Chapter 133: Chapter 17

ADELIE

I found myself waking up in a dimly lit room, the only source of light being a single, lonely bulb. The bed beneath me was a rickety metal frame that creaked with every slight movement.

I quickly reached for the marble, whispering, “Kairos.”

“I’m here,” he responded. “Where are you? Are you okay? They sent us a note.”

“What did it say?” I asked, my voice urgent.

“Are you okay?” he asked again, sidestepping my question.

“Yes. They locked me in a room, I was poisoned but I am good now.”

“They wasted no time. We got a note.”

“What did it say?” I asked again, standing up to survey the room.

“Coordinates to take the book to. If you are not hurt, I guess there is no rush. But they will let only one person go, meaning that he will trap them also.”

I paced around the room. A metal box. It had stripped me of my powers. I felt nothing. “Is Elias okay?” I asked.

“He’s fine.”

That was all that mattered. “Kairos, you all have to look out for him.”

“We are.”

“He likes to explore, he likes to wander off. He is smart but he thinks that no one will hurt him. Because he is always brought back to my pack. Everyone around knows that I reward anyone bringing him back. That’s why he is always safe.”

And that was my fault. I should have been a little harder on him. More stern, scold him occasionally.

“Adelie, he will be fine, I will die before anything happens to him.”

“Why?” I had to ask. He didn’t know his relation to that kid. To Kairos he was just a stranger.

“Because he is your son. You love him. And I would do anything for your love.”

“Not anything…” I mumbled out but his silence approved me. “Why wasn’t I enough?” I asked. “When all of those times you swore I was your sun. What was it that I couldn’t give you?”

“You ruined me, Adelie,” he said, shutting me up. Me? “You made me love you so much that I knew I couldn’t just stay there… I… I had problems, Adelie. I was sick. Still am sick. My thoughts were ill and disgusting. I couldn’t stay and lie to your face. But look at you now. You have a pack. You are so powerful. You have a son.”

“You broke my heart, Kairos.”

He didn’t answer.

“You broke every promise you ever made to me. We fought so much. For what? For a love that you walked away from. I wish that I never met you. That I had never been in that forest when we met. That I had never left my first pack.” My anger got the best of me.

“Do you still love me?” he asked.

The audacity. The nerve he had. “I shouldn’t,” I whispered out.

MAEVE

We were at the library, me Kairos and Leonard. “Adelie told me his name. Ebenezer Wallis. He poisoned her and now her powers don’t work. But as of right now, she is okay,” Kairos explained.

“They want that book. But they knew that Adelie was the only one who could retrieve it. They know we are not as strong to fight off vampires. They surely won’t just give it.” Leonard said.

Kairos was still wearing that marble. Considering we were three people here she wouldn’t be able to hear us.

“Adelie took that book,” Kairos said. Leonard didn’t look surprised. But I was surprised that Adelie told Kairos.

“She took it with her?” I asked, surely she wouldn’t, right?

He shook his head. “She didn’t, she brought it here. The vampires know she has it. And whoever is holding her hostage also knows.”

“She must have hidden it,” Adelie wouldn’t be so stupid to just leave it in her room.

And Kairos’s eyes said the same.

The doors swung open. It was Collin. “They are here!” he said.

“Who?” I asked.

But Kairos was the one who answered. “I guess they also know,” he said standing up.

The vampires. They were here.

“No!” I shouted as they were about to leave. Their eyes shot at me. “Let me.”

Leonard eyed Kairos who was nodding. “They don’t respect us, but they might respect her.”

They stepped aside, letting me lead them.

I stepped out being greeted with ten vampires. Of course Irene was in the front. “Long time no see,” I told her, and saw that many other wolves were approaching. “We had a deal but it looks like our pack wasn’t good enough shelter for you?”

“You don’t let us hunt, how do you expect us to feed?” she asked.

They were aware that I got blood bags from the city hospital. Sometimes they were our own people. They knew it was to feed me. But I never bit them. The doctor took their blood in the most humane way.

“That was never part of our deal.”

“Neither was Adelie going behind our back. Where is she?” Irene asked.

“She isn’t here.”

“Where is she?” She asked again impatiently.

“We don’t know.”

“What?” she was furious.

“The book isn’t with her.”

“Then where is it?” she asked, taking a step toward me.

