Chapter 6
Piece Of The Puzzle
Clarissa
“Please let him go, Elias! This is all my fault; punish me instead,” I pleaded, following the long line of people heading to the execution. The morning sun was shy, merely peeping out of a dark cloud as if feeling sorry for me. It was a still new morning, no winds pushing the trees, all of nature sympathizing with me. It was all my fault. Elias tugged my grip off his arm and shoved me hard away from him.
“Guards, keep her at bay! No one should know about her participation in this crime. I shall cleanse the pack of this abomination. You, Amaya, shall have your punishment later,” Elias threatened, baring his teeth at me, his lips curled in jealousy. He was the Alpha and my mate but I felt nothing for him. My heart broke as I saw my lover tied up at a stake to be burnt alive.
“Go, Amaya!” he screamed from on high. “I will be fine. Don’t watch me die, please. I love you.”
His final words to me suddenly made me realize my loss. How would I go on without the one who had my heart? How could I live without Lance? All of a sudden, I couldn’t breathe and my hands shook. The disgusting smell of sulfur stank in the air and my eyes watered from the stench. The guards tightened their hold on me but they were no match for the boiling power in my veins.
“No! No! No!!!” I growled, each word sounding more animalistic than the last and my eyes darkened, the blood rage overtaking my senses.
“My lady!” a terrified voice squeaked from somewhere outside the torment I was in. I had a grip on a guard, choking him till he turned blue. He seemed to have a feminine voice, something quite unusual for a full-grown male.
“My lady, please let me go,” he begged, and zeroing in on his face, it morphed into a head full of brown ordinary curls and dull brown eyes. His hairy body transformed too, smooth hands grabbing at my fist helplessly. Soon, the guard became my maid, Kaira and she was on the brink of transcending to the great beyond. Perplexed by the change, I chucked her aside, unaware of the extent of my own strength. I had gotten another flashback from my past, another confusing slice of the story.
Kaira leaned against a stump, spluttering and coughing, her body wracking with messed-up nerves. Her face was pale and I could see the outline of each of my fingers around her neck, a strange brand that emphasized how hard I had held her. Guilt and shame settled afterward and I was thankful that I had curbed my anger in time. I could have killed her and she could tell judging from the frightened stare she pinned at me.
“Kaira, I’m. . .” I paused, unsure if I should be apologizing to a maid for something that I had not done intentionally. “Are you okay?” I changed tactics, still maintaining my dignity.
She tried to speak but when she cleared her throat, she winced immediately. Had I damaged her windpipe? How angry had I been? My wolf was silent too, probably afraid of me as well. I swung my legs off the makeshift bed gracefully and glided over to where Kaira squatted, still struggling to catch her breath. She saw me coming and dragged herself away from me, making it clear that she did not want me so close.
“Don’t be silly, Kaira. I’m. . .” That word again. I shook my head, banishing the thought to the abyss. “I won’t hurt you.”
She raised a sarcastic brow at my reassurance as if to mean, You have already hurt me. My shoulders fell in defeat and I dug in my heels, not sure of what else I could do. She was my maid and if I was to be a Luna half as good as my mother someday, I had to learn how to calm my charges. I took in a deep breath, calling on my wolf spirit to guide me. She uncurled her tail and leaned forward on her paws, ready to help.
“Come to me, Kaira,” I instructed calmly and stretched my hand towards her. She pouted her tiny lips, blinking at me, her fear greater than her trust. I came down to her level and beckoned to her, keeping my palm lightly on her knees.
“You are my charge and I will take care of you always. Come to me,” I repeated even more confidently than before. Golden specks I had not seen before twinkled in her brown Omega eyes and she inched forward a little. I forced a smile on to encourage her and she crawled to me, sitting on her butt mildly. Power surged through my veins at her compliance and my muscles relaxed. I almost felt my wolf nod in approval and I knew that the storm had passed.
The blood-drawn marks on her neck were ugly and though they were already healing, the sight of them did not soothe my conscience. Who was I and how could I have the capacity within me to do so much harm? Kaira sat so quietly that I feared she would never speak again.
“Can you talk? Say something, anything.”
