Chapter Twenty-one - Mystery Lucy

Aria’s POV.

I absentmindedly tapped my fingers on my desk, with my eyes riveted on the fancy wall clock hanging on the wall, at the front of the class, way above the teacher’s head. It was almost five minutes until the close of school for the day and I could barely wait to get out of the class. I’d had a very eventful day, from having to open up about my real identity to the shocked principal, to becoming the discussion amongst every group of students, all thanks to Shane.

At first, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me when I kept meeting with their stares. While some screamed of curiosity, especially from the male students, the females looked like they wanted to shoot lasers at me. It was no secret that they all had their eyes on the alpha but now that he was close to me, they were beginning to see me as a competition.

It still felt strange to be pulled from the shadows I’d always hidden in and to become the center of attention but I didn’t care as long as they weren’t going to openly confront me and as long as my ugly past remained a secret.

“Miss Lo…Campbell,” the teacher, Mrs Salvatore called, her screechy voice snapping me out of my trance. All eyes turned to me, with even more confusion.

Yes, the principal had also made an announcement that I wasn’t to be called Anna Logan anymore, but Aria Campbell. How nice it felt to be getting a change of life and status, even with a change of name.

“Could you repeat the last sentence I made?”

I blinked cluelessly, a gulp working its way down my throat. I glanced around the class to see the mocking smirks on their faces. I had no friends here and I wasn’t looking forward to making one too.

But perhaps, a friend could have been helpful at this moment. Hailey suggested, but I ignored her as I returned my gaze to the teacher, who was glaring at me with venom in her eyes.

“If you’re going to be inactive in my class, then you’ll be punished for it. At the end of this class…”

Before she could finish her statement, the closing bell rang and I’d never been happier. I felt a smirk tugging at my lips as a deep breath sailed out of my lungs but maybe I was too happy because she spoke, regardless.

“You’ve got detention, Miss Campbell,”

My eyes bulged out, my lips parting. What was I going to be doing in school and what was I going to tell Shane? I’d never gotten detention before but I heard the place was so boring that it could lead one to suicide.

“Mrs Salvatore, I don’t think your punishment can still hold, well until the next class,” a sweet feminine voice sailed into my ears from beside me.

All eyes turned to her, including mine. She was the petite blonde whose seat was next to mine, and she had a soft smile on her face as she stared at the teacher.

“Excuse me?” Mrs Salvatore barked, clearly annoyed by her intrusion.

“Well, your punishment came after the closing bell rang. So technically, school has been dismissed and we’re not meant to still be in your class. So your punishment can’t hold because your period was over before it came,” she shrugged like she wasn’t getting on the teacher’s nerves and the rest of us stared at her with wide eyes.

I admired her courage but it could never be me.

Our eyes darted between the blonde and the teacher, waiting for her next words. Mrs Salvator’s jaw clenched tightly, her hard gaze drifting from the girl to mine.

“Very well, then. I’ll see you in my next class, Aria Campbell,”

With a malicious snort, she turned on her heels and strutted out of the class in her seven inch stilettos. A deep whoosh of air expelled from my lungs as I fell back into my seat. I closed my eyes to breathe, thankful that I’d managed to escape the teacher’s wrath. I heard the sounds of the other students as they scurried out of the class, with some mocking Mrs Salvatore, while others spoke of the blonde’s courage.

No one dared Mrs Salvatore or even got in her way. She was a very mean and unhappy woman. Many believed she had an unhappy home and thus, channeled that inner anger and frustration at the students.

My eyes were still closed when I felt a tap on my shoulder. They popped open to see the blonde standing there.

“You’re welcome,” she grinned.

I blinked at her, unsure if she was real.

“Thank you?” I murmured, still surprised.

“No one should have to deal with that evil woman. I have a strong feeling she’s a wicked witch of the west,” she shuddered at her own words and I couldn’t stop the laughter that bubbled out of me. “Wow, I made you laugh. Today has to go in my dairy as one of my greatest achievements,”

I ached a brow.

“What?”

“You know,” she waved her arms around. “You never talk, never smile and always keep to yourself. I’ve always wanted to know more about you but then you gave off mysterious vibes until you showed up with Alpha Shane today and I concluded that you couldn’t be that mysterious if the Alpha is with you,” she shrugged.

I narrowed my gaze at her. She’d just admitted she was only having this conversation with me because I was close with the alpha. But as though she could read my mind, she quickly shook her head.

“Oh no… no, I have no interest in your business with the alpha or with the alpha himself. I just think you’re really beautiful and I want to be your friend,” she grinned but my gaze was still narrowed. “Right,” she pressed her lips into a mean line. “You think I’m bluffing. Anyway, I’m Lucy, and we can try this again some other time, Mystery Aria,” she winked at me before dashing out of the classroom.