I cleared my throat. “We are not sure. But we are sure that Adelie would never put others in danger. She wouldn’t let wrong hands have it either.”

“Cut it out. Where is Adelie?” she snapped at me.

Irene was never the enemy, I was sure. “Do you know anything about Ebenezer Wallis,” her chin raised up by the mention of his name.

“What about him?”

“Maeve!” Kairos was the one getting involved.

I looked back at him. “She can help.”

“Now, why would I do that?” she asked.

“Because you don’t want the book to go to the wrong hands.”

“Adelie deceived me.”

“She had to. She has never wished you ill, or anyone. Ebenezer made her bring the book to him. We made a replica. But he won’t stop until he gets the real one.”

“If we would have had it. None of this should have happened.”

I didn’t know why she took the book from them. If we had the replica, she didn’t need the original. Or maybe… She did it for the stupidest reason. So that she would be the only one who knew the location. So no one would try to kill themselves trying to retrieve it.

Adelie. You have done it again. It wasn’t stupid. She knew that if not anyone else then Kairos would go get it. But unlike Adelie he would die on the spot.

“But he would have never stopped. If not Adelie, then anyone else who would bring the book to him would do it. But she is there imprisoned now and we can find her and destroy him before he kills Adelie and finds another victim.”

“Ebenezer will keep her alive for years if he has to. You are the ones who will die trying to save her.” Irene’s words were harsh. I also knew she wouldn’t lie.

“Help us protect each other and we will destroy him and give you back the book.”

The corner of her lip turned up. “You are soft. So latched on to this part of you that is slowly dying.”

And there it was. The lump in my throat. I knew it. She didn’t need to say that my vampire part was slowly becoming stronger. Five years… I could tell which part of me had the upper hand.

“Vampires can’t live in the body of an animal. Sooner or later your only part will be vampire and then you will see that they won’t care for you anymore. They won’t want to take care of a vampire. And you will realize that a wolf pack is not where you belong.” Her cold hand reached my cheek, gently stroking it.

“But tell me. How far has it gone? Does your wolf form still obey your orders?” There was an amusement in her voice.

It didn’t. My wolf still talked. But she was getting away, I felt it. It was harder to shift now. While my vampire strength increased, I was turning into less of a wolf.

I didn’t answer her. She looked behind me at everyone who followed me. “They didn’t know?” She loved this torment. “They didn’t know that you would eventually become a full vampire? Well maybe it is the time you finally come and live with your kind. Don’t you think so?”

“You are not my kind,” I cut at her.

“You aren’t? But you do know that you could take anyone here and drain them out of their blood dry? You would thrive in our coven, Maeve.”

“We need your help with Adelie,” I completely ignored her offer. I would never live with them. They had no soul. And I was afraid of becoming like that. Cold.

“We don’t care who gets hurt here.”

“Adelie once brought you back the book, didn’t she? From Aldred. She gave it to you. You owe her.”

“We agreed to her living arrangements, but she tried to keep us on a leash like some kind of dogs.”

“Join us in taking him down. The one who’s so desperate for that book. That’s the deal. Once she’s back, she’ll face the fallout of her theft. But for now, we’ll use her to locate Ebenezer. Our goal is to bring her back alive. Yours is to eliminate him and his followers.”

She wasn’t thrilled with my plan. More accurately, she wasn’t thrilled about collaborating with wolves.

She stared into the distance. She knew she had no other choice. “We’ll be close by. We expect full cooperation. Or there will be repercussions.”

She spun around with her entourage and they departed. The other wolves resumed their activities, and I turned to see King, Kairos, and Collin still present.

Collin was the only one who met my gaze.

They all now understood that there was little of the wolf left in me.

I walked past them without uttering a word. Back to my room.

By evening, my thirst had intensified. I had only consumed human food. I couldn’t recall the last time I had blood. Adelie arranged for blood bags to be delivered to me. In our pack, deliveries were routine. But here, it was more challenging. In our pack, we had a human hospital as our source. A rogue was assisting us in exchange for some cash.

But here we didn’t have that luxury, so Adelie had to send it from our pack.

I approached the king’s study and knocked. “Come in!” he called from inside and as I entered, I saw that Collin was also there; he looked just as surprised as Leonard. “How can I assist you? Are you okay? You look a bit under the weather.”

I managed a smile. “Just concerned for Adelie. I was wondering about the delivery Adelie sent from our pack?”

