Chapter 115 — A balance

My head ached as I regained consciousness, and when my vision adjusted to my surroundings, I found myself lying on a bed. Turning, I saw Kristen by my side, her eyes filled with concern.

“You’re awake, thank goodness,” she exclaimed, pulling me into a tight hug. As she held me, her body shook and I realized she was sobbing.

Looking around, I realized we were being kept in a well-furnished luxurious room, surprised we weren't locked in a dark dungeon. I recalled the events before I passed and when Damien’s face flashed in my mind, my blood boiled with rage.

“I’m scared, Gina. I can’t even remember how I got here,” Kristen’s voice made my heart sink. When I looked at her body and the cuts on her body, my anger intensified even more.

I clutched her face in my hand, and wiped her tears with my thumb, “I understand how you feel. I’m so sorry you got dragged into this, but I promise, I’m going to get us out of this shithole.”

She nodded her head, and I was glad she had faith in me. I walked to the window and tried to open but it was screwed shut. When I peered out and saw the moon from a distance, my whole body froze.

I turned to Kristen, “How long was I knocked out?”

“The whole day.”

My blood drained. The moon cast a blue glow, marking that tonight was my ascension. If I didn't succeed, things were going to end badly.

“We’re going to get out of here, but I want you to stay close to me, okay?” I said to Kristen. She nodded and I told her my plan.

Suddenly, the door opened startling us, and we fell silent. Two men entered without a word and grabbed us by our arms, dragging us out of the room. When we were outside, my breath hitched when I spotted Damien standing by a car, waiting for us.

I wanted to desperately wipe the smirk off his face, but not yet. Kristen and I were shoved roughly into the backseat of the car while Damien sat in the passenger seat.

“I hope you’re ready for your big night,” he turned his head to look at me, but I ignored him.

The car drove a few minutes until it stopped at a building I believed to be their sanctuary. As we got down from the car, I held Kristen’s hand in mine as we were led into the building.

The guards standing by the entrance had those familiar eerie red eyes. As luck would have it, when we walked into the building, it was completely empty except for Damien and the two guards standing behind their altar.

When we stopped at the altar, there was an opening in the roof just like the one at our pack, but the moon wasn’t there yet.

“There’s already an army on their way to your pack. It's the first place they’ll destroy,” Damien said as he folded his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth, “The ascension won’t start until the next thirty minutes.”

When he moved closer to us, we retreated, trying to keep as much distance from him. Growling, he grabbed me by my shirt and I felt his hand graze my breasts. When he spoke, his teeth were bared.

“Don’t try anything stupid or funny. Behave and all this will be over soon.”

If only he knew, but I remained quiet. His grip finally left my shirt and he walked away, finally giving us space.

I shot a knowing look at Kristen whose hand still held mine. She returned the look back. When Damien was at a decent distance, and distracted, I gave Kristen the signal; a rub at her palm.

Recalling what the witches had taught me back at the castle about opening the portal, I envisioned a clear image of where the portal would take us and I imagined a gate opening.

The gemstone we had hidden in our hand all this while suddenly grew warm, and in a split second, the portal burst open directly in front of us.

At that moment, Damien turned to look at us, and his eyes widened when he saw it. He tried to run towards us, and I could hear the guards approaching behind us, but they were all too late.

With lightning speed, Kristen and I jumped into the portal. Right before Damien could pass through it, it closed immediately, shutting him out.

A rush of air rushed through me, and when my vision adjusted, we stood in front of our home, and Devyn was there, waiting.

My heart leaped to my throat and we ran into each other, almost falling to the ground. When we pulled back, Devyn had a relieved expression on his face.

“I’m glad you made it,” he said.

“I told you to trust me,” my smile quickly faded when I remembered what Damien said, “A war is coming. Damien’s monsters are already on their way here.”

He nodded and looked around, “It’s already happening.”

At that moment, a wolf ran towards us and stopped directly in front of us. I recognized it was Liam immediately.

“Liam will take you to the sanctuary. Wilona is already there waiting. They will protect you while I fight here.”

My heart swelled at the thought of leaving him again. I didn’t want to, but I had to.

He placed a kiss on my forehead, “When you’ve ascended, you can fight by my side,” he said with a smile, “I'll be waiting for you.”

I nodded as I turned to Liam. I climbed on Liam’s back, along with Kristen who sat in front of me. Devyn glanced at me one more time, then shifted into his wolf before running off.

