The Gate of Shadows

When we returned to the room, Fenris's eyes landed on me from the moment we entered, instantly grabbing me by my chin to inspect my face. Liam caught on quickly to his alpha's demeanor, stiffening up when he studied me.

Even though the ice had helped calm the inflammation my crying caused, this wolf knew every detail about me. If anything were off, he would notice where anyone else would’ve passed it by.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, hearing Fenris growl under his breath. He stepped away from me before glaring at Liam, who appeared ready to bolt. Before he could approach the brown wolf, I grabbed his hand, turning it to his palm and writing words.

The girls and other boys entertained themselves with a card game to notice us.

I’m fine, I wrote.

But my silver wolf eyes narrowed, alerting me he didn’t believe me. A soft sigh left my lips, continuing to trace his palm with my fingertips.

Liam was kind to me. Kinder than the others. However, my attempts to save the brown wolf failed.

Fenris dragged him outside, either way, leaving me in defeat. I headed to bed before spotting something troublesome.

Crap, I forgot my grimoire here?

In my hurry to escape this room, I forgot the most important book a witch could ever possess.

What a joke.

Luckily, the others hadn’t noticed, thanks to their game. Fenris wouldn’t have allowed them to peek in it, either. Grabbing onto it, I turned the pages to where I wrote about Lilith's dream. Something had been added to my unfinished sentence in Fenris's handwriting there.

Not yet. Not like this.

I stared at his handwriting, munching on the bread we bought.

What do you mean by that? Not yet? Not like this? Then when? When can I tell you how I feel? Once you marry? That… isn’t fair, you know?!

Not wanting to think anymore, I turned the page, drawing the newest Lycan I saw, Melody. She was another beautiful wolf. Her amber eyes were a shared trait in her kin, but on her, with that silky black hair.

It matches her so perfectly. Liam, you’re a lucky boy.

Her curves and other features were well outlined with her adorable dress. It wasn’t revealing or anything. But her bosom was ample enough to be noticed through her beautiful pink dress.

Melody is a gorgeous flower.

There was no other way to describe her. In contrast, I was the complete opposite. My bosom was carved into, leaving behind an abomination in its place. My face and hands were probably the one thing that didn’t seem out of place as long as I hid the rest.

I don’t know what Fenris sees in me.

These magnificent female Lycans surrounded Fenris while I had nothing to offer him. What Ryker said about why Fenris held me had to be true.

How can my body attract anyone?

I couldn’t figure out what anyone could see in me, especially Fenris, the typical top dog around and the future alpha of Silverant. He probably felt relief at not having to hold me while his friends were around. Perhaps he didn’t embrace Layla because he was waiting for marriage to produce an heir.

Or maybe he didn’t sleep with anyone else because he didn’t want to transmit any diseases to his charge.

Protecting me is your duty. It’s all we are.

Before I knew it, I had finished a rough draft of Melody's sketch when Fenris and Liam entered the room. The brown wolf appeared like a boulder lifted from him. I didn’t know what they discussed, but it probably related to why I cried.

Has Fenris sworn Liam into secrecy?

The failure of my bracelet was apparent, though only a selected few knew about it. From my understanding, the only ones who knew were Ryker, Fenris, Ben, and Tania, but it probably included all the other council members.

I’ve never met them, but…

Ryker was the proxy for the sun elves, and Ben was the Lycans' proxy for outside council matters. They kept the actual council members in secrecy. Each one probably represented the races of this world: Lycans, vampires, humans, and the subspecies of elves.

Elves had five subspecies: sun, moon, ocean, blaze, and nature, making them the majority. The sun represented light magic at the top of elven society. Moon elves were controversial, just like witches with their dark magic. Ocean ones had ice and water magic at their disposal, while blazes controlled fire and wind.

Nature elves were blessed with earth magic, allowing them to grow plants from nothing. It was nothing compared to what I did to make the plants come back to life. I would have to make some sacrifices for that.

Usually, my blood was enough, but these elves did it without expense.

I envy them.

All the elven magic was beautiful, unlike witchcraft. Ryker was a clear representation of how sun elves behaved. Nature elves and Ocean ones appeared to want nothing but peace and were a bit free-spirited.

Elven cities had the most impressive sights to witness. Everyone who went to visit them said that they were almost fantasy-like. Their most prominent sights were the fairies that lived there in harmony.

Fire elves were as hot-headed as Lycans with their volcanic lands, while the moon elves were unpredictable, hiding within enchanted forests. However, no matter what personality traits they had. Each had a place in the council, and their individual qualities made them different.

Humans were restricted in their chairs with their subspecies of witches and warlocks. In this council, only humans not influenced by magic had a voice. They wouldn’t allow any witchcraft users to know about me.

In their eyes, we were a race that couldn’t be trusted.

It’s not like we didn’t give them plenty of reasons.

The Lycans drank and had fun with their games while I tried to keep to myself. Fenris always stayed near me, even when Ezra forced drinks on him. It was the first time I had ever seen him indulge in alcohol.

It was hours before the wolves felt tired, leading them to prepare their beds for the night. Seeing how things were winding down, I turned on the aromatherapy humidifier Tania gave me.

It was an old thing she gifted me when she was teaching me how to control myself before she left to travel the world searching for clues about where the sisters may reside. When she gave it to me, she said it would help me sleep better, and it was true. The scent of lavender always made me feel at ease.

Ever since my nightmares quieted a bit, it was the reason the room always smelled of flowers, too. A scent Fenris became accustomed to from the years of use. Even when he held me at night, he always waited for me to turn it on, or he would do it himself if his touch made me forget.

Either way, it was part of my nocturnal ritual. However, when I turned it on, Kira growled and covered her nose.

"Stop that. I can’t sleep with that overwhelming scent and noise." The white wolf complained, slanting her ears back.

The machine made a soft spraying noise, but it was relaxing for me. Fenris never mentioned anything about it, even when I first got it. The scent I had picked was soothing for Lycans, leaving me clueless about why it bothered her.

"Kira, I welcome you to sleep outside. Lilith can’t rest without it." Fenris growled at her before I could say anything to defend myself.

"We aren’t exactly in any position to complain. Plus, the scent’s pretty pleasant to me." Liam added, leaving, gazing at the brown wolf, who gave me a soft smile.

The other two boys also remarked on similar sentiments. The alcohol they drank wasn’t helping when Kira’s eyes twitched, flashing her fangs. Nothing good ever came from drunk, rage-fueled bravado, and this wolf wasn’t ready to back down.