KATRINA“You’re the Zeta, aren’t you?”I didn’t hide my glowing eyes because from what I knew it was intimidating—no use hiding what I can’t control. The Zeta was meek with geeky glasses and shabby facial hair. His raven hair was bold but he had a small physique for a twenty-year-old wolf—or any other wolf for that matter. According to the Triplets, he was the best around—the smartest around—and had found cures to the former diseases but he had a bad taste in clothes, and his red nose and messy hair were not appealing. Looked like he hadn’t slept in days.“Y-yes, ma’am.”“Don’t call me ma’am!” I grabbed his collar but Kane came in between and separated us. “Calm down, Kat.”“Never tell a woman to calm down!” Kane’s eyebrow rose as I barked at them. Before I could see their reactions, I turned back to the Zeta. “Have you even been doing your work?”Zetas are like Omegas, except they are ridiculously intelligent and every pack has its own Zeta. They are on the rank, right after Gamma a
KATRINA“Willow?” Cannon asked, putting his glasses on as he read the contents of the paper. I had so many questions about that paper because it didn’t match the hard-feel crumbly and brown look of the Grimoire’s pages. It was unreal to think that it fell behind us without us seeing it. “That’s the meadow.”“I thought so,” Kane said, tapping his fingers on the glass of his whiskey. He’d poured it two hours ago but not a drop touched his mouth. We were seated in a room of the packhouse’s clinic, which was on the lower floor. It had that hospital feel and setting, except the rooms were smaller and most were unoccupied. Charles was still working on the disease and I had to say, I was losing my patience. It was evening and Hilda’s color hadn’t returned.“So? What’s up with this meadow?” I asked, impatience evident in my voice.“Didn’t you pass that sh*tty portal to get here?” Ian said and ever since his smoke strike, he always had one in his mouth and was probably regretting the strike
KATRINAWe drove out of Moonstone and spent all evening walking to Willow’s Meadow—there hasn’t been much success in that.Everyone was restless throughout the journey and I regretted not bringing extra clothes so we could shift and race into the meadow. I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of being naked in front of them.Dressing in lingerie was one thing, but naked?“This is a waste of time. We shift or spend the whole day on these f*cking legs.” I guess he was saying that because he had run out of smokes. “I don’t think so.”‘I think so. Me want out.”They shot me a questioning look and from their eyes, I could tell what was going on in their minds. “Why? Can’t shift,” Ian mocked but that offended me, I didn’t let it get to me.“Then what do you want us to do? Remember, it’s about Hilda.”I can’t believe Kane just did that. “Don’t use my daughter to blackmail me.”“She’s my daughter too, Kat.”He didn’t have to constantly remind me of the bitter truth. Henry coughed, in preparati
KATRINAWe backed each other so that we formed a circle, in a way that we could each see the agmarbh’s staring eyes from different angles. Melora was growling and I was glad she didn’t shift me out because she’s done that before and I didn’t take it lightly.‘Holy sh*t! What the f*ck are these?’ Ian said, evidently revolted by the eyes and canines of these vile creatures.‘Agmarbhs,’ Cannon breathed out, panting. ‘You guys got one didn’t you?’‘Yeah, just one, and Kat ended up in the hospital. But now there are f*cking hundreds!’‘I’ve never seen so many before,’ Henry whispered but I could still hear what he said, yet I was in no position to ask questions.The eyes started to blink and their murderous teeth moved, striking fear in our hearts.‘Any ideas?’ Henry asked.I took a deep breath. ‘Go for the head.’The Agmarbhs roared as their yellow beastly forms dashed out of their hiding places in large numbers, behind trees and rocks, attacking us all at once with their claws in the air
KATRINAI could hear. I could feel. I could smell. But I couldn’t see and I couldn’t move. I couldn’t say if it was sleep paralysis or the effect of my fainting but it made me feel dead within.But the thing is, where am I? The agmarbhs…“Doc, I’m gonna say this for the last time.” That was Kane’s voice. “It’s been thirty-six hours since she’s been on that bed.” There was a piercing silence and hearts were beating fast. “Thirty-six hours! Do something now or I’m gonna tear that stupid coat off you!”Was I hallucinating or were they really here?There was arguing and Cannon’s voice came to light. “Calm your a*s done, Kane. He’s a doctor, not the goddess.”I smelt smoke. “F*ck that. The mother f*cker’s been saying she’ll wake since yesterday!”“You must understand, this is nothing like the last strike you speak of. It’s stronger,” the doctor spoke boldly. “And unpredictable.”“Don’t spit that sh*t at me!”I wondered how many times they had fought him because the doctor sounded frustrate
KATRINAI pulled the mug of coffee from my mouth, drinking it quietly as I watched the Triplets loiter in my ward. Susanna, once again, grabbed the opportunity to steal the kids and this time they were making chocolate chip cookies.They said they’d give me some when they were done.“Don’t you three have better things to do?” I asked, as their eyes fell on me consecutively.I shivered from the impact, distracting myself with the half-empty…‘Half-full you mean?’…mug of cappuccino.“Our favorite thing is here.” Kane paused, waiting for my reaction but I stared at him and for some reason, I was imagining him in reading glasses. Now that would be crazy. “Why should we?”“Sex?” I asked as the three let out different forms of laughter—weird laughter.It was contagious and I was one inch away from laughing too.“You aren’t wrong, cupcake.” Ian was smoking again and I wondered if he would die if he just took on three hours without a f*cking cigarette in his mouth. “Speak for yourself,” Cann
KATRINAIt had been a day but the incident didn’t leave my mind for a minute. The kids refused to take any snacks except the ones Susanna made for them and I wondered what she was adding those things. But I understood later on today when I tasted one of the cookies. They were so heavenly.‘It’d be nice if she had a bakery,’ Melora suggested.‘Yeah… it would.’The kids were watching a movie in the theatre room; one that Cannon picked for them and I was having second thoughts about not checking what it was about before letting them watch it. ‘At least it’s not Ian,’ Melora laughed.‘You can say that again.’There were times I regretted stopping them and not letting them in. And there were other times I was glad I did before it went too far. I was using the opportunity of my free time to steal cookies from Susanna. I doubt I’d sleep well tonight without some more of those.“Don’t play with me, Cole. This is f*cking serious.”I heard laughter over the phone and Kane talking was pissed
KATRINAI breathed out, groaning. “What is that noise?” I removed the pillow from beneath my face and placed it over my head, trying to shield my ears with it. The buzzing sound refused to stop and I pulled my head out from below the pillow when I thought the sound would wake the kids.Then I remembered, they moved today to their new room. The Triplets wanted to give them separate rooms but they refused so they gave them separate beds in a single room instead.Thank the goddess for that.I hid my head under the pillow again, hoping I could ignore it but it seemed to get louder and I gave up, rubbing my eyes and searching for where the sound was coming from. It wasn’t difficult to find it. I pulled the drawer out of my cabinet.I frowned, realizing it was the phone Ian gifted me some time ago. I had forgotten about it and not used it in a long time because of the drama happening.“D*mn it, not now you stupid phone.”