29_ Lies

Dylan looked at me with so much worry in his eyes and asked again, "What happened?"

“I don’t know,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I saw… I saw something.”

Dylan’s grip on me tightened. “What did you see?”

I hesitated, unsure how to explain it. “Sabina’s mother,” I finally said, shivering as the memory of her voice replayed in my mind. “She said I’m not supposed to be alive.”

Dylan’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “We need to figure this out,” he said firmly. “But first, let’s get you home.”

Still shaken, I nodded and let him guide me back to the car.

The moment we stepped through the front door, Dylan immediately reached for his phone. His hands trembled as he dialed Sabina’s number. His pacing filled the small living room, each step radiating anger and frustration.

I sank into the couch, my knees trembling from everything that had happened. My mind replayed the vision on a loop: the lonely highway, Sabina’s mother, her icy words. “You’re not supposed to be alive.” A chill crept down my spine.

Why was this happening to me? These visions were different from the prophecy—focused solely on Sabina’s mother. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to the story, something Sabina wasn’t telling us.

Dylan’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Sabina, we need you here now.” His tone was sharp, his frustration barely contained.

After ending the call, he resumed pacing, running his fingers through his hair. “This is insane,” he muttered. “What does her mother have to do with any of this?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Instead, I let my thoughts spiral, questioning everything. Sabina had been so quick to involve herself in my life, claiming to help, but could I trust her?

Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Dylan stormed to the door and opened it to reveal Sabina. She looked calm, almost too calm, as if she’d been expecting the call.

“What’s going on?” she asked, stepping inside.

“What’s going on?” Dylan snapped, his frustration boiling over. “Katrina just had another vision—this time of your mother. Care to explain that?”

Sabina’s expression shifted slightly, her calm demeanor faltering for a split second before she regained control. I noticed it, though. There was something off about her, something she was trying to hide.

I stayed silent at first, observing as Dylan bombarded her with questions. Then, unable to hold back any longer, I spoke. “Why am I having visions of your mother?”

Sabina turned to me, her composure slipping again. Her heartbeat quickened, loud enough for me to hear it. She hesitated before answering. “I don’t know,” she said finally, her voice steady but her words hollow. “Sometimes, visions aren’t always as they seem. It could be someone using her face to manipulate you.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why would anyone do that?”

“I don’t know,” she repeated, avoiding my gaze.

Her words felt like lies, each one more hollow than the last. I stood from the couch and slowly approached her. Sabina took a step back, her confidence visibly cracking.

“Listen to me,” I said, my voice low and firm. “If you’re lying to us—if you have anything to do with what’s happening to me—I will kill you. Do you understand me? I will kill you and feed your flesh to my wolf.”

I surprised both her and myself with the threat. It was like my wolf took over for a second but I didn't regret it.

Sabina’s eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw fear flash across her face. She quickly masked it, straightening her posture. “I told you,” she said, her voice firmer now. “I have no hand in any of this. I’m just a messenger.”

Dylan stepped between us, his hand resting lightly on my arm. “Okay, enough,” he said, his tone gentler now. “Let’s focus on what we can do.”

I backed away from Sabina, still glaring at her. Dylan turned to her. “What should we do next?”

Sabina adjusted her jacket, her calm exterior returning. “The visions may hold clues. Katrina shouldn’t fight them. Let them come, and tell me everything she sees. They might lead us to answers.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, barely holding back a snarky remark. Sabina’s answers felt rehearsed, like she was feeding us just enough to keep us from digging deeper.

Dylan nodded reluctantly. “Fine. But if these visions get worse—”

“You’ll tell me,” Sabina interrupted, her tone sharp.

With that, she left. The moment the door closed behind her, I let out a frustrated sigh.

“You really don’t trust her, do you?” Dylan asked, his voice quiet but certain.

“Not one bit,” I admitted, crossing my arms. “My life was fine before she showed up.”

Dylan leaned against the wall, studying me. “You think she’s hiding something.”

“I know she is,” I said, meeting his gaze. “Her mother keeps appearing in my visions, and she’s acting like she doesn’t know why. She’s lying, Dylan.”

Dylan sat beside me on the couch and sighed, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had landed squarely on him. His usual composure seemed to crack, revealing the frustration and helplessness he was trying so hard to mask.

“I hate this,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “I hate that I can’t protect you from any of it.”

I glanced at him, my chest tightening at the sight of his furrowed brow and the storm brewing in his eyes. “I wish there was something I could do," he said, thinking deeply.

"Maybe there is something i can do," he said, as if realising something.

"What is it?" I asked, curious.

Dylan turned to me, his expression torn between anger and worry. “I’ll get to the bottom of it, Kat. Whatever it takes, I’ll find Sabina’s mother.”

The determination in his voice brought a flicker of warmth to my chest, but it was quickly overshadowed by the heaviness of the situation. I leaned back, resting my head against the couch and staring at the ceiling.

“Do you think she’s dangerous?” I asked quietly. "Scratch that," I added, realising she's also a witch just like Sabina. Maybe even more powerful.

I turned to Dylan, my heart heavy with guilt “I’m sorry. For everything.”

His head tilted slightly, his brows drawing together in confusion. “For what?”

“For coming into your life,” I said, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “For dragging you into my messed-up, dangerous, supernatural world. You didn’t ask for any of this. I didn’t mean to put you in danger or make things so complicated.”

Dylan’s hand reached out and held mine, and he shifted closer, his knee brushing against mine. “Kat…”

I shook my head, cutting him off. “No, let me finish. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to deal with witches, prophecies, or... whatever this is. You’d still have a normal, safe life. You’d—”

“Stop,” Dylan said firmly, his voice cutting through my rambling.

I looked up at him, startled by the intensity in his eyes.

“Don’t you ever say that,” he continued, his tone softening but still carrying a weight of conviction. “Don’t you ever think that you’ve ruined my life or brought me anything but happiness.”

My lips parted, but no words came out.

Dylan shifted closer, his other hand coming up to gently cup my face. “Katrina, you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Since the day I met you, my life has had meaning. Purpose. You’ve made me feel things I didn’t even know I was capable of feeling again.”

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, trying to keep them at bay. “But I’ve brought so much danger into your life, Dylan. How can you say that?”

“Because it’s true,” he said, his thumb brushing softly against my cheek. “You didn’t choose this life, and neither did I, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re here now, together, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

A tear slipped down my cheek, and Dylan caught it with his thumb, his touch so tender it made my chest ache.

“I don’t care about the danger,” he continued, his voice unwavering. “I care about you. And I’m not going anywhere, no matter how complicated or messy things get.”

I let out a shaky breath, my heart swelling with emotions I couldn’t quite name. Gratitude. Hope. Love.