Chapter 79 ~Bound by Fate~
(Fiona's POV)
As Yara and I walked out of the bathroom, my heart was thumping in my chest, but I tried to mask my anxiety. I had to admit, I was getting a little better at confrontation.
Yara gave me a subtle nod of approval, signalling I’d done well.
I heaved a sigh of relief.
Hopefully, my threats were enough to scare Beckett and Loki away, or at least stop the threats.
We walked out of the girls’ bathroom door —and nearly ran straight into Brianna, Jasmin, and Frances.
I froze in my tracks.
I wasn't expecting to walk into them.
I hoped they hadn’t overheard… It would be disastrous if I had to explain.
“Oh, so now you're stalkers.” Yara smirked at them.
Brianna eyed us suspiciously. ““Who were you two in there with?”
Just great!
As if on cue, Cassia walked out of the bathroom at the same time. She stopped abruptly in her tracks, turned to look at us for a few seconds, snickered, and went on her way, muttering: “Pathetic!”
I turned back to them. “What do you want?”
“You haven't answered my question,” she said in the same breath. “What were you all talking about in the bathroom?”
Yara scoffed. “Even if we explained to you, your brain wouldn't still be able to articulate or comprehend. So don't bother, okay?”
They eyed Yara down.
“Oh, the minion has teeth.” Frances snickered.
Yara and I exchanged glances and laughed at the same time. The irony. The minion was calling someone else a minion.
Brianna turned back to face me.Her gaze dragged from my head to my toes. “Look at those pathetic jeans.”
“They're definitely hand-me-downs from her grandma.” Frances piped in.
“More like great grandma.” Jasmin added. And they all chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. This was too childish, honestly.
Brianna crossed her arms across her chest. “You know what pisses me off the most about you, Fiona. It's the fact that you don't know your place.”
“Oh, really?” I said dryly. “Tell me more.”
“Sometimes, I wonder what Xander sees in you. You're boring. Nothing but a nerd.” Jasmin said. “But then, he's using you. Probably just going to dump you at any moment.”
“Wait till she finds out the truth.” Frances said.
“Yes. He'll dump me. And when he does, you can have him.” I dead-panned.
Survival instinct one: never let them get a reaction out of you. It kills them slowly.
Clearly not getting the reaction they wanted from me, their claws were out.
“You're a nasty, silly bitch. There's only one way you'll end up- crying where everyone can see.” Brianna spat out.
Having had enough, I spoke up. “Your lives are really so empty that you have to try your best to bring someone else down? I think that's pathetic.” I smiled. “And how are you not embarrassed at your display? It's giving 1998 chick-flick. This is old.”
They looked at each other in disbelief.
What amused me the most was that I wasn't even being insulting, I was being one hundred percent honest.
“But I guess it's not your fault.” I smirked. “You’re too dumb to reason.”
They gasped.
Not too bad for a ‘nerd’, was it?
Brianna raised her hand to slap me. I braced myself for the impact, but it just never landed.
I opened my eyes to see Xander. He grabbed her hand so tightly that she winced.
A few heads turned in our direction.
“Don't make me do this again.” Xander hissed through his teeth. “I typically try to be a gentleman.”
Color drained from Brianna’s face—such a pleasant sight.
Yara hollered loudly.
“Please, I'm sorry.” Brianna’s face was twisted in pain.
He released her arm. “Disappear.”
Jasmin and Frances left, but Brianna lingered a bit. “You'll rot in jail for this, I promise you.”
Xander stepped forward, and she walked away briskly.
He turned back to face me, a small smirk on his face.
“You didn't have to. I got it.” I smiled softly. He shrugged. “I'm actually surprised. How did you get here so fast? Were you watching all along?”
We were all walking towards the cafeteria now. “No. I was actually coming from somewhere when I saw you all.”
“From where?” Yara asked.
“Uh…” He hesitated. “Coach Bruce's office.”
“Why?” I stopped in my tracks.
“It's a long story. Never mind.”
“Don't do that.”
He exhaled roughly, then spoke.
“I found out he removed me from the team because he was collecting bribes from Damon Griffin's father. Also, he has a gambling problem, and debts to pay.”
“Oh, no.” Yara's eyes widened.
My face fell instantly. I was sure I looked ashen.
“And that… is why I didn't want to tell you.” he chuckled tiredly and pointed to my face.
I quickly recovered. But my chest still tightened as I said the words. “It doesn't matter, anyway. You're leaving for werewolf academy soon.”
Yara froze.
“You're moving? Why? How?”
The silence that followed was loud.
_____________________________
We were back in Silvereign packhouse.
Xander and I were seated in the shaman's quarters.
The smell of incense and potions was thick in the dimly lit room.
Candles flickered by the room corners.
Our eyes met… I don't know how he was able to convince me, but here I was. I protested because I wasn't ready to hear the words. It would make it too real.
Finally, the shaman ended his meditation and walked towards us.
“Luna. Alpha.” he bowed in greeting.
I felt queasy for some reason.
We bowed.
Finally, he sat cross-legged across from us.
“You're pregnant.” He declared, his tone abrupt.
I was surprised. “Y-yes. Is the child going to be okay?”
He looked away.
For a minute, I thought he didn't hear the question, but I realised soon that he did. He just wouldn't answer it.
Then silence followed.
I cleared my throat. Anxiety was crippling me. “I came here to enquire about my… uh, wolf.”
Xander spoke on my behalf. “She has been going through some tests. The moon goddess wanted to grant her powers. These powers can save her mother from a curse and unlock her abilities. But recently, she failed a level, and the powers were lost. We want to ask if it's permanent.”
“Is there a remedy?” I said in a low voice.
“Let's find out.” He brought out his hands. “Give me your palm, Luna.”
I placed my palm gingerly in his arms.
My breath hitched. My pulse thrummed in my ears.
But when I looked at Xander, he had a reassuring look.
So, I was a little braver.
The Shaman held my palms. He was reciting incantations and the whites of his eyes glowed; his pupils vanished.
We were like that for what seemed like an eternity.
The silence stretched and my fingers grew numb.
For a split second, his lips twitched.
After a while, he came to.
“So? What did you see?” Xander asked the question that was stuck in my throat.
The Shaman stood up.
I swallowed.
His voice was emotionless, his tone vague when he said.
“Your fate is already written, Luna Fiona.”
He turned away.
“And it ends in blood.”