CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 13
Zaden was going through some books that Selena’s mother, Daisy, owned while Selena had slipped under her bed, going through some boxes stored there. They have been digging through Daisy’s belongings since morning but so far nothing useful came up. Selena slipped out of under bed and sat on the floor, crossed leg in frustration. Her hair messed up and she swept it away from her face. She was wearing a hoodie and ¾ leggings, with a white converse shoe.
“I don’t think there is anything here” she said to Orion who was going through Daisy’s bed-foot chest. He plopped himself to the ground as if he agrees to Selena. Both their eyes darted back to Zaden, like a two year old asking for ice-cream break from their dad.
“Fine, be back here in 30 minutes” he said with a pursed lips and hands flipping through pages. Selena and Orion scrambled to stand but Orion manage to run out first. Selena had to keep a wooden marry- go round toy back to its shelving unit, against the teal baroque wallpaper which was covering every wall in the room. After making sure she had placed it properly, she turned around walking to the door, head down and hands in the pocket of her hoodie. Leonardo, her dad, suddenly stormed up from the staircase and stood in front of her. A weird look on his face and a hand hidden to his back
“I got a surprise for my baby Bambi!!!” he said enthusiastically before unravelling the content in his hand. Selena eye widened as a pang hit her heart. She darted back and forth from Zaden to her dad.
“And it’s your favorite color too” Leonardo continued. Zaden who was practically hidden behind the door, curious of what is going on, peeped out to see a large masculine man holding an extra-large, purple, cotton candy between his fingers. He sneaked back in, stifling his laughter between his fist. Selena who fumbled for a moment, walked to her father, pinched a big chunk, easily half of the cotton candy and stuffed it into his mouth. She gave him a death glare before snatching the rest of cotton candy from his hands. Realizing that he had embarrassed her in front of her new friends, her dad retreated away slowly. She peeped behind the door
“What so funny?” she asked with irritation
“A 24-year old with her favorite purple cotton candy, that’s what’s funny” he pointed at her cotton candy. They paused speaking for a second for the battle of stare. Giving up, Selena pinched a small piece and stuffed it to her mouth before sucking her thumb clean. She walked away but before she can step out of the room, she heard his voice
“Can I have some of your special candy?” he was leaning his chest to the door, facing Selena’s back. She sees an opportunity to mock him back, so she walked over to him, pinched a piece and brought it closer to his mouth. He grabbed the back of her hand, ate what she gave but when she tried pulling her hand off, he held it even tighter, pulling it to his mouth as he sucked her index and thumb. He kept his now lusty eyes, boring through her eyes and into her heart. As well as the 1000watts electric wave that he sent through his tongue, stirring a swamp of butterflies in her stomach. She kept staring back into his eye, trying to read his emotions but failed miserably, since this is all new to her. She subconsciously took another pinch and brought it to him. He did the same, again. And again but this time he sucked the base of her thumb, finishing off his act with licking his bottom lip. He then leaned forward. Selena is aware of what might happen and the storm within her reflected in her eye and face as nervousness. Her breathe became irregular. Her brains tell her to move away but her body decides to go paralyze. He came closer and closer to her, almost touching nose to nose before his finger grazed her neck in the intention of holding the nape.
“Selena, you are taking forever. Are you coming or not?” Orion’s loud voice slapped in their face as Selena pushed Zaden away by his chest, to the back of door, just in time before Orion showed up at the door. She had her right hand behind the door that she just pushed Zaden to, her left hand holding the cotton candy and Orion in front of her. Zaden didn’t want to let her go. He wanted her so badly that he held her right hand, not letting her go. Selena’s eye lingered to the floor, not knowing what to do, stuck between 2 of them. She is trying her best to wriggle her right hand but his grip was much stronger.
“Coming…” she said softly to Orion and pulled her hand away. Zaden understood that she wanted to leave from that one word she just said. He placed a soft kiss onto the back of her hand, leaving a trace of moisture before letting her go. Her toes curled, scrapping her shoe. She forced herself to walk out of there. Orion held her hand as he guided her to downstairs but just before leaving the room, she managed to throw a glance at Zaden, who is just walking out from behind the door. Her feet stopped, pulling Orion back. Her head tilted to the side with a heavy frown. One of the baroque motif above Zaden’s head is upside down. Then she scanned the whole room to find any repetition of such pattern but none found.
