Chapter 45

Malia POV

The dream I was locked in was a delight. Pure relaxation. I left myself being swept along with the soft flow of the delicious events unfolding behind my closed eyes. The voluptuousness and the cozyness of it made it easy to decipher from reality. Even in that golden cage with my subconscious as a maestro, I could tell it was too good to be true.

I was happy. Healthy and glowing, I was living a life that was an utopia in the world that was my major scene outside of the tales that I wanted to escape to. Life, love and laughter were filling every space, every air molecule that was entering my lungs as I inhaled, and returned to the world multiplied when I exhaled. It was all so disturbing.

He was there. He was with me, willingly and emotionally available. He never chose another. Devoted as a true mate should be, he was my all, and I was all his. That’s how I knew I was wrong to believe something changed, because I was woken up by an excruciating pain in my lower abdomen. The wild fire took the place of the fuzzy warmth in the bottom of my stomach. The burning ache spread across my body, running through my veins. Tears were welling down my cheeks similar to endless falls, wetting my pillow, the shirt I put on before going to sleep. I was drenched in a few seconds, not bothered, only noticing the crazy amount of water I was losing, glad, or sad?, it wasn't blood. Death would've been a savior from that incessant torture. I figured that being unable to move, stuck in that fetal position, cradling myself as if it was making it any better, which was not the case, Death was an option sweeter than the humiliation of that empty spot beside me.

Extending my shaking hand, I grabbed the pillow he laid his head on, and despite all my warnings, I smelled it. The pain swelled down for a second, allowing me to breath sharply before a strong wave crashed on me to rock my boat again.

Trembling, I tried to get up. I needed to escape from this. I couldn’t allow any of this for a second longer. With the burning mark on my neck pulling my head down, blinding me almost, I rose from the bed.

‘Shila… Are you there?’

The silence that answered my question was as painful as the continuous hits in my belly. It was suffocating, frightening.

‘Shila, answer me.’

‘I…’

The strangled voice of my wolf I had with me for the past 10 years stirred something in my heart I never felt as determined in my whole 20 years of life. Hatred. He dared hurt me, humiliate me. I was fine by it. I could endure any kind of blow, I would stay, to the best of my abilities, strong and face the storm, or at least dust it off my shoulder. But he hurt Shila. And his weak asss wolf let him do it, as they rather mark a chosen mate instead of their fated.

‘The natural reaction now would be…’

And the final blow. My knees gave way under me. The ground opened up, and swallowed me whole. For a while, I layed in his warm and dark embrace, resting my soul into the mouth of the knocked-out coma I fainted into. The pain was a vain memory. My memories were blurry and useless. I’ve lost everything following the man I thought would one day accept me as his. I vowed to protect my sister and I failed. I vowed to myself to fend for my fate, to fight for my own hand. Instead, I gave my body, heart and now soul to a complete idiot. I guess we were really a match. I was a fool and now, my life and Shila’s are required as payment for the blessing I didn’t ask for but chased after.

‘My life? No no dear, Mother would never take my life for the pure and genuine heart you showed you have.’

‘Shila?’

She was standing in front of me, tall and strong. It was weird to see her outside, I guess, of me, seeing her with my eyes not through hers.

‘You are stunning.’

‘Mother cares, Malia. She paired us with him for a reason. Not because you two are stupid, as you think. It is more complicated, it seems. Right, Mother?’

The glowing silhouette that erupted from the shadows was, instead of blinding, giving so much clarity that I cried. Our surroundings that I took as a void, were miles and miles of a meadow, garnished by the softest flowers carpet.

‘I will always care for my child. But that doesn’t mean everything is easy, and that I control everything. Your human part enhances the desire of making your own choices, even if it means going against your own instincts and your heart’s desire. It puts a veil on what you truly want, and puts focus on what your past needs. Revenge. And that, my child, I can do nothing about. But you can.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘There are hearts in this world who are rotten to the core. What happens when you put a rotten apple among healthy apples? At some point, the rot will spread on the others. The choices of one affect the life of the other. What makes the difference is your choices. Will you let the rot spread into your heart? Or will you try to cure it to the source?’

‘But where is the source? How will I know?’

The glowing woman put her hand on Shila’s head for a moment, being silent, before looking back at me with the most beautiful smile I have ever witnessed, so much my heart felt warm and mooshy.

‘Instincts, my child. Trust yourself, and listen to your instincts.’

Purring, Shila rubbed herself against the legs of who I believed was the Moon Goddess. I didn’t dare take her hand she presented to me, bowing deeply to her smiling figure, that before leaving, leaned over, caressing my cheek.

Opening my eyes, I traced the tickling feeling with my finger tips. And in a full forced spring, I was back on my feet, rushing out my tent.

I ran. Shila ran. We ran to feel the forest surrounding us, prolonging the event that just unfolded in my mind. We wanted to forget the pain, but not our goal. There was more at stake than our heartbreak. We were stronger than that.

By the time we were back, the sun had set and the moon was shining bright, guiding us on our way back. We were taking our sweet time. Dawn was hours away. We were ready.

‘We still have no clue why we are going over there. But I have that gut feeling that’s where we need to go.’

‘That’s being a true wolf.’

‘Or a woman.’ I mocked Shila playfully, who was back to her old self.

“Where were you and why are you still out so late?”

His voice stopped me in my tracks, but I didn’t falter.

‘You smelled him, didn’t you? And masked his scent to me… Shila… it is still too soon.’

‘Better rip the bandage off right away. We can do it. And I think it would be better if it was me. Maybe making his wolf come out could be a good starting point to get an explanation.’

‘I don’t want explanati… Oh. You do. Sorry, Shila, I was being selfish.’

Turning my head to look at him up and down, slowly taking him, I smirked, challenging, and let Shila took over.

She took off into the depths of the woods again. It was on for a chase.