“Yes, I canceled it.” What? “The note said it was mostly clothes. I’m sure we can find anything you need here. I didn’t want to risk any newcomers given our situation. We need to maintain our security.”

He was a good king. I had no reason to distrust him. He was kind. Good. He didn’t know that that delivery contained the food I craved, the absence of which made my body ache.

“Is there an issue?” he inquired.

I shook my head. “Just some of my stuff. It’s fine. Thank you.” I said and exited.

I’ve never gone this long without blood before. I’m sure it will be okay. We will rescue Adelie, and everyone will return home. Just a little longer.

I couldn’t sleep that night. It was two a.m. I just stared out the window. I knew sleep would eventually come. I was just hungry. And human food couldn’t satiate that hunger.

I heard a knock on my door. Something was wrong. Adelie!

I quickly grabbed my sweater and threw it on, not caring about my bare feet and shorts.

I rushed to my door. It was Collin. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Everything’s fine.”

A wave of relief washed over me. I walked back into my room, leaving the door open, and ran my hands through my hair. My heart felt like it would burst out of my chest.

“I didn’t mean to alarm you. I just saw your light on,” he said.

“Is there a curfew I’m not aware of?”

“If there is, I think we’re both breaking it,” he attempted to joke, but I wasn’t in the mood for humor. I didn’t even look at him. I knew I looked ill. Nothing a little makeup in the morning wouldn’t fix. I sat on the edge of my bed.

He closed the door. I glanced over to see that he was still in his day clothes. Now I felt underdressed.

“Don’t you have anyone else to talk to?” I snapped at him.

“At this hour? No, I don’t,” he replied.

“I won’t be good company,” I said, still gazing out the open window as the white curtains fluttered in the breeze. “I’d prefer if you returned to your room.”

“You’re mean,” he said lightly, almost jokingly.

He hadn’t done anything. I was just being difficult. “I’m sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind…worried for Adelie.”

“I don’t think that’s it,” he said

My eyes darted to him. “You think I’m not worried for her?”

He immediately shook his head. “I know you are, I just think there’s something else bothering you.”

He sat down next to me. Too close. His thigh brushed against mine. Collin reached into his pocket and pulled out a blood bag.

A gasp escaped me. “I don’t know much about you, so I spoke with Kairos. He suggested that this might be what’s keeping you awake.”

He held the bag in his lap. “I’m sure if King had known, he wouldn’t have canceled the delivery. He just thought it was some clothes.”

“Where did you get it?” I asked, looking into his eyes.

“It’s werewolf blood, but it should work since there’s nothing else I could get you that quickly.”

I sprang up from my seat. “Is that yours?”

He also stood. “I’m perfectly healthy, nothing to worry about.”

“Collin, I’m not drinking your blood! Are you insane?”

Who did he think I was?

He looked down at the bag. “I know it’s not human, but Kairos told me that it will be fine.”

“You don’t understand. I’m not drinking your blood. Or anyone’s here.”

“What’s the difference? Yes, usually you don’t know the person but it’s not like you’re hurting me. It’s a completely normal medical procedure. I just felt a little lightheaded right after. By morning, I’ll be as good as new.”

“Who do you think I am?”

His arms fell to his sides. “Someone who’s hungry and needs their strength. I’m trying to help you but you’re being difficult right now.”

“Okay, fine. Thank you. Just leave it. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.”

He forced a laugh. “No, I’m not leaving until I see that bag empty. Because once I’m gone, you’ll throw it all out and it won’t be good for me to donate any more tonight.”

“You just don’t get it! And you never will!”

“I do,” he looked dead serious. “I can imagine. How monstrous and evil you feel. And it may not be ideal for you. But tough luck. Deal with it!”

He raised his voice at me, like he was reprimanding a child. “You’re a fighter, a beta. Then act like it. You need to be in top form because we’re all in danger. And I won’t let you get yourself killed because you’re stubborn.

“And if it’s so bad then drink it through tears, I don’t care. But it will give you strength. And whether you like it or not, there’s nothing else that can feed you instead of this. So suck it up!”

He forcefully thrust the blood into my hands. And sat back down on the edge of my bed.

People tend to be more emotional when they’re tired. I felt it. I was tired and hungry. I couldn’t hold back. And I cried too rarely. I could always keep it in.

