Shalei's heart instantly dropped to her stomach. She lifted her head to see Sebastian's face darkening. "Seth…?"
"I smell blood." He said almost in a growl. "Stay here, Your Excellency." After leaving that sentence, he turned on his heels and disappeared from Shalei's sight.
Blood…? Shalei sucked in a sharp breath. Did someone get injured? What kind of bad news would they bring? Goodness, Shalei thought everything would at least turn for the better after the insane things that had happened yesterday but it seemed like she had been too naive.
Damn it…! Shalei gripped the corner of the table so hard that her knuckles turned white. The tightness in her chest, nausea and the white noises in her head returned in full force, almost knocking her aside from strength in it.
What are you doing here, Shalei? Sebastian had said that you're here because of the disease but instead of asking what you can help him with, you choose to run away like a coward. Do you think the problem will solve itself without you needing to do anything? How much longer will they be able to put up with you?
"Why are you like this?!" Someone screamed into her ears. Her mother, again. "Why do you keep getting yourself into problems, Lei? Can't you be useful for once?! I really wonder why I gave birth to you!"
Shalei stood up so quickly that her chair toppled down. She was wheezing, blood rushing past her ears. Sweat rolled down her back as she tried to reach for her pocket… only to freeze when she found nothing. No mp3 player. No music that could distract her away from the voices. Meagan would definitely tend to the injured, Shalei assumed, whereas Patricia was still unwell. There was no one Shalei could run to.
Stay here, Sebastian told her.
But how could she? If she didn't make herself useful… what reason would she have to keep taking advantage of their kindness?
Before Shalei knew it, she was already running down the stairs, her footsteps thumping against the wooden tiles. There was a huge ruckus in the kitchen and Shalei could see the shadows of people dashing back and forth. "Have the water boiled yet?!" "Where's the scissors? Pass me the scissors, damn it!"
"Coming!" Meagan's voice rang out.
Shalei took a deep breath and approached. Quite a lot of people were there. All she had never seen before. There were six? Seven? Shalei's vision was swimming because they were all wearing the identical combat suit.
There were women… she noticed. Shalei was awed, she had never seen a female warrior before, at least not in her time where men dominated the society and women were seen as weak. That was why her mother carried herself with so much pride for being a rare female leader, and that's also the reason why she expected the same from Shalei.
No, stop thinking about this. It wasn't good to eavesdrop, Shalei tried to compose her breath. It might be better to show up and introduce herself. After all, they might become acquaintances for days to come.
She was moving toward the kitchen when one of them exclaimed in shock. "She is… awake? Really?!"
Keith answered, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "We wouldn't joke about this kind of thing, you know."
There were murmurs, too soft to be caught by Shalei's ears. She halted on her tracks. They should be talking about her, right…? She shuffled on her feet awkwardly. Sheesh, talk about nice timing. Shalei was ready to open her mouth when one of the women responded,
"So, what are you going to do with her, Alpha Sebastian? Have you found out anything about the curse?"
Shalei startled at hearing her being spoken in the same sentence with the curse. What made them think that she had something to do with it? Frustration welled up inside her chest. She really didn't know anything!
Despite her resolve to show up, Shalei found herself rooted in place, unable to move as she held her breaths in anticipation for what the others would say.
For a while, no one was talking. It couldn't be… everyone wouldn't believe that nonsense, right? Shalei's eyes flicked to Sebastian whose back was facing her, almost panicked. Did Sebastian believe them too? Did he also think that Shalei had a hand in… in the Moon's Curse she hadn't even heard of before?!
"Come on, make up your mind." The shewolf added in frustration. "As long as you give me the word, I will dispose of her quietly."
A heavy silence descended, or to be exact it was Shalei's world that had grinded to a halt. What… did she just hear? Dispose of whom? Who else, Shalei…? She was the only one not included in the conversation. She was the only stranger amidst these people who had gone through life and death situations together.
Shalei clutched her chest and tried to breathe. But it was no use. Something was lodged on the base of her throat, preventing air from reaching her lungs. It hurt… Pinpricks of pain blossomed on her chest, and it spread numbness to the tip of her fingers. Why…? Was this their goal since the beginning? To extract whatever information they could from her before killing her?
Even… Sebastian? Sebastian, who had vowed to serve her until the end of his life? Sebastian, who had stayed by her bedside all night so she wouldn't have to sleep alone? Sebastian, who had looked at her with such an intense, kind and attentive gaze? Sebastian also wanted to kill her…?
"Oh for fuck's sake, give him a break, will you?" Keith piped in with a false cheer, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. "Can't you see that he's getting overwhelmed? You guys have just gotten back—"
Shalei spun on his heels and dashed away from that place, unable to listen to any of it anymore. Until when would they discuss her fate behind her back whilst she was totally unaware of it? Until when would they keep her in the dark?
Exactly what did you expect, Shalei? She had just known them for less than a week, they were practically strangers. She had known that they needed her for something otherwise she would never even be here in the first place. But why… why did it hurt so much?
Going out through the main door was a no go because everyone would spot her in an instant. Shalei's feet brought her through the narrow hallway, recalling the tour Patricia had given her about the back doors. She found it after turning into two corners. Fortunately, it wasn't locked.
The backyard of the mansion was filled with wild, dry grasses. Cracked cobblestone path lined up straight to the charred forest, and Shalei mindlessly chose that path. Anywhere — anywhere that would bring her away from that place. The wind picked up around her and her breaths turned foggy. It actually took her a few moments to realize that there were tears on her cheeks.
Idiot! She wiped them away roughly. What the hell are you crying for?!
No one would want her if she wasn't useful, she had learned it the hard way from her mother. Sooner or later, they would realize that Shalei was only a burden.
…Would it be better to make herself scarce then?
Shalei tripped on a rock and stumbled, hand reaching out to grab onto the nearest tree trunk for reflex. She almost sank on her knees when she realized that even her legs were shaking ever so slightly. Her breath hitched, rapid and light. She couldn't breathe. Her mind was repeating the conversation she had heard earlier.
Should she leave before… before they killed her? But then… in this world filled with unknown things, where could she go?
Was there even a place where she could belong?