VALERIE “What have I done?" Those were the words I muttered to myself as I stared at the spot where Bianca once stood. A part of me nudged me to go after her, but the guilt dwelling in me didn't let me take a step in her direction. I staggered back and sighed loudly before trudging back into the manor. With a heavy heart, I sauntered into the kitchen and stumbled into Monica. I wasn't afraid of her as I used to be. A large smile formed on her face and she left her minions to meet me by the door. “What are you doing here of all places?" She asked, folding her hand as she watched me. “I got into trouble,” I muttered and she turned up her lips in amusement. "Again?” She teased, and I nodded, worry etched against my face. “Can you get me a plate of grapes, please? I do not remember where the fruit section is,” I asked. She patted my shoulder, grinning widely. “Stay right here; I will be right back with your order," she muttered and disappeared into a corner of the kitchen. Wit
VALERIE “She pitied me?" I whispered to myself as I leaped across the empty corridor. I was quite grateful that people weren't present in the corridor to feed their eyes on me. I could still hear the girls’ mocking laughter and excited whispers in my head as I staggered away. If someone had told me that Bianca would be among those who would turn their back on me, I would never have believed such lies. But with what was displayed some seconds ago, I realized that no one is to be trusted, not even yourself. She was no different from Margaret. No, she was worse than her. She had been a pretender all along, all she had done was pity me, putting on some deceitful smile on her face to warm up my lonely, deceived heart. “Valerie!” Monica's call behind me stopped my feet from shuffling forward. I stood like a zombie, my body bent forward in a sickly manner. “You… forgot the plate of grapes,” she muttered and moved over to stand before me, a sympathetic look on her face. I took the pl
VALERIE I felt heavily burdened with guilt rather than anger after discovering that it was done by Michelle and not the beta. “Yes, I did it. What are you going to do about that?" She asked, tilting her head to the side. I huffed, tears gathering in my eyes. I was scared of talking because I was sure that I would break into tears if I should say a single word. The sorrow didn't sink in because she humiliated me, it sank in after I realized that I had accused the beta wrongly and had ruined my friendship with Bianca myself. My throat was tearing up and I was afraid that the tears would drop out any moment. I turned around and walked out of the garden, not minding if she still needed my services. I blindly ran up to my room and slammed the door shut, slipping down to the floor as I buried my face in my palm, weeping bitterly. Perhaps, if I had waited a bit longer, I wouldn't have hurt the Beta and Bianca as well. “Oh my, what have you done, Valerie Garrett?" I mutte
VALERIE The surprise on my face slowly melted away, replaced by a smirk.Michelle huffed and rubbed her red cheeks which must be burning.“Hey, woman! Watch it!” She snapped, her eyes filled with rage.My mom scoffed and poked her forehead, earning a shocked gasp from her."What are you going to do about that, huh? You're going to hit me too, right?” Mom snapped, and she flinched back, muttering inaudible words under her breath.She glared at my mom fearfully, backing away as she began to approach her.“Stay away from me, you maniac. I am trying so hard to stop myself from hurting you!" She barked, waving her hand at my mom.I could tell from the fire burning in my mom's eyes that she was more than outraged. She looked like someone ready to kill at any moment.To be honest, I loved that version of my mother, and I loved the way she was putting Michelle in her place.She was taking revenge on my behalf without realizing it. Even though Bianca was the real culprit behind the bruises on
VALERIE I walked swiftly into the field, my heart skipping beats. “Beta!" I called out when I saw him. The beta turned around and looked at me, anger darting across his orbs. He narrowed his eyes and faced the confused trainees standing before him. “Let's kick off with some warm-ups!" He chanted, clapping his hands. The boys formed some lines and began to do some push-ups. “Beta, please can we talk?" I asked, glaring at the boys, who turned to look at me. “Let's go!" He shouted and began to walk around the lines, observing the boys and reprimanding those who seemed weak, threatening to kick them out. I clenched my fist, aware of how furious Michelle would be by now. Though I didn't care about her feelings, I didn't like the idea of standing in a training area filled with boys who wouldn't stop feeding their eyes on me. I bit my lips, watching him as I thought of ways to get this done quickly. “I am sorry, Beta Neil!" I screamed, feeling my throat knot as all heads turned in
VALERIE I was beyond shocked when Michelle wrapped her hands around me. “Don't worry, you can cry on my shoulder," she whispered and my brows raised in astonishment. The tears ceased to flow and the pain in my chest vanished, replaced by abashment and curiosity. “What are you doing?" I muttered, still paralyzed by shock. "Trying to comfort a sister,” she muttered. I whisked out of her supposed comfort grip and scoffed loudly. "Comfort? I wonder if you know how to use that word,” I groused and she narrowed her eyes. "As far as you're no longer the crybaby I saw some minutes ago, then it definitely means that I used the word right,” she said, and my eyes dimmed in confusion. Wasn't she supposed to be hating me? I wiped the streaks of tears on my face and tilted my head, getting the annoying encounter out of my mind. “Let's go," she muttered in a calm voice, throwing me into deeper confusion. I wanted to ask her questions about her changed attitude but couldn't. Was it my m
