Chapter 59: Chapter 59

Adelie

I gently took Irene's arm, guiding her out of the house. Her arm felt alarmingly thin beneath my touch, her skin cold even through the fabric.

I couldn't help but wonder if Maeve's skin would feel the same.

I led Irene quickly, almost dragging her around corners. I didn't care that she was the vampire leader. At that moment, it didn't matter.

Once outside, I turned to face her. “You did this!” I accused.

She didn't look shocked or guilty. This was nothing new to her.

“I didn’t do anything. It was one of my guards, Jerry,” she said dismissively. “He didn’t retract his fangs in time. But you’re the one most to blame,” she pointed at me.

I was at a loss for words. I’d been trying to heal Maeve. She looked sick, and after I healed her, she seemed better. I had messed up while trying to help.

“But she was better after,” I protested weakly. “She was. I saw how vibrant she looked in the morning.”

“If you hadn’t healed her, she would have noticed the reaction in time and prevented the change,” she retorted.

I shook my head. “There must be a way to stop it now. It just started.”

She shook her head. “The only other option is to kill her,” she said, though she seemed to understand that wasn't an option for me.

“Why? Don’t you like vampires?” she asked me.

“I don’t want her to be a vampire. I don’t want her to live off blood,” I said, anger flaring up at her. But was it her fault? Or mine?

She moved closer, placing her hands on my shoulders. “That’s too bad.”

She stepped back. “I assume she won’t be a full vampire due to her werewolf blood, but during the transition, she will suffer.

“Everyone is different, and everyone’s body reacts differently. She might have a weak vampire gene.

“Or it could be stronger than her werewolf gene, but I doubt it. I need to go,” she said, turning to leave. I grabbed her arm.

She gave me a dangerous look, but I didn’t care. Not now.

“Is that it? There is nothing I can do?” I asked, desperation creeping into my voice.

Irene pulled her arm away. “It’s not about what you can do. It’s about what you will do to help her live with this. She is not dying. She is transforming. Consider it a gift,” she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

This was not a gift. What had I done?

I heard footsteps behind me. Turning, I saw everyone: James, Kairos, and the doctor. They’d heard everything.

Kairos walked up to me and pulled me into a tight hug.

I wanted to cry, to let it all out. But I couldn’t. My heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles, but the pain was distant, numbed.

I broke away from the hug and headed towards Maeve. But not before glancing at Kairos, whose expression was full of pity—not for Maeve, but for me. He knew the guilt I was feeling.

I had done this to her. Even if I wasn’t the one who bit her, I felt like I had.

I walked past James, who was sitting in his wheelchair, staring at the ground.

“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. But I couldn’t meet his gaze. How could I when Maeve’s life had been irrevocably changed because of me?

I stepped into her room. Her gaze was feeble, almost ghostly. Her complexion had turned even more ashen. I halted next to her bed, collapsing to my knees in a fit of tears.

“I’m sorry,” I choked out, the pain in my chest unbearable. “I’m so, so sorry.” But no matter how many times I repeated it, nothing could be undone.

For a fleeting moment, I thought she glanced my way. For a second, I held onto the hope that she heard me, but it felt like I was a stranger to her, like she didn’t recognize me.

Someone entered the room, and I turned to see the doctor standing there, his hands awkwardly clasped together. I guess his morning hadn’t exactly gone as planned.

“We’re keeping this under wraps. Alpha’s orders,” he stated. “It’s best if she stays here. If she’s in the hospital, people will start asking questions. Alpha says he’ll assign a caretaker to watch over her.”

The doctor spoke slowly, deliberately softening his voice. Or perhaps he was just unsure of how to broach the topic.

How do you break it to someone that their friend is morphing into a creature of the night?

“Alright, I’ll stay here until the caretaker arrives,” I agreed. “Where’s Alpha?” I asked, finally turning my attention to him.

“He’s probably in his study,” he replied, and I nodded in acknowledgment.

“Okay, thank you,” I managed to utter, receiving a strained smile in return.

It felt like an eternity sitting by Maeve’s bedside, her condition showing no signs of improvement… improvement to the point where she could stand on her own two feet again.

She’s going to despise me now. I thought I was doing the right thing, but all I did was thrust her into a new existence. What will she say when she wakes up in her new form?

She lay there, in the worst state I’d ever seen her. She was alive, yes, but she would never be the same Maeve again.

I was sitting on the floor, my head resting on the edge of the bed when I heard someone enter. I glanced over at Kairos, who knelt down next to me. I hadn’t noticed that Maeve had drifted off to sleep.

“The caretaker’s here,” he murmured softly, breaking the silence that had enveloped the room.

“I can stay a bit longer,” I replied as he patted my back.

