Sapna

My mate's embrace made me warmer than the blanket wrapped around me, helping to calm my occasional trembling that's now temporarily conditioned with last night's horrific memories.

After my protests over harming my savior, Ansh decided the pack house would be a better place for further discussions.

I didn't complain as both me and the woman needed medical attention. She was injured and unconscious. Paras is due for a lecture on how we should treat a human who helps us.

My healing process sped up due to full moon, leaving temporary scars and slightly red skin. Trishna's tasty and healthy vegetable soup made me relax a bit. I stretched on the big couch in the living room, closing my eyes for a minute all the images of the evening flashed before my vision sequentially. I still can't believe dad's no more.

Getting out of Ansh's embrace I faced him to ask, "How is she? I believe you are treating her properly as she deserves for saving my life."

If not for her, I would be dead. Or maybe captive because those rogues never showed any signs of wanting to kill me. All the while, they were just trying to weaken me.

"Yes, she is being treated well by our pack doctor. He is part Fae from his maternal side. He is trying his best spells to heal her injuries as fast as possible. So that after I erase her memory of today's incidents she won't have any reason to suspect anything." That was reassuring, for now.

"And....... by any chance do you know who she is?"

That question has been on my mind since I arrived in the pack house. The way everyone's been staring at her is proof that she is not unknown here.

Plus being so near to Ansh, I could feel he knows the girl already, and wasn't much thrilled to meet her again. He is hellbent on sending her back as soon as possible.

He stayed quite for a while, thinking what to say, without breaking eye contact with me.

"She is a local journalist. She came here a week ago looking for a 5 year old girl who she thinks got lost in this forest. She said that prior to a couple of days, she came to the nearby slum for a news report and saw a girl enter the forest, but lost her track. She searched in the slum and hence came to know about us. I told her we never met any girl as she described. But the next thing she said took me by surprise. She mentioned seeing a black wolf by the waterfall. Apparently that was me she saw in my wolf form. I hadn't seen her though. So I compelled her to gradually forget about all she saw that day and not push the matter further." The word 'compelled' got my attention.

"What do you mean you compelled her? You can erase anyone's memory as much as you may require. Then why didn't you erase her memories of that day completely?" During my last visit to the pack, I had learned that Ansh had the gift of erasing anyone's memory ranging from seconds to years.

Apart from the usual werewolf abilities, some werewolves possess a sort of special gift, a specific supernatural ability. We used to think it was a special gift from Moon Goddess for us.

But then we discovered this pattern exists in most supernatural species. Even in a few humans. All over the world, be it humans or Supernaturals, some choosen one's posses a special power or gift. Those people are called Gifteds. Each Gifted possesses a unique gift that aren't genetically transmitted.

"My ability to erase memories is positively correlated with the rise and reduction in the shape of the moon. On a new moon it doesn't work at all. The day she came, being closer to the full moon night, I was able to compel her to forget, but not totally erase her memories." Oh, so his gift has limitations too. 

"But from what she talked yesterday, I don't think the compelling worked out well. She seems to remember our conversation, my wolf form, everything too well. That really shocked me cause my compulsion always works. Hence, this time I have to properly erase her memories." He concluded.

"Okay. Do whatever is best for everyone. But you must send her back safely. I won't tolerate any manhandling with her just because she is a human." I shot him a warning glare.

I have been giving him unintentional warnings regarding Sameera's safety from last night. I don't know why though? I mean werewolves are usually defensive against trespassers, but Ansh won't harm her. But something in me is still worried about her wellbeing.

He assured me of Sameera's well-being.

I liked her name. She is a brave and beautiful woman from what I have inferred. I wanted to personally thank her.

But I had to keep my distance for our pack's safety. She can't know anything about our secret. Ansh told me about the video and pictures she captured of our pack last night. That's been taken care of now. But I look forward to meeting her someday.

The days passed on. We arranged a proper funeral for dad. All the rites were peacefully conducted. Almost too peacefully as I couldn't cry. It was like my tear ducts ran out of water, my vocal cord was frozen. I never cried since that night I found him dead. It's still very difficult for me to believe he isn't around anymore.

Ansh has alerted the pack for vampiric presence firsthand. With his warriors, he looked around for their traces, but got nothing. They erased all of their traces. I still wondered what they wanted from me? Cause now one thing was clear, they had an agenda that wasn't hunting.

