Crow

Chapter 35

The next day, Alpha Triton and his Luna were executed. His mate refused to leave him even in death. It was a bitter and somber execution. No one liked to see their leader get killed, but no one could imagine anything but death as punishment for the countless ones that were taken before.

Katie swallowed her tongue, numbly saying words that sounded like monotone words in her head. She should be happy that Elijah was avenged. Yet she had given up everything for him and received nothing in return. Her parents'expressions held nothing but disappointment. She had yet to approach them in fear of their reactions. Her mate was gone and her heart was stone cold.

Katie didn't feel like herself and suddenly, she was pushed back into time when she was latent and felt begged for death. Nothing really changed. Not really.

Katie let out a sigh as she walked past the hallway onto her way to the dining hall. Both packs would share a final meal before Triton pack left, being led by her father. As she walked down the corridor, the painting of Raoul twinkled, catching her gaze. She narrowed her eyes, stopping to turn toward the photo. She took a step forward and touched the man's face. Her memory of Raoul seemed so real and yet so distant, like a far of memory from a dream.

Yet the moment her finger pads touched the painting, her world swirled around her and she disappeared.

À woman sat at Roaul's brown table. Her skin was dark and her hair fell over her back in silver waves. Katie recognized her as Marie. "I knew that we would meet again," The woman sighed as she looked up at Katie. Her eyes shone like moonlight and Katie gasped. Marie looked so familiar and so unreal all at once. Her beauty was exotic and otherworldly.

"He betrayed me," Marie whispered, tracing patterns onto the table. She shook her head, "So I had no choice."

"What do you mean?" Katie asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"He left me." Marie whimpered. "I gave him everything and now..."

"What did you do?" Katie asked, looking around the small hut. She just realized that Raoul was nowhere in sight.

"I cursed him.. " Marie slammed her fist into the desk, sending the house rumbling. She stood up and glared down at Katie with angry eyes, "I gave him Crow and I can take himaway. For when he finds his soulmate, he can never have her because his wolf will perish. In place, he will gain a crow and forever in that form he will stay."

She let out a cat like hiss before pushing past Katie and out the door. Katie's eyes widened at her words. She had grown up with stories about the Lady of Silver, the goddess who gave humans their wolves and their soul mates.

Yet if what Marie was saying is true, then that means that Kaiden wasn't.. he wasn't a wolf. No, that couldn't be true.

Katie's mind flashed back to Alpha Triton's words, "He flew away."

Was it possible? Had Kaiden really turned into a bird. Things suddenly made sense to Katie. Kaiden was so insistent in them always being together.  He hated talking about the time and almost acted paranoid. He pushed her and their relationship grew as fast as it deteriorated.

Was he just scared?

Katie's heart panged at the thought of Kaiden keeping such a big secret from her. She shook her head and exited the hut.

"Marie?" She called, looking around the small pebbly path for her. She needed to know if Kaiden had been scared this entire time.

The trees ruffled in the wind and Katie gasped. She began jogging toward the forest, after Marie when her world began to spin and before she knew it, she was back in the hallway.