“There’s nothing more you can do. Now we just wait.” He voiced the reality I didn’t want to face.

“I could’ve done something different.” I whimpered. “Then she wouldn’t be here.”

“Adelie, this isn’t your fault.”

He was trying to soothe me, but if it wasn’t my fault, why did it feel like it was? Why was guilt consuming me? Why? I rose from my spot, with Kairos lending a helping hand.

We exited the room, and a sturdy woman with fiery red hair entered.

As we were leaving, James gave us an approving nod. “Thanks for everything,” he said to both of us, but I didn’t feel like I deserved his gratitude.

Once we were outside, Kairos turned me around to face him. My eyes stung a little with the sun’s rays hitting my face. He stood close, gently cradling my face in his hands.

“I know how much you care about her. I know it hurts right now, but she’ll be okay,” he assured me, but I began to shake my head.

“She won’t be okay. She’ll be a completely different person. Do you think she wanted that?” I asked, my voice wavering, but he quickly looked around and hushed me.

“She’ll be okay,” he reiterated firmly. “Different, but okay. Being different doesn’t mean she won’t be okay. But it’s not safe if people find out right now, alright?” he asked. I didn’t respond.

“I need you to hold it together until you get home. Can you do that?” he asked, and what other choice did I have? The last thing Maeve or James needed was a barrage of questions.

The townsfolk already loathed vampires; what would they say if one of their own turned into a vampire?

He gently released my face, taking one of my hands in his. His smile was warm, but I could see the pretense behind it.

He cared, I knew that much. But he was a clever alpha, a good alpha, willing to deceive everyone to protect a single soul.

I returned his smile, keeping my emotions in check. We strolled through the cluster of houses, almost sighing in relief when no one halted our progress.

We were nearly at a safe distance when a woman approached us. “Alpha!” she hailed.

“Alpha, Luna,” she greeted us, dipping her head in respect. “Is everything okay with Maeve? She wasn’t at training, and I saw the doctor leave.”

“Everything’s fine,” he assured her. “We were concerned, but it turned out to be an allergic reaction to something she ate. No need to worry. She’ll be up and about in a few days.”

Kairos spoke with such conviction that I almost believed him myself.

“Should I bring her some muffins?” she offered. “Maeve always enjoys my baking,” she added, a self-satisfied smile playing on her lips.

“No, that won’t be necessary. The doctor has put her on a strict diet and ordered rest. It’s best to let her be for now.”

The woman nodded, looking slightly disappointed. I guessed it was because Maeve never turned down her cooking. But I also doubted Maeve would ever criticize it, even if it wasn’t up to par.

We continued our journey home, finally free from prying eyes. “Will she really be okay in a few days?” I asked Kairos, recalling his earlier assurance to the woman.

We began to ascend the stairs together.

“I’m not sure, but it gives us some time. If she doesn’t improve, we’ll know her condition is more serious and we’ll need to seek advanced medical help.”

He had thought it all through.

“Can the doctor do anything? Or does she just have to endure until she recovers?” I asked as we reached the top of the stairs.

“Adelie… her body is now battling the vampire gene. It’s a futile fight since it always prevails. The process varies for everyone.

“It’s said that when a werewolf is turned, it takes longer because the werewolf gene is strong and tries to resist.”

He gazed down the staircase, his hands resting on the railing, letting out a heavy sigh. “That’s not the worst part, Adelie. Once she tastes blood, she’ll need it to regain her strength. It’s an immediate addiction.”

“She’ll become more powerful, more difficult to manage. If she chooses, she can live with the vampires—with those like her,” he stated, as if it was a foregone conclusion.

“She’ll still be a werewolf. You don’t know who she’ll be closest to,” I countered, but he looked at me with a pitying expression.

“And which do you think will be the dominant part?” he asked, his voice soft and hushed, as if he was afraid to startle me.

“She won’t want to leave the pack,” I murmured, my brow furrowing.

I heard Kairos sigh heavily. “Natural instincts call for unconventional measures,” he said. “I have more work to do.” He sighed again.

I nodded, and he planted a kiss on my cheek before heading to his study.

I needed a distraction. I was still Luna, and I had responsibilities to the pack.

I could visit the children's school and help sort the new textbooks Kairos had ordered. The old ones were outdated.

I knew I wouldn’t be much help, but I couldn’t just sit around waiting for Maeve to recover without knowing when that would happen.

The air was a bit nippy, so I decided to grab a cardigan from my room.

As I approached my door, I noticed it was ajar. That’s odd, I thought. Not alarming, but unusual.

Those doors were heavy and didn’t open on their own. Once closed, they stayed that way.

Stepping inside, my eyes immediately landed on a red coat tossed carelessly onto my bed.