“Be safe, please,” I muttered a quick prayer as Liam charged towards the sanctuary.

As I looked back, I felt my blood drain when I saw the monsters already infiltrating our pack. I had to ascend and join the fight as fast as I could before too many people got hurt.

When we got to the sanctuary, Wilona stood by the entrance, still in her human form.

“I knew you’d make it,” she said with a smile.

As we entered, I rushed to the altar and stood by it, my gaze tilted upward to the opening in the roof where the moon’s glow would fall on.

“Please keep Kristen safe,” I said to Liam.

‘I will, and I’ll keep you safe too, with my life,’ his voice echoed in my mind and I felt my heat creep into my chest.

I could already see the moon approaching and I could feel anxiety rushing into me.

Just then, I heard the sanctuary doors open, grabbing my attention. When I looked, Wilona walked in.

I heard Liam’s voice first, ‘You’re supposed to be guarding the entrance. What's the situation outside?

But Wilona ignored Liam because her eyes were trained on me. When I looked deeper into her eyes, a sharp gasp escaped me.

“How hard could it possibly be to kill you, Gina? Tell me.”

Her words hit me like a huge boulder, and my chest started to tighten as my heart raced. For the first time, I saw Wilona for what she really was… for who she was really was.

I watched the mask she had worn all this while slip off, revealing her true intentions.

“Since it’s so hard to get the job done, I guess I’ll have to do it myself.”

I could feel blood pumping into my ears as I struggled to breathe against the rapid beating of my chest.

I finally found my words, “What are you talking about?”

Her eyes narrowed into slits and I saw the hatred she’d hid so perfectly in them, “I want you to die, Gina.”

The words struck another blow to my heart and I wasn't sure if I could survive another. I felt my knees weaken underneath me, but I gripped the altar for support.

‘You don’t mean what you’re saying. This has to be a mistake.’ The confusion in Liam’s voice made my heart sink, but a part of me felt relieved that he hadn't been a part of this.

“Oh, I mean it,” she waltzed closer, “That night I sent Praya’s siblings to kill you. I thought they’d get the job done, but somehow, your friend just had to shift that night, disrupting my plan.”

My gut twisted as a painful feeling rushed through me.

“You got Praya killed,” my voice came out weak in the form of a whisper, the words hard to admit.

Wilona shrugged, “She got in the way, don’t blame me.”

Her words cut deep, as she admitted it so nonchalantly, like Praya had meant nothing to me, to her. No one meant anything to her, and I was just realizing Wilona was evil and devoid of sympathy for anyone but herself.

“killing you in Transylvania was hard, mostly because of Devyn, but a girl has to try you know.”

My head was spinning as everything connected. All these while, it had been Wilona all along.

I looked at Liam who stood still and silent, probably in shock just like I was in too.

“Why are you doing this? What did I ever do to you?”

“Absolutely nothing, sweetheart. Don’t take it personally. It all has to do with the balance between the weak and the strong,” she gritted her teeth, “and your existence disrupts that. Why should someone be so overpowered without even working hard for it when people are struggling hard to grow? It’s not fucking fair.”

As she stepped closer, I felt myself retreating even though there was a great distance between us.

“It’s not my fault. I didn’t ask for these powers,” my voice quaked as I spoke, my body trembling violently.

“I know, that’s why I’ll make it quick and easy for you,” she grinned, “If you let me.”

I didn’t realize tears were streaming down my eyes till I tasted it on my lips. A myriad of emotions were coursing through me; pain, anger, hurt, betrayal, it was all overwhelming.

“I saw you as a friend, Wilona. I trusted with my life.”

“You shouldn’t trust strangers.

Understand I’m doing you a favor.”

Her betrayal was going to leave a deep scar in my heart, no doubt about that, but now I was angry, and filled with burning rage. My fists clenched at my sides as hot tears burned my eyes.

All this while, I had been played for a fool. All this while, the cause of death around me had been right in front of me, but I was too blind to see.

The pain and betrayal lingered, but my anger burned more and the brightest.

I was never going to forgive Wilona, and I'll carry the hatred I felt for her to the grave. I was going to avenge Praya’s death even if it cost my life.

“So tell me, can you still outrun a wolf?” she added with a mocking smile as she shifted into her wolf, her voice echoing in my mind.

‘Cause your life depends on it.’