“That flower is upside down, isn’t it?” she pointed above Zaden. Orion and Zaden looked at the motif and then took a quick scan around the room. Orion rushed pass her to stand next to Zaden, observing the flower, meddling with it too see if they can find anything. Selena stood behind them with rising anxiety but there is no way she could touch the spot without any help, it too high for her. After trying for a while, Orion pressed on the motif and it bounced open to reveal a drawer with a key in it. He took the key and held it upfront Selena’s face
“Any clue now?” Orion said. Selena snatched the key and ran to her father’s room, the boys followed her. She opened the door to her father’s cupboard. Now, this room looks more to a guest room. Ever since Daisy’s death, the master bedroom is dedicated to Daisy and her husband, Leonardo shifted to the extra bedroom or guest room across the hall. Selena almost disappeared to the bottom of the cupboard, fumbling through the boxes down there before she finally found what she was looking for. A wooden chest box with intricate flower carvings on it. Once she was able to pull the box out, she sat on the floor with her legs crossed and tried to unlock the box.
“We found this box in the car that my mother had crashed. We couldn’t find any key no matter how much we searched” the box unlocked and she opened it. In it, there were a few things that was used by Selena as a baby, a picture of Selena when she was born, a picture of Selena when she was 18, a
newspaper report regarding Selena and a wooden plate that has a family tree drawing. Zaden and Orion had settled down with Selena in the middle.
“What is this? You were in newspaper?” Zaden took the piece of laminated cutting.
“That is a simple mistake… on my 18th birthday night, I had my first panic attack and passed out. I went missing although I don’t really remember what happen after I blacked out. They couldn’t find me for 2 days, so a police report was filled and they arranged a search party. I was found in the woods near Grandma Genesis house, hidden in between 2 large rocks and… naked…” she blushed but Zaden and Orion exchanged a serious look. Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.
“Anyway, they did all sort of test and I wasn’t raped and so had to announce that the search party is over, so I’m on local newspaper” she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.
“Selena, werewolves live a normal human life until they are 18. On their 18th birthday, they will go through their first shift. Normally we will be ready for that but since you didn’t know you are a werewolf…and still not sure…I think that explains why you were found naked” Zaden said
“But why did she blacked out?” Orion asked
“Natural body defense system” a shaky voice came from behind them, it was Grandpa Kai
“The first shift isn’t just as simple as it looks. Your body need to prepare to pump 10x more blood, hormones level shoot up and the pain is unbearable when you realign your bones for the first time. I think she wasn’t ready and blacked out.” Grandpa Kai explained
“Wait, did you say that was your first panic attack?” Selena nodded to Zaden.
“Do you frequently get panic attacks?” he questioned again
“Yes… but I will take sleeping pills and aspirin every time I see symptoms.” Selena
“What happens after that?” Orion asked while Grandpa Kai observed in silence
“Nothing, I just fall asleep and wake up the next day” Selena shrugged off
Zaden scratched his head “ With dress?”
“Well, the first few times I blacked out and woke up without dress and I can’t find the dress either. So… after that, I just go to sleep…without dress” the last few words were almost inaudible and she dropped her head in embarrassment. Both the boys cleared their throat and ran their finger through their hair, avoiding her face.
“Wait, aspirin or sleeping pills aren’t supposed to work on werewolf. Any human medication doesn’t work on werewolves” Grandpa Kai said with confusion
“Hmm…I take about 10 pills…” Selena eyes focused on Grandpa Kai with a frown and the boys snapped their head to Grandpa Kai. Grandpa curved his lips downwards and shrugged his shoulder “That might work”
They continued going through the box. A thin wooden slab with drawing of Selena’s family tree was there. It goes back to 4 generation but it began after Grandma Coral and there is no Elisa Mitkoi after that, which means Elisa Mitkoi must have been 5 or more generation back
“Selena, you have never heard of werewolf in your family or relatives? “ Selena shook her head to Orion’s question
“The genes must have been dormant for 5 generation or even more before it finally activated in Selena” Zaden looked at Grandpa Kai to confirm his theory and Grandpa Kai nodded in agreement
“How is it possible?” Orion asked
“There are cases in werewolves itself, where a werewolf mates with human and the offspring becomes normal human but it’s very rare and not all offspring skips the gene” Grandpa Kai explained from his experience.