Ques. Why do you like this book? As in you like the storyline or drama or twists or whatever you like. (Just Curious. Lol)
***
It took me long to assure mom that I am fine and nothing happened but internally I am shaken up with the new found knowledge.
Kael and James both are my other halves.
I understand the fire and water confusion of my dream. The truth is I can't generate them but I can bend them. Kael and James are the elemental who knows how to produce it and they are supposed to be my strength.
At least that's what I have deciphered on my own.
I need to bring this out in front of others so that we can finally figure out the mystery behind my vision and about the warning.
I have no idea how to prepare myself, should I workout more or continue my daily practice?
I need assistance and I don't know who can help me. Maybe Elias can teach me some tricks at fighting after all he has experience but is that what she meant when she asked me to prepare myself right?
To increase my strength?
I sigh and think about mom to give my mind some rest. I feel relaxed and happy and I haven't felt this for long time. I smile at nothing in particular and pick the pen before I start preparing the speech I need to give in the meeting. Elias must be preparing for the meeting and now I need to handle two things before meeting.
Kael and Regina.
I put my pen down and bundle up the papers, neatly stacking them; I place them in a file and leave my office.
"Regina?" I knock as I stand at the threshold of her guest room which is already open and she is sitting on the desk writing something. She places the pen down and turns to me.
"We need to talk now" she nods and stands up when I enter in the room.
"You can test me however you want so that I can prove my loyalty." she speaks before I can say anything and I close my mouth locking my jaw and giving her a flat look.
"Aren't you too smart Regina?" I narrow my eyes as she walks towards me and sighs.
"I know trusting me is hard but I am ready to prove myself" she speaks softer this time but with sternness in her tone making me look down at her eyes. Her voice didn't waver nor did she flinch, she looked straight at me when speaking.
While interrogating someone we look at their body language to know if they are lying or not.
Regina here is the epitome of perfection and that is fishy. As if she is deliberately trying to prove herself honest.
"I give you the benefit of doubt, Regina. But don't think even for a second that I won't be keeping my eyes on you. One wrong step and you will be dead. No trial" I warn and she simply nods. No sign of fear or nervousness.
Anyone in her position would have felt some type of dread at least or maybe tried to rethink their decision for a second but nope, not her. I nod curtly at her before leaving the room. I mind link Christie telling her to place one of our female warrior with Regina at all time.
If Regina is trustworthy then she is an asset for us in the war but we must be sure that she is working for us. I can smell no pack on her, making her a rogue but that could be their plan and I can't just simply accept her in my pack not at this time.
I was walking to the hall to get an update when I hear someone coming.
"Cara" Kael calls he looks worried but still in his own element.
"Kael" I acknowledge and he walks to me before looking at his back.
"Lilian is new to this and just recently got to know about the presence of our species. Please be easy on her." he pleads and I give him one of my stern looks which means I will do what I see is fit.
He shakes his head before looking over his shoulder and nodding at someone.
A girl steps ahead with shaky steps and she keeps on looking at Kael every now and then. Not once she dared to meet my eyes and I take the time to check her profile. She has a distinct complexion probably what we call as mix skin color. Her eyes are green and she has brown hair a shade darker than that of mine. When she reaches towards Kael, he places his hand on small of her back to steady her and my eyes narrow at the interaction in front.
"Cara." Kael calls snapping me out of my trance and I realize that I have been staring dead at her making her more wobbly and shaky.
Humans have such a low self esteem.
"I said this is Lillian" I shake my head and step ahead. She takes a step back with every step I take and finally stops when she stands behind Kael.
He mumbles something to her which I don't pay any attention to because I am busy in trying to judge her. She does not have that in her to stand beside Kael. And I am sure she has no connections with werewolf, not even recessive genes in her body because my wolf does not react in her presence.
This could be the reason why I came out more intimidating in front of her than what I am supposed to be.
My wolf does not think of her as her family but a threat.
Also the girls clearly has no guts to stand against us and create a weapon of mass destruction against our kind.
Kael is right this girl knows nothing about what she has created, else she would have been more confident than shaking like a leaf. But if she can create a poison only she can create an antidote too. And I will need her for it.
"This conversation is not appropriate for the Hallway. Let's go to my office." I say while Kael glares at my tone before he nods at her and ushers her forward.
All the way they maintain a safe distance between each other clearly stating that they are just friends and I sigh in relief.
She cannot stand against Kael's world. She is too weak for it. And he better not think of her as his potential mate.
As soon as my office door closes I ask "So do you have any idea why you are here?" and gesture her to sit down beside Kael while I walk around the table to sit facing them.
She nods while she fumbles with her fingers and I can clearly hear her heartbeat thumping loudly.
It's matching to what you expect from the princess caged in tower, when she sees the dragon capturing her for the first time. I sigh, I am not that dragon.
"Relax Lillian, we won't hurt you. Now tell us everything that you know." I say and she takes a heavy breath and releases it before nodding.
"Kael mentioned about the liquid being harmful to you and that it's a poison for you and I understand that because the variety of plant we used here is Aconitum lycoctonum. What is also known as 'Bikh' in Hindi? It is most popular in Europe and Northern Asia" She takes a page from my desk and points at a pen. I nod at her as she picks it and writes everything she just mentioned on the paper in a neat cursive strokes.
"What makes this species different from others is that the ingestion of even a small amount results in severe gastrointestinal upset but it is the effect on the heart, where it causes slowing of the heart rate, which is often the cause of death." she explains further and simultaneously writes it down on the paper in keywords.
