Callista.“I didn’t make a contract like that,” I reply. This was absolute news to me. I’d certainly remember if someone had asked me or forced me to write anything before being drugged with Wolfsbane. I didn’t remember much about what happened afterward, though, except for the parts with Theon in them.Oh, Goddess, what had Farris Leighwen done to me now?“Impossible, the document is legitimate. We even checked the validity of the agreement using an Earth witch. You yourself wrote it and signed it.” Theon answers, his brows furrowing. However, he isn’t stupid, and there is doubt in his eyes. Surely he must’ve realized by now that Farris had been at least a little shady with everything.“That’s not possible. I would remember doing something like that.” Even though I insist, I’m starting to feel doubtful. A witch’s magic didn’t lie. I try to wrack my brain to find signing and writing such a damning document anytime before.Had I actually done it? I’ve read that Wolfsbane caused tempora

Callista.It’s about 07:00 PM, and I’m carrying a load of laundry that belongs to the Beta’s family. It was heavier than any others and had mostly baby clothes. I’ve heard in the kitchen that the Beta’s mate’s third child had been born just weeks ago, and all the nappies were his.I navigate the maze of corridors that make the east wing of the castle. This wing hosts almost all the bedrooms and studies, sitting rooms, drawing rooms, and a big library last I checked. All the enjoyable aspects were in the east. The west wing had the kitchen, laundry rooms, the servant quarters, and the guard quarters, along with the parking lot, storage spaces, and the weapons room. The infirmary was a separate building that was in the north of the castle connected to the keep via a passage, while the entrance was on the south side.Today I am on laundry duty. My arms hurt from moving stinky loads of clothes and I was just counting down the time till it ended. As I pass a certain door, I hear raised vo

Callista.I’ve been kissed before. Numerous times, in fact.My first was a boy in fifth grade who’d told me my hair looked pretty that day, and I had been blushing like crazy. Back then we were yet to go through puberty, so it didn’t really make sense. It was just something we had seen older people do, which automatically meant it was a cool thing to do. Then, at recess when we were playing, he'd suddenly appeared next to me, and asked for a kiss. Just like that. I was honestly taken aback, and my mind had been screaming, “Take it! Take it, you fool, this is a one-way ticket to the big leagues!” at me. Back then, all the popular girls had all been kissed, and who didn’t want to be similar to them? This is the fifth grade I’m talking about, and yes, I’d been that dramatic.So yeah. It had been a wonderfully clumsy, orange lollipop flavored kiss, and at the time, it rocked my world.After that, I was kind of popular, but no one asked me to kiss them. I did hold hands with some boys, but

Callista.I don’t sleep that night.I don’t cry either. Although the sadness in my heart, mixed with anger, indignation, and desperation combined is the size of the sun, and just as hot, I don’t cry. My eyes remain dry as I listen to the soft breaths of other maids, nothing pulling the lids of my eyes down and dragging me into a slumber.How can I sleep, when I know this is the last night I will be spending here?In the perfect world, I would be sleeping by Theon’s side, bearing his mark on my neck, the voice of my wolf in my head, secure in the knowledge that I’d finally found the one place in the world where I belonged. But the reality is far from that, and I couldn’t dwell on what would’ve been, not when I wanted to keep sane.But oh, how I wish for that dream to soothe the hurt in my very soul.In the morning bells sound, rousing the staff of the castle.Helen lets me know that I’ve been punished for my ‘insubordination’ from last night with two more months in community service. S

Callista.The moat isn’t as deep as I thought it would be, and I’m thankful for that.I’m dripping wet after crossing it, my clothes heavy on my body. I wring whatever I can and shake the water out of my shoes. My backpack hasn’t soaked, which is a relief.I’m finally outside the castle.Now the time was crucial.I start to run. I’m as strong as I’ve been before, and that helps me to cross the town in no time. I avoid the main road and any important buildings, opting to weave my way through the residential area. My aim is the forest, and even though the town of the Rexellen pack is bigger than the Leighwen pack’s, it’s still small enough.I’m panting hard by the time I make it to the tree line.I halt after I pass the last house, taking one last look at the town and the distant castle.Had it only been two months since I’d arrived here? It feels like I’m escaping a place that had caged me forever.The forest is hard to navigate. Unlike the Leighwen pack’s forest, this one lacks any wa