He grabbed his black pants that were sprawled on the floor and slid them on quickly before heading towards the door. As he reached for the handle, the door wouldn’t budge. Realizing it was locked, he unlocked it and dashed out of the room.
Barely a moment had passed when Benita burst into the room, looking dangerously ill. Her eyes narrowed at me with a malevolent glare. “I smell him on you,” she growled. “You slept with him.”
Before I could respond, she began to shift, her bones cracking and reforming as she launched herself at me, ready to snap her jaws around me. Helpless and writhing in pain, I braced myself for her attack, but it never came. Instead, she was hurled backwards by an invisible force, her wolf colliding with the wall with a resounding thud.
She shifted back to her human form, her eyes blazing with fury and shock. She glared at me, her chest heaving with anger, but said nothing. With a final venomous look, she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
Just as the tension began to ease, Dahlia rushed in, concern etched on her face. “Keilah, what happened?” she asked urgently, kneeling beside me.
I motioned towards the blood on the mattress, unable to find the words to explain. “What’s happening to me?” I managed to ask, fear and confusion evident in my voice.
Dahlia didn’t answer me, but instead, she knelt beside me, placing her hand gently on my bare belly. “Hold still,” she murmured. She began to mutter something under her breath, words I couldn’t understand. A soft, warm glow emanated from her hand, spreading on my stomach, and within seconds, the pain in my belly began to dissipate. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling the tension ease from my body but the worry still crept in me and as I opened my mouth to ask her about the baby’s safety she cut me off. “The baby,” she said softly, her voice filled with reassurance. “It’s fine.”
I gazed up at her with wide, questioning eyes, my voice trembling as I asked, “Was it because… because I had sex with Ralph? Did that cause this?”
“Yes, it was,” she admitted gently. “But it didn’t affect the baby.
“I’ll… I’ll go clean up,” I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
Emerging from the shower, I headed straight to Ralph’s closet, only to find none of my clothes there. It dawned on me that the one person who would want me out of the way was Benita. She must have taken my belongings from Ralph’s Closet. Wrapping myself in one of Ralph’s oversized shirts, I found comfort in its familiar scent. As I inhaled deeply, my mind drifted back to the moment when his wolf looked at me with a puzzled expression, as if unaware of what was happening.
When I returned to the bedroom, Dahlia was sitting on the edge of the bed with a solemn expression on her face. She had gathered Benita’s ripped clothes and used them to cover the bloodstains on the mattress.
“I’m still mad at you,” I began, my voice shaky with unresolved anger. “But I have no choice because you’re the only one I can trust. Okay, not fully, but since all this started with you-”
“What is it that you want to ask?” She interrupted, her tone brisk.
I hesitated, then blurted out, “When Ralph shifted to his wolf form, his wolf looked hurt and puzzled, as if it didn’t know what had occurred.”
“Because I put him in a deep sleep when I performed the memory spell,” she explained. “The only way to wake him was through the mating process, which you completed. So, it’s thanks to you and his wolf that his memories have returned.”
I took a deep breath, trying to process her words. “So, you’re saying everything he forgot… he’s remembered now?”
She nodded. “Yes, he remembers everything. It was the only way to bring him back fully. But it came at a cost.”
I looked down at the oversized shirt I was wearing, suddenly feeling its weight. “A cost to whom?”
“To both of you,” she said softly. “Ralph is conflicted, and you… well, you’ve been through so much already. But the important thing is that he’s whole again.”
I sank onto the bed beside her, my mind racing. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “And now? What happens now that his memories are back?”
Before she could reply, the bedroom door swung open with a force that made both of us jump. Ralph stormed in, his expression dark and menacing. His face was tight with tension, veins bulging as if they were about to burst.
“Disappear, Dahlia,” he ordered, his voice low and dangerous. “I need to talk with my mate.”
Dahlia stood up quickly, her eyes wide with fear in her eyes. “Of course, Alpha,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She cast a fleeting glance at me, then dashed out of the room, leaving Ralph and me alone.
I stood there, rooted to the spot, my heart pounding in my chest. Ralph’s eyes were blazing with an intensity I’d never seen before. He took a few steps towards me, the air between us crackling with tension.
He cupped my cheeks gently, his touch tender despite the storm of emotions in his eyes. “How are you, mate? Are you feeling alright? Are you hurting anywhere?”
I felt tears stream down my cheeks before I even realized I was crying. I shook my head slightly. “I… I don’t have any pain. Dahlia took care of that.”
“Good,” he said in a deep voice as he wiped my tears with his thumbs. He then leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, a gesture that both comforted and unsettled me. When he pulled back, he looked me in the eyes again. “I want you to go and spend a few days with your aunt.”
I stared at him in confusion. “Why?” I asked, unable to comprehend his sudden directive.
“Because this house is going to turn into a bloodshed,” he replied gravely. “I’m going to kill everyone.”