Chapter 67: Chapter 67

Kairos

Her eyes held a recognition that told me she knew exactly why I was here. She retreated to the farthest corner of the room, her fear palpable.

“Hello, Melanie,” I greeted, sinking into the room’s lone leather chair with an air of casualness.

Despite the spaciousness of the apartment, the room was minimally furnished. It held only the bare essentials.

She remained silent, frozen in place as I surveyed the room.

I noticed an array of peculiar items scattered about—crystals, odd plant arrangements, and strange concoctions.

Her silence persisted. I realized she wasn’t going to initiate conversation. “What were you doing in my pack?” I asked, maintaining a calm demeanor.

She vehemently shook her head. “I wasn’t there,” she protested.

My fist slammed onto the nightstand, causing her to jump.

“What were you doing in my pack?” I repeated. Her fear was telling. “What’s your business with Adelie?”

Her eyes narrowed at my question.

“You took her out yesterday, and she returned a mess,” I stated, struggling to keep my anger in check. My frustration was evident.

“I… I wasn’t there yesterday,” she stammered, her tone almost innocent. I gestured towards her conspicuous red coat.

“I saw you.” I pulled out the bracelet from my pocket, tossing it onto her bed.

“Isn’t this yours?” I asked, already certain of the answer.

Her gaze flickered between me and the bracelet. “I didn’t do anything,” she insisted.

“You took her somewhere. What were you doing with her?” I demanded, rising from my chair and closing the distance between us. She trembled like a leaf in the wind.

“I didn’t take her anywhere. Someone else did.” She sighed, her mind clearly weighing her options.

“I tried to kill her. I attacked her.”

“Who?” I demanded.

“Adelie. I attacked her, and I would have killed her if her friend hadn’t intervened that night.”

She was likely referring to Maeve.

The thought of her harming Adelie made my blood boil. “You wanted to kill her?”

“Yes, and I still do. It’s the only logical course of action before she transforms,” she confessed.

I held up a hand to silence her.

“What did you say?” I asked. “Transform? Into what?”

“I don’t know, but… she will become something monstrous. That much is certain.”

“How? How do you know this?” I pressed.

She seemed to relax slightly, perhaps realizing I wasn’t going to harm her.

“My sister is behind it. She’s capable of many things with her powers. If she succeeds with this, she believes she’ll finally gain recognition.

“But she will ruin Adelie. She will corrupt her soul, turning her into a destructive force.” Her conviction was clear. She truly believed her words.

“Why do you believe this? What makes you think she’ll turn evil if you don’t even know what she’ll become?” I questioned.

Melanie closed her eyes, deep in thought, her lips pressed into a tight line.

“There have been too many deaths since she started. Werewolves, nymphs, many shifters—too many have died.

“My sister is a witch, and in our books, spells that require a life are never for good. She’s planning something big, and she can’t succeed without Adelie.

“I’m doing this to protect the world from whatever might happen.”

“She’s your sister? Then let's confront her. Let's stop her.” Her plan left me bewildered.

“That’s the issue,” she confessed. “She discovered my attempts to thwart her. She caught me meddling in her affairs, and now I’m in the dark. I don’t even know her whereabouts.”

I had no other option but to trust her sincerity.

“Why are you wearing that coat?” I questioned.

She gave a nonchalant shrug. “My sister Esty usually wears this. It helps trick Adelie into thinking I’m her.”

The thought of her wanting to harm Adelie made my blood seethe. But at this moment, Melanie was a necessity.

“How much time do you think we have?” I inquired.

“It should take some time. Things don’t happen that quickly,” she responded.

“And what do you want in return for ensuring Adelie’s safety?” I asked, aware that nothing comes without a price. “I don’t want you to ever harm her, but I do want to put an end to whatever is going on,” I declared.

“I don’t want anything. I’m doing this for the safety of the mythical creatures. I have no other choice,” she stated, and I nodded in understanding.

This was her calling, her purpose: to protect.

Adelie

Night was gradually approaching, and I began to feel… different. It wasn’t the voices anymore. After some time, they ceased. However, Madeline’s voice was still crystal clear.

I felt a flutter in my stomach, the kind you get when something significant is about to happen, something that should concern you.

Kairos wasn’t home, his whereabouts unknown, and he hadn’t even given me a heads up. I decided to take a stroll around the pack and bumped into Riley, who was leaning against a maple tree.

“Riley,” I called out. “Do you know where Alpha is?” I asked, and she glanced at me timidly. It appeared as though she had been crying.

“I have no clue,” she replied, avoiding eye contact. “I’m not the Beta anymore,” she added, and before I could respond, she turned and walked away.

I still felt this peculiar sensation within me. Madeline’s voice was becoming increasingly louder, and I couldn’t figure out why.

I was aware it was due to Esty’s actions, but Madeline’s incessant howling was confusing, and I didn’t know how to silence her.

Tonight was a full moon, and I needed a release. I finally felt more like myself. I felt connected to nature again, and it had been too long since I expressed my gratitude for her gifts.

I didn’t see anyone nearby to inform about my departure, but Kairos hadn’t informed anyone either; why should I? Who did I owe an explanation to?

I ventured into the forest alone, my heart pounding in my chest and my breaths coming in quick succession, unsure of how to calm down. I hadn’t even entered when I bumped into Kairos.

“Where have you been?” I asked immediately.

He shrugged. “Just out for a walk,” he replied.

“Quite a long walk,” I noted. He wasn’t typically the type to take walks.

“Perhaps,” he responded curtly but offered his arm to me, understanding that I was heading to the lake for my usual ritual.

A comfortable silence enveloped us, but the further we walked, the faster my heart pounded, causing me to gasp for breath.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, looking at me with a puzzled expression.

“I think…” I began and quickened my pace until we reached the lake. I sprinted straight towards it, leaving Kairos behind. Madeline continued her relentless howling.

I dipped my feet in the water and focused on my nymph. ~“Thank you, Mother Nature,”~ I repeated in my mind, but Madeline’s voice was too overpowering.

I brought my hands up to my heart and tangled them in my hair. ~“Thank you for your gifts,”~ I expressed my gratitude to nature, but it fell on deaf ears because I couldn’t concentrate.

“Halt!” I yelled at Madeline as her cries intensified.

“Adelie,” Kairos’s voice echoed from behind me.

My head throbbed with the intensity of her cries, my eyes stinging too much to remain open.

“What do you need?” I yelled again, her response lost in the cacophony.

Suddenly, I was yanked backward. Irritated by the interruption, I let out a growl—the growl of a wolf.

~“I need to escape!”~ Madeline’s voice echoed in my head before she fell silent.

Kairos didn’t flinch. His gaze held not shock, but understanding. He released my arm.

“We have to leave, now!” he commanded, his mind clearly elsewhere. He grabbed my hand and began to lead me away.

“Why?” I protested, resisting his pull.

He turned to me, his icy gaze stopping me in my tracks.

“Did it ever cross your mind that I might know more than you?” he retorted, his tone laced with frustration. I was left speechless, unsure of his meaning.

“Did she tell you your chances of surviving the transformation?” he questioned.

Kairos knew. He knew I was becoming a wolf just from that growl?

“Adelie, there’s a reason werewolves first transform when they’re children. They’re still growing, still adapting to their new form. Their bones are more malleable.

“Do you want to know your chances of surviving the transformation?” he asked, a glint in his eyes—the kind he gets when he’s about to deliver bad news.

“It’s zero.”