LAUREL’s POVHelios stares at Diego and for the longest time, no one breathes a word.Stifling silence fills the air and we all stay unmoving like statues in a wax museum. Then all of a sudden, Helios throws his head back and roars with laughter. But there is not a single trace of humour in his voice.The hair at the back of my neck stands up and I feel goosebumps all over my skin. It is never a good thing when Helios laughs like that.Diego looks on in confusion before he starts to smile nervously and lets out a chuckle of his own. Soon, he too joins in the chorus of laughter.I stand rooted in my position and stare at them both incredulously, feeling as if I am watching some sort of satirical dark comedy unfold in front of me.Then just as suddenly as Helios starts to laugh, he stops abruptly. And without warning, he reaches out and grabs Diego by his scrawny neck, cutting off the elderly man’s cackle and pulls him close. This time, Helios’ nails dig deep into Diego’s pasty skin and
LAUREL’s POVGrowing up, there would be times when I dreaded going home, simply because I knew what awaited me behind our front door. Mother's wrath. But I had never dreaded coming back to the pack after a long day of hunting or work that Alpha Helios assigned me to. Not even once.Until now. We approach the great iron portcullis. The lattice grilled vertical gate is closed and two guards stand erect in front, vigilantly guarding it. We could have used the shortcut through the Morningstar square to renter Helios’ land but he had deliberately brought us through the main gate. He is shrewd, sometimes, I simply cannot fathom his mind.Helios moves forward with Diego reluctantly following from behind. But my steps falter and I come to a stand still, watching the figures of the two men in front of me walk further and further away. I do not know how my parents and Jamie will react upon seeing me. Will they plot yet another scheme to get rid of me? I curl my fingers into a ball so har
LAUREL’s POV “Come out, Laurel.” Helios calls for me and I take a deep breath to soothe my nerves. The time has come to put an end to Jamie's facade. I get up from my hiding place, ignoring the dizzy spell that washes over me. My blood pressure drops and for a moment, I feel woozy. But nothing will stop me from facing the very person who stole my identity from me. And with one bare foot at a time, I step out from behind the painted screen to face Jamie. Sister, imposter, murderer. Slowly I move towards her, until I stand right in front of her kneeling form. And for a full minute, neither of us speaks nor moves...it is as if time has come to a standstill. Memories stir within me. Memories of a better time; of Jamie’s first steps as a toddler towards me, of Jamie laughing as she played in the fields near our house, of Jamie soothing me as a child when I cried from the pain of mother's flogging. Memories of how innocent and full of love she was before she changed. Into a monster.
LAUREL’s POV Death comes to everyone who is born. It is the natural order of things. But as my end nears, I have to ask myself this; knowing that death is inevitable, what is most precious to me today? The answer is painfully obvious. Helios. I wish to see him one last time. I wish to be able to tell him how I feel. I wish to let him know that the sun and moon rise in his eyes and that I have loved no one else but him throughout all these years. It matters not that he already knows about this; all I want is for him to tell me face to face how he truly feels about me. Because if Diego fails to come up with an antidote by tomorrow, I will never know. Is that too much for a dying girl to ask? “Okay, let’s try this one,” Diego’s voice breaks my train of thoughts and I turn to face the old man. He has his beard tied into a little braid, complete with a tiny bow at the end. I would have laughed out loud at how adorable his beard actually looks if it weren’t for the dire situation we a
LAUREL’s POVThere is pain. At first, it is everywhere, heavy and unbearable and for a moment, I have to wonder if I am already dead.But I’m very sure that heaven or hell doesn’t very well include Ares screaming like a madman into my ear.“LAUREL! THANK GOODNESS, YOU’RE FINALLY CONSCIOUS! YOU MADE IT! THE POTION WORKED!”The way Ares is shouting, I think my eardrums might just about split open. I struggle to open my eyes and whisper, my throat bone dry, “Ares…”Quickly, he leans closer, placing an ear near my lips. “Yes, Laurel? Is there anything you need? Water? Food?”“I need you to shut up.”“Oh, okay.”But he throws his arms around me and hugs me anyways even as he pulls me to a sitting position. My head is throbbing, my body is burning and my legs are cramping but it feels good to be alive. It feels even better to be in Helios’s comfortable and warm bed. I inhale deeply, noting how fresh the linen smells. Someone must have changed my sheets and clothes while I was unconscious.Wh
LAUREL’s POVThere is movement at the corner of the cell and I suddenly freeze. My reaction surprises me. Probably because I have feared them for so long. It is difficult to approach them without hesitation even when they are both chained to the walls.A shadow speaks. “Jamie? My darling daughter…is that you?”It is mother and she cranes her neck to catch a glimpse of my face.“JAMIE!” she calls out again, the joy on her face is immeasurable.“It’s not her, Helen. It’s Laurel,” father’s tired voice fills the cell and mother’s jaw drops. For a moment, she merely stares at me, her eyes unblinking.Then suddenly, she lets out an ear-piercing howl. Her chains rattle and she kicks and screams, “Nooooooo! Damn you! Laurel! Where is Jamie? What did you do to your sister?! Did you hurt your poor little sister? You’ve got your life back, why can’t you spare her? You selfish girl, give me back my baby!” I step forward. “Mother, I-“She hisses and spits at my feet. “You’re evil, Laurel! You’re n
LAUREL’s POV I reach the training ground. Thunderous shouts from the warriors in training echo across the valley as they move in a uniform line, all struggling to reach the finishing line. Their ankles are shackled to heavy iron balls that weigh them down, making each and every step a torture. This is a basic training that every warrior in training has to undergo; one which will ultimately help in strengthening the muscles in their legs and enable them to outrun their foes in the event a war or fight breaks out. “MOVE IT, YOU WEAKLINGS!” Helios roars from the finishing line and my eyes dart over to where he stands. And boy, is he a sight to behold. He is in black jeans that hang off his hips and his naked muscular chest is glistening in sweat. He is glaring at the trainees, eyes blazing. To say that he is displeased would be an understatement. He is pissed. He crosses both arms under his massive chest and yells, “ARE YOU PREDATOR OR ARE YOU PREY?” “Predators!” the warriors shout
LAUREL’s POVI don’t know why they call this a heartbreak. It feels like every part of my body is broken too and it takes all of my might just to make it out of the valley. Physically, I trudge through the Morningstar square but my mind has long left my surroundings behind.And somehow, instead of walking back home, my feet bring me right to the doorsteps of the Blue House. It actually takes the meowing of a tabby cat nearby to bring me back to my senses.I stare at the front door and blink a few times in confusion. Strange, why are there only two guards at the door? Normally, the Blue House is a fortress but today, it is as empty as a haunted house.I frownDidn’t Ares say that Diego is still held captive? Perhaps I should go in and take a look. Maybe a chat with Diego will take my mind off all that had just happened. I haven’t asked him how my parents and Jamie got the poison from him. Even more curious is how he got into the Dark Forest in the first place. Members of our pack dread