| CHAPTER 64 : CLAIM YOUR PLACE |
"-you might wanna be careful around Big Boss-yeah I know crappy nickname but this one will do for now-he's always trying to sneak behind you and slam cream cheese onto your face. Also, Michael Jackson-another nickname-is the school's current flirt so just knee him in the balls when he gets close, trust me his reaction is funny. Also, Regina Gorge-we gotta start coming up with better nicknames-is just the sweetest girl despite her mean girl look."
Jade ranted off while leading me along the hallways of my once upon a high school. It's been days since I've been here, and I don't think I remember anything from this place. I hated school anyway.
I had been feeling sick when I got up and wanted to throw up again. Despite that, I still told Jade I wanted to go to school. She was purely excited about that and tackled me in a hug.
Now she's showing me around and recalling my memory.
My mind had gotten somewhere far away from the thoughts of Saludom but not quite yet.
First classes were easy to get through and I forced myself to pay attention and take down notes. Jade managed to stir every one of my classes with hers, so she was beside me through and through.
It was a little hard focusing since I joined in the middle of the year and half of the lessons had already been taught.
After taking out my books from my locker, I walked with Jade to my other class. I was already feeling a little better, a little empty, a little queasy but I'm proud of managing myself.
Someone abruptly bumped into me, almost sending me falling sideways.
"Hey! Watch it!" Jade yelled but I wasn't in contact with the world anymore as dark flashes of images flashed in front of my eyes.
Pain...darkness...blood...people screaming. Wailing. Dying. I felt their pain. I felt their torture. I felt their deaths. Terror everywhere. Flashing red with loud sirens. A cruel laugh. A baby crying.
The images flashed before my eyes within a blink, much faster than I could comprehend, almost knocking me back. My eyes met Jade's confused and worried ones as my mouth was half open in a gasp.
My eyes roamed around frantically, not bothering to move out of people's way as they bristled past me.
"Where'd he go?" I asked, looking for the guy who bumped into me.
"The one who bumped into you?" Jade asked before pointing in a direction, "right there."
I started to move in that direction.
"Where are you going?" Jade yelled behind me, but I was already far away from her.
My legs were swift, trying to follow the guy who bumped into me.
I spotted him turning right on a hallway and disappearing again. I didn't waste a second and speed-walked towards him. People were going in the opposite direction of me so when I came to the end of the hallway, no one was with me.
A confused frown came on my face as I looked at the empty hallway. The only thing filling this hallway was chairs and air.
The bell rung, dispersing students into their classrooms. I didn't move from my spot, still gazing at the long empty hallway which had its lights closed.
I know I should turn back.
I know I should walk away.
I know I shouldn't step into the hallway.
But I did it anyway.
I stepped in with heavy steps, my breathing as quiet and soft as a feather as the silence around me.
My eyes warily looked around for something, I'm not even sure what. I gazed at the bulletin boards with colourful pins gathered in a corner.
Despite the hallway being empty with nothing in particular, I couldn't help but continue with my silent, heavy steps.
Where did the guy go?
The hallway ended with a huge window so unless he jumped out the window he's got to be somewhere here.
Those images...I've seen them before. I've felt them before. I don't remember when but I'm one hundred percent sure, I've seen those before. The pain...the horror...I felt it all. I've felt it before.
A door slammed shut.
I jumped in my place and whirled around, wide-eyed.
The sound erupted from my right. I gazed at the door six feet away from me. The last time I checked, that door was already closed.
Blinking slowly, I hesitantly crept towards the door no matter how much my body wanted to run away.
I stopped in front of the door, placing my hand on the cool doorknob.
Preparing myself for God knows what, I turned the doorknob around and pushed open the door.
The door swayed with a creak as I peered into the dark room.
Run! My brain warned me, but I was already stepping in, looking around in the darkness.
The darkness in this room enveloped me almost immediately as if calling out to me and engulfing me into its grasp.
The door slammed shut behind me.
My heart jumped as I whirled around.
A small lightbulb flicked on.
I turned.
My heart dropped.
About a thousand pairs of eyes belonging to mechanical babies stared back at me.
Black, blue, green, brown. All lined on shelves.
My legs stumbled back. A scream threatened to leave my lips when my back collided with the door. My hand grasped its knob and tried jerking it open, but the damn thing wouldn't open. I looked back at the babies. Blood rushed faster in my veins.
The door finally opened, and I rushed out with my heart in my throat. Something caught my eye and I stopped dead in my tracks.
Turning around slowly, with my breath trapped in my lungs, my eyes met the bulletin board.
My mouth parted open in shock as my eyes widened at the colourful pins which were first gathered together in a corner, now arranged into words.
'YOUR BABY IS MINE'
My chest heaved. My heart drummed faster. My legs turned into rocks. Loud sirens rang everywhere in my head and that's all it took for me to take off towards the bathrooms and retch into the toilets.
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My fingers clasped tightly together with my lips frozen like ice. People frequently walked past me and gave me worried or curious looks under the night sky, but I couldn't care. Jade almost blew up my phone with worried and questioning texts and calls until my phone died of battery.
My eyes kept flickering to the rectangular box beside me on the park bench. A constant feeling haunted me and no matter what I think or what I do, the feeling was settled in well deep.
What if...? How can...? Why...?
If...what I think is real and it's really happening then...?
A deep sigh came out of my mouth, as I leaned back and stared at the cloudless starless sky.
I don't know what to think. I don't know what to do.
My head thrummed lightly with an incoming headache. I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath.
It's now or never.
