Chapter 164 The return

Chapter 164 The return
Chapter 164

RAVENNA

My eyes fluttered open and landed on the gold ceiling above me.

My head was pounding like someone had taken a hammer and struck it repeatedly.

My eyes were blurry and heavy, the edges of my vision still dark and unfocused.

I tried to sit up, but my body felt impossibly heavy. I could not lift my arms. I could not move my legs.

All I could do was lie there on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, feeling like I was trapped inside my own body.

I tried to remember what had happened.

Nothing came.

My mind was just blank.

The door opened suddenly, and I tilted my head slowly to see Theodore's face appear. He looked flushed and happy, his eyes wide with relief.

He jumped slightly, turned back toward the doorway, and shouted, "Uncle, she is awake!"

Then he closed the door and rushed toward me, taking my hand in his.

The door flew open again immediately, and Daniel came in.

He sped to my side and cupped my face gently in his hands, his eyes scanning me carefully like he was checking for damage.

"Theo, go get the healer," he ordered without looking away from me. "Stop doing all that."

Theodore mumbled something under his breath about how he was supposed to send the guards to fetch the healer, but Daniel had warned him that he must be the one to call the healer himself.

Theo flashed me a quick grin and then dashed out of the room.

Daniel looked down at me, his expression tight with concern. "Are you alright?"

I frowned. "What is the meaning of all this fuss? Why am I on the bed?"

"Do you not remember anything?" he asked carefully.

"No."

Daniel exhaled slowly. "You have been asleep for three days now. We were getting scared you would not wake up."

I blinked. "Three days?"

"Yes."

I shook my head slightly. "It is not easy for me to die just like that."

Daniel smiled faintly, but it did not reach his eyes. "Do not worry. But you need to get yourself cleaned up. Can you at least bathe or pour water on yourself to make yourself presentable for the healer?"

I nodded slowly.

He helped me sit up, and I managed to swing my legs off the bed and stand, though my body still felt heavy and unsteady.

I made my way to the bathroom and turned on the shower. The water was cold at first, but it helped clear my head slightly.

I washed quickly, scrubbing away the sweat and grime that clung to my skin.

When I came out, there were fresh clothes laid out on the bed. I pulled them on slowly, my limbs still aching.

There was a knock on the door.

"Can I come in?" Daniel's voice came from the other side.

"Yes."

He opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Theodore and a man I did not recognise.

The man stood at the doorway, staring at me. I stared back at him.

Daniel glanced between us. "Is everything alright?"

The man did not take his eyes off me. "You should ask your daughter. She is glaring at me."

I blinked realizing I'd been doing that and quickly smiled. "Sorry. Come in."

He looked at me for a moment longer, as if contemplating whether or not it was safe, and then stepped inside.

He took a chair from the corner of the room and placed it in front of me, sitting down carefully. "How are you feeling?"

"I do not know," I admitted.

"Can you remember anything?"

"No."

He nodded slowly. "I am going to give you something to drink. It is going to react violently inside you. After you drink it, you should start saying whatever you remember."

I hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small vial filled with black liquid. He handed it to me.

I took it carefully and brought it to my lips. The moment the liquid touched my tongue, I nearly gagged. It was so bitter I thought I might vomit.

I crunched my face in disgust and forced myself to swallow.

Almost immediately, I felt something shift inside me.

The first thing that came to my mind was Moonlight's warning. She had told me not to tell anyone about what we had discussed. Only my father.

I looked back at the healer, then turned to Daniel. "I need to talk to you first. Alone."

Daniel frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Yes."

He turned to Theodore and the healer. "Both of you, leave."

They did not argue. Theodore stood and walked to the door, and the healer followed.

Once they were gone, I stood up and walked to the door. I opened it and checked the hallway carefully, making sure no one was listening.

Then I closed the door and turned back to my father.

I told him everything.

