37_ Original sin

The tension was palpable as Dylan and I drove to the motel, my heart hammering in my chest. Every muscle in my body was coiled tight, and I could feel the wolf inside me pacing, waiting to be unleashed. Dylan hadn’t said much on the way, but his grip on the steering wheel was ironclad. I could tell he was just as on edge as I was, though he hid it better.

When we pulled into the motel parking lot, Dylan parked quickly, and we stepped out. The motel was as seedy as I expected, with peeling paint and a flickering neon sign. We walked briskly to the door number sent to Dylan. I could already sense Sabina’s presence behind the door, her scent unmistakable. My fingers itched to grip the doorknob and burst in, but Dylan insisted on trying a more civil approach.

He knocked firmly, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A tense moment passed before the door creaked open, revealing Sabina’s wary face. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw us, and panic flashed across her features.

“You—” she started but immediately moved to slam the door shut.

Not a chance. My instincts kicked in, and I shoved the door open with more force than necessary, sending Sabina stumbling back. She retreated quickly to the far end of the small room, her fear evident in every movement.

“Stay away!” she cried, her voice trembling.

I stalked after her, my steps deliberate, my gaze fixed on hers like a predator closing in on its prey. “You lying bitch!” I hissed, my voice dripping with venom.

Dylan was behind me, his tone firm yet calm. “Katrina, don’t hurt her. We need answers.”

I ignored him, my focus entirely on Sabina. “You better start talking,” I said coldly, “or I swear I’ll do something I might regret.”

Sabina’s eyes darted between Dylan and me, her lips trembling. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stammered.

The lie was so obvious it only fueled my anger further. I felt my wolf rising, clawing at the edges of my control. “Don’t play dumb with me,” I snapped, my voice low and threatening.

Dylan stepped forward, his voice sharper now. “We know Talia is your mother, Sabina. And we know you’ve been working with her. So quit lying.”

Sabina’s eyes widened again, but she quickly masked her shock with another layer of denial.

My patience snapped. “So, you’ve been hiding because we found out the truth?” I growled, my voice rising with anger.

“That’s not—” she began, but I didn’t let her finish. I lunged forward, my hand wrapping around her throat as I pinned her against the wall. Her gasp was choked off as I pressed her into the cheap wallpaper, her hands clawing at mine.

“Katrina!” Dylan shouted, his voice cutting through the haze of my fury. “Stop.”

Sabina’s voice was strained, barely audible. “You don’t… understand…” she choked out, her hands feebly pushing at me. “I was hiding… from her.”

Her words gave me pause. Slowly, I loosened my grip but didn’t release her entirely. “What do you mean, hiding from her?” I demanded, my eyes narrowing.

Sabina coughed and gasped for air, her voice trembling as she spoke. “My mother… she’s dangerous. You don’t know what she’s capable of.”

I stepped back, letting her go entirely but still keeping her pinned with my glare. “Why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth?” I asked, crossing my arms. “All you've done is lie to us.”

Sabina rubbed her throat, her breathing ragged. “Because I don’t have a choice,” she said finally. “If I don’t tell you the truth now, she’ll destroy me—and you.”

Dylan moved closer, his voice low and steady. “Then start talking.”

"The prophecy is a lie," she said, shocking both Dylan and I.

Sabina’s words hung heavy in the room, a weight I wasn’t sure I could bear. Her trembling lips parted as she continued to speak, but my mind was already racing with the revelation she’d just dropped. The prophecy was a lie? My death at Dylan’s hands wasn’t real? How could that be? My heart pounded as I glanced at Dylan, his face a mixture of shock and disbelief.

“What do you mean the prophecy is a lie?” Dylan demanded, his voice sharp. I could feel my wolf stirring within me, her confusion matching mine.

“You better start explaining, Sabina.” He said.

Sabina swallowed hard, her hands nervously clutching the fabric of her dress. “It was never real,” she said, her voice small. “The prophecy… it was all my mother’s doing. She manipulated it to look like a prophecy, but it’s not.

I took a step closer, my fists clenched. “Why would she do that? Why lie and make me think Dylan would… would kill me?” My voice cracked at the end, and I hated how vulnerable I sounded.

Sabina hesitated, her gaze flitting between us before settling on me. “Control,” she said simply. “And power. My mother thrives on it. She knew that making you believe in this fake prophecy would destabilize you, make you easier to manipulate.”

A lump formed in my throat as her words sank in. “But… if it’s all fake, then why is it coming true?” My voice rose as I gestured wildly. “Claudia is in the hospital because of me! I attacked her just like the prophecy said I would.”

Sabina winced, and guilt flashed across her face. “That’s because my mother didn’t create the prophecy from nothing. She looked into your future and picked out the most painful, devastating moments. Then she twisted them into this so-called prophecy, framing them as inevitable. She wanted you to think everything was destined so you wouldn’t fight back.”

Dylan’s jaw tightened as he processed her words. “Why?” he asked, his voice cold. “Why go to all this trouble? What does your mother get out of this?”

My chest tightened, and my breath caught in my throat. It was hard to fathom the level of hatred Sabina’s mother must have to orchestrate something like this. “What was your part in all of this?” I asked, my voice low and trembling with restrained fury.

Sabina hesitated again, her gaze flicking nervously to Dylan. “I was supposed to be the messenger,” she said finally. “To deliver the prophecy and gain your trust. But…” She paused, biting her lip.

“But what?” I pressed, my heart sinking.

Her voice was barely above a whisper as she admitted, “My mother wanted me to get close to you… so you could lead her to the other werewolves. But she managed to find them herself and now, she has ordered me to kill you."

A cold chill ran through me, and I took a shaky step back. The betrayal stung more than I expected, even though I barely trusted Sabina to begin with. Dylan stepped forward protectively, his eyes narrowing.

“Why would she want her dead?” he asked sharply.

Sabina’s shoulders slumped, and she looked down at the floor. “Because she hates werewolves,” she said softly. “She’s always hated your kind. She’s the one who declared the war ten years ago, the one that wiped out almost all of the werewolves. This… this is her finishing what she started.”