Esra
The silence in the car was peaceful, but I chose to break it. "Drop me off at Sulia's house before you go to the pack house."
"I'm coming with you."
"No." My tone turned out to be a little harsh so I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "No." I said softly. "I need to do this myself."
Zade sighed. "Okay. Just... be careful."
"I will."
We reached Sulia's house a while after. I got out of the vehicle before Zade could say anything and didn't look back at Zade when I heard the vehicle take off.
Once I reached Sulia's doorstep. I tried to open the door, and surprisingly, it opened. The door was always locked, why was it open now?
I stepped inside, feeling the atmosphere of the place. Almost everything seemed the same, but I didn't bother with that too much.
I sensed someone by the kitchen door and then I saw a shadow move passed the door.
And then someone flung a knife at me. I dodged it, coming face to face with the one person I hated for almost my entire life.
Sulia Argent.
I pinned her against the wall while she was distracted and shocked to see my face.
"Why did you do it?" I cut to the chase. "What did you do to my memories?"
"Esra, what are you talking about? Is this any way to treat your aunt?" Her claws came out, and she scratched my right cheek. "You run away for five years and then you come into my house and throw accusation at me? Does Zade know you're here?"
I stepped back and felt my face. I stared at the crimson liquid coating my fingers.
Another memory hit me.
"I said I'm sorry." I sobbed.
"You think sorry will make me feel sorry for you? Words mean nothing. You don't deserve any sympathy." She spat.
"Please don't hurt me." I begged on the floor, covered in bruises and blood.
I was only playing with my teddy bear in the living room when she made a call by the hallway, and when I asked her why she was mad on the call, she started beating me up and accused me of eavesdrop.
"Shut up, child. I wish you died with your parents." She growled and scratched my cheek with her claws.
My aunt stared at me in complete shock. Both our breaths were ragged.
"You altered my memories." I growled at her. I felt my Alpha power taking control.
"Esra, what are you talking about? You had amnesia. Don't you... don't you remember?" She made her tone sound sweet and innocent when we both knew that wasn't the case.
"Don't lie to me!" I pushed her against the wall again. My hand was on her throat.
"You erased my memory! I remember. I remember you talking to the black wolf! The one who tried to kill me!" I growled at her.
"Kill you?" She frowned. "Why would he kill you?"
"So you do know him?" I pressed her throat harder.
"Esra, I can explain." Tears started to roll down her face. Crocodile tears.
"Then explain to me. Explain to me why you did this. Tell me why you erased my memory. Tell me why you killed my parents!"
"Because they were bastards!" She spat. "Your mother brainwashed my brother. She turned my brother into a softy. We were supposed to be ruling over every land!" She growled.
"But why erase my memory?"
"Because you knew too much! You were supposed to train like him, but you refused." She snarled.
"Who, the black wolf? Tell me!"
"Or what?" She smirked.
I pushed my claws into her throat. She screamed in pain, agony.
"Tell me now!" I demanded.
"I'll never tell you!" She gritted her teeth and hissed. I squeezed her throat even more. She struggled for air while she spat out blood. "You're finally doing what you were born to do." She smirked.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're a killer." She whispered. "You were mated to a dire wolf for a reason." She coughed out more blood. "Your child will be more powerful than the both of you."
"I'm not a killer." I growled.
"You're killing me."
"Because you deserve to die!" I pressed my claws deeper, fueled by rage and a desire for answers.
She groaned, her claws digging into my hand. "I tried training you, but you chose your pathetic heart over power."
Another memory entered my mind, but I didn't let it weaken me.
"Run faster!"
"Fight harder!"
"Kill whatever is in your way!"
"You're too soft to kill."
"You're useless."
"How can you call yourself a tundra wolf?"
I growled at her even more, throwing her across the room.
"How could you be so cruel?" I roared, picking her up and pinning her against the wall again.
"If you weren't so weak, you would have killed all the alphas by now. It's a shame your mate is one of them. But I guess you wouldn't care. He cheated on you. He never loved you, and he still doesn't. He just needs a luna for the pack because it's falling apart. Haven't you noticed? He never wanted you."
"You're lying!" I spat, my anger boiling over.
"You really think I am? Think about it. It's all for show. If he really loved you, he wouldn't have allowed you to be here alone. Alphas are protective of their mates, and he let you come here without a second thought."
"I don't believe you!" The anger swelled inside me. I felt like I was going to explode.
"You're not a pure wolf," she whispered. "You're just a breed."
"Why should I believe you?" I snarled.
"We're all sub-species, Esra. Do you really think the moon goddess created several types of wolves?" She laughed. "She only created two. Grey wolves and dire wolves. They started breeding with each other. That's why the world's so messed up right now. There are too many packs. Damon will rule them all and create a kingdom for himself." She snarled at me. "You're just as weak as your parents."
"Say that one more time, and I'll rip your throat out," I warned.
