Twenty-Five

Elena.

I watched Zoey get away from me; she was upset, scared, and confused. I would have reacted the same way if I were her. I was going to tell her, but I was looking for the perfect opportunity to tell her, but with all the drama going on, it was difficult, coupled with the fact that she had a crazy boyfriend who would kill me if he found out that I was part of the vile creatures who killed his mother. I was not going to take chances; I was young, and I did not even have the chance to explore the world because I was not opportune to.

I stood quietly looking at her, hoping she would forgive me for lying. I really loved Zoey; she was my only family, the only one who was there for me, and my only friend.

“Zoey, I am sorry. I did not have the chance to tell you." I tried to coerce her into listening to me and forgiving me.

"I know why you did this; you hid this from me because of Victor. Do you think I will tell Victor what is going on? Do you think I will betray many years of friendship with you because of a man? Of course not, Elena. I thought you would know me better.” Zoey yelled at me. I was not going to react; I was just going to stand there and let her shout and tell me how she felt, but I knew she was not going to be angry for long.

I went near her and pulled her in for a hug.

“I am extremely sorry, Zoey. No more secrets, I promise.”

As expected, she was calm; if I had driven away the only friend I had, it would have been a total disaster. In the midst of the hug, I thought of Luca. As much as I hated him, he never treated me badly, but what did I hear Isabella say? That he was going to use me to break a curse? What was it all about?

"Who was that woman?” Zoey asked me; she was fine now, and she was not upset anymore, I think. I was already tired and hungry. I had a long day, and the only thing I ate was the coffee that I took earlier.

I walked into my small kitchen, which was in the same area as my parlor, with just a counter to differentiate the two places. I turned on the coffee maker to make coffee for both of us, and Zoey’s calm times were only when she had a cup of coffee in her hand. Addicted to caffeine, I adopted her habits, and the girl even gave me a coffee maker as my birthday gift.

"I asked a question, Elena,” Zoey asked again, and she was now beside me.

"I do not know who she is; she just broke into my house and started saying that Luca wants to use me and that she can break the mate bond,” I told Zoey. I wanted to limit what she knew about the werewolf society; the less she knew, the safer she was, and she was going to leave it at that.

"Are you going to tell Luca?” She asked me.

I thought about it first; my safety was all that mattered. The other day, those creatures in the woods attacked us in the woods, saying I was special, and today too, someone broke into my home. What was going to come next?

I turned to give the coffee to Zoey, and it got spilled on my hand. I screamed because of the intense pain, and Zoey brought tissues from the counter and placed them on my hand to wipe the liquid and see the scald.

"I am so sorry; that must hurt. We have to go see  the She paused when she removed the tissue from the place where I had burned myself.

She laughed, and I joined her in spontaneous laughter. I did not know what was funny.

“I forgot for an instant that werewolves could heal very quickly." She laughed again.

I looked at my hand and noticed that there was no indentation; it was clear from any scar.

"So what else can you do?” She asked me.

I walked back to the sitting area and dropped the cup on the table.

"For now, the only thing I can do is heal, smell, and hear," I said. To think about it, it was a cool thing; many people would have counted it as a blessing, but for me, I just wanted to live normally, without having intrusions or restrictions from anybody, without having to be scared for my life or need protection when I was going out.

Zoey laughed at me; this time I tried to read the emotions on her face, but I could not get anything.

"So you mean the only thing you can do is smell, hear, and heal?” She asked and laughed again.

I was so confused. Was she supposed to laugh?

"Elena, those things are basic. Do you not read books or watch movies? All wolves are gifted with something unique to them, like mind-reading, seeing the future, or something like that. If the only things you can do are just those three, then you are pretty basic." She laughed again and gulped down the coffee.

I never thought about the gifts; I wondered what gift I had. Luca had hypnotism, but she did not know Andrew’s and Four’s.

“I have money; do you want to go to a five-star hotel?" I asked her. This was my chance to eat fine; I wanted meat, and there was only one place that was known for the most luxurious beef, which was Brooklyn’s fare.

I was the type of girl who would look up fine dining restaurants and save them for the day I had cash. I never knew the day was coming so soon.

"Let's go out; bills are on me,” I told her.

Zoey’s eyes widened.

“Brooklyn’s? Their meat alone is two fifty; how can you even afford that place?’ She asked me.

I smiled and flashed my phone at her face.

"Have you forgotten I have fifty thousand sitting pretty in my account? Come on, do not kill joy; it will be fun,” I smiled and told her.

Zoey was not the one to complain about how she was dressed because, regardless of the occasion, she dressed to slay, unlike me, who looks homeless every day as long as it is not a work day.

Zoey chuckled, shaking her head at my sudden burst of generosity. "Alright, alright, if you insist on splurging, who am I to say no? Brooklyn's it is!" she exclaimed, her excitement evident in her eyes.

Luca was going to be furious that I did not use the car he gave me for security, but I did not care. We hopped into Zoey's car, the engine roaring to life as we navigated through the city streets towards Brooklyn's, a renowned fine dining establishment known for its exquisite cuisine and elegant ambiance. The anticipation in the air was palpable as we chatted and laughed at the prospect of a luxurious evening ahead of us.

As we arrived at the restaurant, the valet greeted us with a smile, taking Zoey's car keys. The grand entrance of Brooklyn's loomed ahead, and we strolled in with an air of confidence. The maître d' welcomed us warmly, leading us to a beautifully set table with gleaming silverware and crystal glasses.

Zoey couldn't hide her amazement, her eyes darting around the sophisticated surroundings. "I can't believe we're actually here," she whispered, a mix of excitement and disbelief on her face.

We settled into our chairs, browsing through the extensive menu filled with culinary delights. The waiter appeared, impeccably dressed, ready to take our orders. Zoey, still slightly overwhelmed, glanced at me with a mischievous grin. "You're sure about this, right? I mean, we're not going to end up washing dishes to pay for this."

I chuckled, reassuring her, "Absolutely sure. Luca's money was more than generous this time. Let's enjoy the night, Zoey. No worries."

We ordered an assortment of appetizers, fine wine, and, of course, the renowned meats that Brooklyn's was famous for. As the evening unfolded, we savored each bite, relishing the flavors and indulging in the luxury surrounding us. The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the soft melodies playing in the background.