Chapter 186 The Unveiling

Chapter 186 The Unveiling
The room remained as it had been a few hours ago. I had lost track of time, drowning in a cold, dark abyss of thoughts. The bowl of cereal remained on the bedside table, untouched. I couldn't bring myself to eat. Not after the horrifyingly dark secret I just discovered. 

Hm… ‘Discover’ wasn't quite it. Because the truth had always been right before me, but I had simply not noticed. Or rather, I had been made not to notice.

My eyes darted briefly to my phone that lay in between my thighs. On the screen was a single message that I had sent to Caligo. It read: “Come immediately. Bring Nyx and Cassian.”

I sent that text about thirty minutes ago, so they should be here any time…

Indeed, I did not have to wait too long, because a knock came from the door in the next minute. I looked over, then said, “It's unblocked.”

The door knob twisted, and the door slowly opened. Caligo walked in, a rather grim expression painted on his face. Nyx and Cassian walked in right after, and the latter shut the door. He turned the lock, ensuring no one could barge in.

I shifted my attention back to Caligo. Something must've happened, because he seemed lost in his own world of thought. He hadn't even spoken a single word since entering.

“You didn't eat.” Nyx pursed her lips, her eyes fixed on the bowl.

I shook my head and responded, “There's a reason for that. Please, sit. You all are going to want to brace yourself for this.”

Caligo seemed to finally snap out of his thoughts. He looked at me, then practically asked with his eyes, “Are you okay?”

I offered him a small nod. When they all sat down, I sucked in a deep breath, then spoke at a measured pace, “What I'm about to say will change everything. Nothing will ever be the same again. It will definitely come as a shock, and you might not be able to muster up the courage to believe me.”

All three of them frowned. 

My face warped into a pained smile.

“Caligo, you were right to keep the secret of me being a wolf from everyone. Otherwise, I might've already been killed.”

“What do you mean?” Caligo leaned forward, eyes fierce enough to make the heavens quake.

I briefly thought back to when that terrible pain suddenly assaulted my mind. As it would turn out, it wasn't due to some medical condition. Rather, my new werewolf physiology had simply sharpened my memory, and so I became impervious to the spell that I had been under for the longest time. 

The spell that had only been effective because I was a human, and lacked the necessary mental defenses. 

And so I had remembered all the things Aurora did to me. The things she said to me. The things she made me do. What she was going to make me do on the last day of the month.

I remembered everything.

So I looked at Caligo, Cassian and Nyx, and I told them the truth.

“The person who has been trying to tear this family apart… is Aurora.”

The oppressive aura that boomed inside the room was undeniable.

“What?” Caligo's voice came out as a growl.

Nyx’s exclamation followed next, “What are you saying?”

Cassian did not have an outburst like the rest of them, but his eyes narrowed with puzzlement. 

I remained calm. I knew it was going to be difficult to convince them because Aurora was like a mother to all of them. Heck, I had even regarded her as such. She was kind, gentle, and she knew the best things to say when any of us were feeling down. She radiated that motherly aura, and we all ended up seeing her in that light. 

A mother.

Except, all that had been an act. I understand that now. 

And to make the others understand, I had to break it down. So I looked at Caligo and said, “Honey, do you remember back when I was terrified of you? And would ask all those strange questions?”

He nodded.

“Well, that was because Aurora made me believe that you had a lot of girls whom you had been with in the past. And you would dispose of them whenever you were done. Dispose, as in… killed.”

“That's incredulous.” Cassian scoffed. “Why the hell would such a thing be true?”

“Right?” I nodded. “It's such an unbelievable claim that truly believing it would've been impossible. But guess what? I did. I did believe it, because unknown to me, I was under a spell.”

Nyx was especially puzzled. 

“Wait, wait… what are you trying to say? That you were under Aurora’s spell?”

“That's right.” I sighed softly, then said, “Everytime she assisted me in the bath, she would always use this special liquid that was in a vial. I had always believed it was some sort of soap, or lotion. I never asked, because every time it was used, I would always feel lightheaded after. Whatever we spoke of would be buried in my subconscious, making me act towards whatever she had ordered me.”

My voice cracked, and I looked at Caligo once more. 

“Caligo… it was Aurora who made me have sex with Ciro.”

Caligo rose to his feet immediately, his eyes betraying an explosion of emotions. He frowned at times, confused. Other times, his eyes lit up with rage. It seemed as though he was struggling between believing my words and the fact that someone like Aurora could be the snake in the house.

“No. It's not possible…” He shook his head. 

“Tell me you're lying. Or you have it confused.”

I could only shake my head. “I'm sorry, but I am currently the most clear-headed I've been since I stepped foot in this pack.” Sighing softly, I added, “It's not just that. Aurora has always been pushing me to be with Ciro, and to leave you alone. She painted you like this demonic monster who fed on the naivety of girls like me, and constantly advised me to stay away from you.”

Nyx and Caligo exchanged looks. I could see the bafflement in their eyes.

“Unfortunately for her, my love for you was stronger than the insidious whispers she'd been forcing into my subconscious mind. And so, even with all she said, even with how I believed you were the devil incarnate, I still fell head over heels for you.”

“How come you remember all this now?” Caligo asked quietly. Too quietly.

“Because she's a werewolf like us.” Cassian answered for me.

The room went still.