Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Interum Vivere

Chasity’s POV

I woke up in the immaculately white room in my spotlessly white clothes. I felt like I was in a weird drea

m. Everything monochromatic. It was a little difficult to look at. Sharp. It hurt my eyes. The only relief w

as the colours of photographs of all the

supermodels in their vibrant makeup and clothing. I sighed.

I believed it was my third day of being kidnapped but i had become unsure. I felt that Dante or Maurice

or “Boss” was putting something in my food. Something to make my senses and perception dull. There

was no reason why I should not be able to connect with my three alpha mates if I was still on their territ

ory.

Suddenly, I felt my neck throb, Owl i felt the marks. The three silvery marks were burning. I rushed to th

e bathroom to look in the mirror. The marks were angry and red. There was something sticky on them li

ke a salve.

I gasped. I grabbed a piece of tissue and wiped off the cream. Someone had put something on my mar

ksl I washed my neck with cool water. That soothed the burning. I kept treating the area and the searin

g pain slowly subsided. The skin was still irritated but it was just a bit pink.

My golden skin was back to looking sallow after it had begun to healthy. It wasn‘t gleaming anymore lik

e it did on my trip with the triplets. I was back to shitty eating habits and stress, that‘s why. And now, I c

ouldn‘t afford to be unhealthy! I gingerly touched my lower belly. I wondered how far along I was.

Dante came into my room just then and quickly rushed into the bathroom, his eyes wild. He must‘ve tho

ught for a moment that I’d escaped. I stared at him blankly. I was seething but I didn‘t want to start an a

rgument.

“I‘m right here,” I said plainly.

“I can see that,” he snarled.

Prick.

“Did you put something on my marks?” I asked softly.

Dante fidgeted uncomfortably. It was a very quick almost imperceptible movement but I spotted it. He di

d put something on

them.

“Why would you do that?” I asked.

Dante just glared at me.

“You‘re a werewolf, you know just as well as anyone else those marks cannot be removed. They‘re per

manent,” I said, trying to stop my brown eyes from turning black with rage. How dare he try to remove

my mates‘ marks. That was beyond heinous. I‘d never even

heard of such a thing.

Dante shrugged. “It was magic. I thought it would work,” he said.

I must have lost my mind for a second. Temporary insanity. I lunged

at him and tackled him to the ground, canines bared. I wanted to rip him to shreds.

Third Person

“Doppelgängers,” said Chance, from where he sat at the booth in the cafe.

The triplets and Danny just stared at him. The triplets were

sitting across from Danny and everyone‘s coffee remained mostly untouched besides the P.I. who was

on his third cup.

“Doppelgängers!” Chance said. “Lookalikes!”

Silence.

“Celebrity doppelgängers?” Said Chance.

“You‘re not making any sense. Explain what you‘re talking about,” said Alex sternly, knitting his thick

naturally arched brows together.

“A doppelgänger is a lookalike, a double of a person…” began Chance,

“Look who you‘re talking to!” Snapped Felix. “We

know what doppelgängers are. We get what you mean by lookalikes but so

what?”

Felix widened his eyes and gestured to his identical triplet brothers

Calix tried to be helpful. “Ok, so the retired supermodel who may or may not be dead has

a doppelgänger!”

“Almost.” said Danny. “Deidre is dead! Chance saw her body and I trust him. The first doppelgänger of

Deidre, the first lookalike

would be the one who went on to become a famous supermodel after the real Deidre died or rather wa

s murdered.”

“Good, ok,” said Alex, nodding, complimenting Danny‘s deductive reasoning not the murder.

“So there‘s a third one then, since you have a pic showing one Deidre at the party we all went to with…

Chasity,” said Felix, sighing deeply. He had dark circles under his baby blue eyes and his skin was a bit

paler than usual. Being apart from their mate had hit the middle triplet particularly hard.

“And you also have a pic showing Deidre at some bar, the Serpent‘s Tongue, around the same time,” F

elix surmised.

“So like us, there‘s at least three identical people,” said Calix. “But, one of them is dead and they‘re all

claiming to be the same person. Correct me if I‘m wrong but the doppelgängers were probably made af

ter Deidre‘s death. Her death was probably a requirement, a prerequisite to be able to go ahead and m

ake other Deidre‘s to take her spot. You can‘t replace a position that‘s filled.”

Alex smiled.

“Look at Baby Boy Calix, figuring s**t out,” said Felix clapping his younger sibling on the back.

