"It's your birthday, let me make it extra special for you, princess Ahvi," his tempting smile had done a number on me, noticing after all these years that I had the biggest crush on him.
"My brother is right outside, he might hear us," I protested, feeling a bit uneasy as he drew closer and closer to me.
He frowned, "I thought you liked me? You don't want me near you now?"
"That isn't what I said," I shook my head desperately.
A menacing smile appeared on his face, "Good, I thought so," he brought his face to the crook of my neck, the uneasy feeling growing stronger by the minute till I pushed him off of me, "Hey!"
"I can't, I'm sorry." What was wrong with me? I had had a crush on Jason for the longest time now. Why then do I feel this way?
His eyes seemed to turn venomous, not a friendly spec within those gorgeous blues as he stepped closer and closer towards me, his eyes turning a bright red slowly that filled my body with unimaginable fear. What was he going to do to me?
"Please don't hurt me, I'll give you whatever you want," I stuttered before a soft knock was placed on the door, "Help!"
"I wonder what I could have if I knock up the next regent of the almighty Lafrah Coven," he smiled ominously, covering my mouth harshly, ignoring the knock on the door.
Before I could register what was happening, something burst through the door. Bright silver mane shining as it pounced on Jason, lustful bright blue eyes staring at me as he maimed the poor boy and seemed like he was coming for me next, before I heard it growl, "Mate!"
Mate? What did that mean?
I wasn't about to stick around to find out, though, picking up what was left of me before running out of the room, screaming my head off. Before I could explain to my already angry cousin what was happening, it burst out of the room, causing total havoc at the club, but it had eyes on only one target.
Me.
"Get the car, now!" Matthew called out for Wendy, my best friend, who had conveniently been at the front of the door where the stampede was headed. We struggled through the crowd trying to get out as fast as we could, my heart racing with fear as I could feel it get closer and closer to me till it tried to grab me, leaving a deep scratch across my shoulder as Matthew had luckily pulled me away on time.
Deep in his eyes, I thought I was delusional when I saw remorse in them, but I couldn't be certain when I was running for my life. Why was this wolf after me? What is a mate? I had so many unfathomable questions as I drifted slowly out of consciousness, whilst Matthew rushed me out in his arms.
"Step on it, Wendy!" Matthew yelled, faintly to me as I struggled to keep my eyes open whilst he pressed against my wound and muttered spells to try and heal me, but it seemed like a wolf scratch might have been harder to recover from.
This was definitely not how I had envisioned my Twenty-First birthday; sneaking out to the club then getting scratched and chased by a mysterious wolf that had called me his mate.
How did I get here?
"Is she improving even a little bit? How did this happen?" My best friend Wendy worriedly asked, keeping her eyes locked with the road.
"I'm fine, Wendy," I muttered weakly, feeling more fear than pain, "Just keep driving before he comes back!"
As if it were summoned, a large thud sounded through the entire vehicle from the roof. We screamed in panic, turning Wendy manic as she swerved as if our lives depended on it till he fell right off to the side of the lonely road.
For a while, it was dead silent in the car till we had gotten back to the comfort of the coven palace, covered from the eyes of whatever it was that was chasing us.
Matthew wailed as expected from the damage done to his car whilst Wendy helped to dress my wound properly, "Anyone care to tell me why we were just chased by the largest mythical creature I have ever seen?"
"How many have you seen in the first place?" Matthew scoffed, rolling his eyes, "Look at what you did to my car, you reckless driver!"
"Oh, I'm sorry! Which is more important, our lives or your already run-through car?" Wendy retorted.
"Could both of you just stop it already?" I yelled, "Did you forget that we snuck out and you are both drawing unnecessary attention at this hour? Just pray that Aunt Kira hasn't heard you!"
"Don't think you are off the hook yet, young lady! None of this would have happened if you hadn't placed us in this mess," Matthew scorned.
Wendy turned to me, confused, "What is that about, Ahvi?"
