Arda, Karina, and Jacob strolled towards an event center on the day of the birthmark show.
It was in the late evening and the event center was a bungalow of a building with a spacious parking space that currently contained very few vehicles.
A stone fence went around the building and the entrance gate was locked with a huge padlock.
The signpost just outside the event center displayed a marquee that proudly announced, Marvelous Event Center.
Arda and her friends joined the crowd to stand outside the gate.
It was not a large crowd and a flamboyantly dressed woman in her forties holding a megaphone, came to stand beside a man around her age just inside the gate.
The man had no hair on his head and it was shiny. It seemed to be the only bright thing about him. He was dressed in a black suit and wore black shoes, his face grim.
“We regret to tell you that we have canceled the event.” The woman announced, shocking them all.
“But why?” demanded a few people from the crowd.
“We figured out too late that many people might come to this competition and try to deceive us with tattoos and we cannot handle that stress.”
There were groans from the people and a few people among the crowd started leaving, some swearing and cursing as they left, others, silent.
“Should we go as well?” Karina asked Arda who shook her head.
“Somehow, I knew what her answer will be,” Jacob commented.
“We’re already here. I need to hear all they have to say.” Arda told them.
“Okay.” Karina agreed.
“Whatever you say,” Jacob said halfheartedly but Arda ignored him. Surprisingly, so did Karina.
“Anyway,” the woman went on, “we have a website set up for this purpose. Just get there, fill out the form and upload your mark. This is now an online competition. Also, fill in your bank account and our team will inspect your mark. The winners will be announced on the site and paid what is due them.”
The woman looked expectantly at the man beside her and he cleared his throat before opening his mouth to address them.
“The website is www.birthmark.com and I repeat, www.birthmark.com, everybody got that?”
Nobody responded and he cleared his throat again but remained silent.
“That’s it. Just shut up. We heard you.” A gothic-looking girl shouted from the crowd, which had some of the people laughing.
“Well, that is good to know.” The man responded coolly, unfazed by the insult. “Submissions will go on for seven days, starting by tomorrow. We look forward to receiving your submissions.” He turned to the woman. “What do you say to them?”
“May the best marks win a prize.” She said with a smile and the crowd cheered.
Arda stood between Karina and Jacob, taking their hands in hers. The woman and her counterpart turned away from the crowd and started making their way toward the building. As they left, the crowd started to disperse.
“Mum and dad,” Arda addressed her friends lightly. “I guess you both don’t have to worry about me exposing my mark. The competition is now online.”
Jacob and Karina exchanged knowing glances.
“What do you think?” he asked her using telepathy and Karina shrugged.
“Less risk.” She responded humanly.
Arda had been observing their exchange. “Why do I feel like you guys are not really on my side?” she said teasingly and they both smiled at her.
“Don’t be silly,” Jacob responded. “Let’s go.”
They joined the dispersing crowd and Arda sucked in a sharp breath as she caught sight of Tracy.
Dressed in jeans trousers and a jacket, she stuck her hands inside the pockets of her jacket as she walked towards a scooter by the curb on the street.
Arda remembered that Tracy’s mark was real and not a tattoo. That would explain her presence there. Perhaps, she was also competing.
Arda pushed herself away from her friends and hastened towards Tracy. “Hey, Tracy.” She called but Tracy was mounting her bike, seemingly oblivious of anyone’s presence. “Tracy,” Arda called again, curving her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice.
Tracy turned her head and caught sight of her as she made her way forward.
“Hello, Arda,” Tracy said. “It’s starting to feel like we are stalking each other.”
Arda forced a smile. “You could say that. Did you come for the show?”
“Yeah. I came to watch. You?”
“Likewise.”
“I see. Okay.”
“Too bad it won’t be live but online.” Said, Arda.
“Too bad, yeah.” Tracy agreed. She watched Karina and Jacob come to stand beside Arda. The two waved at her and she waved back.
“I almost thought you were one of the participants,” Arda told her.
“Well, I guess you could say that I’m one of those people out to deceive the judges.”
She started laughing at her joke but it was so short-lived that no one could join her. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah. How did it go with the prof?”
“He was okay,” Tracy replied, adjusting the glasses on her face even though it did not seem to be off-balance.
“Alright, see you around,” Arda said.
“Bye,” Tracy responded, kicked off her bike, and hit the road.
Arda turned her attention to her friends standing beside her.
“Is she going to compete?” Karina asked. “What kind of mark does she have?”
Arda wasn’t sure that she wanted to reveal Tracy’s mark to them. Tracy was doing an excellent job of hiding her mark. It would be unfair for her to just talk about it.
“Arda?” Jacob said curiously, letting her know he was expecting her response as well.
“Um…” she began, about to tell them of the mark she had earlier seen on Tracy but she changed her mind. “I don’t know.” She finally responded.
Then and there, Arda decided not to buy Tracy’s seeming lack of real interest in the show. She hadn’t been there just to watch the show. Tracy probably wanted to showcase her mark too.
