The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

As I woke up, I was surprised to see that I was in our bedroom. Bane still wasn't here, it felt like he hadn't been around for ages already, but I really couldn't expect that one bad thing that happened in the pack would force him to return. While I hated the fact, I understood enough to know that he was on a mission of sorts and unless he got to where he needed to be, he wouldn't return.

A sudden sense of sadness overwhelmed me. I couldn't pin-point what was wrong, but I had a gut feeling that with the return of Bane would come more issues and heartache.

Shaking my head, I focused on anything but that feeling. Kicking off the blanket, I got out of the bed and slowly walked to the bathroom to take a quick shower.

The cold water was refreshing and woke me up in no time. Today, just like other days, I grabbed one of Bane's shirts just to feel a little closer to him and enjoy his scent. After I was dressed, I instantly walked downstairs to the kitchen, towards the loudest chatter to find out everything they could tell me about what happened to me.

Like any other morning, the kitchen was packed with women, laughing and enjoying themselves as they worked. Since they didn't notice me at first, I grinned and shouted, "good morning!"

All of them jumped, some even screamed, so I couldn't hold back the laughter even if I tried.

"Goddess gracious, Luna you startled us," one of the women huffed, fanning her face as if she was experiencing a heat wave.

"Sorry," I shrugged and walked closer to them. "I had to get your attention somehow since you didn't see me. Anyway, what are you doing? Can I help?"

With the offer out, I grinned at them, but the amused mood quickly disappeared as all of them frowned and one of the cooks stepped closer. "What is it with you high ranking women trying to help us today? You're the second one to enter the kitchen with the same question."

Since she sounded genuinely curious and not spiteful, I simply shrugged and answered, "I'm not sure who was the first one, so I can't speak for her. I, however, don't like sitting back and letting others do everything on their own." As they exchanged glances, the tension slowly faded from the kitchen and soon, some chuckles echoed against the walls.

"The first one was Beta's mate. We sent her to the garden to pick some flowers and decorate the living and dining room with them. Since we're on a tight schedule with breakfast and the responsibilities have already been assigned, maybe you want to join her? I know it's not my place to say things like these, but you two could get to know each other in the garden. Sounds like a great bonding experience, doesn't it?"

It was sad how scared the rest of the women looked at the one who spoke. As if she was stepping over the line and ordering me around while in reality she had a great idea and I truly appreciate her input.

Letting the others act like I was some sort of monster from nightmares, I happily nodded my head and thanked the cook for her suggestion.

Something about the kitchen staff had changed. Very drastically. Just recently they accepted me as one of their own and didn't mind the help, but now, all of them wanted me as far from them as possible. Odd.

I used the back door to get to the garden faster and instantly noticed Kala, standing surrounded by beautiful roses, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Panic gripped me so I ran towards her. Once I reached her, I realized she was stuck in her own world, overwhelmed by her thoughts, so I was careful when I reached out and placed my hand on hers. "Hey, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"

Kala jumped and let out a loud yelp as she yanked her hand away from me, pure horror written all over her features. It didn't seem that she was scared of me, more like I just startled her.

As the tears didn't stop, I assumed the worst and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "It's Zion, isn't it? You rejected him and now, all of a sudden, you regret what you did that it's too late, right?"

I knew attacking her with this question wasn't the right thing to do, but I couldn't help it. Zion had already cried too many tears for her. He had been obsessed with her ever since he figured out that she was his mate, while Kala, sadly, had no idea how to appreciate him or acknowledge the love Zion felt for her.

But to my utter surprise, she quickly started wiping off the tears and shaking her head so violently, I feared it might fall off. "No, I didn't reject him. I wanted to, but I can't. And besides, he's not the reason why I'm acting like a wimp here." Dropping my arms to my side, I stepped closer to her and whispered, "if he's not the reason, why are you crying? I'm sorry for attacking you like that, it was wrong and I shouldn't have. I know better. But I'm also very worried about Zion. It doesn't excuse what I did, though, so again, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Kala muttered and glanced over my shoulder.

Looking back, I noticed two guards, standing by the back entrance, watching us. Since I didn't believe we could have complete privacy, the least I could do was to lead Kala further away from their gazes.

Reaching out and grabbing her hand, I pulled Kala away from the area and closer to the rows of benches to sit down. Once we did, I looked around and focused most of my attention on the flowers, giving her some time to calm down. "It's the flowers," she sniffled. "Back home when my mom didn't hate me, she planted the same and we used to work in the gardens together. Those flowers were her pride and joy, so they remind me of everything I lost. That's why I cried." Her voice was barely a whisper, but I heard every word, loud and clear.

"I don't want to pry too much or come across as rude, but what do you mean when you claim your mother hates you? And what is home to you?" I spat out the questions without thinking, instantly regretting it and wishing I could take it all back.

A bitter chuckle left her. "Because she does. She thinks I'm the cause of all her problems. But don't mind it, it's not like anyone cares about the story a cat could tell," she shook her head, looking a little amazed that she had said anything at all. I placed my hand on hers and smiled at Kala. "I want to know. I care. Tell me."

She sucked in a deep breath and searched my eyes for something. Once she realized she couldn't find what she looked for, Kala nodded. "My mom hates me because she had to raise me alone after my father died. Then, when I was a teenager, she remarried a pretty powerful man. Something happened between them, all I know is that she accused me of seducing him while I didn't do anything. She arranged the ceremony, the elders took my claws and then they banished me from home because a cat without claws isn't a cat. After that, I came across the witches who sent me here and served them for a roof over my head and a plate of food ever since."

Another chuckle escaped her, this one darker, almost as if she was in disbelief. "There you go, a part of the unfortunate tale of a clawless cat."