KEILAH
Ralph turned at the sound of my voice, his expression shifting from focused to concerned in an instant. The two men beside him exchanged glances but said nothing, clearly attuned to the urgency in my tone.
“Keilah,” Ralph said, stepping closer as I hurried toward him. His eyes were searching, full of worry. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “No, not exactly. It’s just… the pack members in the kitchen, they-” I faltered, struggling to find the right words. “They were being kind of creepy.”
Ralph’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Creepy? How?”
Before I could respond, one of the men cleared his throat. “I’ll go check on my Luna,” he said, heading off toward the house, while the other took a different route.
I continued, my voice trembling slightly. “They were acting all concerned and sympathetic, which felt strange. It’s like they suddenly cared, and it threw me off.”
Where have you gone, too? I was worried. I asked, not wanting to go further with his people’s sudden care for me.
His eyes softened with concern as he reached out, his hand gently resting on my arm. “I’m sorry I worried you,” he said, his voice soothing. “I had to take care of a few things, but I’m here now.”
I nodded, feeling a bit reassured by his presence. “So, are we heading to where the fight is taking place now?” I asked, trying to steady my voice.
“In about an hour,” he replied, his gaze steady and calm. “There’s still some preparation to do.”
I nodded again, trying to absorb everything. The weight of the day ahead settled over me, but I was determined to stay focused. “Okay,” I said, then quickly added, “Is there anything I can help with? I don’t want to just sit around.”
He shook his head gently. “Don’t worry about anything. There’s nothing to do except pack what you’ll need for the day.”
“Did you have breakfast?” he asked, his tone gentle but with an edge of firmness, as if he already knew the answer.
I hummed noncommittally, not wanting to admit that I hadn’t eaten much.
“Good,” he said, though I could see a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “Make sure you get some things together that you’ll need.”
I nodded with a smile and turned to leave, but he suddenly pulled me back, wrapping me in a tight hug. He pressed his face into the curve of my neck, inhaling deeply as his arms encircled me, holding me close. I felt the tension in his body gradually ease, a sign of the anxiety or fear he’d been harbouring. I hugged him in return, my arms barely reaching around his broad back.
He held on to me as if I was his lifeline, and for a moment, time seemed to stop. The warmth of his breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine, and I could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against my chest. I wanted to say something, to reassure him that everything would be okay, but the words got lost somewhere between my thoughts and the weight of his emotions.
Finally, he loosened his grip just enough to pull back and meet my gaze. His eyes, usually so composed, now held a flicker of vulnerability that he rarely let anyone see. It was at that moment I realised how much he had been carrying on his own and how desperately he needed someone to share the burden.
“I’m here,” I whispered, brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
He gave a slight nod, his expression softening as he leaned in to press a gentle kiss to my forehead before letting go of my hand.
When I got upstairs, I found Dahlia stuffing something into a black backpack.
“Hey,” I said as I approached her.
“Hey, Keilah. You barely touched your breakfast,” she replied, glancing up at me.
“Shhh, quietly! Ralph might hear you,” I whispered, quickly covering her mouth. “I told him I ate.”
She gently removed my hand from her mouth and continued, “But you didn’t eat.”
“I couldn’t eat in peace,” I admitted. “The pack members approached me and started being overly nice. It scared me, like they had some hidden agenda. And then I saw Ralph’s car…”
“Listen, Keilah,” she began softly. “They were nice to you because they don’t have any issues with you. They just couldn’t show it before, not with Zac and Benita around.”
I nodded, taking in her words, then shifted the conversation. “Alright. So what are you packing in there?”
“Just the essentials you’ll need,” she replied, zipping up the bag. “I packed some extra clothes, pants, and pads for you. I also threw in a few outfits for Alpha.” She stood up, brushing off her clothes. “I’ll go get ready.”
“Can you lend me your phone?” I asked.
Without hesitation, she pulled it out of her pants pocket and handed it to me. “Thanks,” I said with a smile.
She returned the smile and sauntered out, closing the door behind her. Wasting no time, I quickly dialled my aunt’s number. She picked up on the first ring.
“Hi, Auntie, it’s me, Keilah.”
“Oh, hi, sweetie! How have you been? What happened to your phone?” she asked, concern in her voice.