The encounter was still weird to me as I thought about it over and over again on the way home. Shane had sent one of the sentinels to pick me up as he couldn’t come himself and honestly, I preferred that to having him come. It’ll draw more attention and rumors would start spreading regarding our sudden closure.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hailey chipped in but as usual, I ignored her, still thinking of my savior, Lucy. I didn’t get any weird vibes from her but I had a bit of trust issues with everyone.

Soon, we arrived at the pack house and memories of Lucy were forgotten as I dashed out of the car into the house in search of Shane but I was informed he’d gone out for an important business meeting. With nothing more to do, I retired to my bedroom to take a nap but then I fell into a dream.

…I stood in the middle of a forest, surrounded by the wails and cries of agony as the roars of an ongoing war sailed into my ears. The cackling sounds of fire and the scorching heat from the flames licked my skin with the smell of blood lingering in the air. But in the midst of all these, the familiar sounds of incantations sailed into my ears. I didn’t know what was being said but I could swear I’d heard those exact incantations before.

I remained rooted on the spot, ignoring the wails of terror flying around with death hovering in the atmosphere as I tried to focus on the incantations and where they were coming from. I closed my eyes, my heart slamming hard against my chest and suddenly, the only thing I could hear was the incantations being murmured in a soft feminine voice, dripping with urgency. Suddenly, I found myself moving. I couldn’t tell what direction I was heading to but I knew within me that I was approaching where the incantations were coming from. After a while, I came to a stop. The heat in my environment increased as I felt the burns against my skin and my eyes suddenly snapped open to see that I was standing very close to blazing fire. But that wasn’t what caught my attention. It was the woman in the middle of the flames. She was surrounded with no way out.

Dressed in a dark cloak with her wavy red hair peeking out from the hood that was hiding the rest of her face, she kept on chanting the familiar incantations and I watched her, wondering what she was saying and how she’d gotten in the middle of the flames but suddenly, her eyes snapped open, her emerald green orbs glowing as they stared into mine right before a spike was launched into the middle of her chest and a loud scream of agony tore out of her lips, instantly pulling me out of the terrible dream.

I jolted awake, sweating profusely, despite the cold temperature of the room. My breath was coming out in short pants with my lips parted as I could still vividly recall the dream. But that wasn’t the terrifying part.

I recognized the woman from the dream and the incantations. She was the same woman I’d seen in the mirror and the incantations were exactly the same as the ones I’d heard from the stranger in the dungeons.

What could they mean? Does the woman have a direct connection with the man in the basement? And why were they after me?

These questions plowed my mind as I mulled over the dream, my racing heart gradually slowly to a steady rhythm. I remained in that position for a moment, still finding the answers to my questions but nothing came.

At some point, my stomach rumbled, and I sighed in defeat, realizing I wasn’t going to get the answers just from thinking about them. I had to find them and the stranger in the dungeons was my only means at the moment.

My stomach rumbled again with hunger pangs and I finally climbed out of bed and exited my room in search of food. But then I heard Shane’s voice across the hallway.

“Will he get better?”

I didn’t need a prophet to know he was referring to his sick father. Without thinking, I moved towards the father’s chambers and the sentinel appointed to the door stepped aside. I held onto the door knob but the door opened to reveal a smiling Shane. He pulled me in and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, quickly pressing his lips to my temple as the doctor continued instructing him on how to care for the sick alpha.

After he was done, he exited the room, leaving Shane and I alone. Shane turned to me.

“How was your day, angel?”

“Eventful,” I grinned, waiting to tell him of how I was saved from detention.

“Mmm… I can’t wait to hear all about it,” he winked and kissed my temple again.

“How’s your dad?”

His shoulders sagged and his smile disappeared but I wrapped my arms around him, hoping it’d be enough to convey my comfort.

“The doctor said there’s no hope but I insisted we still try,”

“It’s fine, you did the right thing,”

“I hope so,”

I couldn’t stop myself from hugging him tightly and he hugged me back, sighing heavily.

“I’ll help you take care of him as the doctor had instructed,”

“You don’t have to, Aria. You’ve got school,”

“But you’ve got a lot on your plate and you will not always be available,”

“I know but…”

I placed a finger on his lips.

“Let me do this for you, please?”

“Okay,” he leaned down and kissed my forehead. “You’re truly an angel, my angel,”

My heart leapt in response but my stomach chose that time to rumble again, making him chuckle. A shy smile spread across my lips.

“Come on, let's get you fed,” he grabbed my arm and pulled me out of his father’s chambers, down the stairs towards the kitchen. But in all of that time, his words still revolved in my head.

I hope I could truly be his angel.