That night, Arda lay in bed in her night-dress, her eyes glued to the page of a history book. Her phone rang with a call from Luke and she picked it up.
“Hello, Luke.” She said.
“Hey.”
She smiled and placed the book down on the bed. “Are you back?”
He had traveled to attend his big sister’s wedding after their date and they had not been able to see the doctor about his headache as planned.
“I’m sorry we’ve not been able to see since our first date.”
“It’s okay. Your sister’s wedding is important.”
“Thanks.”
“So what’s up?”
“I’m actually outside your house.”
Arda was confused. He had not told her he was coming to her place. Her eyes darted to the wall clock, which read 8:45 pm.
“Wow, that’s quite surprising.” She said.
“I know and I’m sorry but I just wanted to see your face. Please come outside briefly, will you?”
“Okay,” Arda responded and pushed herself away from the bed as he ended the call.
Somehow, she was excited about seeing him. It felt good to know he dropped by just to see her face. It made her feel special and loved. Love was truly a beautiful thing.
Arda paused by the dressing table and checked her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was slightly unruly. She combed her fingers through the errant tresses and smiled. The smile left her face as she caught sight of the gift and letter from the anonymous man on the table. Ignoring it, she walked out of the room, her phone in her hand. When she emerged from the living room, she saw Jacob and Karina watching a movie.
“What’s up?” Jacob asked while Karina looked expectantly at her.
“Luke is outside. He just wants to see my face.”
“Hmm. Love is calling.” Karina teased and Arda found herself blushing.
“Behave yourself out there.” Jacob chided, his countenance, mockingly stern.
“Yes, daddy,” Arda replied, pretending to take him seriously and he laughed, waving her off. As their eyes returned to the television, Arda walked to the main door, opened it, and let herself outside.
Luke was parked before her car outside the house and he was leaning against it. The flower planted there, obscured part of his vehicle. They smiled at each other as they drew towards themselves, meeting each other halfway.
“Hello, Arda,” he said, taking her hands in his.
“Hi.”
“How are you?”
“Great. Thanks. It’s so good to see you.”
“I am glad to hear that.” He said. “Good to see you too.” He hugged her and they stood like that for a few seconds before he pulled away, holding her back from him. “Now, how about that kiss?” His finger gently caressed her lower lip and she smiled.
He lowered his head, bringing his lips towards hers. She closed her eyes, offering her lips up to him. Their mouths were barely touching when he groaned in pain, his hand flying to the back of his head. Her eyes flew open and he took a couple of steps back from her but his eyes were shut in agony.
“I am so sorry about the pain.” She said. “You’ll see the doctor, won’t you?”
He opened his eyes and when they fell on hers, the love she had once seen in them was gone, replaced by wariness and coldness.
“I don’t believe that I need a doctor.” He said flatly and she reached out a hand to touch his arm but he recoiled, shocking her.
“What?” her eyes were wide with unbelief.
“I do not need a doctor.” He said forcefully. “What I need is to stay away from you.”
“Luke…” she began, reaching out to touch him again but he took another step back from her.
“Don’t touch me.” He said coldly.
“What did I do?” Arda was confused. Her heart was pounding incessantly with fear and disappointment.“This only happens with you,” he stated matter-of-factly.“What are you talking about?” she whined.“Are you just playing dumb or you’re dumb?” he demanded. “I’m talking about the kiss. This headache which by the way I think is strange only happens with you.”“So, what exactly are you trying to say?”“Why not save me the trouble and tell me exactly what you are?”“Luke…”“I figured it out…witch.”“I’m not a witch, Luke.” She said, her eyes wetting up with tears of pain.“Then maybe you're just a monster with a pretty face. And that’s what I came here to find out.”Arda started crying softly as she stood before him. “I’m not a monster, please.”“I’m just so sorry that I wasted so much time waiting on you. You should have told me you were a witch.”“Luke, please.” She begged, moving closer to him but he took another quick step back.“Stay away from me. Gosh, are you cursed or something?”
