BENITA
I stormed down the hallway, each step echoing like thunder against the walls. Fury and perplexity waged war within me, each emotion fueling the other. Reaching my room, I erupted in rage, hurling everything within reach. Picture frames shattered against the walls, books scattered like fallen leaves, and furniture crashed to the ground.
“I’ll kill her this time!” I screamed, my voice raw with anger. “No one will stop me!”
Amidst my torrent of sarcasm, my wolf’s growl reverberated in my mind, cutting through the noise. “You’re right. No one can stop us. But whatever happened back there is the only thing that can.”
I froze, chest heaving in ragged gasps. The memory of being thrown back, the pain like shards of silver piercing through me, replayed in my mind.
“Whatever is protecting that human is powerful,” my wolf continued, tinged with both respect and fear. “It felt like colliding with a wall of silver shards.”
As anger ebbed, a cold realization set in. Clenching my fists, fury simmered beneath the surface. “That was surely Dahlia’s doing,” I muttered bitterly. “She cast a protective spell.”
“You might be wrong, girl, my wolf interjected. That wasn’t a witch’s spell. That didn’t feel like a witch’s spell. It was something else, something unfamiliar.”
I frowned, confusion mixing with my anger. “If it’s not Dahlia’s spell, then who could it be?”
“I’m not sure,” my wolf admitted. “But we can ask Isabella or Zac. They might know something about it.”
I nodded, the cold realization turning into a determined focus. “You’re right, but the right person to ask is Mother.”
Without wasting another moment, I slipped into my clothes, my movements swift and deliberate. The rage still simmered within me, but now it was directed, purposeful. I stormed out of my room, my steps resolute as I made my way to find my mother.
Reaching my mother’s door, I threw it open without knocking. Inside, I found her and Zac engaged in a deep, serious conversation. They both looked up, surprise and concern etched on their faces as I stood there, my chest heaving, eyes burning with intensity.
“Mother,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me, “we need to talk. Now.” I said, stepping into the room.
Zac turned to me, rage burning in his eyes. “Can’t you see we are in the middle of important matters here?”
“I also have important matters, and they are driving me nuts!” I snapped back, my voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Zac growled, moving closer, his eyes flashing with anger. Before I could react, mother wedged herself between us, her presence commanding.
“Enough!” she commanded, her voice steady and firm. “This is not the time for tearing each other apart. Benita, calm down. Zac, take a step back.”
Both of us hesitated, the tension crackling in the air. Reluctantly, Zac stepped back, his eyes still smouldering with barely contained fury. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart.
Mother took a deep breath, her eyes softening as she looked at me. “Benita, please, wait outside for a few moments. Your brother and I need to finish something important.”
“No!” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “You have to listen to me first and tell me what to do!”
Mother’s eyes widened slightly, but she remained calm. “Benita, I understand you’re upset, but you need to trust me. This conversation we’re having is crucial.”
“I don’t care!” I shouted, my voice trembling with desperation. “Something happened, and I need answers now! My mind is spinning, and I can’t think straight. Whatever is protecting that human is powerful, and it’s driving me nuts that I can’t and won’t kill her if I want to, which i want to do now!”
Zac growled again, stepping forward, but mother raised a hand to stop him. She looked at me, her expression irritated.
“Alright, Benita,” she said softly, her voice soothing. “Tell me what happened.”
The urgency in my voice must have reached her because she gestured for Zac to step back. He did so reluctantly, his eyes still smouldering with anger. I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart, and began to explain what had happened-from how Ralph called the human’s name during sex, to sleeping with her, and the unexpected powers that emerged from the human.
Mother started to speak, but Zac spoke over her. “What did you expect, Benita? Of course, he had to say her name because she’s his true mate. And what right do you think you have to prevent them from having sex? They’re mates-they can do whatever they please.”
“That’s what confuses me,” I retorted, frustration evident in my voice. “Ralph is under a memory spell to accept her into his bed. What drives me crazy is that he doesn’t have her memories, yet he played it cool when he saw her instead of killing her.”
“Don’t forget he marked her,” Mother said. “You know how strong a mate bond is, even with memory loss or whatever. But I will look into this and see what we can do about it.”
Zac ran a hand through his hair, his frustration palpable. He grabbed my arm, forcing me toward the door. “You got what you always wanted, young woman. Now chill your ass down and get the hell out.”
I pulled away from his grasp, giving him a death glare. “Why are you talking about something you don’t want me to hear? What are you keeping from me? Don’t forget that I am now the Luna of this pack-”
“To hell with that, Miss Luna!” Zac snapped, clearly irritated.
I stood my ground, unfazed by his anger. “I deserve to know what’s happening. We’re in this together, so whatever you’re discussing, include me as well. But it better have nothing to do with taking Ralph’s position as Alpha because I will not allow it.”
“And what are you going to do about it?” Zac asked, a sneer playing on his lips. “Have you ever seen an Alpha who can lead a pack without a wolf? That’s him.”
Mother stepped between us again as I boiled over, ready to tear the smug look off Zac’s face. Her gaze was steady as she commanded, “Enough,” her voice firm and unyielding.
Zac ignored her and seized my arm, yanking the door open with the intent to throw me out. But we both froze as our eyes locked onto Ralph standing in the doorway, his gaze a tempest of danger and intensity.
Ralph’s eyes darted past us to our mother. The look he gave her made her stagger a little backwards, her composure shaken for the first time. The air in the room grew tense and silent, charged with unspoken words.
Without saying another word, Ralph turned and strode away, his presence leaving an undeniable weight in the air.
As Ralph disappeared down the hallway, I shut the door and turned to Zac and our mother. “Do you think Ralph heard us?” I asked.
Zac just smiled, a cold, calculating grin spreading across his face. “Then that’s good.” He replied.
He turned to our mother, his expression hardening. “Now it’s time for you to stop pretending and show him the real you. I bet he’d go mad, and that’s exactly what I want. If he does, which I’m very certain he will, it will mark the beginning of my reign and the disappearance of him and his little human mate.”
Mother’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite read, and a chill ran down my spine.
After a brief silence, Mother walked toward Zac, her demeanour resolute. “That will happen after tomorrow, as planned,” she said firmly. “From there, he will feel me and will have nothing to do but to leave the pack-or face death.”
Zac’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction, and he nodded approvingly. “Perfect. Then, the path will be clear for my rule.”
I watched, unsettled by the cold determination in both their faces. The gravity of their plan was sinking in, and the weight of what was about to unfold pressed heavily on my shoulders.