The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

I had missed Bane. Really. Like a crazy bad type of missed, but.. But there was something off. I wasn't sure if those were Salem's words that kept me back from gluing myself to Bane's hip or fear of him, leaving me again, but there was something.

Everyone in the main building had vowed to leave me be. Or to be precise - Bane forced them all to stay away from me, including Kala and Zion.

Worst of all, he was about to join their official ceremony which would make those two a true fated couple in front of the whole pack and I was supposed to spend the time alone, locked in the bedroom.

Not that I blamed anyone, but I wasn't too stoked about the fact that Kala told Bane everything that had happened in the kitchen. She didn't know all the details, so Bane got only her side of the story and unfortunately for me, I wasn't sure what really happened back there, so I couldn't explain myself.

Kind of sucked to know that he deemed me to be a danger to myself, honestly. Oh, well, not that I could do anything to change the darn situation.

The cheers that reached my ears from the backyard made me feel even worse. I too wanted to be there and support my friends in their most special moment. But no, instead, I sat in the room, locked behind a door, sulking like a misbehaving child.

"I wish I would have my wolf already. At least then, I wouldn't have to worry about losing my mind over loneliness. I'm so tired of being lonely all the time," I muttered under my breath and I turned on my other side to face the wall.

As soon as I did, I screamed at the top of my lungs and literally jumped so high, I fell out of the bed. Before I could register what was happening, she kneeled next to me and forced a hand over my mouth.

How this was possible was beyond me. It was Salem. But how? Seriously.. Zion had taken her arms and burned them. Kala claimed Salem couldn't grow them back like a lizard so this had to be one of those hyper-realistic nightmares I had lately.

"Shh, Luna, I promise not to harm you if you don't scream again," she muttered and grinned. I was about to nod my head, but was held back by the wide grin that kept spreading across her lips. At one point, the corners of her mouth reached her ears, revealing rows upon rows of sharp, dirty teeth. "That is, unless you want me to sew your mouth shut." She added.

My hand shook as I brought it up to my face and grabbed hers to pull it away from my lips. "I promise to remain silent for as long as you don't possess any threat to me," I whispered, fighting myself to keep an eye contact to show her just how serious I was.

Clearly pleased with my answer, she nodded and got back to her feet. "I didn't mean to startle you, but this was the only moment I could catch you alone now that your Alpha has returned home," she explained, giving me a knowing look. I frowned but followed her example and got back to my feet. "My Alpha is home, yes. However, I have no idea why his presence plays any importance, so if you could explain what you meant by that, I would really appreciate that." Seeing how there was no escape or a way to get away from this woman, I huffed and sat down. I couldn't look away from her. I wanted to, but every time I tried, my eyes found her all over again. This truly had to be a bad dream.

"Let's say we really don't appreciate Alphas, especially the cursed ones," she chuckled and walked to the window to peek outside.

"We?" I repeated the word out of curiosity. Okay, honestly, I had more questions but I didn't want to appear disrespectful and just attack her with those. And besides, she was the only person in here, so I couldn't just magically figure out who was this 'we' she mentioned.

"Yes, we. Me and my twin sister. You know, the woman whose arms you took. Salem." She muttered, still looking outside.

My heart started beating in my chest so hard, I feared it might climb up my throat and escape my body. The next moment, cold shivers ran down my spine, paralyzing me on the spot. Had she arrived to seek revenge for what happened to her sister? Did she have any idea that Salem deserved what happened to her?

Noticing my fear, she spun on her heel and laughed. "Not to worry, Luna. I didn't come here to hurt you or avenge my baby sister. I say baby but she is only five minutes younger than me. Still counts, doesn't it? Anyway, she's been pushing her visions through for me, which has to mean that little brat cares for you, so I came here to check for myself."

Looking at her in pure shock, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "So you didn't come here to help her? You won't get her out of the cells?" My words sounded weird, as if someone else was speaking through me, but I had to dismiss that. "Nope," she announced and clicked her tongue. "I'm here to snoop around, that's all, really. But honestly, if you want my opinion on this matter, I must point out that the gore she showed me in those visions, yeah, I wouldn't wish it upon my worst enemies. And babe, I have many of those." She laughed.

Raising an eyebrow, I sucked in a deep breath. "So you snuck into the territory, broke into the house and all you want is to look around? How does that make any sense?"

"It doesn't," she shrugged.

Although this woman looked carefree, at one moment, I noticed there was a weird tension about her. As if she needed something but she was too scared to say the words. Or maybe she feared the consequences those words could bring. "It really doesn't," I parroted her words, adding more emphasis to encourage her to speak some more.

"Listen, all I'm saying is that you need to get the fuck out of here. Like fast. As fast as your legs can carry you. If you want to live, of course." She repeated basically the same thing Salem had told me and offered a pitiful smile. Growing irritated, I jumped to my feet and raised my hands, "what is wrong with you, witches? Now two of them, twins for the fuck's sake, claim that I'm supposed to leave the man I love just to survive. I can't just up and go. I don't have anywhere to go, geez. And besides, why would I? All I've heard is you must do this or that and no explanations. Everyone around me is acting like children, keeping secrets, whispering among themselves and pretending that I can't freaking see them doing those things!"

I knew I was raising my voice, but it didn't matter anymore. Was the answer really too much to ask for? I didn't mind having impulsive guests who loved to appear out of nowhere, but if they brought warnings, I would prefer it if they gave me reasons for them.

The witch grinned at me and shook her head. "A strong one. Good. In a way. Not amazing, though. While strength is good, it isn't nearly enough to save you at this point, especially from him. All I'm saying is stay safe and always watch your back. Especially if you decide to leave this place."