Evening light slanted through the high windows, painting the indoor training grounds in soft orangy rays. Training had just ended, leaving the large room completely empty.
A large wolf paced back and forth, its black fur glittering as a soft breeze blew against it.
Being the Alpha's son came with many privileges, and yet Dart never for once felt content with his position. When it came to the one thing he desired the most, he was utterly helpless.
Last night only further proved how powerless he was at doing anything to help Camelia. His first instinct was to go to her when the alarm went off, but instead he followed his father to fight and only went to check on her when the fight was over.
How she managed to defend herself against that Lycan was still a mystery to him. He himself would have trouble fighting one one-on-one, so how did she manage to butcher one on her own?
The wolf ambled over to the side benches at the far corner of the training ground. Bones cracking as Dart shifted back, his ripped muscles flexing.
He was about to put on his clothes when he sensed someone approaching. He immediately knew who it was without having to turn.
"Any problem?" he asked, putting his legs through his jeans.
The air around was quite different from the usual one he always had around Camelia.
"Your father wants to see you," Sam said.
Dart's brows furrowed as he turned to Sam, now fully dressed.
"Did he mention why?"
Sam shook his head. "No, but he said it was urgent."
Walking past Sam, Dart left the training ground. He made his way back home, heading straight to his father's study.
"You summoned me," he said the moment he entered, without offering any greeting whatsoever.
Raising his head from behind his desk where he sat, Alpha Caden glanced at his son before gesturing for him to sit.
"I'd rather stand," Dart declined the seat.
"Son, I know we don't normally see eye to eye, but I would really appreciate it if we put aside our differences, especially at times like this," Alpha Caden said.
But Dart didn't respond, simply crossing his arms, leaning back against the door.
"This conversation doesn't have to drag on longer than necessary," he said, his voice lacking any warmth.
Alpha Caden heaved a sigh as he watched his son for a moment.
"That body you asked Sam and Kyle to remove from Mrs. Bishop's home… were you the one who made the kill?" Alpha Caden asked.
Dart tensed up slightly at the question, though he tried to hide it. Those two idiots had betrayed him. He guessed they were reporting things to his father, but he was never sure. At least now he was.
"Yes," he answered plainly, maintaining a straight face.
Alpha Caden frowned, displeased. He could sense that his son was lying.
"Dart, tell the truth."
"I don't know why you'd think I'd be lying," Dart said casually.
"She did it, didn't she?" Alpha Caden said, his calm beginning to slip.
"Stop trying to protect that cursed bitch!" Alpha Caden snapped, slamming his fist on the desk as he rose from his seat.
Dart stood straight, his jaw clenching at his father's insult toward Camelia.
"We're done here," he said and opened the door to leave.
"Your mother wouldn't have wanted you anywhere around that girl," Alpha Caden said.
Dart paused, still holding the door open, then glanced at his father with disgust.
"What could you possibly know about what my mother would have wanted?" Dart asked coldly. "For one thing, she would be revolted if she saw the man you've become," he said before stepping out and slamming the door behind him.
Alpha Caden froze at his son's words. He fell back into his seat, his eyes falling on the picture again.
Day had completely turned to night when Camelia finally closed from work. Greta and the other maid were still not back, leaving her to attend to all the work again that day.
She didn't even manage to catch a sight of Ian at all until she closed. She wondered what he was up to throughout the day just as she arrived at the clinic, making her way to Raya's office.
"Ah, Camelia. I'd almost forgotten you were coming over today. How are you doing?" Raya smiled weakly, her eyes evidently tired behind her reading glasses.
"Are you okay?" Camelia asked, concerned, as she took a seat.
"Yes, yes," she waved her hand. "I just need more coffee," she said as she poured more for herself.
After using her powers on multiple people all at once, she was basically experiencing a withdrawal of some sort.
"So do you have the herbs?" Camelia asked expectantly.
Raya's face turned grim at the question. She didn't know how to break the news to Camelia, but keeping it from her would be even worse.
"Listen to me, Camelia," she started, her voice serious. "What I'm about to tell you won't be easy to hear, but I'm going to tell you anyway," she said as she went on to explain everything.
She had taken some time to research those ingredients in her late mother's journal. The wolfsbane and moonshine were being infused together to basically poison whoever was ingesting it.
So all this time while Camelia thought her mother was giving her this infusion to help her wolf, she was actually poisoning her wolf.
"...I'm not sure if your mother was aware, but the chances of her not knowing at all are low..."
It was as if the whole world stopped. In Camelia's head, the rest of Raya's explanation faded in her ears.
No way.
She wouldn't believe something like that. Her hands shook and she pressed them together, squeezing tightly.
"Y–You must be wrong," she said, still in denial.
Raya sighed.
"It's probably best if you ask her about it yourself," she suggested.
Ask her directly, Camelia thought.
How was she supposed to do that when her mother was missing, probably dead for all she knew?
"Yeah… you're right. I should ask her myself," she muttered, standing up. "Thanks a lot, Raya. I think I should head home now," she said, flashing a small smile that did not reach her eyes.
"Goodnight, head home safe," Raya said, feeling pity for her.
"Hm," Camelia murmured.
The walk from the clinic back to her house was a blur. She didn't even realize when she reached home until she was inside the house, closing the front door shut.
Her gaze fell on the floor when she got to the stairs. The blood from last night had left a permanent stain there.
She thought about trying to brush the floor again in the morning.
"Mother wouldn't like the sight of that," she muttered, her voice numb, sounding dead.
Before going to her room, she first stopped by her mother's room again.
Looking at the empty room only made her heart feel heavier.
After managing to freshen up, she got into her bed, curling up tightly with a pillow.
Cold, emptiness, and confusion were all she felt. She left the lights on, but again the quiet silence reminded her that she was all alone.
Maybe she had always been alone her entire life, and the love she thought her mother had for her was just something she imagined and willingly bought into due to her need for love and acceptance.
"Are you there?" she called to her wolf, hoping for a response.
But none came. Even her own wolf despised her like the rest. Maybe they were right. Maybe she was cursed.
Soft yellow lights brimmed from a small cabin by the south side of the pack, surrounded by trees. The only house to be seen in the area.
Three wolves stalked around the house, keeping guard in the deep of the night, hiding their presence as the moon hid shyly behind a cluster of clouds, leaving the night in dark shadow.
Inside the cabin, a woman stood over a table with lit candles forming a circle, humming softly as she worked. Her thick dark wavy hair fell freely down her back.