Unleashed

Chapter Seventeen: Full Moon - Part One

Mila

"Sadly, I was never so fortunate to have children of my own, but I like to think of you as my daughter." As we sat on the wooden garden bench under the illuminating moon, Darius gave me a small square wooden box. "So, I want you to have this."

After I swapped the oil lamp in my hands for the box in his, I removed the wooden cover of the box. Darius held the lamp a little closer, so I had a better view of what was inside. I pulled out a thick leather cord with a metal pendant hanging on it, shaped like an upside-down teardrop, about the size of my thumb. It was quite heavy, but beautifully crafted. There were tiny engravings carved into the metal depicting stars and planets, showing the smallest details. "Wow, it's beautiful, Darius."

"The pendant belonged to me, received from my mother when I was younger. You can open it and keep things inside."

I flipped open the round bronze lid and found some dried purple flowers inside.

"Is that lavender?" I asked, bringing the gift to my nose to smell the content. It didn't have a lavender scent. If I was completely honest, it didn't smell good at all, but I didn't tell that to my uncle.

"No, not lavender. It's a plant called wolfsbane," he answered.

"Wolfsbane?"

I think I'd heard of that before. But I believed they used the herb on Lycan women in the past days. I wasn't sure why it was used, but I was sure I wasn't a Lycan. So, why did he give it to me?

"Hmm-hmm."

"What are the flowers for?" I asked.

"They—they keep you safe. Think of it as flowers that are known to bring good luck."

"Good luck?"

Maybe I was wrong about wolfsbane at my first hunch.

"Yes," he replied. "So, please wear it for me, so that I know you're safe when I'm not around. I only get to see you a few weeks a year." He looked at me with kind, warm eyes. "I don't want to get worried during the rest of the year."

"Oh-Okay, I will." I put the necklace around my neck, its pendant hanging at the height of my heart.

"Promise me you will never take it off." Darius lifted my chin to look at him.

"But I must bathe—"

"Only take it off while bathing," he replied.

"And I must sleep—"

"Promise me you'll wear it during sleep too." He kept looking at me, eyes telling me he wouldn't take no for an answer.

"Uh... okay, if that would please you... I promise." I regretted the promise already. That pendant was big, so I knew it would get in the way during the night.

"Good girl." He ruffled up my hair like he always did when I was younger. "Let's go inside, so you can get to bed and I can have some more work done."

I nodded. "Thanks, uncle."

***

I woke up to a startling sound. Did someone just knock on my door? Was it Lir? Had he just returned home? I lifted my head, scanning my room. There was no sunlight peeking in my room yet, so I concluded it was still night. Lir wouldn't come back in the middle of the night.

Yesterday, he hadn't returned to the villa because he stayed a little longer with his aunt, so I didn't expect him back until the morning or afternoon. I was extra thankful I didn't go with him as one day with his aunt was horrible enough, but two was just too damn much. I'd rather get tied up in a noose.