I let out a sniffle, allowing tears to flow. I never let anyone talk to me like that. And I never let anyone see me cry. I sat there, frozen. Crying and sobbing. As if someone had died. He walked over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders, guiding me to sit down on the bed.

He knelt down on the floor in front of me. His thumbs reached up to wipe my wet cheeks. “Not everything turns out the way we want it to. But you’re here, and you’re okay. But you have to be there for yourself, because there will be times when no one else will. You have to take care of yourself, Maeve.”

“I’ll be like them,” I sobbed.

“No, you won’t.”

“Collin, I have trouble shifting,” I hadn’t admitted that to anyone. Not out loud. “I might lose my wolf.”

“No matter what happens. You will not be like that. No matter how much you change. You can’t ever be like them. Because you love too much. You care for your loved ones too much to just stop.”

His hands withdrew from my face and he pulled a knife from his pocket, slicing open the tube from the blood bag. I lifted the tube to my mouth but he remained there. “It might not be a pretty sight,” I warned him.

He smiled sweetly at me. “I can handle it.”

I slowly sipped the thick red liquid. As soon as the taste hit my tongue, my blood surged. My heart quickened. This was what I needed. What I couldn’t live without anymore.

“How do I taste?” he asked with a smirk.

“I’ve had better,” I joked. It was a lie. After that long, I felt like this was the best ever.

The scent of blood filled the room, but he didn’t seem to mind. He just watched me, as if this was an everyday occurrence. As if he’d seen it all before.

The first few times I had to drink it, I’d sob myself to sleep, disgusted with myself. Overwhelmed with guilt.

But now, I was satiated. Energy coursed through me. Sleep was the furthest thing from my mind. It was like a drug. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, stood up, and tossed the bag away. I grabbed a bottle of water to rinse the lingering taste from my mouth.

He was leaning against my bedpost, his gaze following my every move. I hurried to the bathroom for some mouthwash. I might have been okay with it, but I didn’t want to be the one reeking of blood. I didn’t bother closing the door.

He’d already seen too much. Only Adelie had ever seen me this exposed, this vulnerable.

I returned to the room.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Thank you,” I replied, suddenly at a loss for words. I’d just consumed his blood.

He smiled. “You look more like yourself.” I certainly felt more like myself.

“I’m guessing it’s not every day you watch someone drink your blood,” I tried to lighten the mood with a laugh. “I’m sorry…for being so harsh earlier.”

“Don’t,” he interrupted. “I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything. I would have done the same for anyone. It just happened to be more pleasant because it was you. We can pretend this never happened, so you don’t feel indebted.”

How could I ever forget? He didn’t have to help me, but he did. He went out of his way to find out what was wrong.

“Collin…” I began, and he tilted his head to look at me. “Do you still think I’m beautiful?” I asked, my mind racing and my heart pounding.

He swallowed hard. “I could never think otherwise.”

And just like that, I was undone. I moved toward him, my hands cupping his face, my lips meeting his.

But he didn’t respond. He didn’t touch me, his lips remained still. Had I misread our friendship?

I pulled away, my hands dropping from his face as if he’d burned me. “I’m sorry… I… I”

He interrupted me, his hands now holding my face, his lips pressing against mine. He kissed me the way I’d always dreamed of being kissed. With such sweet passion. My hands tangled in his hair, his slid down to my waist, then my back, as if he was afraid I’d pull away.

How could I?

After witnessing such a gruesome sight, he still kissed me as if I was a goddess. He kissed me as if I was beautiful. And in that moment, I felt flawless, as if being kissed with such tenderness made it impossible for me to be anything but.

He pulled away, but I wasn’t ready to let him go. I pulled him back to me, and he responded instantly, with even more passion. But then his hands left my waist and moved to mine.

I was gripping him too tightly. I quickly pulled back, “I’m sorry…”

He smirked. “You forget your own strength.”

He took both of my hands in his and kissed them. He looked into my eyes. “You should get some sleep.”

“Stay,” I pleaded. I wanted more. I needed more of him.

He shook his head. “It would be selfish of me to stay and accept your gratitude.”

“It’s not…” It wasn’t gratitude. Yes, what he did was beyond words, but this wasn’t a ‘thank you’.

“Then spare me. If I stay, I’ll think it is. I don’t want to be your reward for a good deed. I’d like to stay, but I’m afraid you might be overwhelmed and confused.”

He stepped back from me. “Goodnight, Maeve.”