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Chapter Twenty Seven
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2023-12-03 04:34:58
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Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Twenty Eight
"Who is she, Dad?" I asked him as we got onto the bus heading back to New Orleans."The woman back at the cemetery?" I nodded. "She is no one, just a person that likes meddling in other people's business. She does that to everybody. She is more like a mental case." He said dismissively.His eyes gave him away, his mouth and the rate of how his breath paced all gave him away. He said a lot of things about the woman but failed to mention the truth. I could tell he was lying. It was the way he stared into space as he looked out the window, it was the way he repeatedly shook his head and clenched his fist, it was the way he took deep breaths now and then and also avoided meeting my eyes.Something was bothering Dad, and it was here in Trento. I had recalled how he sent this same 'Elena' out from the house when people came to give their condolences. She had said something about me finding out something soon no matter how Dad tried to protect me.What was he trying to protect me from? Or ra
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Twenty Nine
Dad? What do you know about werewolves?" I asked him again.He looked at me completely pale, unable to talk. He stood up and began to walk away."Is Elena one?" Dad froze at his steps.I knew I had hit a spot. It was clear that Dad was hiding something about the werewolves and Elena, and he didn't want to say anything about it."I told you to forget about her?" He sounded mad."How can I Dad? How can I? When the mention of her name or either werewolves makes your blood boil and sweat drip from your face. Who is Elena, Dad? And what do you know about werewolves?" My voice calmed.He closed the distance between us, his eyes meeting mine in a silent exchange. "Why are you so concerned about werewolves Ella? Have you met one?"The ground beneath my feet shifted with the force of his question, plunging me into a pit of confusion. Dad was smart, he must have figured there was a reason for my consistent inquiry on werewolves. But I wasn't going to let him read me or compel me into telling hi
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Thirty
The finishing touches fell into place as Ariana carefully applied the final stroke of lipstick to my lips. Her eyes, already sparkling with anticipation, met my gaze in the mirror. "You look absolutely stunning, Ella," Ariana breathed, her voice filled with awe.But my stomach churned with a different kind of excitement, a nervous flutter that had settled there ever since Michael had asked me to the ball. The grand ballroom, a place I had only ever dreamed of entering, loomed large in my imagination, filled with swirling gowns, elegant waltzes, and countless pairs of watchful eyes.Ariana, sensing my apprehension, placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Don't be nervous, Ella," she said, her voice warm and reassuring. "Just have fun. Michael is a great guy, and I know you'll have a magical night."Taking a deep breath, I tried to quell the butterflies in my stomach. I knew Ariana was right. This was a night to remember, a night to step outside my comfort zone and embrace the magic o
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Thirty one
"Thank you for the dance, Ella," Micheal said.The song finally came to an end, and Michael bowed gallantly with a hopeful smile on his face.I forced a smile back. "It was my pleasure, Michael."I turned to leave, not resisting the urge to steal one last look at Nico.He was still watching me, his eyes filled with that same unspoken longing.A hush fell over the crowd. A flurry of activity rippled through the room as royal guards scurried to clear the dance floor, forming two distinct lines that carved a wide path through the heart of the gathering. Murmurs of anticipation rose like the tide, anticipation thick in the air.My heart pounded in her chest as I looked towards the cleared space, curiosity and apprehension swirling within me. It's the Royal Family," Ariana whispered, her voice barely audible over the hushed whispers. Ariana and Claire had somehow found their way back to where I was standing."Now this is how to make an entrance," Claire exclaimed in awe.A fanfare erupte
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Thirty two
The memory of the kiss lingered on my lips, even after the sweetness had faded. It wasn't just the kiss, but the way Nico had held me, the warmth of his hand on my cheek, the way his eyes had met mine, filled with something I couldn't quite define.Sleep was impossible. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Nico's face, heard the echo of his laughter, and felt the phantom press of his lips against mine. I tossed and turned, the sheets tangled around my legs like a restless sea.I had tried to stay away from him, convinced that distance was the best cure for the growing attachment I felt towards him. But distance, I realized with a bitter smile, had only made the heart grow fonder.The night replayed in my mind like a film on fast-forward. The elegant ballroom, the swirling music, the laughter and chatter of the guests. And then, Nico appeared out of the crowd, his eyes seeking mine alone.There had been a spark, undeniable and electric, from the moment our eyes met. We danced, our bodies
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Thirty Three
I stared blankly at him, trying to put the missing pieces together. How could I have forgotten? Both Dad and Nico had made mention of werewolves having their full transformation on a full moon. Does that mean thatโฆ."Your full transformation happens on a full moon?" I looked up at him, scared for the next obvious answer.Nico nodded, his eyes holding no detail, except pain. He needed comfort, I could tell, he needed to be assured that he would be fine, for a brief moment I almost reached out to hug him, but the stark reality of the crowded lecture hall slapped me back, abruptly halting my movement."It's not your first transformation, right? It shouldn't be that bad," I had no idea what I was saying, all I wanted my words to do was console him, but I knew they were working, considering how dryly Nico stared at me."What do you think a werewolf transformation entails?" he asked a question I never expected him to."I don't know," my voice barely above a whisper, as I bowed my head in sh
