The Wolf Maiden

Chapter 4: Unveiling the Shadows of the Light

“Ethan, you no longer hold power over me. When you rejected me as your mate, our connection is severed so strongly, it broke my heart into pieces. But I have now picked it up one by one and not a single piece was meant to be yours!”

Ethan never utter a word.

“Go back to where you came from and leave me be.”

He stands his ground.

Layla and I dash away, letting go every memory I have of my past.

I overhear him say, “Goodbye, Harper.”

The woods around me feels like a blur of clouds. Ethan is no more a ghost from the past. My concern now is the shock of Layla’s sudden revelation to the whole pack gives me goosebumps. My mind is still struggling to understand the magnitude of my decision. Yet, there is no time to waste. We must make haste.

In the unforeseen background, a figure follows our move. The silhouette of the running figure is in my peripheral vision. My heart rages as I recognize it is Susannah. Her very presence reminds me of the complexity of how I ended up at this very moment. I have faced the breaking of my heart through Ethan, now I will face the death of my identity in the pack through Susannah.

As soon as I find that our location is too far from discovery, I request Layla to halt and confront this intruder. Susanna meets me face to face. Her eyes a mixture of fiery and disgust. I heed off Layla’s concern to continue our escape. Instead, I cross path with our arch nemesis. The distance between us is a cold chasm of unspoken turmoil between broken sisters.

I hold her still before me. Her immense beauty still overshadows even my gravest attempt to run away from it. Susannah who now shifted to her werewolf form as graceful as her human form makes the first move. She opens her claws wide, “You have finally shown your true colors, sister.”

Her anger vehemently projects on me is the fact Ethan ran after me. I chuckle at the thought of some false accusation once more.

“You never knew who I truly am and capable of.”

She laughs with a bittersweet tone. “What good would it do if you to run away from the pack? You won’t survive out there. Your grand revelation of having this wild spirit animal in you only created chaos. You must accept your punishment from the Alpha. Go back to the pack and bring your wild wolf spirit to serve the pack!”

Layla growls as she hears that she is insulted as a wild animal.

“Chaos? I never wanted chaos. I only stated my truth. Layla is my guardian, my true wolf spirit. We are one and no one can take away our bond together. I know who you are now. Despite the perfect façade that you put on, you are dark and malicious and manipulative deep inside!”

Susannah gazes back at me with a raw flicker of fury, “You don’t know me at all! You’ve always been the weak sister. You always depended on the sympathy and protection of others. You have swallowed yourself in your own little world and never even cared for the greatness of our pack. But I…I have done everything I can to gain the favor of the Alpha and the whole pack. I have given all I have got to prove my worthiness! Do you know how tiring that is? No matter how hard I try, the bar is always set high. I can never gain the sympathy and concern of being a weakling such as you. And I will never stoop to such level!”

A pang of guilt rushes through my veins. My sister has revealed a tender side of her. “Susannah, you don’t have to prove your worth. You have always been the most capable and strong child. Our parents are never the affectionate type and you know that. The love and sympathy of people is not something that you have to work hard for. You are made worth it.”

Another laugh echoes from her belly. “Strong and capable? You will never understand the constant pressure that gnaws inside me every time our Alpha parents find a tiny little flaw in me. That’s why I vowed to be the perfect daughter. The bar is set impossibly high that I feel like I’m drowning my throat every time. Yet, you! You are a scorn for being indifferent to all of my achievements against it all! You don’t even realize that for the longest time you have wrapped yourself in your own little bubble of weakness and sympathy. You don’t deserve to have a wolf spirit!! You are a wolf-less freak of nature!”

She springs at me with all her might and I fight back. We wrestle in the dirty wet soil of that dark part of the forest. Layla growls at Susannah’s wolf spirit while I grapple Susannah on the wet dirty pavement here and there. Finally, I get the chance to break free from her with much blood on the side.

“Susannah, you don’t even have an idea what troubles I’ve been through from all your torments. And still, this is how you treat me.”

“Harper, you also have no idea how tirelessly I work for every inch of recognition I receive. The only true triumph I got against you is Ethan! And you should never ever have any tiny space in his heart and mind! I will not allow it!”

With that, I reach out and grab her by the shoulders. My claws clench her porcelain skin. She shouts with great anguish. “Go back to him then! You have made your point, there is no reason for you to gloat it over me!”

Susannah manages to escape from my wild range. “I vowed to make our pack be the most powerful in this region. I will bring back your wild animal with me and we will subdue it to the powers of the pack!”

Now, the real Susannah is back. My sudden sympathies for her initial revelations have been wash away by the fact that she wants everything from me, even my Layla.

I pace slowly towards her wounded figure.

“You took my dignity in front of the pack.” My every step is heavy.

“You took Ethan to be your betrothal.” Every word is heavy.

“Now, you want my Layla?” My anger rushes with the wind.

“Layla came to me when you and your troublesome pack of werewolves bully me. Layla bonded with me in heart and mind. She is my guardian, my wolf spirit and we are one. Her power is mine and I am hers. I will never be used for your grand schemes! Go back now to your beloved pack and leave us be!”

A smile crosses over Susannah’s face.

Suddenly, I feel a pang of confusion and fear because of that malevolent smile.