Instead of words, tears ran down her cheeks and she shuddered, a chill traveling down her back. She opened her mouth but no words came forth. My heart sank in realization. I had indeed damaged her windpipe; she would never speak again.
“There. . .is. . .a. .a. . .dance tonight,” she suddenly croaked, her head bent subserviently and a smile blossomed on my face. Relief hit me like a speeding deer and I almost collapsed from the emotion.
“Yes, yes, there is, Kaira but it’s just a practice. Carlin invited me to watch and—” I peeped through a crack in the wooden booth and saw that it was already night. The thick darkness had spread over the land, perfect for lupine events. How long had I slept? I massaged my neck absentmindedly, the notable events of my nightmare replaying in my head.
“Can. . .we. . .go?” she drawled hopefully. “I. . .didn’t. . .want. .to. . .go. . .when. . .you. . .were. . .sleeping.” Kaira took deep breaths before uttering each word, the difficulty in speech obvious from the painful contour of her face. She had stayed to watch me while I slept and I had repaid her with a monster chokehold. It was only decent that I did something good for her. Striding over to where our belongings were, I slipped out a silvery-blue scarf that was my last gift from my mother before she passed.
“Here, put this on.” She peeled it off my fingers and wrapped it snugly around her neck, keeping her matted skin out of view. I needed to see Carlin; he was an important piece of the puzzle.
Chapter 7 Lies and Misunderstanding Carlin She-wolves littered the grounds, some poking fun at their fellows who could not seem to get the dance steps right while some had frowns of concentration, trying with all their might to remember all the instructions. Their teacher, Delilah stood at my side, watching while Greg flanked my right side, surreptitiously staring at the spirited Delilah. “They are doing well, much better than before, I suppose,” I suggested calming her displeasure. She was not one to conceal her emotions and it was obvious that her students were not up to her standard yet. “Not good enough,” she retorted without sparing me a glance. “The Bonfire is almost upon us and they keep joining, knowing that I cannot send them away. I guess word has spread that the Alpha’s son now attends dance practice.” “And whose fault is that?” I immediately attacked her. Her only response was a cunning smile and a careless shrug. It was her idea that my presence would motivate
Chapter 8Heated ProximityClarissa I was a fool, a fool indeed. I kept berating myself as I speed-walked into the woods, spitting fire. I had long since lost Kaira and for her own sake, she’d better avoid me. Rough tree barks scratched at my skin but I did not feel their sting. I was far off in my head, too angry to feel physical pain. Carlin had a mate, a beautiful and talented dancer and he had been toying with my emotions, stringing me along like a puppet. Blinded by his magnificent masculinity and gentle hands, I had forgotten the very thing I had come to his pack to avoid– finding a mate. I thought we had bonded besides the shocking coincidence in the similarities of our dreams but it was all an ugly lie. Trampling through the forest angrily, I did not care to look around until I stopped to catch my breath. My surroundings were strange and for the first time, a trickle of fear watered down my raging anger. How far into the woods had I gone? If I was in my wolf form, I could
Chapter 9End Of The BeginningClarissa Carlin’s reply resounded in my ears and for the first time, the possibility that the she-wolf might have lied came to my mind. Without waiting for his side of the story, I had stormed off, not giving him the benefit of doubt. He wore a wry smile, unaware of the turmoil raging within me. “So, you don’t have a mate?” I wanted to be reassured before deciding on the next step to take. “I don’t. Whoever told you I have a mate clearly wanted to throw you off-balance—” “And they almost succeeded, almost,” I repeated, a bit to myself. Admitting I was wrong was not my best suit. Besides, Carlin might be lying too to cover up his crime and I would be none the wiser. I peered into his eyes for the truth and found steady golden orbs, never flicking, at rapt attention. I became uneasy all of a sudden. “We need to talk and I can’t have this conversation with you carrying me. I won’t run,” I added when he lifted a suspicious brow. Running would solve not
