It's been two days since I lost Eva, my wolf and I haven't gotten out of bed or eaten anything.
This time is different. I watched her burn in front of me, and now I feel so empty, like something inside me is missing.
Like a part of my life has been cut off.
This is what happens when a wolf loses her wolf and becomes human. It's rare… and I don't understand why it happened to me.
Tears welled in my eyes as the image of Eva burning replayed in my mind. I've been crying for so long, but the pain is still there. It hasn't dulled, not even a little. I don't think I'll heal anytime soon.
"I told you to get her out of bed." I heard Alexander's voice behind me. It seemed like he had just walked into my room.
"She isn't a child. I can't force her," Ellen replied.
She and Kathy had been sitting in my room for about an hour. Kathy had been trying to get me to talk, to eat, to do anything but I stayed curled up on my bed, facing away from them. Ellen sat quietly on the couch, saying nothing, just waiting for me to open up.
"Wait outside," Alexander ordered.
Within seconds, the door shut.
Before my mind could wander again, I was suddenly lifted into the air, and I screamed.
Alexander had thrown me over his shoulder.
I struggled, kicking and squirming. "Are you nuts? Put me down!" I yelled.
He didn't respond. He kicked open the bathroom door and dropped me onto the marble floor.
The moment my feet hit the ground, I swung at him, landing a punch on his arm. I tried to hit him again, but he caught my wrist mid-air.
"You know that doesn't hurt at all, right? You'll only bruise your little hand," he said, his fingers brushing against mine.
I flinched at his touch and quickly pulled away.
Tears streamed down my face again. His words hurt more than anything.
He groaned, clearly frustrated. "You look so ugly when you cry," he said, clicking his tongue.
"What?" I asked, stunned.
"Look." He grabbed my shoulders and turned me toward the mirror.
The moment I saw my reflection, I almost gasped.
I looked terrible.
My eyes were red and swollen, my eyebags dark from barely sleeping. My hair was tangled and dull, like it hadn't been washed in weeks.
I quickly covered my face, mortified that Alexander was standing behind me, seeing me like this.
He scoffed. "Are you really doing that now?" I turned away, still covering my face.
"Covering your face won't hide the smell… or your breath," he added mockingly.
I hesitated, then raised my hand and sniffed myself.
I nearly gagged.
"You should freshen up and wear something nice. Your boyfriend is here," he said.
"Boyfriend?" I frowned, confused.
I didn't bother asking. Alexander always said ridiculous things.
He started to leave, then suddenly stopped and turned back.
"And make sure you wear makeup. If you can't, I'll tell Ellen to help you. I don't want anyone getting blinded by your profound beauty," he added sarcastically.
I glared at him as he walked out.
The moment he left, I slammed the bathroom door shut.
Finally alone, I turned back to the mirror.
Gosh… I really do look terrible.
I turned on the faucet and began to prepare a bath for myself, watching as the water slowly filled the tub
I prepared a bath for myself, turning the faucet slowly as warm water began to fill the tub. Steam rose, curling into the air, fogging the mirror behind me.
For a moment, I just stood there, staring at the water like it might somehow fix everything.
It didn't.
Nothing could.
Swallowing hard, I peeled off my clothes, wincing slightly at how weak my body felt. Two days without food or proper rest had drained me more than I realized. Stepping into the tub, I sank into the warmth, letting it wrap around me like a fragile comfort.
The silence was unbearable.
No voice in my head.
No presence.
No Eva.
My chest tightened, and before I could stop myself, tears slipped down my cheeks again, mixing with the bath water.
I stayed there longer than I should have, letting the water cool before finally forcing myself to move. I couldn't stay like this forever… I'd have to fix this.
The sooner I talk to Alexander, the better.
Slowly, I stood up and reached for a towel, drying myself off. My movements were sluggish, like my body didn't belong to me anymore.
After wrapping the towel around myself, I walked back into the room.
Ellen was still there.
She looked up immediately, surprise flickering across her face before it softened into something gentler.
"Wow, Alexander got you on your feet in less than a minute." she said quietly.
I didn't respond. I just walked past her to my wardrobe.
My hands hovered over my clothes for a while before I finally picked out something simple, a fitted pair of jeans and a soft, long-sleeved top. Nothing too bright. Nothing that would draw attention.
Getting dressed felt strange, like I was putting on a version of myself that no longer existed.
When I was done, I sat in front of the mirror.
The same tired girl stared back at me.
I reached for a brush, slowly dragging it through my tangled hair, wincing when it caught. After a few minutes, it looked somewhat decent…at least better than before.
Then came the makeup.
I hesitated.
Alexander's words echoed in my head, irritating and unnecessary… but not entirely wrong.
With a sigh, I picked up a concealer and lightly dabbed it under my eyes, blending carefully to hide the dark circles. A little powder. A faint touch of lip gloss.
Nothing too much.
Just enough to make me look… alive.
When I was done, I stared at my reflection again.
Still broken.
Just… slightly more put together.
"I guess this will do," I muttered.
Ellen stood up from the couch, watching me closely.
"You look better," she said gently.
I nodded once. That was all I could manage.
Without another word, I walked toward the door.
Each step felt heavier than the last as I made my way downstairs. My heart began to pound slightly, though I didn't know why.
Maybe it was just the thought of facing people again.
Or maybe…
I was afraid of pretending everything was okay.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, voices drifted into my ears.
I froze for a split second, my fingers tightening slightly at my side.
Ellen stepped up beside me. "Welcome back to the real world, Elena. But first, you need to regain the weight you've lost," she said, already walking toward the dining room.
"Where is everyone?" I asked, glancing around at how unusually quiet the house felt.
"They're entertaining the guest," she replied, pushing the dining room door open.
I followed her inside.
The dining table was covered with an assortment of food, far more than I could possibly eat.
Still, I pulled out a chair and sat down.
At first, I just stared at the food.
My stomach twisted, unsure… almost like it had forgotten what to do.
"Eat," Ellen said softly, taking a seat across from me. Her eyes didn't leave my face.
I hesitated for only a second before reaching for the closest plate.
The first bite felt strange.
The second… easier.
By the third, something inside me snapped.
Hunger.
Real, overwhelming hunger.
I didn't stop.
I ate like I hadn't seen food in weeks, barely tasting anything, barely breathing between bites. My hands moved on their own reaching, grabbing, finishing one plate and moving to the next.
It was messy. It was desperate but I couldn't stop.
Two days.
Two whole days without food.
No wonder my body felt like it was breaking.
Across from me, Ellen stayed silent, watching me carefully. Not judging, just… watching. Like she was waiting for me to suddenly collapse or do something reckless.
At some point, I slowed down, my movements becoming less frantic.
Only then did I realize how much I had eaten.
Almost everything.
I leaned back slightly, my chest rising and falling as I tried to catch my breath.
"I didn't realize…" I muttered, my voice hoarse.
"That you were starving?" Ellen finished gently.
I didn't respond.
"Some days ago I never knew this day would come,but it came earlier than expected." she said, standing up. "Come on, your sister would be so glad to see you."
Hearing Ellen, I was happy to meet Kathy but my stomach tightened in knots also because I was going to meet the guys too.
I could imagine the look on Lucian's face when he sees me. I know for sure he definitely hates me more now for causing a lot of trouble for the past few days.
Each step toward the living room felt heavier than the last.
The voices became clearer as we got closer.
Then…
I stepped into the room.
And froze.
My breath caught in my throat as my eyes landed on him.
"Donald…?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Shock hit me first.
He is the last person I was expecting to see here.