C13 13

"I know I've said this before but I'll say it again, you are by far the best chef I know Penny." Josh complimented when it was just the three of them sitting on the table while having their dinner which Amelia had cooked.

"Second best chef you know, don't forget your mother," Peter corrected.

"Mom's cooking will always remain the best," Amelia reckoned.

"Yeah," Josh replied, his tone lowering a little.

"And hopefully soon, we'll be able to taste her cooking again," he completed but unknown to them, their father's expression turned sullen. A mess was going on in his head which he needed to tell his kids but didn't know how.

"Jo, penny," he called their attention and in unison, they answered 'yes dad'.

"Your mother..."He hesitated.

"Your mother, she..."

NO, He stopped, he couldn't tell them, he wouldn't.

"Your mother's a very wonderful woman, the most I've seen, and I'm sure she'll be fine soon,"

Liar! He was lying to himself and he knew it. Reaching for his hand, Amelia placed hers over his.

"She'll be fine dad, don't worry," finished with dinner, they all going to bed.

Done taking her bath, Amelia slipped herself into a nightwear, her hair slightly damp so she used a dry towel to rave through it drying it a little.

Going to her bookshelf, she grabbed one of the books she was yet to finish, she rarely went to sleep early, an old habit.

She kept herself engrossed in her book for hours when she heard something moving, she heard this causeof the sound of dry leaves being crunched.

Was it a thief? Alertly, she got up, moving slowly towards her window, with caution, she pulled open the curtains of her window but saw nothing.

She frowned, looking from side to side seeing nothing but when she looked down her heart almost leaped out of her chest and a scream left her lips as she jerked away from her window.

Almost instantly, her door bursted open and Josh barged in.

"Amelia!" He sounded alert as he quickly made it to her.

"What's wrong?"

"Wolf!" She exclaimed in a low whisper.

Josh frowned.

"What?"

"Wolf," she repeated

"Amelia what are you..."

"There's a wol,.." She paused

"Outside," she completed.

"A wolf?" His tone sounded unbelieving.

"Yes." She pointed towards her window and Josh made it there, peeking his head out the window while scanning the back yard. He turned back to her.

"Penny, there's nothing here,"

"There's a wolf there," she insisted, staying close to the corner where she had ran to.

"What's going on?" Peter who had just entered asked.

"Apparently penny saw a wolf," Josh answered, sounding like he was making fun of her.

Their father's eyes moved before Landing to the book laying on her bed and he sighed.

Taking steps, he walked towards his daughter who looked frightened

"Honey," he began, his tone soft.

"I'm sure I've told you before, reading all those fictional books are gonna get into your head,"

"Dad, it's not the book, I saw it," she sounded like a little girl who was trying to convince her father of something which he seemed not to be believing.

When she saw no one was believing her, she walked over to the window cautiously and looked out and yes, she saw it, the black wolf, although further than it was before.

"There." She pointed, but when Josh looked, he only sighed.

"Penny, I think you should go to sleep"

"What are you talking about? Look! It's right there!"

Josh and Peter looked at themselves knowingly before Peter approached his daughter, rubbing slightly against both her shoulders.

"Goodnight sweetie."

The next day, Amelia was still trying to wrap her head around the fact that neither her dad nor Josh had seen the wolf.

It was impossible to not be able to see it but no matter how bad she had insisted, pointed and tried to make them know she wasn't being delusional, they wouldn't believe her.

They couldn't see it, how’s that possible?

Tonight, she sat on her bed, her eyes fixed on her window.

Checking the time from the clock, she stood up, making her way to the window and just as predicted, when she pulled the curtains away, it was right there, lying in same spot as before but when she opened her window, it got up as though knowing someone was there.

Its eyes fixed on her, and Amelia tried her best not to yell when it began walking towards her, quickly she was about shutting her window when she noticed it stopped approaching.

She waited for what it would do next but it just sat, its eyes still on her.

She would be lying if she said she wasn't frightened at the sight, it was scary to look at something you were certain could kill you in a minute if given the chance but her most fright was based off the fact that neither of her family were able to see it.

She didn't believe in supernatural stuff but currently, her head was spinning with thoughts.

What did it want? Why did it come to her window every night? But left when it was already day.

