— •🔥 Emilia 🔥• —

All eyes were on me, the constant judging and disgusted stares were slowly eating me. I couldn't handle it before. How should I have expected myself to handle it now.

I thought being back in the borders was bad... being within the pack house walls is worse.

"Well it's nice of you to join us. It's been a while." The Alpha continues, in a more calm tone.

I nod my head but don't reply. I fear if I do much as open my mouth, I'm going to word vomit insults at him, and I'm pretty sure disrespecting the Alpha would only make the situation worse. I mean, I'm literally chained up, they have all the control.

I'm helpless. Just like before.

I hear a someone shuffle in their seat, before a familiar voice fills the tense air. Keeping her eyes locked on me, Isabella addressed the Alpha. "Alpha, why is she is chains?"

She shouldn't have asked. She won't like the answer.

He scowled and directed his gaze to me. "She's a criminal. A thief. A murderer." He says slowly as if every word is a knife and he's trying his hardest to cut me.

Shifting his gaze back to Izzy, he continues. "So she will be dealt with accordingly."

Uncomfortable silence fills the room.

"Is it true? You're a criminal?" Isabella links.

Not being able to find the right words to plead my case, nor having the energy. I put my head down.

"It's true." I reply, through the link.

A short gasp is heard, but ignored as the Alpha addresses me again.

"You got nothing to say Pyro?" He sneers, "you disgust me."

I keep my head down, not daring to rise it. Mentally, I grasp hold of the words he said, shoving them down, swallowing them into silence. Mind blank I focus on my emotions, trying to calm them, as to not explode.

In my mental space, I reach out to Izzy, trying to gauge her reaction to the information, reading her emotions.

Shock. Anger. Fear.

The realisation hits me, that my new travel companion now fears me.

A loud scrapping noise is heard. I lift my head to the source of the commotion, just in time to see Isabella excuse herself from the room. Claire at her heel.

Least she's got a friend in this hell hole.

At my movement the Alpha raises an eyebrow. "Do you know her?" He asks, suspicious that I may have been the person travelling with Isabella.

I can read his emotions like a book.

I shake my head. "No." I say.

An audible hum is heard. He doesn't believe me, but doesn't seem to ponder the thoughts too much as he quickly speaks up before anyone else can. "Liam, take her to the cells." He demands.

I struggle against the chains, even thought I already know it's pointless. It will eat me alive if I don't at least try.

"No." I whisper as shock fills my body. It floods every inch of me before diffusing out of my pores.

My panic floats in the air, chocking everyone in the room. Multiple growls of discomfort are heard, all directed my way.

Eyes light with excitement at the revelation of my imprisonment.

The Alpha silences the dining hall, grasping all the attention with his next words. "You left the pack, and so you are a rogue, you no longer have a say in your fate. If you wanted to live, you shouldn't have crossed into our lands." He barks out.

Standing up, he walks over to us. I let out a pitiful mewl at his presence in such close proximity to mine. The air danced with a dangerous tension as I awaited what he would do.

Grabbing the cuffs around my wrists, he speaks lowly. "These need changing to silver cuffs." Venom dripping from every word.

Why does he hate me so much?

The thought of silver cuffs makes me shake. Silver will burn me. Mark me. How do they even have silver cuffs? Surely they won't be allowed to use them? They'd have to take me to court for the offences, and there's a possibility that I might not be changed. In a second thought, I did commit murder. It was an accident but I can't be proven guilty, there's not a lawyer in the world that could plead my case, one look at me when I'm all riled up and that's all the proof you need.

So caught up in my own thoughts I don't notice, we've reached the door to the cells.

The door pulls back with the click of a button, and I'm aggressively thrown into a dark cell. The only light is a window too high too reach; a little window of hope shining down in this pit of despair.

My home for the next however long I'm kept here.

Sitting in sorrow, I don't notice that I'm not alone in this cold, rotten place.

"Oh dear, it's never good to see a new face." I hear a disembodied voice croak.

Whipping my head all around, in an attempt to see whoever spoke, my eyes landed on a dark huddled figure in the corner of the room.

Steeping into the dim light, the window provides, I get a clearer view of the woman.

She's about 5"0 in height and has fairly dark skin. There's possibly it's due to her ethnicity, but could also be due to lack of washing and old age. Goddess know how long she's been down here. The wrinkles around her face show her age, despite her face seeming fairly smooth in comparison. It was a strange sight really.

Everything contradicted itself. She looked old and young at the same time, her eyes especially, like young beautiful orbs in a face of war. The trenches of wrinkles spread across her face with barbed wire as eyebrows. Despite her confusing looks, it was her eyes that caught my attention.

