Not that she was going to feel sorry for Evelyn. Hell had to freeze over before she could start feeling sorry for someone like Evelyn.
Once she finished speaking, Selene turned to look at Inez and questioned, "But what did she say to you? I don’t know much because after the witch left the office, she demanded that Killian take her along with him when he came to see you. The whisperers of the pack claim that they did see Tracy entering your lodge."
Inez sighed. She rubbed her hands over her face before saying, "I don’t know where to begin."
Selene was her friend. Maybe her only friend who was willing to try to get to know her. Not because she was close to her brother or because she was the only one who could save her life. But because Selene was genuinely interested in getting to know her. That was something.
That meant something for someone like her, who was given nothing but torment and was treated worse than the rug beneath the feet of the shifters in the Venus pack. She didn’t want to hide anything from her. Not like there was anything to hide, as Tracy had never given her direct answers to begin with.
"How about what she wanted from you and why she even tried to save you?" Selene suggested.
"She told me that I was what you would call an exception." Inez didn’t want to tell Selene that Tracy had actually compared her to a computer virus. "Said something about my existence being out of the norm, which is why I have to face all kinds of tests that fate throws at me." She frowned and added, "There was something about having powerful skills and abilities, but I have never felt a flicker of them ever since the day I was born."
She shrugged and added mockingly, "I mean, if I were that powerful, why would I be bullied by the wolves of the Venus pack? It just doesn’t make sense."
"Well, it does sound weird," agreed Selene. "Though I have nothing against witches, they have this talent of sounding really, really persuasive as if they are doing it because they mean no harm. However, I have dealt with enough witches and wizards, as well as shifters who took their help, and I would like to suggest that you should never—never trust them without any reason. Not unless they prove to you that they are trustworthy."
"There is a reason why Morrineth and her children still believe that Lyra was a good person. Because she knew how to pretend. That and Morrineth does love to bury her head in the sand. Fenric is the same. So, even if Tracy has proven herself trustworthy by saving your life, never let your guard down."
"I understand." Inez nodded. She paused and asked, "Do you believe that Killian truly cared for Lyra?"
"I don’t know if he cared for her or not. But I do believe that he cares for you greatly. You might not know this, but Killian doesn’t like to stay away from you. With women, including Lyra, he would come up with excuses to stay away from them—to put some distance between them and him, but on the contrary, with you—he would think and come up with excuses to stay with you." Selene picked up her coffee mug and continued to sip her coffee. "Do you know that in the past, he was used to dumping women at the drop of a hat? The longest he had stayed with another woman was three days."
Inez snapped her head up. "You are joking?"
"Of course not. He had never stayed longer than that with a woman and said something about not giving them false hope that their relationship would lead to something more steady. But he had stayed with you for months and never cared for anyone else, no? There is also the threat that he forced upon the members. He had never used his authority as an alpha to silence the members before you. But the fact that he pushed forth his authority just to keep you safe proves a lot."
Inez heaved a sigh. "But I never felt a tinge of imprinting." It was as if something was holding him back from marking her.
Selene set her coffee mug down again. This time, a bit harshly.
"He is an idiot," said Selene after a long pause, and Inez smiled at her words. "But I will ask you not to give up on him just yet. He will work through his troubles sooner or later; he always does. But if you want to move on, then I will support you. I care for you, Inez, and I believe that you deserve more than a man who is still stuck in some childish—whims?" Selene sighed. "It is indeed regretful that I have a brother who can be an idiot at times. But then again, he is only human and has every reason to have the issues that he is dealing with."
A smile tugged at Inez’s lips. "He is not an idiot."
"Oh, but he is. Unlike I—he loves to brood over the past. I, on the other hand, love to keep moving forward. He has always loved his lessons the hard way, and I have nothing to say in support of that."
Inez gathered the dishware. "Well, we have something in common then. Because I have nothing to say about it either." She took the mugs to the sink. And the second she raised her head, all the air left her lungs. Because the second she raised her head, her eyes fell on a smoky figure. A figure that looked human but was barely human. Those red eyes glowed eerily as the woman looked at her.
And two seconds later, Inez watched the lips of the woman move, and even though the window was shut, she heard the coarse voice of the ghostly woman, "You will not be lucky the next time. I will get you, little one. You owe me your life."
Really sorry for the sudden change in the schedule. Had to go get my MRI done because my head was bursting. I felt I was going to die lol. But I survived, so here we are~
Adding an extra Chapter to make up to you, my lovely fairies~