Bang-Bang-Bang…
"Cecilia, wake up," Eleanor pounded on the door and yelled at the top of her lungs. "Didn't you say last night that you would come with me? Wake up."
Cecilia opened the door and looked up at her groggily. "Mm…" she groaned, burying her fingers in her messy hair. "What time is it?"
"It's already dawn. If you want to come with me, go get ready." Eleanor picked up the basket from the table.
Cecilia squinted out the window. "Fuck…" She yelled, her eyes wide. "It's still dark."
"It's not dark. It's dawn." Eleanor turned to face her with a grimace. "Are you coming?"
Cecilia let out a frustrated sigh. She regretted agreeing to accompany her to the woods to collect herbs. She sulked and dejectedly went to change her dress.
They came out of the house a few minutes later. Cecilia hugged herself, rubbing her arms up and down. "It's cold," she murmured.
"It's refreshing." Eleanor inhaled deeply, a smile crossing her lips. "This sweet, refreshing scent is only there at dawn. I enjoy going for a walk in the woods at this time."
"Be careful. You may run into rogues someday."
"Then I'll sweep them away."
"How?" Cecilia regarded her with a squint. "You are wolf-less, remember?" She frowned even harder as something crossed her mind. "Are you thinking of using your power?"
"It's not what I mean." Eleanor pouted.
"You should never forget Mamma's warning."
"I won't." Eleanor anxiously held the blue gemstone pendant on her neck, her expression somber.
They walked into the woods quietly.
Cecilia inhaled a lungful of air. "You are right. It's refreshing. I'd like to run." She began to remove her gown before she could finish speaking. "See you here after some time." She shifted into a wolf and ran into the woods.
"Come back soon," Eleanor yelled. "I have to go to the packhouse as a replacement for Aunt. Huh…"
A deep sigh escaped from her mouth as she watched the grey wolf disappear into the woods, her face grim. She wished she could also transform into a wolf and run with Cecilia. She wished she was just a normal werewolf like the rest of the pack.
"Don't feel bad, Eleanor... You are special," she murmured, what her aunt used to tell her.
She started collecting fresh herbs. In the meantime, she saw a bunch of small plants with tiny purple flowers. The plants had narrow, sickle-shaped leaves that were usually lime green. They bloomed once a year and had a high medicinal value.
Eleanor smiled broadly as she considered making a decoction of these plants. Her aunt's cough would go away with it. She hurried over there and began to collect the herbs.
"Boo…"
"Ah…" Eleanor shrieked and jumped up. "Holy Mother." She groaned, placing her hand on her chest. "Cecilia… Stop acting like a child."
Cecilia giggled. "Yeah, yeah, as if you are an old lady. You should have fun. But look at yourself. You are always serious." She regarded Eleanor from head to toe, pouting. "Sometimes I forget that you are only 18. At this age, women get boyfriends. But you run away from the males as if you are untouchable."
Her words depressed Eleanor. She wanted to have fun with everyone in the pack and also wanted to date someone. Unfortunately, she was not equal to others. After all, she was wolf-less. The pack considered her a weak member. Nobody wanted to be friends with her, let alone mate with her. On top of that, she had something even Cecilia was unaware of.
"We should leave," Eleanor murmured. "Aunt is not well. I have to go to the packhouse to cook as her replacement."
"Oh, how lucky you are," Cecilia squealed as she hooked her arm around hers, a broad grin on her face. "You will have a chance to peek at Zane from a close distance. Awe… He is so handsome."
"Stop thinking about him." Eleanor smacked her on the arm. "He is the future alpha of the Moon Keepers. Besides, he has a gorgeous mate. He won't even glance at you."
"Humph… that witch. I hate her." Cecilia sulked. "She doesn't look good with Zane."
"Hmm… I get it. Let's go back, shall we?" Eleanor pulled her hand back and walked away as she knew it was useless to argue with her.
"Wait…" Cecilia rushed after her. "Tell me honestly, you don't like Zane. At least you can fantasize about him as your mate."
"I don't dream beyond my status," Eleanor said coldly.
Cecilia's excitement waned right away. Her smile also vanished at this point. She had nothing to say afterward.
They finally arrived home.
"Good morning, beautiful young ladies," Valeria, Cecilia's mother, greeted them with a grin. "Go freshen up. Breakfast is ready." She put the loaf of bread on the dining table.
"Why did you wake up so early?" Eleanor asked, approaching her. "You shouldn't have gotten out of bed." She placed her palm on her brow to check her temperature.
"I'm feeling good this morning." Valeria smiled and took her hand in hers. "Go freshen up. Your uncle will be back from patrolling. We will have breakfast together… Cough, cough, cough…" She began to cough before she could finish her sentence.
"You said you were okay. You now can't stop coughing." Eleanor frowned.
Cough-Cough-Cough…
Valeria continued to cough, covering her mouth with her hands. She rushed to the toilet.
"Mamma…" Cecilia panicked and hurried after her, but the door slammed shut on her face. "Mamma… What is happening?" She became even more terrified as she heard the continuous coughing.
Eleanor went into the kitchen in haste to make the decoction of the purple-flowered herbs she had collected.
Valeria eventually stopped coughing and stared down at her bloodstained hands. She had been coughing up blood on occasion since last week. But she hadn't told anyone, not even her husband. Her eyes turned glassy in seconds.
Knock-Knock-Knock…
"Mamma, are you okay?"
Valeria washed her hands and rinsed her mouth thoroughly. She pulled a smile over her lips and stepped out of the toilet, opening the door.
"Are you okay?" Cecilia grabbed her shoulders, her eyes full of concern.
"Silly girl, I'm fine."
Cecilia hugged her and muttered, "You scared me."
"Come on. Go take a bath. I can't wait any longer to have breakfast."
Cecilia docilely went to her room.
Eleanor exited the kitchen with a glass of decoction and handed it over to Valeria. "You can fool Cecilia, but not me," she grunted. "I know you are not okay."
"How can I not be okay when I have such a wonderful daughter?" Valeria smiled, putting her hand on her cheek. "I'll get well soon. Don't worry." She sat down and sipped the searing decoction carefully. "Don't be late for the packhouse."
It was only then that Eleanor remembered that she had to go to the packhouse to cook.
'Oh, shit…'
"I'll go get ready." She rushed to her room.
At the packhouse…
Zane and Ruby walked down the hallway. They noticed their fathers conversing across the hall on the couch.
"Father, good morning. Good day, Alpha Gustav." Zane greeted them with a smile.
Dimitri, Zane's father, returned his smile with a nod.
"Morning, morning." Gustav, Ruby's father, laughed and stood up from the sofa. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine."
"Glad to hear that."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to take my mate with me for a while," Zane urged.
"Of course." Gustav laughed.
Zane grinned and ran out, pulling Ruby along with him. He collided with someone. His swift reflex action caused him to grab the woman's wrist just as she was about to fall off the porch. The instant he got into contact with her, he felt a sharp jolt in his nerves. It was as if a wave of electricity was flowing from her to him. He immediately let go of her hand.
"Ouch…" the woman groaned and grimaced as she landed on her buttocks. "Holy mother," she muttered as she rose to her feet and rubbed her aching buttocks.