Purple. Deep purple eyes. The only people known to have purple eyes were those dammed to hell. It was a punishment from the moon goddess herself. To have such a fate bestowed upon you, it had to be punishable by death. This woman seemed so frail and fragile in her movements as she made her way towards me. Surely there's no way she's committed such a deed?

"You're wondering about my eyes aren't you darling?" She says hoarsely, as she edges closer.

How did she know that?

Surprise must have been displayed all across my face because she answered my internal question.

Sighing, she speaks up, "I could see it in your eyes darling." Before further elaborating. "But you were also projecting." She muses.

I blush slightly at the comment. Damn emotions.

I'm an empath, but my abilities are supercharged, a superpower if you will. Although sometimes it's more like a curse.

In saying that, I am cursed, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was something to do with that.

I can reach out and feel others emotions, quite literally reading their minds, the emotions they hide away deep inside as to keep from public eyes. I can also project my emotions, most if the time I avoid this because it causes more trouble than good. Usually, only accidentally when I'm not focused or am relaxed. In this instance, I wasn't focusing, my mind enthralled too heavily on the burning questions of my mind and the purple-eyed woman that stood before me.

Snapping me out of my thoughts she speak again, her voice sounding much clearer now she's spoken a few.

"Sometimes it feels more like a curse than a blessing, doesn't it?"

I freeze. This woman quite literally just read my mind.

"And no I'm not reading your mind, I just know what it feels like." She says with a sad smile.

I raise one eyebrow for her to elaborate but she doesn't. Still suspicious of her, I decide to scope her out.

Reaching out into her mind I feel for her emotions.

She willingly allows me in, which I find quite strange but don't question the open opportunity.

The concept is a little odd; when I enter someone's mind, there's a door and often it's closed. A small push and it's open, emotions on display for me to read, whether they want me to or not. In this case she's already opened it for me.

When people are very closed off the door usually comes with a lock, which I have to unlock. This is usually achievable in a matter of seconds.

There was only person who's emotions I couldn't read; My mates.

The memory of him earns me a pang of grief.

Shaking my head free of the negativity, I enter the mind of the woman before me. A glowing orb of thoughts and feelings spin in the blank space. Unpicking and translating the jumbled letters, I piece together the emotions, reading them for what they are. Not what they show on the outside.

It usually takes a few seconds for the whole process to be complete, although to me it seems longer.

Curiosity is the first one. Surprise. Then trust.

Reaching deeper into the orb, I find anger and then fear.

Now I've uncovered it, it seems fear is the strongest emotion she feels.

It dances round the room, whilst clouds of doubt swirl at my ankles.

She's afraid of something. And it's big. The emotion paces her head like an angry mantra. She's absolutely terrified.

Glancing at my feet, makes me question. Why is she doubtful? Better yet. Why is doubtful of me? What role do I have in her mind, or whatever it is that frightens her?

It swirls my ankles like churning water.

The feeling of suffocation overwhelms me and I'm brought back to my own mind.

I have a plethora of questions for this woman. But one that burns so bright in my mind it almost catches fire.

"What are you so afraid of?" I ask.

I was not prepared for what I was about to witness.

Her face and eyes turn a deathly white. I refrain from gasping and keep my mouth shut, awaiting her response.

"He's coming." Is all she says at first, so I push further.

"Who's coming?"

She begins shaking as she speaks in a deathly tone that didn't seem like her own, "the one who carries the darkness."

The woman begins to waft her hands around in an odd fashion before me, her movements creating little clouds of energy, that swirl together, occasionally meeting in bursts of colour, intertwining, until a final image forms.

It's him. The one who carries the darkness.

The image is horrendous. A creature, half man, half wolf. Stuck between the two. His eyes blood red, lustful for a kill. The fur that litters his large arched body, is jet black. His human skin too, is dark. I can barely tell where his fur ends and skin begins. He's a creature of pure darkness. Hatred. Anger. Jealousy.

The emotions practically leap out at me, without assistance on my end. It makes me jump but it's all over quickly because the image suddenly disappears.

I throw my gaze up to the woman who seems to have returned to normal. Her skin colour back to her usual dark tone and her eyes, her usual purple hue.

She's still shaking from the ordeal but overall seems a lot better about it all.

"Take heed on the journey. You shall cross paths with this monster and blood will be shed. Those you love will perish and you will have no control." She says and before I can even reply she says, "there is a prophecy, a prophecy that if not fulfilled will rip apart the world with the darkness he holds."

Before she has time to speak again, and before I've even processed her words, I ask her what prophecy she is talking about.

"A girl of pure heart, Soul and mind.
Must come together, With those alike.
To defeat the evil, That stalks the night.
For if not, They won't survive.

A journey that is, Long and true.
Will yeah her abilities, And friends of few.
Follow the moon, It guides the way.
To those that you, Wish to stay."