Gradually, Arda’s shock left her and she placed the phone back onto the table. It was barely touching the table when her phone buzzed with a call from her younger sister.Arda took a few more seconds to calm herself down before receiving the call.“Hey, Sis,” she said.“You’re not my sister.”“What?”“You are not my sister and I think it’s about time you knew.”“Mabel, what are you talking about?”“Ask my dad and my mum.”Arda did not fail to notice how she stressed the word my in her statement. Before she could say anything, her sister was off the line.For a moment, she chose to believe that her sister was joking. Arda redialed her number and it kept ringing but there was no response. She decided to call her father who received the call in a single ring.“My dear, you’re still up late?”“Yeah, studying.” She responded. She didn’t want to talk about her problems.“Okay. Take it easy.”“I will. Where is Mabel?”“She’s around somewhere in the house.”“Look, Dad, I know that Mabel and I
Arthur marched past his game on the ground and moved cautiously among the trees in the bush as the sound of the baby’s cry got closer. It caused him to increase his pace and from moving hastily, he had broken into a run, his heart racing with uncertainty. He jumped over a log of wood and a fallen tree crossing his path before sighting a hill twice his height. He could tell that the baby’s cry was coming from the hill. Could the child be alone? He wondered. Who would leave a child by itself? Standing behind a tree, Arthur scanned the area with his eyes and he was grateful for the full moon which allowed him to see quite well. He could find no one and neither could he make out any movements from the surrounding area. Quickly, he breezed forward, covering the space between him and the hill. Then he circled over to the other side of the hill and gasped as he found a newborn baby girl on the lap of its dying mother. The woman looked to be about his age. She was seated on the ground, he
“She needs to graduate. The least you can do is allow her to finish school. Then she can face her destiny.” The Elder responded.“It was easier to wait when she was focused on her studies. But now, she is open to love. I cannot explain how much that annoys me. The more she socializes, the higher the risk of exposing her identity to the enemy packs.”“I know. Still, there’s a stronger reason why you need to wait.”Gillow gave him a knowing look. “Cain and his agenda.”“He will kill the moon child to fulfill it. He will do anything to fulfill it. They know about the prophecy. They will be alert once they hear you’ve taken a mate. She will be in danger.”“I want to challenge him.”The Elder adjusted his balance on the stick. “The enemy packs need to be kept in the dark about her existence, otherwise, the reason for keeping her hidden all these years would be futile.”“I said that I want to challenge him.” Gillow deliberately ignored the wise man’s words. He was impatient.“It is not time.
“I have to go now.” She said and watched his eyes drop briefly to the pig, before returning to hers. “You don’t want the game anymore, I see.” “Please, let me go.” Arda’s fear of him was mounting. He did not respond. Instead, a small grin split his lips. Then despite her ear defenders, she heard the howling of wolves in the distance. Arda turned and made a run in the direction she had come from and before she could leave the little clearing and hit the denser part of the forest, she felt strong arms pulling her roughly back against a firm, muscled chest. She opened her mouth to scream and felt a hand covering her mouth. She started struggling and felt herself being moved swiftly and before she knew it, she was being held sturdily against a tree. Her back was against the tree and he was standing before her, keeping her captive with nothing but his sinewy body. Her frightened eyes stared pleadingly into his and she felt them watering. Gillow could feel his heart melting with mercy
“What I need right now is the truth from you,” Gillow told her. “What other dangerous thing have you done apart from sleeping with the enemy? And by dangerous, I mean anything that exposes her identity.” Karina recalled the tattoo program that Arda had insisted on participating in. It seemed harmless at the time and now, she doubted that Gillow would see it that way. She was afraid of what he would do if she mentioned it, so she shook her head. “No.” “Are you certain?” Karina nodded. “Yes.” Gillow pushed the barricade aside and stepped into the prison cell while she backed off and pressed her back to the wall but he kept advancing towards her until he was standing directly before her. Her breathing became erratic, her chest, rising and falling rapidly. She knew he was searching her mind, listening to her soul and she focused her mind on the ocean. The ocean…the ocean…the beauty of the ocean. Karina gasped as in one swift move, he held her captive against the wall with his body.
Karina whimpered with pain. She was tied to a post in a different prison cell. Her arms and legs were secured to the post and she was in the middle of the room, her back, covered in welts formed by a whip. The penance guard who was standing behind her with a whip was looking at Gillow for further instruction. “Mercy…mercy…” she kept muttering weakly. “Let her go,” Gillow ordered the man. He was reclining against the bars of the penance cell. And now he walked over to Karina and circled over to face her. She had her eyes on the ground, her skin, sweaty, her breathing, unsteady. Gillow was still mad at her. He had trusted her to guide his mate and report to him any danger that might affect her. She was supposed to report everything to him right from what she ate to her school results. So far, she had done that but he wasn’t built to tolerate laxity. It wasn’t in him to be gentle. It was that kind of trait in a leader that weakened a pack and he was glad he possessed none of it. “Ka
Arda had not bothered to look at the road because she had spent most of the past thirty minutes crying. Her cries ceased for a moment, her eyes cast down with grief. Through it all, Karina held her close and kept giving her words of encouragement. Karina kept telling her that everything would be okay. She kept telling her not to be afraid. This helped to calm her down a little but it did not take her fears away. Many questions were in her head and she looked at Karina. “They are so big.” She whispered her eyes on the men dominating the front seat of the car. “I’m really scared. Is the Alpha like them?” The only person she had seen with their kind of stature was that overconfident hunter she had crossed paths with but had first seen on her date with Luke. The very stranger she had felt a powerful connection to, so strong it scared her. And he was even taller than these men. Karina pulled her closer to herself and hesitated, refusing to respond quickly to Arda’s question. How could s