"Before you do that, I want to make one thing clear..." She smiled. "Tell your useless mate that I killed Luna Kratos." She laughed. "They were so easy to fool! And then the dear future luna ran away. You could've stayed and taken revenge on your mate. It's not too late. You can take revenge on him. He isn't worth it."
"What?" Zade had mentioned that she died, that his father had let her die. But I hadn't asked him how.
"And then I'll..." She didn't get to finish her sentence. I slashed her throat out before she could say anything else. Her body lay lifeless on the floor.
"What have I done?" I whispered to myself. I'm not a killer, and yet I killed her. I didn't know I had that power in me.
And the fact that I slit her throat without a second thought...
I sank to my knees and held my face in my hands. I had blood splattered all over my clothes but I didn't care right now.
I felt someone watching me, and I turned my head to the open window. A black wolf was hiding behind a bush, not too far from the window.
"Damon," I snarled.
He made a run for it.
I ran outside and attempted to catch him. Shifting into my tundra wolf, I ran faster than I usually did. I felt so much power surge through me. I hadn't felt this eager for blood in my life. But today, my wolf wanted blood. I wanted blood.
I wanted Damon's blood.
I was a few meters away from him, adding more speed. I took the risk of tackling him on uneven ground. When my paws scraped his fur, I felt a connection. Like I knew him from somewhere.
The distraction caused me to misjudge my next move, and we both tumbled down a steep bank. The river roared below. We were going to fall into the water. The current would be too strong to swim through and would take us to the waterfall. And we would drown.
I tried to stop myself from tumbling down, but it was no use. I braced myself for the impact until something hard slammed into my side. No, not something. Someone.
A huge wolf pushed me away from the water.
Zade.
We landed on the flat part of the riverbank. Zade's big brownish-grey wolf stood tall in front of me.
Zade stared at me for a few moments. I pushed passed him and stared at the water. Damon wasn't in the water. He either managed to get out or ended up at the waterfall.
I remembered what Damon looked like, but I didn't remember who he was exactly. I needed to get all my memories back. Fast
I turned back to Zade, brushing my fur against his to calm him down. He seemed furious, but not at me. I would have known if he was. The tension eased, and he followed me as we went back to Sulia's house.
Zade went towards his vehicle, which was parked by the entrance of the house. He shifted into his human form, and I tried not to look, as he took out some clothes from inside. Once he was dressed, he walked up to me with clothes in his hand.
"Esra, shift and put these on." He said in a soft tone.
I took the clothes from his hand and went behind a tree. I shifted and changed, though I still had blood all over my hands. Zade saw it, and his expression turned concerned.
"Esra, what happened?"
I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "I... I killed her." The words came out in a sob. Not because I killed her, but because I actually murdered someone, and I wasn't a killer. I just lost control of everything and I've never craved blood so badly in my life before. In fact, I never ever wanted blood. It always made me feel sick. This time it was different.
"I'm a monster. I'm a murderer." I held onto his shirt, feeling a mix of emotions. "Zade, I'm a murderer."
Zade's expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around me. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am." I insisted, feeling a wave of guilt wash over me.
"Esra, look at me." He cupped my face, his eyes locking onto mine. "You're not a monster, and you're not a murderer. Her time was coming. If it weren't for you killing her, I would've done it myself. Esra, it wasn't your fault." He paused, his expression turning serious. "But I need you to promise me something."
I nodded slowly, feeling a sense of trepidation.
"Please don't ever go after that wolf alone. Please, Esra, you have to be careful. If I wasn't there, then you would've fallen into the river and gotten washed away by the current. You wouldn't have been able to survive the waterfall."
I took a deep breath, feeling a sense of regret. "I know. I'm sorry. I just... I don't know what happened to me."
Zade's expression softened, and he pulled me into a gentle hug. "It's okay. Let's go. I'll call someone to take care of your aunt's body."
"She's not my aunt," I said, feeling a sense of detachment. "Not after what I found out. She's nothing but a heartless killer."
Zade nodded in understanding. "Okay. We'll discuss this at home." He whispered in my ear. "We're not alone."
I pulled back, feeling a sense of unease.
Zade got into the vehicle, and I followed suit.
"Who was that?" I asked Zade, trying to keep my voice low.
"They," he corrected. "They were mountain wolves. I saw one peeking its head out from the bushes when I left you here. I hurried and came back for you."
I frowned, feeling a sense of confusion. "The only mountain wolves I know are from the Wind Winder Pack."
Zade nodded. "Exactly."
I felt a shiver run down my spine. "But how did they get through the border?"
Zade's expression turned grim. "I don't know. I'm assigning more guards there, and I'm going to put the mountain ash myself. I don't trust anyone."
I nodded in agreement. "Me too."
As we drove back to the pack house, I couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious mountain wolves and their intentions. Who was Damon? What was Alpha Zephyrus up to? And who was that name Luna Mayu tried to mention? Those questions remained in my mind, unanswered.