Chapter 10Confirmed Fears Clarissa His eyes were dark with hate and the she-wolf in his grasp was limp, probably using up her last breath. The male who had introduced himself as Greg earlier was unable to help in any way and he stood a few distances away, watching. “Carlin, please put her down. Let her go. Trust me, you do not want to kill her. We can talk about this without being violent.” He seemed to be listening, his ears perked at the sound of my voice. After a minimal moment, he chucked Delilah aside and came to me. Delilah scrambled away from reach, Greg running to her to make sure she was okay. Carlin’s body was slick with sweat and slowly, the darkness drifted away from me. Lance was gone and Carlin was in charge again. “I am so sorry about everything, Clarissa. Delilah. . . has some misguided notions and ambitions towards me. However, I want to make it known here and now that there is nothing between Delilah and me, not even friends anymore.” Massaging her bruised ne
Chapter 11 • An Unknown EmotionCarlin “Blood? What are you talking about, Healer?” I paced the room, aware of the panicked look on Clarissa’s face. We had just met and were getting to know each other. This was too much to comprehend. It was true that something odd was between us but bloodshed was the last thing I wanted. “It is, as I said child. A story has been retold in your generation and it involves the both of you. A love story, not allowed to be by two star crossed lovers. I have dreaded this day.” Adele raised her eyes to the ceiling, seeing far more than my eyes could. Clarissa beckoned on me silently and I returned to my place beside her. Without thinking about it, my fingers went behind her neck, kneading the stress away and occasionally combing her hair lightly with my fingers. “Healer… can you tell us this story? I have been having some nightmares and Carlin some daydreams, both of a similar nature.” “Why didn’t you let me know?” Adele accused me, pointing a wrinkl
Chapter 12 • Bitter Memory Carlin Coming to, my head felt like it had been bashed with a blunt object. It ached a lot as I struggled to keep my eyes open but seeing the worry on Clarissa’s face, I did not want to cause her any more grief. She was weeping over me and rubbing her hands all over my body. Kaira stood near the door, equally bewildered. Clarissa followed the direction of my eyes and dismissed the relieved handmaid. “Carlin, my love, I… I saw you… in that ugly cell. What does it all mean?” Like I had any answers myself. She watched me in expectation and I massaged the back of my sore neck. It was a flashback that had pulled into the darkness. That kiss of hers had triggered a very bitter memory from my past life. “I don’t have all the answers, Clarissa but I was in a flashback. The man you saw behind the cell was Lance and not me. I was merely trapped in his body and… and while I heard your voice, I could not move an inch.” Clarissa nibbled on her full lower lip th
Chapter 13 • Childhood Friends Clarissa I had to give it to her: Delilah had some guts. You would think that after I had stopped Carlin from strangling her to death, she would take the hint to stay away from me. Instead, she stood in my makeshift room, offering friendship. “You don’t have to say yes right now,” she added, “I can wait if you want to think about it.” I lifted the tray off my lap, finished with my meal and replaced it on the table. “There is nothing for me to think about, Delilah. You don’t like me and you don’t want me here, especially close to Carlin. However, I am not going anywhere, at least not anytime soon so you better get used to seeing my face. Now, you should leave before Carlin gets here.” “Too late,” Carlin corrected, entering the room with an air of superiority. His father was still alive but I could see the kind of Alpha he would become. His enemies would shudder at the mere sound of his name. He blocked the entrance, trapping Delilah between us.
Chapter 14 • Unspoken Plea Clarissa For the second day in a row, I had gone to bed with Carlin and woken up without him. I was feeling more energized than when I fell asleep and my headache was a thing of the past. Somehow, I had even woken up before Kaira did but had poked her awake to get my bath ready. My wolf was on alert now, no longer dulled by the effects of sickness. Whatever Adele had mixed up in that little bottle had been unpleasant to my taste buds but had done its job perfectly. After my bath, I made myself ready for Carlin’s arrival, knowing we would have to leave for the healer’s hut soon. “Won’t you have something to eat, Mistress? Your father has not seen you in days and he is worried.” In my anxiety, I had forgotten the need to eat and keep up my strength. It was true that I had not seen Father in days, a rather strange occurrence. Back in Black Paw, we ate breakfast together almost everyday and a day did not go by without me sharing a few words with him. Cur