Chapter 5

(Layana’s pov)

I could feel the blazing fire, the filthy air. There were lifeless bodies all over the ground. There were even limbs on the floor and headless bodies. Some of the members couldn’t shift back to their wolf form and remain human till the last breath. Some of the wolves were still whimpering, struggling to stay awake. I ran towards them, shaking them violently, trying to bring them back, to no avail.  I searched aimlessly for a living soul, but the blood-curdling scene in front of me proved to me otherwise. That’s when I heard my mum’s scream. I ran towards her, only to see that she was being strangled by a person who was hidden behind a cloak. I dashed towards her, but before I could yell at him, an arm was wrapped around my neck, suffocating me. I could no longer see clearly, everything turned blurry, and I could feel the blood rushing up my head. I could feel my kidnapper’s breath fanning my neck, making me flinch. “Got you,” he said sinisterly, before biting my neck.

I woke up with a start. My breathing was still ragged, I could feel my heart pounding loudly, still startled from the dream. I wiped my hand across my forehead, which was already covered in beads of sweat. It’s just a dream, calm down. I reassured myself. When I finally regained my strength, I took in my surroundings.

I was no longer in the limo, but instead in a bedroom that looked luxurious and well-decorated. I was sleeping in a queen-sized bed, the bed sheets were my favorite baby-blue color, and the pillows had rose patterns embroidered on them, looking extra beautiful. The bed felt soft and cozy, it felt much better than my bed at home. I continued exploring the room. I had a wardrobe to the right of the bed, I opened the wardrobe doors gingerly. There were different female dresses and shirts placed inside, I wondered whose bedroom was this. Next to the wardrobe was my luggage, I was surprised he allowed me to have my belongings. I opened my luggage, relieved to see that I had all the necessities inside, at least I wouldn’t have to borrow anyone’s clothes. I walked away from the wardrobe and moved toward the left side of the room. There was a balcony overlooking the sea, so I walked toward it. A breeze blew at my face, I closed my eyes, trying to relax for a bit.  Knowing that my clothes were probably soaked with sweat, I decided to take a shower.

I returned to the room and walked towards the bathroom. When I entered the bathroom, I was shocked by its size. There was a shower stall to the right of the room, and there was a bathtub in the middle of the room that could at least fit in ten people. The bathroom was painted in gold color. There were two porcelain sinks on the far end of the room, and a mirror above them. I stopped admiring the bathroom and jumped into the shower stall.  Warm water flowed from the shower head, I splashed some water onto my face. I then used the shampoo next to the shower, washing my hair. I watched as bubbles went down the shower drain. When I was finally done bathing, I walked out of the shower and wrapped a towel around me. I glanced at myself in the mirror, at least I didn’t look that worn out after the shower. I put on a pair of blue jeans and a long white sleeve crop top.  I dried my hair and combed it thoroughly before exiting the bathroom.

I returned to the room, taking another look at it. There was an eighty-inch television on the farthest end of the room. In the middle of the room, was a coffee table and a few gray couches. I sat on the gray couch to think about my next step. Perhaps I should go and find Kendric? Or maybe I should stay here until he comes back? I was deep in thought when my stomach grumbled embarrassingly. That’s when I realized it was already noon. I hadn’t had anything since dinner last night, I was starving.

I looked around the corridor, seeing it was empty, I made up my mind to go in the right direction. I walked through the corridor, which again looked ornate. There was gold wallpaper surrounding it, with patterns that I couldn’t name on it. On the walls were portraits that looked like the ancestors, some were scenery from places I’d never seen before. After wandering for a while, I finally arrived at the kitchen.

“Good morning Luna,” a handsome man greeted friendly. I remembered him as Kendric’s beta. He had brunette hair and dark eyes. He had dimples on his face when he smiled. His body was well-built like Kendric’s, although not that dominating. He was good-looking but not as attractive as Kendric. What am I thinking about? I cursed myself.

“I am Marcel Sullivan, the beta of this pack,” he extended his hand for me to shake. He was the exact opposite of Kendric. 

“I am Layana Yarrow, but please just call me Layana,” I replied with a smile. At least not everyone in this pack looked chilling.

“Ok Layana, what do you want to eat for lunch?” He asked.

“I am fine with anything,” I responded.

“Ok, how about pizza?” He suggested. I nodded. I watched as he skillfully kneaded the dough and applied tomato sauce to it, then spread some mozzarella on it.

“Pepperoni?” He asked.

“Sure, I love it,” I grinned. He placed the pizza into the oven, and we waited patiently.

“So which pack were you originally from?” He raised his eyebrow.

“Firestorm Pack,” I replied. I felt a bit sad thinking that I may not be able to see Faria anymore.

He must have noticed my change in emotion, because he immediately said, “Oh that pack, I remember they had great scenery and their pack size was quite large too,” he added.

“True. I’ve always loved to wander around the forests when I was tired or simply troubled by something,” I recalled my memories. That’s when I remembered that Kendric probably hadn’t had lunch too. I hopped out of my seat.

“Wait, I will be back in a sec,” I told Marcel. He nodded while watching the oven.

I again wandered around the house, wondering where he could be right now. That’s when I caught his pinewood scent. I turned left and arrived at a pair of wooden doors, which I assumed to be his office. The doors weren’t closed properly, so I could peek through them. I was shocked by the sight before me.

Kendric was kissing another blondie and sucking on her lips ravenously as if his life depended on it. He had his hands in her hair, tilting her head so that he could have better access to her neck. I heard her moan lightly, her hands were tangled in his shirt. I was horrified, I could feel tears slipping down my face, and that’s when Kendric’s gaze turned to me. I couldn’t stand this anymore. I sprinted towards the corridor, running as fast as I could.