"The poison may be administered by absorption through broken skin or open wounds and there are reports of florists being unwell after working with the flowers while even merely touching the plant with bare hands can lead to numbness, cardiovascular hypotension and asphyxia-" she stops writing and looks up at me.
"But that's the case for humans. Now if it is so poisonous for humans then surely it will hurt you. When I was given this plant to research on, I added other toxins in it because I was asked to create it despite me not agreeing with it. So I added some other toxins making it more effective" she presses firmly on the pen as she adds a period and places the pen down on the paper. "That's all I know about this poison" she finishes and I blink taking in all the information.
While parting her knowledge, for the first time since she arrived, I saw the confidence emitting out of her. So that's where she is confident?
"If that is all you know then there is a lot of part that has been omitted" I speak finally taking the paper from her hands and giving it a quick glance.
"A total of ten kids were directly injected the poison and four other were affected indirectly with it." I stop as she sucks on a breath and her heart goes erratic again but I signal her with my eyes telling it's not over yet.
"Fifty of my warriors or in your language, soldiers were shot with the poison laced bullet. Twenty of them survived it but are in hospital. Do you understand what your research is doing to our kind?"
Silence. I'm met with Silence.
Out of all the possible reactions, this was unexpected.
"I did this to all of you. I will correct it too" Lillian stands scraping the chair noisily against the floor. For second time today, I am surprised. The sternness in her voice is unmistakable.
Maybe I was too quick to judge her. She has potential.
She fists her hands and decides against making any eye-contact. She feels guilty, I can smell her guilt.
"Give me few days I will create an antidote and-.."
"That's the thing Lillian. We don't have time. There's a war that may erupt anytime now and because they have a weapon against us, we will die even before we can defend ourselves" I state the facts as calmly as possible for me at this time and she takes a staggering step back. She gives one glance at Kael before straightening her previously hunched back.
"Do you have any spot where I can work for the day?" she asks softly but firmly and I give her a look, trying to judge her before I nod.
"There is no well equipped lab in my pack but few of my residents work as scientists. They will help you as much as they can." I answer and mind link Dave, my pack researcher, to come in my office.
"Your eyes" she gasps and I roll my eyes finally looking at Kael who now has a soft smile on his face. He shakes his head at her before speaking, "Mind link remember?" He mentions and her mouth forms an 'oh' and she nods gazing in amazement at my now normal eyes. This all must be too overwhelming for her.
Just then Christie enters with Dave in my office and I nod at Lillian to go with them.
"Will she be safe? The pack is angry about the attack and they may..."
"That is why Christie is going with her. Trust her she's good at her job"
"You have grown up" he states suddenly, chuckling but I don't miss his eyes darting every now and then at the door.
I dismiss him before standing up and walking to the window of my office.
Glancing out of the window towards the riverside I think about Kael and James. I understand the strength and the immediate bond I felt in presence of Kael, but James?
I don't even know him. How is he supposed be my other half when I don't even feel a connection? All of a sudden my hands start shaking, a sweat drop drips off my forehead as I look at my shaking hands.
The skin of both of my arms feels like they are burning and I bite my lips to stop myself from screaming. With increase in pain I fall down on my knees; hanging my head low as sweat drips off my forehead and falls on the ground making a puddle.
I raise both of my hands close to my face and see my birthmark in fiery red colour, within seconds the mark enlarges and spreads and suddenly disappears. With this I see the burn marks trailing all over my arms but my palm sparks my interest. That particular area looks completely burned and instead of skin there's a thick brown layer on my palm.
The burning sensation subsides at the same rate as the brown layer forms all over my hands and my arms. It does not take long before my entire arm is covered with same thick brown layer.
The back of my palms thickens excessively and the nails elongate to form claws; the strongest claws I have ever seen. It feels heavy on my hands and I let my arm fall with the gravity.
Small black patch appears all over the brown skin and soon hairy outgrowths spreads all along my hand.
I use my left transformed arm to touch my another arm and I feel the skin and touching sensation but everything goes away as soon as it came.
I blink.
One blink and everything returns back to normal making me judge my sanity.
I ask the same question again to myself, 'What the heck is happening to me?'
***
I was preparing to leave for the meeting when someone knocks on my door and I hear Ron asking permission to enter "Yeah, come in Ron."
He enters and his face tells it all. It's a bad news. "Alpha..."
"It's okay Ron just says whatever it is" I answer throwing my clothes back on the bed.
"Alpha Ren got wind of everything happening and he clearly refused to help us in the war"
Huh? It was expected. The only time Alpha Ren was good to me was when I was a kid. As I grew up his hate for me increased for some obvious reasons and I am not even surprised.
"That's not it, tell me everything." I command as I look at his now pale face.
"Ah... Alpha Ren also managed to convince Alpha Chris in not helping us. Also the sacred pack wishes to stay out of the war so they won't support anyone. Leaving Alpha Garrett, but our sources tells us that he is working with Alpha Aaron that means..."
"That means only Elias, Alpha Xander and Alpha James are ready to help us." I complete nodding my head.
"The time has come Ron, Tell Elias to cancel the meeting and call Alpha Xander and James to our territory. We now need to get ready for the war."
***
If your life was a song, what would it be? (Again, Just Curious)
Also, I need song suggestions. XD
Two birds with one stone? Lol.
And, The book is coming to an end. *sigh*
I feel bad about it but I have already stretched it long enough. Though according to my calculations I still have nine more chapters to write including Epilogue.