"No no, jordan". She grabbed his shirt. "I gave him what he deserved. You don't have to fight your cousin because of me".
"That asshole is not my cousin". He stated clearly as he glared at the cabin, his jaw clenching harder.
Avice didn't know why he was so angry because Rex strangled her. Perhaps he loved Eliana? And she loved him back? Was Eliana cheating on Rex?
"Let's go, Jordan". She pulled his arm, shaking away her ridiculous conclusion. "Jordan". She pulled harder as she cursed him inwardly for not budging.
What were they fed?
"Fine". He took her hand in his and turned to her. "Did he do anything else. Did he hit you".
Avice almost snorted. "Do you think he'll hit me and I'll let him get away with it?" She replied and pulled jordan along with her, knowing a certain person might be listening to them.
"Adeline told me what happened to you". He said as they walked towards the pack.
"Did she tell you I was in the cabin?"
He nodded. "She was worried you'd find out how horrible he is".
Avice sighed, already imagining Adeline's 'I told you so' voice. "He's sure horrible. Might be the worst I've met".
Jordan looked at her. "Met?"
Avice wanted to nod but the look on jordan's face stopped her. He had the look that told her Eliana had not met alot of guys. Was Rex her first love? Avice looked around. Was she really in the '90s?
"What year is this?" She asked jordan who chuckled lightly.
"You don't remember that also?"
Avice shook her head as she waited for his response.
"Well, listen carefully. We're in 2023". He pronounced the words carefully, still having a slight curve on his lips.
Avice's fingers froze for a short as she counted the number of years she flew.
Hell, she wasn't even in a belly yet. Her mother was probably somewhere working her ass off for a man who'd die four years after her marriage.
"So you're telling me I'm thirty-seven years back in time. I didn't only switch souls but I flew thirty-seven years back?!" She exclaimed, her eyes staring at clueless jordan wildly.
"Adeline also said I should watch out for your weird talks about souls". He nodded as he said, probably labelling her as an insane lady in his head. "Come on, let's go". He pulled her along by wrapping his arm around her as she had stiffened and couldn't move on her own.
♡
Rex stood in front of the river surrounded by big and small rocks, twirling his now empty cup of wine between his fingers. His mind was faraway, lost.
He couldn't pin down the exact thought that snatched his attention but he knew it revolved around the scene in his cabin some hours ago. The slap he got from her was not the only thing that occupied his mind, even her words had the audacity to cling along.
What was she trying to do? What trick was she trying to pull?
Rex tried to stay convinced that she was pretending and her changed attitude had something to do with it but his ears and eyes were saying otherwise.
When she left his cabin, her breath wasn't shaky and she didn't seem nervous. Her words were rather sharp and she didn't think twice about what to say. It was unusual for her to look him in the eyes and speak boldly, not to talk of the slap that still lingered on his face.
"For how long are you going to stand there?" Rex asked calmly, looking at the cup and wishing the content still remained. He had felt her presence some minutes ago but she was far, probably twenty meters away.
In a blink, Raven sped to him when she realised she had been caught. She had been staring at him for about twenty minutes, trying to get into his thought but Rex was damn too complicated. "What are you thinking, baby boy?"
"What are you doing here again?" He sternly asked her.
"My question fi–" she paused to frown at the pink fading mark on his face. She touched it. "Who did this?"
Rex took her hand off his face. "Mind your business".
"You're my business". She said almost immediately. Knowing he wouldn't give her any reply, she sped past him and barged into his cabin. She kept calm, closed her eyes and sniffed in the air, trying to catch another scent apart from Rex's.
Rex saw her approaching in full speed and he could smell the rage in her bones. He hated that she was too comfortable around him. He hated having anyone comfortable around him and Raven seemed way too relaxed.
"How dare her lay a hand on you?!" She yelled, her eyes widened in fury. "Tell me you did something to her. Tell me you crushed her fucking bones".
Rex took a calm look at raging Raven and threw his head back. "I hate it when my privacy and my thinking space is invaded".
"Rex—"
"Shut the fuck up". His calm tone made a dangerous switch, a switch that forced all of Raven's pending questions down her throat. He wouldn't tell her a thing, Raven knew. She was used to finding out things herself and she wasn't going to let Eliana slide off that easily.
"Whatever". Raven hissed out and raced into the forest.
"Tsk". Rex clicked his tongue in annoyance and when he began to look up, he saw the grandala bird again, cluelessly perching on the tree. "You're really something, aren't you?"
♡
Avice sat on the bed after a long shower that settled deep in her veins. The hot shower she had been enjoying lately thanks to her unfortunate fate was one to die for.
Her landlady had cut off her power supply as a threat but Avice was hard headed, she kept stalling time as she pleaded. As long as her roof was not snatched away, there was nothing she wouldn't endure even if it meant cutting her water supply as well.
Again, Avice stood up to have a look at the full length mirror Adeline brought to one corner of the room. Eliana didn't have a full mirror, Adeline said something about her getting annoyed each time she looked at one. Rex's hatred had began to get into her head and she thought he didn't like her because she was ugly.
"What an asshole. How can he hate someone so pretty and lovely?" Avice voiced out her thought as she stared at the mirror, turning from side to side in admiration. "I'd kill my neighbour's dog to get this body". She muttered while running her hands on her waist down to her hips.
Suddenly, a knock came on the door, distracting Avice from the mirror. Avice had come to learn people's scent from Adeline and the person at the door didn't smell like anyone she knew. To be precised, she didn't smell like a werewolf. What was that smell? A human?
Avice glaced at the window, the half moon in the dark sky coming into view. Who could it be? Did Eliana have a non-werewolf friend?
"Coming". Avice said when the knock persisted. She got to the door and unlocked it but immediately she pulled it open, a hand shot through the door and grabbed her neck. Avice grabbed the arm and before she could access the face of the perpetrator, her backbone shattered into pieces as it crashed against the wall, all in a blink.
Avice in shock, dangled her feet in the air with her hands fighting for her life. The grip on her neck tightened and she felt claws digging into her neck. The hand was feminine and when Avice looked down through her teary eyes, she saw a black cloak and red lips. Who was she? Why was her hand so cold?
"Let me g‐go..I'm-I'm not who yo-u-you're loo-king for". Avice struggled to free herself as she felt her life was slipping away.
Her lungs started to squeeze and she felt her eyes bulging, her tender face changing in colour. Small ragged gasps escaped her parted lips as she kept thrashing and bucking her legs against the wall.
Avice clawed her fingers at her hands uselessly, trying to pry the fingers away from her neck, but she was slowly losing consciousness and energy. The hand compressed her more, causing Avice to finally still from lack of air.
When she was about to surrender to her fate, Adeline rushed in and before her eyes could close in completely, her almost lifeless body fell to the ground and a crash with her length mirror followed.
With shut eyes, Avice coughed and gasped for air at the same time. She pressed her chest which was hurting from the nonstop cough as she felt the veins in her temple grow bigger. When she looked to her left through her clouded eyes, she saw the cloak girl and Adeline wresting with each other. Adeline was down and the cloak girl was above, tearing each other with their claws.
"Ade‐Adeline". Avice stretched her hand towards Adeline as she forced herself on her knees. She could still feel her throat burning but she rushed to the door to get help.
Her mission to scream was cut short when a familiar figure rushing up the stairs flashed in the corner of her eyes. When she looked at the stairs to see who, the figure was already standing next to her.
Avice flinched, almost losing her balance when she saw Rex next to her, staring at the scene inside her room.