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-11Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter thirty four
34."He did what?" Ariana sat star-struck almost dropping her raspberry smoothie.After our class ended, Ariana, Claire, and I decided to hang out after I had written an emergency text on a group chat Ariana created for purely gossip and boysโฆnot a single thing about books."Wait he said he liked you ... then asked you out?" Claire did a run down of what I had made mention of before.I nodded, covering my face in my palms. What was I supposed to do now?"But why are you girls surprised though?" Claire had this sly smile on her face. "I thought we all saw this coming."Claire was right. A blind person could see through Michael's feelings for me. I just chose to ignore it because I never wanted to be over myself or wrong, so I ignored every green light I saw, hoping it would come to nothing. Besides, I didn't want to get involved with any guy yet.'Any guy except Nicoโฆโฆ'"Soโฆ?" Ariana sipped from her drink, very loud. A very evident sign that she was curious about my next action."So wh
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-16Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter Thirty Five
"Leave!!!! Now!!!!" Nico growled at me."NoโฆI am not leaving you NicoโฆI won't go." I stood watching him chain himself to the ground.His pants increased and his body greased ten times more than before."I won't forgive you if you don't leave here and I hurt you," Nico grunted."You won't hurt me Nicoโฆ.I know it." I assured not just Nico but also myself.It was hard watching him go through the pain alone. He growled and grunted a great number of times, shifting and turning. I watched in horror, the first werewolf transformation I had ever seen. I moved forward to Nico, hoping to ease his pain."Stop!!" he continued to growl "Do not come close to me Ella."His claws sprouted out and so did his fangs. The silver chains were no use as Nico tried to pull and push out of them."Run Ellaโฆ..Now!!!!" Nico growled. This time, very loud.I hesitated for a minute but took Nico up on his offer to run. I ran out of the cave into the woods, scared for my life, scared for Nico. My feet didn't give wa
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๋ฐ์ดํธ : 2023-12-16
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Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 86
Two months laterโHurry up! We are going to be late!โ Claire screamed from down the hall.โHow did she get to dress up so fast?โ Ariana asked. Lola opened the door from outside. โHey you guys, I think we should hasten things up, or else we would miss the speech.โWe hurried along with her, excitement surging through our bodies. It was the graduation ceremony. Nico was graduating! I was super excited about it because he had several fallbacks in school that made him re-take a lot of classes, extending his year of graduation.โWhat took you guys so long?โ Claire examined us.โSorry Claire, we were just trying to get prepared for the ceremony,โ Ariana smiled.โAre we done with the chit-chats?โ Lola was getting impatient. โAlrighty then, let's go!โโI thought you said we were going to miss the speech... the ceremony hasnโt even properly begun,โ Ariana frowned when we got to the ceremony ground.โWell... better late than never,โ Lola shrugged.โI donโt think thatโs the best way to use tha
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 85
โWould you stop pacing around and glancing at your watch nonstop?โ Lola said. โYou are making me lose my cool you know.โโYeah... you are keeping us on our toes here,โ Claire agreed.I had finally told them everything that happened during our visit to see the witch. They were most excited about the demise of Elena. Telling the pack on the other hand was a hard choice to make, but we had to make it. Nico called for a meeting and the pack was informed about the progress and conditions involved.โAs the leader of this pack, it's my rightful duty to choose whatโs best for us. But I also must lead you without spite and a regretful heart. The condition brought to us by the witch is not one that we can control. And it would be selfish of me to do this without telling my pack about it. Thatโs why I have called this meeting, to hear from you brothers... and sisters,โ Nicoโs voice thundered with authority. โWhat your take is on this... and whatever we decide as a clan shall stand... no matter w
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 84
It was shiny like they had been soaked into a bowl full of glitter. I looked at the tiny bottles as we drove back home. The cure.It was finally in our hands, but somehow I couldnโt help but wonder if we made the right choice. Was the cure going to cause a feud between brothers and friends just like Agnes said? Was it going to bring death? Was it going to get to its final stage of completion? โIf after forty-eight hours the blood of a willing hunter is not mixed in the potion, the potion ceases to be active. And donโt bother about coming back here to look for me... because you wonโt find me.โ She vanishes into thin air after laying the potion on my arm.I looked at the potion again. It had already been mixed with my blood and that of Nicoโs. Now it was up to my Dad. Forty-eight hours.#I held on to it tight, like my next wake depended on it.****โAre you sure about this ?โ Nico looked at me with concern.I nodded. โItโs now or never Nico.โโYou know the last time all three of us we
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 83