She stayed watching the wolf for a while and when she tried to close her window, she noticed it tilting it's head to the side as though wanting to look through the small space left.

Two nights later, Amelia stood in front of her window, the sound of heavy rain pouring against their roof could be heard.

The cold wind humming to the sound of the rain.

She contemplated for a while, unable to go to sleep before deciding to check and when she did, a small gasp left her lips when she saw the black wolf, laying with its head on both of its front legs, same distance it always stayed each night.

The heavy rain bathed against its fur and cold wind against its body but just as always whenever she opened her window, its head popped up towards her and it stood up, looking at her as though unaffected by the heavy rain.

Amelia's hold tightened on the curtain she held, usually this was where she closed the window and walked away but tonight, she didn't know why she couldn't, she felt pity for it, she knew she wouldn't be able to do anything cause of how frightened she still was of it, but she couldn't help feeling bad for the poor thing

Why wasn't it leaving, it was raining heavily but here it was, standing and staring at her.

No, why should she care, it could go back to wherever it came from, it wasn't a stray dog she could let in.

Quickly, she shut her window and watched from the glass as the wolf went back to laying down not minding the rain.

××××××××××××××××××

"Should I pity you?" A man sat on a long white sofa which complimented his white hair asked as he watched a wolf, drenched wet walk into the manor, its fur sticking closely to its body.

"Rejected by your own mate, how pathetic." His words not matching his expression as he smiled.

The snapping of bones could be heard as the wolf transformed.

"Why're you here?" Arthur asked, his eyes boring intensely at Oliver who straightened his posture, now looking serious.

"I want you to tell your dogs…" Arthur's eyes hardened at the way he addressed his warriors as dogs.

"That they've strayed too far out and if they don't retreat off my territory, I won't be as tolerant as I am now," his expression was without any charming smile as always.

"If I remember, you're in MY territory," Arthur replied and yes, he was right. This was his territory.

"Then I should say your memory is quite faint, cause last I remembered we had an agreement, didn’t we?"

The place turned silent as both stared at each with intense glares, non-wanting to back down.

"Don't get me angry Arthur, unless you wish I break off the agreement"

"They'll leave," he replied in a heart-beat, the last thing he needed was for their agreement to be broken as he knew he still needed Oliver desperately.

"Good." he relaxed back on the sofa, his expression turning liber.

"And one more thing, whatever you wish to do with your mate, do it quick, you know HE won't wait for you to win her over before he strikes when he finds of her existence, she already encountered one damned soul already."

Arthur's eyes widened in fright immediately Oliver spoke of his mate already meeting a damned soul.

"How long before they sense and begin to come for her," Oliver said as a matter of fact.

"You need to bring her back Arthur, the safest she'll be is here," he added.

Arthur couldn't help the ache which banged in his head.

This was a topic he always shoved to the back of his head whenever it surfaced but how long could he keep ignoring the truth, he knew it was unavoidable but he still convinced himself, or kept lying to himself rather.

At this point, he could tell himself anything to get an ounce of hope but he knew well of his curse, it couldn't be avoided and this alone pained him.

A ding sound of a phone notification echoed and soon after, slight cold air brushed him and when he looked up, he noticed the man who had been sit on the sofa, gone or vanished rather.

Oliver was still watching this Lycan who seemed at war with his thoughts when his phone dinged a message, he grabbed it without focus but when he read the content of the text which was sent from one of his men, his eyes hardened and not a second more, he vanished.

Standing in front of a middle-class restaurant, the rain had stopped and the cold wind grazed lightly against his skin as he stared intently inside the restaurant's glass walls, his gaze fixed on a particular woman.

He looked at his wrist and stared at the time before his eyes which had hardened moved back to the restaurant, now fixed on the two men who were sat on the table with her.

They seemed to be heated in a conversation and she was laughing, she looked so free as she smiled, a warm smile, the type she never showed when with him.

She talked this way with other men but not with him.

Why? Taking his phone, he swiped, dialing a number, he placed it against his ear.

He watched her scrambling through her purse and when she got her phone out, he watched the smile vanish from her face and this made him infuriated.

"Hello,"

"Where're you sweetheart?" His voice, so sweet.

She hesitated.

"I-I'm home, why are you asking?"

DING.

The call was cut off.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××