I opened my eyes and gazed at the blue and white box. A feeling of dread passed over me as I picked it up and placed it in my schoolbag. Gathering myself, I stood up and scuffed towards Jade's house.
With every step, a heaviness weighed down on my chest. A threatening feeling of breaking down latched onto the back of my eyes.
My mouth took in a deep breath before I opened the door to Jade's house and stepped in.
"Ezlynn!" Arms threw themselves around me with a teary-eyed Jade squeezing me to death, "where were you? You just ran out of school without telling me anything. I thought you got kidnapped again by the wolf Elias guy and was going to come looking."
Guilt washed over me as I pulled away from Jade, "Sorry, I just felt a little sick and couldn't continue anymore."
"You didn't really have to go to school unless you were completely ready," Jade spoke with worried green eyes.
"I know, I'm sorry." I apologized again with my heart carrying nothing but emptiness.
"Where did you even go? You're freezing like hell. Mama Mia!" Jade rushed and brought back a blanket, wrapping it around me.
"I'm gonna just go take a shower," I muttered, unwrapping myself from the blanket and handing it back to her.
Jade gave me a look which I knew all too well. It meant 'I know there's something wrong with her, but I'll let her go for now but if she keeps this for long, I'm gonna force it out of her'.
I walked up the stairs and went straight into the bathroom.
Hot water cascaded down my bare body as I stood like a statue, gazing ahead. My mind was completely detached from the outer world as it submerged into my dark void thoughts.
During dinner, I told Jade I'm not feeling well and needed to just lie down. She gave me another worried look before nodding and skipping downstairs. A few minutes later, Jade's mom came to check on me and I assured her too.
She forced a bread in my mouth nevertheless, telling me I shouldn't skip meals.
A few hours later, Jade snored beside me as I stayed wide-awake, staring at the ceiling. She said she was going to sleep only when I go to sleep but her eyes drooped, and she fell asleep anyway.
My eyes kept flickering to my schoolbag dropped on a random spot on the carpeted floor.
After a while of my bag haunting me, I finally sat up and slid off the bed.
Reaching out to the white and blue box inside, I quietly crept towards Jade's bathroom and closed the door behind me.
I opened the box and took out the white pregnancy test tube, my eyes firmly gazing at it.
Here goes nothing...
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I stepped out of the bathroom. A gasp escaped my lips at the dark figure hovering over Jade.
Levi turned around, wide-eyed, with a look that said 'Shh!'.
I gave him an open-mouthed confused look.
Before he could reply I gestured for him to follow me. Not wanting to wake up Jade, I led him downstairs towards the kitchen.
While my footsteps made a little noise, Levi's were absolutely silent and stealthy as he followed me.
Once we were in the kitchen, I turned on a small yellow light bulb and turned towards Levi. He looked almost like a haunting ninja, standing six feet tall, wearing all black with sharp weapons poking from his belt.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"I had to talk to you about something." His tone sounded serious.
"What?"
He sucked in a breath, hesitant, "You need to come back to Saludom." He rushed.
My heart immediately dropped at his words.
"What?"
He, tiredly, ran a hand through his hair, "You need to come back, Ezlynn."
My voice disappeared within my throat before I whispered out a "Why?"
His face contorted with seriousness and troubled expressions, "King Alpha wants to make that Amber witch his queen," my heartbeat slowed at his words, "he's going to marry her tomorrow."
My head swayed.
"Worst of all," Levi said, "he's going to give her Lucretia's crown."
My eyes widened in horror, "The crown?"
He nodded, "If that crown gets anywhere near that witch, we're all good as dead. Lucretia's crown has Queen Lucretia's magic in it. If the witches get their hands on that magic, we werewolves are gone like the wind."
I spluttered for words before managing to speak, "Levi I-King Alpha exiled me! What do you want me to do?"
"Come back," Levi pressed, "take your place back. You are King Alpha's mate, not her and not any other girl."
"Aren't you King Alpha's Loyal Royal Beta? Shouldn't you be on his side?"
"Whatever side I take, I have pledged myself to you Ezlynn. Even if you run into the darkest roads, my pledge will always remain until death." He spoke sincerely.
My heart warmed the slightest bit at his loyalty towards me.
"Please, you need to come back," Levi's eyes were pleading.
My breath collected in my lungs as I sort through my brain for words, "Levi..."
"I promise I'll protect you if King Alpha tries to harm you. But you need to claim your place back."
"Levi," I gripped onto his shoulder, making him look at me. I shook my head as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, "I'm scared to go back."
A soft sigh escaped his lips as let out a deep breath, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, "We all are, Ez. Everyone at Saludom is scared. Many people want to run, not wanting to be here if the witch got control over Lucretia's magic."
I looked down at my feet, licking my dry lips.
I can't go back, can I?
How will I even claim my "place"?
My eyes turned weary as a sigh came out of my lips. Before I could look up at Levi, my eyes snapped to the test tube that was still in my clutched in my hands.
I stop breathing as my legs turned weak and my hand fell off Levi's shoulder.
Levi opened his eyes and looked down at me. His face morphed into confusion but that was short-lived when he realized what was it that I was holding in my hand.
I turned the tube around to show him with my mouth parted open.
His eyes widened, reading the tube, "Oh my fucking God..." He muttered horridly.
His eyes shot to mine, shocked.
My bottom lip quivered, and I could no longer keep it in.
It started with a tear then another, until sobs after sobs wracked through my mouth.
Levi wrapped his hands around me, holding me to him as I cried onto his chest on this gruelling night.
I'm pregnant.
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Date: 3rd September 2021