“I lost it, Auntie,” I replied. “But enough about that. How are you? Are you taking your medication? Any complications?”
“Relax, child,” she reassured me. “I’m fine, and yes, I take my medication properly every day. Cora’s right here to make sure I don’t forget.”
“That’s a relief, Auntie,” I said, feeling a bit more at ease. “How are things with you? Is everything okay over there?”
“Yes, Auntie. I’m good, perfectly fine.” I hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is Cora awake?”
“Not yet,” Auntie replied. “She’s still sleeping. Did she tell you she’s pregnant?”
My mouth fell open in surprise. “No, she didn’t,” I said, struggling to process the news. “Is she really pregnant?”
“Yes,” Auntie confirmed. “She tried calling your phone multiple times, but she couldn’t reach you. She even told her husband about the pregnancy, but her husband seemed indifferent, like he didn’t even recognize her. It worries me because it’s affecting her sleep.”
“I’ll talk to Cora as soon as she wakes up and see what we can do about this,” I assured her.
“Alright, sweetie,” Auntie said. “I’ll continue with what I’m doing. Talk to you later.”
“Alright, Auntie. Love you,” I replied before hanging up.
As I set the phone down, my thoughts immediately turned to Damien. It dawned on me that it was his doing.
~~~
The preparations were soon complete, and we made our way to the parked cars. Ralph took my hand and led me to his car, where a pregnant woman was already seated in the backseat with her mate in the front.
As I climbed in, the woman greeted me with a warm smile. “How are you feeling?” she asked gently.
“I’m feeling okay,” I replied, returning her smile.
Ralph slid into the driver’s seat, and we began our journey. The car was soon followed by several others, and we drove for what seemed like hours.
When we finally arrived at our destination, we stopped, and everyone began shifting into their wolves. When Ralph shifted, he lowered his body to the ground, allowing me to climb onto his back. I dropped my bag behind my back and then carefully mounted him.
Once everyone was ready, Ralph’s wolf turned around, and I sensed a sudden hush among the pack. It was clear he was mind-linking with them.
He then mindlinked with me saying, “Hold on tightly, mate.”
I tightened my grip as he sprang into action. With powerful strides, he surged forward into the woods as the pack followed in a coordinated rush, their forms darting between the trees like shadows.
As we ventured deeper into the hills, the dense canopy of trees began to thin, and a wide clearing slowly came into view. The pace of the pack slowed, and the steady rhythm of Ralph’s powerful strides eased as we approached the open space. I tightened my grip around him, my heart beating faster as anticipation and uncertainty gnawed at me.
The clearing stretched out before us, vast and quiet, with an almost unsettling stillness. The setting sun dipped lower, its fading light filtering through the trees and casting long, dappled shadows across the ground. Despite the impending confrontation, there was no sign of a battle ring or any indication that a fight was about to take place. My thoughts swirled with questions as Ralph’s wolf finally came to a stop at the centre of the clearing, lowering himself to the ground and signalling for me to dismount.
With care, I slid off his back, my feet sinking into the soft earth. The pack members had already shifted back into their human forms, their faces set in determined, focused expressions. Ralph quickly shifted as well, reaching into the bag on my back and pulling out his clothes. As he dressed, my gaze darted around the clearing, trying to make sense of our surroundings and the absence of any visible preparations for a battle.
“Is this where the fight will take place?” I asked, my voice tinged with confusion as I turned to him. “Why isn’t there a ring?”
Ralph met my gaze, his eyes calm but intense. “We’re not fighting here, Keilah,” he said, his tone steady and reassuring. “We’re heading into that cave.” He gestured toward an open cave entrance I hadn’t noticed before, partially hidden by the rocky terrain.
I followed his gesture, seeing the pack members already making their way inside. The cave looked dark and foreboding, its mouth wide enough to swallow all of us whole. A shiver ran down my spine as I realised how much was still unknown, how much I had yet to understand about what was happening.
Ralph stepped closer to me, his hand resting gently on my shoulder. “You’re ready,” he said, his voice filled with quiet confidence. I nodded, the weight of his words settling over me.
“Good,” he continued, his gaze steady. “Let’s head inside.”