LIANAI couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected turn in conversation. "Why would I still stay at your place?" I teased, arching an eyebrow. Zaylen chuckled as his response laced with playful banter, "Well, Noelle is still staying with Trevor. So the mansion is kinda lonely."I laughed, the tension of the day dissipating with each shared joke. "I can't be a replacement for your sister," I quipped, my tone light. “So no, thank you, I will be staying at my own place.”"Geez, I don't want you as my sister, either," Zaylen cringed, his expression turning mockingly dramatic.We shared a moment of lightheartedness, the heavy emotions of the day momentarily forgotten as we reveled in each other's company. And as we drove away from the somber scene of James's funeral, I couldn't help but feel happy for the support of the man sitting beside me. ###As night descended, I found myself engulfed in a sea of discomfort, my body wracked with pain that seemed to emanate from every fiber of my b
ZAYLENAs I listened to Liana's words, a sense of disbelief washed over me, mingling with a growing sense of dread. Each symptom she described seemed to match that of a werewolf transformation — something I had experienced firsthand. Starting from unquenchable hunger to sudden growth in nails… all of it were symptoms of transformation. Now, it made sense why she was able to guess Aaron was a werewolf and why she had a heightened sense of smell and sound. That might also be why she was staring at that patient's mangled body that way.But it couldn't be possible, could it? Liana wasn't a werewolf. She had not been bitten by one, had she?Oh, dear Goddess, if that had happened —But she would have told me if it had, right? The thought gnawed at me, a nagging doubt that refused to be ignored. So, I finally voiced the question that had been lingering at the back of my mind. "Liana, did you get bitten by a werewolf?" I asked, my voice reluctant.As Liana hesitated, my stomach dropped to
ZAYLENIn the afternoon, I found myself confiding in Jordan, laying out the unsettling truth of Liana's situation. His reaction mirrored my own bewilderment, his brow furrowing in concern as he processed the information.“She is becoming a werewolf? Is this because she is mingling with all these werewolves these days?” Jordan let out, and I shot him a glare for his ridiculousness.“Have you people sent your brains on a vacation, huh?” I got annoyed. “I get why Liana would ask that, but why are you asking, Jordan? It's not a disease, so why would it be contagious, for heaven's sake?” I responded in frustration. “But there's no other possible way, is there? I mean, she didn't get bitten. So?” He stared at me, waiting for a logical reply, but since I had none, he continued, “This is the only logical conclusion, right?”“In what way is this logical?” I released an exasperated sigh and pressed the bridge of my nose. “Anyway, it doesn't matter why she is transforming. I need a solution to
LIANAWhat? I am a werewolf by birth?Did the doctor go crazy? How can I be a werewolf — that too by birth?It wasn’t possible at any cost. There was no possibility.I shook my head in denial as my heart pounded in my chest. “This is impossible,” I managed to mutter. “I…”Zaylen reached out to me, his eyes filled with concern as he held my hand. "Liana, I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to stay calm."Stay calm?Calmness was a distant memory for me. How could I stay calm when I was having a literal identity crisis?"It isn't possible at any cost," my words shook as I struggled to comprehend the situation. "There is no possibility of it. How can I not be human? My whole life… I… it couldn't have been a lie."My thoughts spiraled into chaos, a torrent of confusion and denial crashing over me. “I am not a werewolf! It's a lie, it's a mistake," I repeated. "It's not true, it can’t be!”Zaylen held my hand tighter. "Liana, I know this is overwhelming, but we will figure it o
LIANAMy heart skipped a beat at that revelation. Witches? Those existed too? Didn't they only exist in fantasy? What in the world was happening to me? Werewolves are real, vampires are real, and supposedly so are witches now?What the hell?“This spell blocked your werewolf transformation, keeping you human,” the elder continued.A wave of disbelief washed over me. “I never met a witch in my entire life, though,” I protested. I think I would have remembered if I encountered such a scary being.One of the female elders chuckled slightly in amusement. “Girl, you don't think witches wear pointy hats and have long noses, do you?”Color drained out of my face. “They don't?”She chuckled more and shook her head. “They look just as human as us.”So… that meant I could have met a witch and never knew about it at all, unless they revealed it to me themselves.The first elder’s gaze intensified as he made a dedication, “Zaylen told us your mother is a werewolf. Could it be possible she was
LIANAI hesitated, my resolve shaken to its core. Could I really endure such pain? My eyes met Zaylen's, searching for strength. He gave me a reassuring nod, his eyes filled with assurance.“Yes,” I finally said, my voice trembling but determined. “I will. I will at least have to try. I can't give up without trying.”The elders exchanged glances and nodded in unison, signaling the end of the meeting. As they left the room, their presence felt like a weight lifting off my shoulders, but the anxiety remained.Zaylen and I were now alone. “Liana,” I glanced at him, “We should stay together tomorrow night.”“Huh?” I arched an eyebrow in confusion.He cleared his throat and let out, “I mean, if you do happen to lose control and transform fully, while our goal might fail, at least I will be able to stop you from going on a killing spree.”Zaylen's suggestion did make sense. “Okay. That sounds like a good plan,” I agreed. His smile warmed me, easing some of the tension in my chest. “Do
LIANAI stepped into the kitchen once again, my mind still reeling from the revelation of the scratches on my arms. I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease, the fear of what I did while I was under the influence of the sedative.“Hey, guys,” I began, my voice shaky with uncertainty. “Can you tell me anything about these scratches? I don't remember anything from last night. What did I do?”Sara and Kiara exchanged a glance, their expressions somber as Kiara spoke up, “The thing is, Lia, even after we gave you the sedative, you still moved around a lot in your bed, writhing in pain and scratching yourself.”“We tried to hold you down, but you still managed to scratch yourself quite a bit,” Sara added.The image painted by their words sent a shiver down my spine. To think that my body had been in such agony, even in my sleep, was terrifying.“Why is this happening to me?” I whispered, unable to contain the fear and frustration bubbling inside me.Before I knew it, tears welled up in
LIANAIn the quiet of the evening, my phone rang, the familiar ringtone signaling an incoming call from my dad. I hesitated for a moment before answering, unsure of what to expect."Hi, Dad," I greeted, trying to keep my voice steady despite the apprehension swirling inside me. Maybe he wanted to mend things? I could only hope so."Liana, you haven't replied to the apartment leave notice," my dad's voice came through the line. I sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment at myself for daring to hope for anything with my father. "Don’t worry, Dad. I will leave the apartment next month," I assured him."You really are stubborn, aren't you? Can't you just apologize?" he chided, his frustration evident in his voice. “You know that your credit card has been cut off too.”I bristled at his words, my own stubbornness rising to the surface. "I wouldn't know, Dad, because I don't use that credit card," I shot back, unable to keep the bite out of my tone.His response was immediate, his voice