VALERIE How many days did I roll down that dark endless abyss? I couldn't calculate.But one thing was certain at a point. I saw a light. It was dim at first, piercing my lifeless eyes with a single ray and rushing hope and life to my dead body. The closer I got to the dim light, the brighter it got, and the greater my hope heightened.“Valerie!" A familiar voice snapped into my mind, setting my dead brain cells back in order.“V!" That nickname sounded familiar but I couldn't place where I had heard it.The light flashed into my eyes, causing me to gasp and slam my eyes shut.“Valerie, can you hear me?" The voice muttered in my head and I fluttered my eyes open.The surroundings seemed strange and full of light, unlike the dark vacuum I had been stuck in.“You're finally awake?" That was a feminine voice, but it definitely didn't sound like my mom's voice.Who owned it? Michelle?I swerved my head around and the face that smiled down at me made my brows raise in surprise.I tried
VALERIE I stood by the window, resting my weight on the crutch, staring at the running kids in the field.A day had passed since I woke up and yet no sign of them or Michelle. This was enough, wasn't it?I had made up my mind to leave whenever these invisible wounds healed up and whenever I had gotten my revenge on Michelle.I swore to make her pay, and relenting was no option for me. I was going to be a monster, I had to get ready for the sacrifices, and that included locking up my feelings.“How are you feeling?" The last voice I wished to hear echoed behind me.I took a deep breath and turned around, staring blankly at Damion's face.Sadness darted across his eyes when he glanced at the crutch I held onto.“I heard…" he paused and bit his lips, that innocent action causing my heart to flip.“Yeah, we fell, and she was the only one that ended up with a serious injury. Stupid, right? I chuckled, hoping that the pain in my voice didn't reach his ears.He sighed and tucked his hands
VALERIE I stared at the crescent moon that hung in the sky which shed light and shadows on the earth. There was no sign of stars in the sky, just the moon. I had just a few hours left to leave for the Isle of the Blessed. In a few hours, I would be left alone to face my fears, just like the lonely moon in the sky. I felt a familiar presence on the rooftop and swerved my head to the side, shifting my eyes away from the crescent moon. Jasmine smiled from the door and waved her hand before trudging fully into the rooftop. She sat down next to me and folded her hands under her knees. She followed my gaze to the moon hanging above and stared at it too. "You must be nervous," she muttered. "Yes, I'm about to go and face death in the next few hours," I muttered. She sighed and gripped my hand, kissing the back of my palm. "I trust you will return," she whispered, smiling lightly. I sighed, my throat knotting in pain. "I don't know if I will get to return to the Blood Moon P
VALERIE "Huh?" I gasped, my heart constricting. His frown deepened and from the corner of my eyes, I watched his fist clench. "What are drops of blood doing on your chin?" He snapped, almost making me jump. I raised my hand to my face and grazed my fingertips over my chin which seemed to be swollen. The moment I touched it, the memory of the Luna Queen sinking her nails into my chin flashed before my eyes. I gulped hard and avoided his questioning gaze, finding it difficult to tell him that it was done by his mother. "You won't answer?" He groused, huffing loudly in anger. I surreptitiously glanced at Victoria, still confused about the situation. Shouldn't he be telling the entire Pack about my betrayal and lies? Why does he care so much about the bruise on my chin? "It's that witch, Renee, isn't it?" He spat. My throat knotted when he referred to her as a witch, making me wonder if he knew about the secret she was hiding from the world. If he knew about it, she wouldn't st
VALERIE My heart skipped multiple beats and my hands began to tremble. I was doomed, I needed no one to tell me that whatever meeting the Lycan prince was calling was for me. He was going to call me out in front of all the women in the manor and have me either thrown out or killed. I shivered at the thought and gasped loudly, bringing my despair to Victoria's knowledge. Her brows raised in surprise when she darted her eyes towards me. She moved away from the window and rushed towards me then took a seat beside me. "What is wrong? Are you scared of going to the Isle of the Blessed?" She asked, her eyes filled with concern. I shook my head, still trembling in fear of what the Lycan prince could do to me. I swerved my head in Victoria's direction and gripped her hand. "Do you… do you think the Lycan prince will have me killed after finding out?" I asked. Her jaws dropped in dismay and she clasped her hand against her mouth, gasping loudly. "He knows about it, right?" She mutter