Nico drove at a speed that made my inside turn. We informed the pack of our search and they offered to tag along, but we told them it was something we had to do by ourselves.โRemember, when it looks like danger is lurking, howla at us,โ Lola made a wolf joke.Ariana and Claire were also aware of our trip and they offered support in the only way they knew how to. โIf anything goes wrong, just call us and we will dial 911 straight up!โ Ariana said.โYou canโt bring the police to a werewolf and witch fight,โ I reminded them smiling.โOh... thatโs right,โ she gave a cringed look. โBut still,โ her eyes spewed concern. โBe careful.โโPromise to come back to us,โ Claire said.โI promise.โ I hugged them. After a few hours on the road, Nico, like he was reading my mind, chuckled. โWhat funny,โ I asked him.โNothing. I was just wondering why they all made it look like we were not coming back.โI laughed. They did make it look like that. Everyone reacted in a way of love that was easy for them
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 82
The familiar smell of grilled barbecue stung my nose. The noise in the restaurant was never changing. Customers still ranted about their orders, and servers hurried their way to please. โYou mean you canโt remember those group of chatterboxes who sat down at that table two weeks ago?โ I asked the waiter, already frustrated.โNo Maโam. It's impossible to remember the customers we have here in a day because we are highly patronised,โ he bragged. โNot to talk of the ones from weeks ago,โ he shook his head sympathetically. โThey were like four of them,โ I continued adamantly. โThree elderly men and one woman,โ I searched the waiter's eyes, waiting for a positive reply.He shook his head. โNope... nothing Maโam. I am so sorry,โ he picked up his iced drink and resumed his duty.โLet it go, Ella,โ Nico sounded drained.โLet it go?โ I shouted, and then realised I might have drawn attention to us. โLet it go?โ I repeated in a calm voice. โWhy would you say that? You know how much this means
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 81
โWait, so you guys killed Garry?โ Claire asked confused.It had been a week since we heard last from Elena, and everything seemed to have gone back to normal. I was back at the dorm and so was Lola, except for the time when she needed to go get stuff from her coursemate or go buy groceries, which I knew was a BIG FAT LIE!Ariana and I were cool again, and we were closer than ever before. The tension had tied between us, and they had learnt to accept me for who I was. Dad on the other hand was still finding it difficult to adjust to my new development. He never picked up his calls or replied to my voicemail. Nanny was more welcoming than he was, and she always invited me to come over for the weekend, but we all knew how disastrous that would turn out to be at the end.โNo, we didnโt,โ I tried to pass a clear message to Claire for the umpteenth time. โI wasnโt a wolf at that time, but I knew of their secret. There was a werewolf hunter who was sent to hunt them down and kill each one of
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 80
Relief washed over me as I stared at the pack that gave me so much pride. Finally, the time was here and there was no turning back now, not even for Elena.Elena stared at them for a few seconds and burst into laughter. โI see... I see what you did there,โ she looked at me. โVery clever.โ She turned to face Nico. โAnd what makes you think your little friends can stop me?โโWe might not be able to put an end to your existence... but we can stop this foolishness of yours,โ I said, opening my palm to release my claws. There was a distraction now, so whatever move I made, I was sure to have the backing of my clan. I cut through my net with my claws and landed on the floor with my feet. Claire and Michael looked down at me, I could almost see the surprise in their eyes, but this was no time for pity party or storytelling. I quickly removed the knife from my pocket and aimed at their net, setting both of them free.โYou are out-numbered Elena,โ I turned to face her. โThere is nowhere to hid
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 79
The building smelt rusty and reeked of herbs and portion. A typical witch den. We searched all the empty rooms but couldnโt find Ariana or Elena.โAny luck?โ I asked Claire. She shook her head in response.โAre you sure about this place?โ Michael was beginning to get uncomfortable.โYes I am,โ I said. โMy Dad gave me this location, and he is sure about it.โโAre you sure about your Dad?โ Michaelโs impatience was rubbing off on me in a very displeasing way.โWell if you think this is not the right place, why donโt you go ahead and find the right one then,โ I snapped.โI didnโt say that,โ he tried to deny.โBut you assumed it,โ I retorted.โGuys, guys,โ Claire tried to ease the tension. โWe are not even halfway there, and we are already fighting. How are we going to get Ariana back if we continue like this? arenโt we supposed to be together in this?โClaireโs words sunk deep, reminding us of the reason why we were in the god-forsaken building in the first place. โNow,โ she continued whe
Red Moon: The breaking of the Lycranthrope curse.ย ย ย Chapter 78
The silence in the study amplified the beat of Dadโs heart, I could hear his breath slowly leave his lungs, his feet turning cold and his eyes lifeless. โWhat are you doing here?โ there was a spite in his voice that I could not ignore. โWho let you into this house? Aguiella!โ First time I heard Dad yell Nannyโs name, and it was not in a pleasant way.โThereโs no need for that,โ I lowered my voice, hurt by how quickly Dad wanted me out of the house. โI won't be staying for long,โ I searched his eyes. โI... I just need your help.โโWhatever it is you have come for, I am sorry to say, but you have wasted your time. I donโt need you to be here, I donโt want you to be here now leave.โ There was nothing calm about the way he said it, even though his voice seemed calm. He steadied his eyes on me, and I searched for the tenderness it once had, but it was gone!Of course, I knew waltzing into Paโs house wasnโt just going to be a walk in the park. I didnโt expect to be specially treated now tha