“Someone killed Deidre and took over her life, continued on living as her. Realised all her potential, bec

ame a supermodel. The

person even took her life‘s dream,” said Alex.

“That‘s sad,” said Felix softly. “The Deidre doppelgänger is better at her life than she was.”

“Well, that might be because the doppelgänger is obviously superhuman in some way,” said Calix.

“Deidre was already a she–

wolf,” said Alex. “The doppelgänger has to be using either incredible technology or magic. My bet is on

magic. I wouldn’t put anything past a witch!”

“Don‘t hate on witches,” said Felix. “Our cousin, Jessie, married one. She made a great Luna. She‘s kin

da hot too.”

“I like Jamie. She gave me a snow globe that changes season so when I shake it up, it‘s snowflakes for

winter, flowers for spring and leaves for fall,” explained Calix.

“You‘re missing one,” smirked Felix. “In summer, there‘s nothing, it‘s just empty,” said Calix.

“Now, that is sad!” Said Felix.

“Focus!” Said Alex. Calix and Felix straightened.

“Sorry, Alex, I haven‘t slept properly in days. It‘s impossible without Chasity,” mumbled Calix, the young

est Alpha.

“The sooner we figure this out, the sooner

we can save Chasity and all take a nap,” said Alex, ruffling Calix‘s hair,

“When I get my hands on Chasity, there‘ll be no napping,” said Felix slyly.

Alex nudged Felix sharply in the ribs.

“Hey!” Felix protested. Alex nodded towards Chance, Chasity‘s grandfather who was glaring at Felix.

Felix smiled at him sheepishly. “Uh, that‘s because we‘ll stay up talking. We have really long deep chat

s together. Our relationship is very spiritual, intellectual as well,” explained Felix.

Chance‘s glare remain unchanged.

“All signs are pointing to Deidre. No more stalling. Let‘s find her and get the truth somehow,” said Alex r

edirecting the conversation.

“First, before we go skipping off to LA, we need to check out the bar, The Serpent‘s Tongue. Your paren

ts also frequented there in their youth,” said Danny.

“You mean Chasity‘s parents,” corrected Alex.

“And yours,” said Danny, frowning.

“What?” Asked Felix sharply.

“They double dated there from time to time seeing as your mom and Chasity‘s dad were step siblings wh

actually got along,” said Danny, reaching into his briefcase.

? He took out a photo and showed it to

the triplets. Two girls in embroidered bellbottom jeans and crops tops with billowing fishtail sleeves were

versions of their parents as one of the couples. The other couple comprised of a blond man with wavy lo

hair. Chasity‘s parents. All four youngsters were smiling for the camera and huddled together.

“But, they hated each other? My parents all but admitted it. My mom said she had a problem with Chalic

“Not right away,” said Danny. “They grew apart after Chasity‘s parents became

more heavily involved in the Furina Ornata.”

“The group wasn‘t supposed to be about partying an drugs,” said Chance, defending the group. “But the

Felix

sighed. So his parents had even liked Chasity‘s parents once upon a time including Chasity‘s mother. Th

made his parents‘ mistreatment of Chasity even worse. He wished she were sitting right here, between h

snap at him for trying to order for her. Then she would feel guilty

and be sweet to him. He missed her sassiness.

“Felix!” Said Alex.

“We‘re going!” Said Calix.

“Where?” Asked Felix.

“To the Serpent‘s Tongue!” Said Danny,

i

The serpent‘s tongue was a hole in the wall of a bar. It was on the outskirts of the parklands, not the idea

The triplets were shocked to see a graffiti painting on the side of the bar depicting the full moon with the

“What does that mean?” Asked Danny, snapping a picture of it. “Live again,” said Chance. “It‘s latin for li

The five walked

into the cold bar. There were shabby wooden barstools at the bar and surrounding all the high tables. Th

walls were plastered with autographed framed photographs of celebrities. Many of the celebrities had al

bar.

How did the people who own this place get all these high profile people to come here and lie on their au

Calix and Alex nodded. It was suspicious. They all sat at the bar. The bartender was human to their surp

of the place kept all the bottles chilled. There was no need for a freezer really but there was one. Destiny

of the most relaxed people there as if she were quite at home in the freezing cold werewolf bar. She was

“How are you not an icicle by now?” Asked Calix, sipping his beer.

She laughed and put her hand to cover her mouth. Calix glimpsed the snake around the moon tattoo ne

Had moon snake venom made this human powerful enough to handle the same weather as werewolves

“Dante!” Said Destiny. “What happened to you?