I absorb the words but do not ponder over them as of yet. "Is that it? Is there not more?" I question.

She shakes her head. "That is all I can tell you right now my darling." She says with a restrictive sigh.

It's clear she wants to share more but knows it is not her time or place. Judging by what I've witnessed of her today, I would say she quite spiritually connected. There is a term for her kind but as of right now I cannot for the life of me remember.

Shaking away the thoughts, simply hoping the name will come back to me at another time, I give her a small smile as a nudge to continue. I can see there are words dancing on the top of her tongue, dying to escape.

"But I will tell you something else important. It is not important as of right now, but I'm time it will." She says pausing for a while before adding, "you're not cursed Emilia." She says softly.

I pause.

I'm not cursed?

Everything I was told all my life was a lie? I thought to have two spirits meant to mean you were cursed? Doomed.

"You're the saviour." She adds and I quite literally nearly collapse on the floor.

But all the negative things I've done. Even after all of that? I'm forgiven and have a purpose? I don't believe it. I can't believe it.

"You're a good person Emilia, despite everything. That's the thing, every villain, every single ounce of evil always starts somewhere, and before that, deep down they were a good person. It's circumstance that makes villains, not blood. No one is born a criminal."

"Thank you." I reply.

I give her a smile, in appreciation for her courtesy and kindness so far.

Maybe it is naive of me to trust that she's on my side, but I'm usually a good judge of character.

Besides, when I look in those dull purple eyes, I see a little sparkle of understanding. And I know that although we are nothing alike, we are the same in more ways than one.

—•⚡️Isabella⚡️•—

Calm chatter filled the room, as everyone laughed and joked, stuffed their faces with the glorious food laid across the beautiful table. The abundance of food made my mouth water, I mean after all I was eating raw meat almost everyday. But I'm a foodie what can I say? I like almost everything.

Putting another roast potato into my mouth, I savour the soft flavour before turning to the blonde she-wolf beside me. I still find it funny how I'm surrounded by wolves and not one of them have any idea I'm not human. The inner thought makes me chuckle. Aloud.

The blonde she-wolf throws me a questioning glance and I shrug it off with a shake of my head. I don't actually know her name and to be honest, I don't really care. I'll be out of here before they know it. Why make acquaintances? I already have Claire. That's enough.

She's a few seats down from me. Annoyingly, they didn't allow us to sit together.

Putting a roast carrot in my mouth, I cough slightly at the peppery taste but appreciate it all the same.

The blonde she-wolf beside me keeps trying to make conversation, picking slowly at her food, but I'm too enthralled in the dinner to notice. Compliments to the chef.

Enjoying my dinner all too much, I don't notice the presence of others in the room.

"Alpha. Sorry to disturb you. But look who we found hiding out behind the pack house."

Looking up from my plate, I see a man with dark hair, holding someone in chains. He's stood at the opposite side of the table, practically screaming across the table so the Alpha can hear him. Which I think is a bit unnecessary as wolf hearing is fairly acute.

The woman in question turns to face me and I'm met with very familiar dark brown eyes, those glittering orbs of syrup that I've grown so accustomed to.

Emilia.

The Alpha raises his gaze to the men and speak loud and clear with enough venom to kill a frickin' elephant. "Look what the cat dragged in."

His distaste for Emilia confused me and sparked a curiosity to find out.

I hate the sight of her in chains, the thought makes me want to leap across the room and claw the faces of those men.

But despite my anger, I'm already questioning the person I call my friend. The wheels of overthinking begin to turn and my head is flooded with questions.

Why is she in chains? There must be a valid reason, so what is it? What has she done? It must be something bad. Maybe she's stolen something? I can think it would be anything worse than that. She's too nice. Too caring. But in saying that, I've only known her a month. Can I really trust her? What if she's lied to me? I really can't trust anyone can I? She's done something bad. I can't believe her. She seemed so nice, had so many positive qualities.

The waterfall of thoughts gives me a headache and I try to focus on anything but.

"She's a criminal. A thief. A murder." The Alpha replies, keeping his gaze transfixed on Emilia.

It can't be true. But it must be. Why would the Alpha lie?

Not completely able to trust the man at the end of the table demanding attention, I decide to ask the one person who truly knows the answer. But before I can he speaks again.

"So, she will be dealt with accordingly." His words harsh, demanding a deathly silence.

Fear of what is to come of Emilia, I press her for the truth.

"Is it true? You're a criminal?"

Watching her across the room, she hangs her head before sending two shocking words though the link. "It's true."

A short gasp escapes my mouth and begin to tremble from shock.

