At that moment, a fleeting sense of relief filled Usher’s mind. It seemed he had returned to the right moment, though if he could ask, he would surely want to go back even further. At least to a time before everything had become so tumultuous, before he and The Past Vione had their argument.
“You really have no heart, Usher.”
The voice of The Past Vione brought Usher back to the present just in time. Fortunately, he was able to assess the situation quickly. He remembered the incident vividly. The Past Vione had left the palace hall immediately after he had strangled her, right after she had insulted him as a heartless man.
Usher quickly rose to his feet. With a lingering pain in his chest, he gripped the wall. His eyes scanned the area with growing panic. For the footsteps of The Past Vione were getting closer.
Usher’s priority now was to hide as best he could. He couldn’t afford to be caught, neither by himself, nor by The Past Vione, nor by the inhabitants of the palace. So, he hurried to check several surveillance cameras, while recalling the layout of the Palace, which he had memorized since childhood.
Usher had no choice. The Palace had strict security measures. There were no blind spots. However, he still had a chance; he could sabotage the surveillance cameras.
No more doubts plagued his mind as Usher decided to enter a room in the corridor. He quickly closed the door, and not long after, he heard the sound of dragging footsteps accompanied by heartbreaking moans.
“Why are you so cruel to me, Usher? Was all your kindness and love just a lie?”
Usher’s eyes closed dramatically. In the darkness of the room, he could only clench his fists as The Past Vione’s moans tore at his heart. Forgive me, Vione.
*
Fatigue weighed heavily on The Past Vione. The argument had drained her energy until there was nothing left. Then sadness appeared and completed the picture of her restlessness. It seemed that misfortune was determined to keep her in a state of mourning.
The Past Vione was certain that she had never questioned fate as she did now. While she had faced a challenging life, complaining and wallowing had never been her choice. She had always been grateful for everything fate had given her. She also realized that whatever she lacked was always compensated for by something equally valuable.
Despite her lack of biological parents, The Past Vione did not lack love. She had foster parents who gave her unconditional love and happiness. Addy and Hilary loved her as real parents should.
The Past Vione also had friends, although some of them liked to bully her. One of them was Cora. They had been friends for a long time and their relationship remained strong.
The thought of Cora made The Past Vione hastily wipe away the remaining tears on her cheeks. She realized that giving in to prolonged sadness was not something she should do. Instead, she needed to focus on something else to keep from sinking deeper into despair.
The Past Vione reached for her cell phone on the nightstand. Without hesitation, she called Cora. She didn’t wait long before her call was answered.
“Hello, Vione. What’s up?”
The past Vione hesitated for a moment. She cursed herself for not having had a drink. Surely her voice would sound hoarse. “Hi, Cora. Nothing important. I just suddenly thought of you. So, I decided to call. Aren’t you busy?”
“Busy?” Cora laughed. “I’ve hardly done anything all day except make popcorn and watch comedy series.”
A genuine smile appeared on The Past Vione’s face. It wasn’t hard for her to imagine. “That sounds very pleasant.”
“Very pleasant?”
The Past Vione’s smile widened when he heard Cora’s tone. “Isn’t that the truth?”
“Of course it is. Life was good until my parents started complaining because I couldn’t get a job,” Cora said before letting out a long groan. Then she sighed in annoyance. “It’s all because of Garth. If it weren’t for him, I’d be in The Palace right now, serving as a Beta. I’d have a highly respected job, and besides, we could see each other every day.”
Cora’s lengthy rant drew the Past Vione’s attention back in time, to about six years ago, when the previous Beta had to step down due to health problems. Graham could no longer fulfill his duties, so The Palace opened up the search for a new Beta.
The pack eagerly accepted. It could be said that the young werewolves flocked to try their luck, including Cora.
At the time, The Past Vione was a staunch supporter of Cora, and not just for personal reasons. She could also judge Cora objectively. Cora may have been a woman, but she was a strong she-wolf. Cora wouldn’t shy away from competing with the wolfmen.
The Past Vione’s guess was almost right. Cora passed all the trials with flying colors and scored high. However, Cora was disappointed when Garth easily dodged her attack. He lunged and his sharp fangs stopped right at Cora’s neck, a sign that he could have killed Cora if this had been a real fight.
Cora didn’t move. She could only blink once as she tried to clear her mind of the haze that momentarily clouded her vision. Her eyes refocused and she stared at the night sky, the silent witness to her defeat, before finally meeting Garth’s sharp gaze.
“Let’s drop it. I don’t want to talk about Garth anymore. He’s really insufferable.”
Cora’s complaint snapped The Past Vione out of her momentary reverie. “It seems you’re still mad at him after six years.”
“Of course I am still angry with him. The reason is simple: I haven’t had anything else to occupy my mind for the past six years, so my thoughts automatically gravitate towards him.”
The Past Vione couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, Cora.”
“I’m glad you can laugh, Vione. Now it’s my turn to ask.”
“Ask?” The Past Vione dabbed at the tears forming at the corners of her eyes, still feeling a lingering sense of amusement. “What do you want to ask about?”
“Are you all right?”
*