Mark Of A Broken Promise[The Werewolf Trials #1]

Chapter 2

Her striking brown eyes looked at me with a look of betrayal. Her warm brown skin and hair tied up in a ponytail were the same as the day we left each other.

I may be the ideal vision of beauty, petite, blonde, pretty green eyes, but Lydia was beautiful in her own way. A way that people didn't appreciate enough.

"Lilith." She breathed.

"Go." I say to Sophie and she scrambled away.

I take another look at Lydia and throw her a bag of pain killers. Then I run away.

*****

"Two Hunters have failed to kill today. They shall be killed. Sophie Valaron and Maria Sanders, you have until tomorrow." Master Isaac announces.

My heart skips a beat. I know both of them. Sophie, the girl I met today and Maria, my roommate Jauna's younger sister.

As soon as the others left, I dash to Luna.

"Please spare them." I ask her.

She looks at me with curiosity. "They failed to kill. They failed to earn a month in my protection. They failed to serve me. They shall fail to live."

"I killed three this month. Take the extra two and credit Maria and Sophie with them." I beg.

Luna sighs. "Fine. But only for you. What do they mean to you anyways?"

I don't answer. Sophie because she reminds me so much of me when I first joined. She was understandably frightened with the thought of killing. Maria because Jauna would never forgive me if I didn't do something to help her sister if I could. And I couldn't lose Jauna. Not after Lydia.

*****

When I get to Sophie's room, I find her sobbing on her bed.

"What's wrong?" I ask, sitting down next to her.

"Keefe is so different now. We promised each other that if we got opposite sides, we would never harm each other in any way. If we were both Hunters, we wouldn't kill. We would face the consequences together. Now he already killed 4 people." Sophie explains, her tears growing.

Me and Lydia lay down next to each other under a large willow tree. The sweeping branches cover us from the summer heat and gives me a sense of calmness.

"Lilith?" Lydia asks, rolling into her side.

"Yeah?" I reply, rolling to face her.

"Can you promise me something?" She says.

"What?"

"That if we both become Prey, we will always save each other before we protect ourselves. If we both become Hunters, we will never harm a single soul, we will face death together with honour. If we get opposite sides, we will never harm each other or our families. Once 10 years pass, we will leave and meet each other in New Lawrence. We'll start a new life there together. Can you promise me that?"

"Of course."

"Do you swear?"

"I swear."

"Do you promise we will find our way to each other? That if one of us are Prey and the other a Hunter, the Hunter will never harm the Prey and both of our families and the Prey will never allow any harm to come to the Hunter's family if they can help it."

"I promise."

"Do you promise that you will not do a single more day of service than necessary? That you will never accept the position of Alpha or Matriarch under any circumstance?"

"Only if you do."

"Good."

Lydia rolls back onto her back and I follow. We don't speak for a while. Neither wanting to consider the fact that we could get split up.

I smile softly at Sophie. "I understand."

"No you don't!" Sophie cries, pushing me away. "You will never understand! Nobody ever will! You will never have this happen to you!"

"You're right." I call out as she runs out. "I never have experienced this. But I have caused it to someone else. People will change in the face of power." I feel a sudden burst of anger. Sophie stops and turns to look at me.

"And I was sorry for it. So sorry it hurt. So sorry you couldn't just kill her before I got there. I hated you for it. I hated myself for it. I still do. Still hate both of us for it. Keefe hates it too. You think you're the one suffering? You expect too much of him. He was scared of death. Just like you are now. If you were in his position, would you stay still? Here you are, crying about dying. You really think you would have stood a chance in the face of killing someone for real."

I stood up and walked past a stunned Sophie.

"I saved your back this time. But Luna won't let it slide another time. Don't let this chance pass."

*****

"Thank you again." Jauna tells me, Maria and her hugging me tightly. I don't stop them, I really need it.

"No problem." I reply, putting on the biggest smile I can muster. "Just I can't do it again."

"We didn't expect you to." Jauna replies. Maria nods her head really fast next to her. "I'll teach her. Make her more prone to violence. It will never happen again, will it Maria?"

"It will never happen again."  Maria confirms.

"Then can you help another girl the same way?" I ask Jauna

"Anything."

"Her name is Sophie Valaron. I covered for her the same way but I don't really  want to deal with her right now."

Jauna smiles brightly. "Of course."