Chapter 17: Anastasia

Anastasia smiled gently at the pack warrior before her who walked her to her home. There was an air of a youthful gentle spring breeze whenever her almond-shaped eyes smiled. Every time she looked down, the towering man before her would see the sweet smile she was desperate to hide.

“Thank you, Ben, for walking me home.” As sweet as her smile, her voice tugged the strings of the young pack warrior’s heart.

Small frame. Sweet smile. Angelic face. Delicate voice.

Everything about Anastasia would make any male want to protect her.

Scratching his reddened ear, Ben could not hide his bashful grin. “Don’t worry. If I hear any news about your best friend’s situation from the trackers, I will definitely tell you.”

Ben turned around. By his second step, he stopped in his tracks when Anastasia tugged his shirt from the back. “Ana, what is it?”

He saw the distress in her eyes, making him alert. ‘Did I do something wrong? Did I say something wrong?’

Ben could not help but wrack his brain just to answer these questions floating in his mind.

Timidly shaking her head, Anastasia asked. “What if… What if the alpha learns about you leaking the intel? I may not be as smart as my best friend, but, but I know that it is a capital crime to leak intel. I don’t want to make you take this risk because of my selfish desire.”

Pristine tears cascaded down Anastasia’s face. She covered her crestfallen face as she sobbed, her shoulders shaking and her voice trembling. “I am just… I am just so selfish. I am so scared! So scared that my best friend will suffer in that pack, Ben. Forgive me for being pathetic and useless. I am so sorry.”

Ben felt his heart ache. He was not good in words and he was certainly not an expert when it came to consoling crying girls. Hence, Ben did the thing that his male wolf instinct was telling him. He held Anastasia’s fragile wrist and pulled her for a comforting hug.

“Don’t worry about me. I know what I am doing.” Ben patted Anastasia’s head.

Unbeknownst to Ben, the frail-looking lady in his arms had a drastic change in aura the moment she had hidden her face in his chest.

Gone was her sweet sobbing face that would make the males want to protect her under their wings.

Gone was the innocence that her tear-stricken eyes portrayed.

Instead, the corners of Anastasia’s lips curled into a smile.

The moment Anastasia closed her door she made sure that no one else was within the hearing range of her cabin. Upon making sure that she was indeed alone, Anastasia immediately wiped her face. Her actions were languid and practiced, a telltale sign that she did this action far too many times.

Dropping the white handkerchief that belonged to the naïve pack warrior, Anastasia stepped on it as she sauntered into the familiar darkness of her cabin. Without opening her curtains, not a speck of light could penetrate her small living room.

“Hurry up, Little Ben. I don’t have the patience to wait any longer. I want to know how that pathetic fool is suffering in that ruthless pack right now.” Soft giggled erupted from Anastasia’s lips as she stared into oblivion while sitting on her couch. Whatever trace of the delicate flower that Ben painted in his young heart was gone, replaced with a malicious aura whipping Anastasia like a second skin.

Anastasia stood up and head straight to the second floor where the attic was located. Pulling the key from her innermost pocket, she opened the door with a creek.

Darkness welcomed her immediately. The sound of the wooden floor creaking as she took her steps forward resonated.

Suddenly, light flooded the room the moment Anastasia pushed the button beside the door.

The smiling Anastasia grinned eerily. The sight of the wall before her never failed to bring happiness to her.

Anastasia caressed the picture pinned on the wall. Though it was scratched by the cutter lying on the wooden floor, the image of the person could still be extinguished.

“My dearest best friend, you are still alive, right? I don’t want you to die at all. Death is the easiest cheat to escape the torture I am preparing for you.”

Anastasia looked around.

Hundreds of scratched pictures were pinned all around the walls. From the moment Anastasia first met Diana until the time that Diana departed the pack with the ruthless alpha, everything was documented around the attic.

A picture of a smiling Diana. A picture of Diana who was being bullied. A picture of Diana while she was with her parents. A picture of Diana while she was with Axel. Every aspect of Diana in all different angles was taken and pasted on the wall.

Every picture was either smeared by red ink, scratched, or torn away.

Anastasia caressed the only space on the wall where it was not occupied by a picture of Diana. A morbid smile appeared on her face as she sighed. “Soon. When the news of your wretched death arrives, I will place the image of your broken body in this special spot, my dearest best friend.”

The very thought of Ben confirming the news of Diana’s bloody predicament made Anastasia burst into a fit of giggles. Every night, Anastasia imagined how Diana was being treated in that godforsaken place. And just the thought of it was enough to send her heart and mind into a frenzied bliss.

“How about I turn that foolish Benny into a bait to take a picture of you, my dearest best friend? I want a photo of you while you are being treated as the lowest of the low in that place. What do you think? Brilliant, right?”

“Of course, I am the brilliant one. How do you think I am able to toy you all these years. Don’t worry, my dearest best friend. I will take care of your parents… and I will certainly take care of Axel. This, I promise you as your dutiful best friend. I am so virtuous, right?”

Silence answered Anastasia as she continued to talk to the torn picture of Diana. The insanity in her eyes was brighter than ever.