The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

I couldn't listen to her anymore. All of this was becoming too much for me to bear. No matter how hard I tried to pretend everything was alright, I couldn't hide my emotions.

Kala claimed they were written all over my face. Honestly, it was a little funny to watch her frown at me as Zion still held her in his arms. I swear, the guy thought she couldn't use her legs even on the best of the days.

"I don't want to talk about it," I muttered and tried to turn my back on her, but the high-pitched scream that left Kala stopped me in my steps.

"Don't you turn your back on me, Aife. You might be the Luna of this pack, you might be the woman in power here, but you're also my only friend in this place. I am your friend too. Sit down in the living room and my mate will make us some tea while we gossip," she demanded.

I couldn't believe my ears. It wasn't like I ever tried to put the title Bane gave me as an advantage card against someone, so it hurt to hear her mention it.

The only thing I needed was some peace and silence. That was all. Just a little alone time.

But here I was, listening to her command and doing what I was told to do. Zion carried Kala to the living room and set her on the couch as if she was the most delicate thing on this planet. The way he looked at Kala reminded me of the way I had caught Bane gaze at me sometimes.

Deep down, this made me wonder if Bane felt as strongly as Zion did with Kala. In a way, I hoped he did. But also, I hoped he didn't.. Selfish, yes, but I too wanted to experience the bond that Kala had with Zion.

We weren't meant to love whoever we wanted to love. We had to love the gift handed to us by the Goddess. Sadly, Bane wasn't blessed with the chance to have a gift like that. Maybe I was, but honestly, I dreaded it in a sense. I wanted to be with him. I wanted to be as happy with Bane as these two were with each other, despite the rocky start they experienced.

"So?" Kala's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

I had no idea how much time had passed, but Zion was nowhere to be seen and the silence in the rest of the main house felt almost ominous. Shifting in my seat, I raised an eyebrow at her. "So?"

Kala rolled her eyes and huffed. "Aren't you going to tell me what got you so upset all of a sudden? I heard that you went to the cells to talk to Salem. What did she tell you? Before you go all mental on me, let me stress one thing - if she mentioned her visions, it's a fifty-fifty chance. Most of the time they don't come true. She's great with spells and curses, but her ability to foresee the future is questionable."

The weight that was crashing down on me suddenly felt so small, it didn't matter anymore. If Kala was right, everything Salem mentioned wouldn't happen. Ever. I could still get my happily ever after with the man I loved.

"Tell me more," I blurted out, successfully giving out the information I didn't want to share. Kala's eyes instantly widened as she realized my biggest fear was Salem's words. Just because she didn't know all the gruesome details didn't mean she couldn't imagine what might be the problem.

"I will," Kala chuckled. "Right after you tell me more about her vision. Did Salem describe what she has seen? Most of the time, I can tell if the vision was real based on some details and objects she might mention. It's how we always figured out if that was a void or true vision."

"What's a void?"

Another chuckle left her as Kala shook her head. "I swear, you're as curious as a child. Also, think, Aife, just think. Doesn't the word explain itself?" She mused.

"No, it doesn't. For me, it might mean one thing but for witches it could be something extremely important, so I'm not risking anything. Besides, asking questions isn't a crime so chop-chop, tell me what is a void." I insisted and got up from my seat.

I needed to busy myself with something, so I started pacing the room. This was better than blowing up on someone who wasn't to be blamed for anything.

"A void is a useless vision. It's something witches see when they're under a lot of stress and pain. It's like a forced prediction of the future that couldn't be even further from the truth than it actually is. Usually, each witch has a different way to tell a true vision apart from a void. For some, it's a feeling, for others, it's a voice at the back of their heads, whispering or shouting, but for Salem, those are some details she sees in that vision. Usually, objects, and sometimes, while it happens rarely, those are certain words. Depends, really," Kala shrugged her shoulders as if her words were yet another mundane part of a conversation.

Well, maybe for her it was.. But for me, someone who had never met a true witch, all of this was something completely new and mind-blowing.

"Anyway, is there anything you want to tell me?" She suddenly perked up.

The odd thing was that Kala decided to change the topic all of a sudden. Realistically speaking, it was clear the conversation I had with Salem was now pushed to the back of her mind and something else poked her interest. The only problem was that I had no idea what she was talking about.

"No? I don't think so? What are you on about now? I'm not that good at figuring out secrets and quite frankly, I'm not in the mood to do that too." I grunted.

Her mouth shaped a small 'o' and her eyes widened, just a little. All of a sudden, the mood in the room turned into something I couldn't explain. Almost as if she knew something I didn't and now, it was her turn to withhold the information from me.

"Ladies, I got your tea," Zion entered the living room right in time to disturb the tense moment. He set the tray with steaming cups on the coffee table and grinned at us both, visibly seeking some acknowledgement of how good of a job he had done.

"Thank you, Zion. Could you please excuse us for a couple more minutes? I want to tell Aife more things about the Coven and how it works. But I would prefer to do it in private," Kala smiled at him, instantly melting the brute's heart. Something in me broke as I watched Zion, acting like a lost puppy, too eager to please and comply with every demand that left her lips. He quickly nodded his head and leaned in to peck her cheek. When Zion whispered a silent, yet truthful, "I love you," to Kala, once again, I found myself wondering if anything like this could be in my cards one day too.