152 Nymeris
Lyla
I struggled between sleep and consciousness.
My body felt heavy as if unseen chains held down every part of it. My head throbbed with a dull, piercing pain that grew louder with every attempt to stir. I struggled to open my eyes, but something was pressing down on me. It was so suffocating that for a moment; I forgot to breathe.
I struggled, gasping for breath, thrashing all over my bed as I prayed for relief. Just as the darkness seemed to heighten, and I felt like I could die any moment, the force stopped.
My eyes fluttered open finally, and I gasped. I was in a strange place–a strange compound – but it looked ancient and strangely familiar. The air was thick with the scent of wet wood and damp earth mingled with the faint fragrance of wildflowers planted at every corner of the compound.
A wooden fence enclosed the entire compound, carved with very elegant designs. Towering above the fence were houses carved with thick stones and logs. The rooftops all had asbestos and carved wooden beams, and in front of the house was a bold wooden sign that said Alpha House.
“Where am I? What is this place?” I whispered to myself, trembling.
My heart raced as I took a tentative step forward, my bare feet sinking into the soft earth. The compound was quiet except for the rustling of leaves as I moved on them. I turned in a slow circle, trying to understand my surroundings, when suddenly someone threw open the wooden gate guarding the compound.
I froze.
–
A woman stormed through it, her long, brown hair with two silver stripes running down the front of the hair flowing like a storm cloud behind her. A fierce expression was on her face, and fury filled her eyes. She wore a deep crimson flowing dress with silver embroidery at the end.
Behind her, a young man followed close, with desperation on his face. His broad shoulders were tense, his jaw clenched as he reached out to the woman.
“Neriah, wait,” he pleaded.
Neriah?
145
I stared at the woman who was supposed to be my recantation. The only thing that could tell us apart was the dress she had on, compared to my wrinkled jogger and crop Tee I was wearing.
Else that, I was basically staring at a mirror of myself.
She whirled around. Her eyes were blazing. “Don’t you dare follow me!”
“Can you just wait?” The man chasing after her sighed.
But she spun around again and continued walking. The man reached out and grasped her arm, pulling her to himself. “Neriah, please…” he begged.
“What–What do you want?” she screamed. “Haven’t you done enough already? Have I not told you in all the languages you understand, that I am not interested in hearing whatever excuses you want to make? LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” she thundered.
But the man ignored her tantrums, tightening his hand stronger over her arm. “I need you to listen to me, his voice had softened too as if he was afraid she would shatter.
“You’re making a mistake. Corvus is not the man you think he is.”
“I get you don’t like him,” Neriah fumed. “But enough with trying to blacklist him. The only thing this man has shown me repeatedly is love that you nor anyone in this pack has ever given me. Not even my parents have loved me the way he does.
“It doesn’t matter, Neriah. Love sometimes goes beyond your expectations of people. Everyone loves you. The pack, your father…”
“Then why can’t they be accepting of the fact that I want to be with someone who gets me literally and in all the ways possible?”
“Can’t you see it, Neriah… don’t you think it’s a bit strange that a man is ready to up with everything you do without complaints? Now, don’t get me wrong…I love you so much and I am ready to put up with anything, but occasionally we argue, we fight and we make up. That’s the dynamic of a relationship.”
“I prefer the one that I don’t have to fight and make up. I don’t want to be your mate anymore. Take it or leave it. But don’t come to me again. I will order the pack guards to
stop you.
“Neriah, please, there’s something wrong about him, something weird with everything he has told us so far and his so–called movement to liberate our world. He’s asking you to help him take over the White Moon Throne, and you’re going to do that? Just like that?”
“He only wants to gain infinite access to the Werewolf and Lycan world and abolish the
“He only wants to gain infinite access
to the Werewolf and Lycan world and abolish the
strata, the injustice, the inhumane treatments. For once…”
“It’s not possible!” the man gritted his teeth, literally shaking with anger. “That’s not how the universe was built. There must be hierarchies, there must be stratus… all these
things make us who we are. We cannot all become equals.
“Corvus said we can, and I believe him,” Neriah answered flippantly.
The man ran a hand through his hair, gazing at her for a few seconds. “You’re making a big mistake. He’s not the right man for
you.
She laughed humorlessly. “And you think you are the right man for me?” she spat. “What makes you think I’d choose you? Just because a Beta became an Alpha doesn’t give you the right to claim me as your mate.”
The man flinched his expression hardening. “At least I’m not pretending to be someone I’m not. Corvus isn’t a werewolf like us to begin with. He doesn’t even have a wolf, neither is he an Alpha. He doesn’t have the bloodline or strength. He’s dangerous, Neriah. Can’t you see that?”
She laughed, her laughter ringing out. This time it was hollow. “No, he isn’t an Alpha I although his eyes were brimming with annoyance and you have no right to interfere. The man took another step closer, his frustration was evident in his voice now. “Your choice is going to destroy you! Corvus is evil, Neriah. You know nothing about him. where he comes from, his pack, his people and I’ve caught him several times…
“Oh, please!” she cut me short. “I think I’ve had enough of that line.”
“Fine” the man continued. “If you don’t see reasons for doing any of these. I will have to go to your father and the council and report them to you. They need to know the truth.”
Neriah’s laughter ceased abruptly, and her face darkened. “Go ahead,” she mumbled, her voice trembling, “Tell them. But when you do, get ready to see me die. Because I’ll die a thousand times with him before I let you take him away.”
The man stared at her, his lips as though he wanted to argue. But no words came. Instead, he turned and strode away.
Neriah crumbled to the ground, her hands clutching the fabric of my dress as silent sobs wrack up her body. My heart ached watching the scene, but before I could react, the door to one of the ancient houses opened and a tall man with piercing blue eyes stepped out.
It was Xander.
BC Nethers
And then my eyes opened to the present. I woke up with a start. My chest heaved as though I had been running for miles. I was drenched in sweat, my skin was clammy and
cold. The faint an already filtered through the curtains, casting a dim glow in
the room.
light
My vision was hazy, but I could make out Nanny’s figure slumped in a chair beside my bed, resting her head on the edge of my mattress. A bowl and damp towel sat on the bedside table, evidence of Nanny’s endless care.
But something was wrong. It was as if my entire body was on fire. An urgent, pulsing heat that refused to be ignored. A strange force was pulling me towards the door. I sat up. My limbs were trembling as I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
“I need to go, I mumbled to myself.
till half–delirious, half–feverish, I stumbled out of my room and down the hallway. Soon, I was outside..
The cool air of the early morning light greeted me as I stepped outside, but it did nothing to quell the inferno within me. I staggered, my bare feet crunching on the gravel path until I reached the edge of the forest.
The trees stood tall and silent, refusing to sway to the rhythm of the wind. The moon hung low in the sky–round and full. Its light bathing the clearing. It was so bright that I could pick a pin. My heart pounded as I moved towards the place where the Moon seemed to have settled.
It was almost dawn. Why was there a moon? I wondered silently.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my body, bringing me to my knees. I cried out, clutching my sides as the pain intensified, spreading to every corner of my body. My bones ached, my muscles stretched and twisted, and my skin burned as though it were being torn apart.
My heart beat faster so fast that I could hear its beating.
The moon shone on me and in the next instant; I heard a loud pop and then some
more…
A few minutes later, my wolf–Nymeris emerged.