VALERIE I swiftly turned around, my eyes widening in horror. Jasmine stood by the door, her hands on the wall as she stared at our faces in confusion. "What secret are you two talking about?" Jasmine asked as she walked fully into the room I darted my eyes from Victoria to Jasmine, thinking of a lie I could tell to cover up my secret. Jasmine should be the last person to find out about what I had told Victoria. "Valerie is thinking of going to the Isle of the Blessed tonight," Victoria spoke up and my eyes widened. That wasn't what I planned to say to Jasmine at all, but I didn't know what to say to her either. Jasmine's jaws dropped and she huffed loudly, disbelief flashing across her eyes. "You promised you wouldn't go there!" Jasmine snapped, making my heart skip a beat. "I didn't promise, Jasmine," I replied in a calm voice. She scoffed loudly and shook her head, tears gathering up in her eyes. Did she feel betrayed by me? "There must be an important reason for her to g
VALERIE There was no lie about it. I would leave the Pack the moment the Lycan prince steps out of his chambers. What was worse and terrified me the most was the judgment he might pass on me. Perhaps, death? I slipped down to the ground and dropped my head into my wet palm, thinking of ways to escape death and also get into the Isle of the Blessed. The only idea that crept into my mind was to run off before he caught me. I bit my lips, knowing that would be the only choice even though it was a dumb idea. What would happen to the girl and Jasmine? Renee would use my disappearance as an opportunity to kill the girl and have Jasmine take the fall. A step out of the Pack will lead to uncertainty of finding the Isle of the Blessed. I scrambled to my feet and began to sneak out of the hallway, still pondering the thought of running away. I had to make up my mind as soon as possible if I wanted to survive. I made for my room, my feet shaking violently as Zelda's words echoed in my hea
VALERIE My heart froze the moment the words left her mouth. I couldn't believe that the devil was asking me to commit a fucking murder! "Wait, what?!" I gasped out, breathing heavily. She tilted her head to the side and narrowed her eyes, a deep frown on her face. "Why? You can't do it?" She snickered, disdain laced in her voice. Anger welled up in me and my fist clenched. I felt like bashing her head on the rough wall behind her. "Not everyone is as vicious as you are!" I snapped, shaking my fist at her, my teeth clattering against each other in fury. She smiled unapologetically and folded her hands under her large breasts, leaning back. "Oh… does that mean you won't do it?" She asked. I leaned closer, hitting her face with my fiery breath. "I'm not a murderer like you!" I spat. Disappointment flooded her face but she quickly covered it up with a smirk. "Alright then… you won't be able to sniff the air of the Isle," she whispered. I chuckled and got up, straightening my
VALERIE She seemed to be in even greater shock than I was. Perhaps, she never expected to find her greatest enemy in front of her door, wearing an Innocent look on her face. She shot up her head and shifted back, a sneer replacing the shock on her face. "What are you doing here?" She groused, waving her fingers at me. I threw my head back, not surprised at her reaction to my sudden appearance. "I came to talk to you," I said, sounding as calm as possible. She turned up her lips in disdain, scoffing loudly before narrowing her eyes. "If you're here to convince me to take the blame then I won't do it. Let's see how far this investigation will go," she muttered, grinning sinisterly.My eyes dimmed in suspicion at her words. I could tell she was up to something to protect herself. I knew she wouldn't go down so easily, but I had to find out about the Isle of the Blessed before digging out whatever evil plot she was crafting. "I'm not here to talk about that," I said. The smile o
VALERIE "What did the Lycan prince talk about with you?" Jasmine asked as she watched a maidservant braid her hair from the mirror before her. "He was upset that I barged in. That was all," I muttered. She dropped the hairpin she was admiring and craned her neck backward, her eyes prying into mine. My heart thumped loudly as I tried to imagine what would come out of her lips. You are lying? Are you trying to take my mate away? I don't believe you. "Thank you for helping me, Valerie. I wonder if I will ever find a kind like you," she muttered in the sweetest voice ever, making my brows raise in shock. Happiness flooded my body, and I blushed hard at her unexpected compliment. "That is so sweet of you," I muttered and she chuckled, shaking her head. "That was so brave of you," she said, lifting the anxiety pressing down on my heart. She turned and faced the mirror again, watching the maid's hands in silence. She was under house arrest and so was Renee."I will go and check on
VALERIE We walked silently along the path, taking in the fragrance that hung in the air around the garden. Somehow, it felt like I was with Damion. That feeling was still there, that warm smile and eyes filled with longing, the only difference was that the longing in her eyes was not for me.She made me feel comfortable, just the same way Damion made me feel comfortable. I wondered why a beautiful soul like her didn't get the chance to live a longer life. What could have killed her? Sickness?My throat knotted at that thought and I heard my heart make a slight cracking sound as it tightened.I pushed the thought off and concentrated on her being alive. "I love your courage. Standing up against my father is something no one has ever done," she said, pulling her lacy sleeve down even though it didn't need the effort. "I was never born with the gift to rebel against everyone. I got it as I grew up in the darkest time of my life," I replied. She smiled lightly and tilted her head, p