Chapter 9

It had been a week since I last went to work, and it had also been a week since I had any contact with Eric. During that time, I witnessed two men being murdered—one in my room and another outside on the lawn. The shocking part was that the killer appeared to be a massive wolf, almost the size of a human. After that incident, I had been trying to reach out to people for the past week.

Entering the room, my mom approached me with a cup emitting hot steam. "Hey baby," she greeted me.

"Hi," I replied, offering her a smile. I couldn't help but feel sorry for my mom. She blamed herself for not casting a protection spell around the house before leaving. Even though her magic was no longer present, she still felt responsible for not taking precautions such as protection spells.

"Are you feeling better? Any visions?" she asked, her concern evident. This had been her demeanor for the past week, and it genuinely pained me to see her like this.

"Mum, I've already told you countless times. You don't have to treat me like a child," I reassured her.

"Oh honey," she said, placing the mug by my bedside before sitting on the bed next to me.

"No, Mom. I know what you want to say. Yes, you are babying me. I ruined your date with Dad. I know how much you were looking forward to it," I admitted, recalling how she had excitedly spoken about the new dress she wore for the occasion, only to have it disrupted by my late-night call.

I tried to push away any thoughts of what she could have been doing that night, refocusing on the present.

"I feel like nothing but a burden. I know you wish you had a normal child," I confessed, sensing her expression darken.

"Did someone tell you that? Is that it?" Her anger reminded me of the past, back when she fiercely defended me against anyone who dared to speak ill of me.

"No one told me that, Mom. I can just see it. I notice how you're always on edge because of me, how you left your hometown because of me... everything. You lost your family because of me," I confessed, my panic growing. I realized I couldn't continue speaking without losing control, so I fell silent and took deep breaths.

"Sweetie," she said, her voice softening as if her anger had dissipated. "I do these things because I love you, and I never complain. Your father doesn't either. We are mates, honey. We have our lives for dates. But for you, we would rather face death than let anything happen to you. You are not a burden to us. Trust me," she reassured me, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Promise?" I spoke in a small voice, feeling like a ten-year-old again.

"Always, baby, always," she replied, smiling warmly within the embrace.

I suddenly felt a wave of relief wash over me. "Thank you, Mom," I said as she gently pulled away and handed me the mug. "What's this?" I asked, bringing it closer to my nose and recoiling from the unpleasant smell.

"It's a cloaking spell. It will make it difficult for them to track your scent," she explained. "Try not to worry about the taste. Auntie made it a while ago."

I nodded, even though the taste was repulsive. Complaining was not an option, as the last time I did, my mother forcefully fed it to me while scolding me for being ungrateful. It was an experience I never wanted to relive.

"Excellent," my mother praised as I forced myself to swallow a gulp. I pressed my tongue against the roof of my mouth, desperately trying to keep it down. "Take some more," she insisted, causing me to widen my eyes in disbelief.

"Fine then, this will suffice for now," she said, taking the item out of my hands and placing it back on the table.

Just then, my phone began to ring.

I chose to ignore it.

I didn't have the energy to engage with people.

"You should really answer that," my mother suggested. "It could be your boss." I scoffed. At this point, I couldn't care less about keeping my job. He was the reason for all of this. If he hadn't asked me to show Eric around, I would have returned to a peaceful home that evening. But no.

I had to work extra hours, without being compensated, and now I was traumatized.

To make matters worse, he didn't even appreciate my efforts.

"I don't care," I replied, and my mother nodded in understanding.

"So, your special someone," she said, wiggling her eyebrows, while mine widened in surprise. "Oh, come on, you didn't think I wouldn't find out, did you?"

She smiled brightly. "So," she dragged, squealing like a teenager. "Who is he?"

I avoided looking at her; this was not a conversation any child, regardless of age, would want to have with their parent.

"I honestly don't know much about him, and I prefer to keep it that way."

For some reason, I wanted to stay as far away from him as possible, and hopefully, I could maintain that distance.

Eventually, my mother left, calling me a buzzkill, to which I didn't object.

Deciding to take a nap, I heard my door swing open with such force that I jumped out of bed, fearing that those men had somehow sent someone to seek revenge on my behalf.

"Anna! What the hell?" I snapped, my heart racing. I was close to having a heart attack.

"What the hell?" She looked extremely angry. Firstly, she hated being cursed at.

"For starters, HOW ABOUT YOU ANSWER YOUR DAMN PHONE!" she yelled at me.

"I am not prepared for this," I thought to myself, wincing slightly.

"The entire office was worried; I was worried. And that's all you have to say? You didn't answer Eloise; your parents were saying nothing except that you were fine."

Shit, I thought as tears threatened to fall.

"You know, sometimes I feel like you don't want me in your life. You don't confide in me," she said. I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off.

"Don't think I haven't noticed how you keep things hidden from me. I never complained because I thought that over time, you would open up. It's been twenty years, Eloise. Twenty years of our friendship, and you still hide things from me."

"Anna, I promise it's not like that."

"Forget it." She let out a dry laugh. "Keep your secrets. Stay locked up in here. Push everyone away; see if I care. I'm done. I'm done trying to force our friendship." With that, she walked out of the house, leaving me in shock.

Did I just lose my best friend? I pondered, unable to fully process what had just happened.