"Yeah, Ahvi. What is it about?" Fear nearly made me throw up as I heard that familiar voice loom from behind Matthew, both of them frozen as much as I was, "Speak!" my aunt Kira demanded.
"Aunt Kira! It's so good to see you again!" Wendy's voice pitched with fright.
"Wish I could say the same," She scoffed, "Tell me what you have been up to unless you wouldn't quite like the outcome."
"What are you going to do about it?" I muttered in disdain.
All eyes darted towards me, those of Wendy and Mathew stared at me in horror whilst my aunt Kira smiled ominously, "You have tested my patience too many times in one day. Just because you are 21 now doesn't mean I still don't have that power over you."
"I am the next regent of this coven, dear aunt. By morning, I would make sure you have no power in this coven; you have oppressed me quite enough since my parents died."
She smiled, something good never comes out of the evil witches' smile, "Your mother would be disgraced with the way her perfect little witch eventually turned out. What a spoiled, disrespectful brat you've turned out to be."
She stomped away, not uttering another word to either of us, but I knew it was far from over. She was planning something, something as devious as always. I couldn't imagine what she would possibly do to me this time after her years of abuse, mistreatment, and only giving me shelter and food because I was the next regent.
I couldn't wait till I was 21 to finally be out of her custody; it was a surprise she hadn't done anything malicious before I finally got to this age.
…
"Ahvi, wake up!" I heard whispers, the shaking I thought was only a dream. Matthew's brother, Gordon, shook me wide awake with a petrified look on his face, his eyes wide filled with fear.
"What's the problem? What is happening?"
"You need to leave, now. There are some people downstairs who look very suspicious and are waiting for you to wake and come downstairs," He urged me in a panic.
I furrowed my brows, my heart nearly skipping all beats, "I don't understand. Leave? To where? I haven't even been given my immortality, how do you expect me to survive? Where do I go?"
"Would you rather be sold off to a pack of wolves, Ahvi? You need to leave, now! I promise Matthew and I will figure out the rest later; your only job is to run now. Run as fast as you can, Ahvi," he warned.
In a panic, I disregarded how I looked and took the window down from my room with the help of Gordon, avoiding all the windows in case they were looking out for me. My heart raced bitterly, my vision blurry as I sneakily left my coven house behind, running through the woods as fast as I could.
And just as I thought it was over once I stepped out those gates, right before me suddenly stood my aunt Kira and a very familiar man. Although I had never seen him before, I recognised those bright, soulless eyes from the night before, only that he was human now. Tall with broad shoulders, instead of his gorgeous fur and gigantic frame.
"Gordon would be adequately taken care of for placing unnecessary fear in your body, dear. Come on now, we have a few things to discuss at home," she smiled her usual ominous smile.
"You always do this, but this is the last I would take from you, Kira. I am a legal enough adult witch now, old enough to be trained to be a proper regent of my coven, the coven my parents built. You can't just take that from me, and for what?" I cried.
"The Ragmire wolves have promised us everlasting protection. How do you want me to turn down such an offer when you know this coven is always under some form of attack every time? Are you truly that selfish? Think about the coven, think about how many lives, how many young soldiers' lives you could choose not to put at risk with this simple act, Ahvi."
"You are in good hands, Ahvi. Now let's go home and talk about this like the adult you claim you are," the man smiled, lunging towards me in an attempt to attack, but I had built a shield around myself before he came any closer, "Don't play smart with me now, little witch."
"I would rather die here in the woods than go anywhere with the both of you!" I persisted, hot streams of tears pouring down my face.
She scorned, "If you insist."
At that moment, I had almost forgotten how powerful a witch my aunt Kira was; she was my mother's sister anyway: the most powerful regent recorded in the history of any coven, the one who brought the immortality spell to life. I didn't expect any less as I watched her break my shield and turn my world black with a simple chant.
I don't know why I thought I had a chance in the first place…