How can it be true? Has she really done those awful things? I trusted her. I travelled with her all that time. I can't believe she would keep something like this from me. I thought we were friends. I can't bring myself to believe shes killed. All those times that I was scared of her, thinking she was dragging me along only to later kill me for her own pleasure. It sure would explain all the times she snuck up on me.

"You got nothing to say Pyro?" The Alpha sneers at Emilia, who keeps her head firmly down, "you disgust me." He spits.

The sight of his distaste towards her disgusts me, but the lack of trust I felt towards Emilia in this moment made me want to throw up.

I trusted this girl with my life. And now I can't stand the thought of her.

I'll forgive her eventually, but as of right now, I'm too hurt. But worse than that...

I'm scared.

If she's murdered someone before, she can sure do it again. I don't know this girl well enough to say that I'm not a possibility.

Hating the tense atmosphere that is physically chocking me, I push my chair back and excuse myself from the dinner.

One of the guards eyes me, but knows well enough by now that I'm not running away to follow. Yet. I will soon, I just need the right opportunity.

Noticing my absence, Claire joins me and we walk out of the room, not casting a glance back for anyone.

All the while, I feel her eyes on my back and I'm fighting an ever-growing urge to turn around.

Shaking the feeling off, I take the final stride out of the room, and a calming sensation flows over my body in waves.

"Hey, you okay?" Claire asks, concerned.

"I'm fine." I reply. Deciding I would tell her when we get a little further from here.

"I'll explain when we get away from listening ears."

I could explain through the link but if anyone was to hear her saying replies aloud, they'd probably think she was insane. That's the last thing I would want for her.

At the moment, my trust in people had fallen and I knew I still needed to be careful what I told Claire. After all, it's clear Emilia was from this pack, how am I to know that Claire doesn't share the values of the Alpha and every other pack member.

I have to trust at least some though, she's seen my wolf and not told anyone. But again, was that all an act.

I trust Claire. I also trust Emilia, everything will become clear soon. Try not to stress too much, heightened emotions risk revelation.

Athenas voice filtered through my mind and I smiled. It's been a while since she's spoken to me, I would have spoken to her but it was as if there was something stopping me.

They gave you suppressants, although they think you're human. Which is strange. I wouldn't trust this pack as far as I could throw them. She says.

I nod my head in agreement at that statement.

Trying to suppress the negativity, I begin to think through the things I can tell Claire, as we walk.

I could tell her that I met Emilia when I first went rogue, that I know she had a wolf and that's why I stayed with her, for protection. Obviously leaving out the part where she saw my wolf, and that we became really close friends.

Reaching the safety of the outdoors, I sit down on the grass.

"Okay so what happened in there?" Claire asked, plopping herself down next to me.

"I couldn't stand the tension so I left." I reply hastily.

"You mean, you couldn't stand the tension between you and Emilia." She counters, raising an eyebrow. "You know her don't you." She continues.

Appreciating her alertness to my body language and feelings, I almost laugh. She's smart, I'll give her that.

Letting out a small sigh, I check over my shoulder before turning to her. "Yeah I know her."

A slow smile creeps on her lips. "I knew it." She muttered.

I let out a little laugh at the comment and a soft blush covers her cheeks.

"How did you meet?" She asks curiously.

Recalling the memory, I smile and reply. "I was hiding amongst bushes, circled up at the base of a damp tree."

She throws me a questioning glance so I add, "I could hear someone coming so I did what any normal person would do and immediately run for cover." I joke.

She smiles at the comment before saying, "so, I'm guessing she came back to get you."

I pause at this. I didn't even think of this. With all the madness of the dinner hall and my eruption of brain activity, I didn't even think there was a reason for her to come back.

I mean it makes sense. Why else would a criminal return to the place they committed the crime?

She came back to get me. I don't deserve her after all those negative things I said.

But what if she's not come back for me. What if she was on their side and it's all an act to make me believe otherwise. It sure would explain why they gave me suppressants and knew exactly where they were. I bet she's a spy as well as Nathan. The whole thing is a sham.

You need to stop with the negativity.

Sorry, you're right Athena.

Turning my attention back to Claire, I speak, my voice clear with one statement tonight that I know is true.

"I need to speak to her. I need to speak to Emilia." I say, a whisper at first, but repeat myself in a determined tone.

She shakes her head at my statement, leaving me a little confused.

"You can't." Claire says.

"Why not?" I counter.

She shakes her head again. "The Alpha ordered her to be sent to the prisons. She's locked up." She says, her voice fading into a whisper.

Word count [4139]

So I've finally got Emilia and Claire back together.

The next chapter is a POV from back at camp. It's a little boring but necessary. After that, it's back to Emilia and Isabella and let's just say, things are gonna get spicyyy 🔥

Thank you all for the continued support ❤️
- Bri xox