I told him about Moonlight. About the spell. About the fact that I had shifted when I was seven years old. About my mother taking me to a witch. About how the spell was breaking now. About the warning that I would die if I did not fully shift by the next full moon.

Daniel's eyes widened as I spoke.

When I finished, he exhaled slowly. "I knew something was wrong with you after you were born. I could have sworn you shifted on your first day. But your mother told me I was hallucinating."

He paused, his jaw tight. "And it was the reason I asked you if you had been behaving strangely when you complained about the dream."

I sighed. "What am I going to do? Moonlight specifically told me we are going to die if I do not shift."

"Not on my watch," Daniel said firmly. "I promise you. You are going to fully shift on the next full moon."

I looked at him, searching his face for reassurance.

"What am I supposed to do now?" I asked quietly.

"You return to school," he said. "So no one will feel suspicious about any of this. And you keep your mouth shut. Do not tell anyone about this. Not even Sam."

I frowned. "But—"

"No one," he repeated firmly. "Then Theodore will bring you back home every evening for training."

He paused. "Can you speak to your wolf now?"

I focused inward, trying to reach Moonlight.

Nothing.

It felt blank. Like she had never existed.

"No," I admitted. "It feels empty."

Daniel nodded. "Do not worry. Just rest up enough. You will return to school tomorrow."

I grabbed his arm before he could leave. "Is it necessary for me to go back? I cannot imagine how they will treat me when I return."

Daniel turned to face me fully. "Running away now after what you did will make you look like a coward. And it will make them openly come for you."

He paused, his voice softening slightly. "It is best you return to the academy. Even though everyone is mad at you, you still have Sam and Theo. And besides, you need to be in a werewolf culture place to speed up your transformation."

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I want you to join a werewolf group. Go with Theo. He will protect you if they decide to attack you."

I felt tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. "I am sorry for everything. I did not know it was going to get this bad. I am feeling guilty enough, and I do not think I can bear whatever they dish out to me."

Daniel kissed my cheek gently. "You must be strong. Do not give up now. Everything was not your fault."

I nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "I will go through this again. I have gone through it before, and I did not die. I will definitely not die now."

Daniel smiled faintly. "What are you going to do about Darius?"

I shrugged. "Whatever."

He laughed. "Do everything possible to get your mate back. If Moonlight has felt lonely all this time, she will need her mate's grounding to keep her sane. Or else she will go feral."

I hesitated. "I am not promising anything. But I will try my best to win him back."

"That is my girl," Daniel said, his smile widening.



Morning came quickly.

I dressed carefully, choosing clothes that were simple and unremarkable, and made my way downstairs.

Daniel was already at the dining table, and Theodore was standing near the door, ready to leave.

Daniel kissed my forehead. "Be careful. Try not to make trouble with anyone."

He turned to Theodore. "Be around her always. Do not leave her vulnerable."

Theodore nodded. "I promise."

We went to the garage, and I stopped short when I saw the car waiting for us.

"Who owns this?" I asked.

Theodore grinned. "Me."

I raised an eyebrow. "That is a lie. This is for both of us."

He laughed. "Just get in."



The drive to the school was silent.

I stared out the window, watching the trees blur past, my chest tight with anxiety.

When we arrived, the school was bustling with students moving between buildings, talking and laughing.

I got out of the car, holding my bag tightly in one hand.

And then everyone stopped walking.

I could feel their eyes on me. Hundreds of them all at once.

Theodore came to my side. "Ignore them."

I took a step forward. Then another.

A voice shrieked from somewhere in the crowd. "Bitch!"

Another voice yelled, "Go back to where you came from!"

Then another voice screamed, "What the fuck? She's got a really strong mind."

And then someone in front of me spat to the floor, "Bitch, how dare you come back into this academy?"

I shrieked back in fear but Theo held my hand and pushed me to continue walking, I kept my jaw tight, my hands trembling slightly.

I thought that would be the end of it.

Then hot coffee landed on my face, splattering across my clothes.

I gasped.