I have been training with the pack's best fighters since that day, counting the days for my revenge and death of those vampires, by my own hands. I have been trying all possible ways to look for them, but no luck so far.

_______________________________________

It's been nearly a month now. Ansh and I have decided to hold the mating ceremony next month. The only good news in weeks. I have been training to become a capable Luna to this pack. I think that I am prepared for this.

For the first time in weeks, I am sitting alone in the pack house in my comfy pyjamas. Only 5 days are left for the next full moon so all the pack members are busy in preparations.

Extra attention is stressed on security.
Someone always stays with me 24×7 for my safety, but today I convinced them to leave me for a while. I mean what can harm me inside the pack house? Plus there are pupils outside.

I was reading a novel. My favorite pass time. Except for training and helping in household chores, they don't allow me to do any other work, leaving me a lot of free time. Ansh stays busy most of the time since the night I was attacked. But he still manages to attend the mealtimes with me everyday. Not to mention he's been personally training me for two weeks. So we pretty much get our "we" time.

I heard a knock on the door. I went to see, but no one was there. Must be some kids playing pranks on me. They do it sometimes when they want my attention. I have grown fond of the kids in the pack and so have they.

Turning around I sat back on the couch and immersed myself in the book. Then an unfamiliar smell hit my nasal. I sniffed to recognize the smell. But it wasn't something I ever smelled before. But the smell wasn't pleasant. And bad smell meant something bad. I looked around only to feel something hit my head. I am under attack. I felt a punch on my face. Bending my head a little, I tried to reduce the impact of the punch.

"If you wanna kill me, you gotta try better than this." I said challenging whoever was attacking me. Then out of nowhere a woman appeared in front of me.

She had frizzy black hair resembling a bird's nest, ghostly green eyes, and was covered in a full sleeves black gown from neck to toe. Her pale skin and black lips gave me an idea on who she could be.

"Who wants to kill you? Not that you will be alive for long, sweetie. But for now I just need you to sleep and have a lot of nightmares."

With that she came flying towards me to attack again, but I dodged and got a hold of her, throwing her away.

I ran towards the door, but as soon as I pulled the door open, I felt my energy draining away, leaving me unconscious. "Heeelllp" was the last syllable that came out of my mouth.

_______________________________________

I woke up to the sound of a van pulling aside on a busy road. I couldn't recognize the place I was at. Then memories came flooding of the attack. That wicked woman nearly killed me.

I looked around then down at me finding the reason why I was immobile and dumbfounded. My hands and legs were tied together, my mouth covered in duct tape.

I am kidnapped.

The woman must have casted some sort of spell to make me unconscious. Now I am sure of her race. She was a witchling. Witchlings are human females working as witch apprentices. Witches and Witchlings aren't easy to distinguish. The major feature of telling them apart is that Witches emit a specific, unpleasant smell which werewolves can recognize easily whereas witchlings smell a lot like humans depending on the extent of their abilities.

The worthy human apprentice is voluntarily infused with the witch blood  of her Madam Witch during a special ritual to turn into a witchling. Witchlings possess some magical powers. But they aren't as powerful as witches.

But why would she kidnap me? First vampires and now this. What's happening? Why are they after me?

I tried to contact Ansh through our mate bond. Ansh help me. I am kidnapped. A witchling kidnapped me. Please respond.........Where are you. Ansh I need you......... Help.

But I couldn't reach him. Like he was out of my network coverage area. He hasn't blocked me. I would have felt it. But then why can't I reach him. Am I so weak to even connect through the mate bond.

I felt very weak, physically. I couldn't even break through the ties around my limbs. I mean it's just usual rope, not silver that werewolves can't tear apart. Silver is harmful to werewolves. It burns our skin just like the sun rays burns a vampire's skin. But I couldn't even pull the rope apart for long. This must be a spell that's keeping me weak.

I couldn't see the faces clearly or hear the exact words they were speaking, but I figured the two men sitting in the front of me driving the van. The van has started moving. I realized they were vampires from their smell. The witchling could be working for them, or the other way around. I kept looking around, trying to contact anyone who could help. But that wasn't working.

My mind link didn't work as I left my previous pack and still wasn't an official member of the Sea moon pack. I prayed to Moon Goddess to help me escape this situation.

And she helped me.

I saw the girl sitting in the press van beside mine. Sameera. I recognized. She is my saviour. And she is here. She looked in my direction. But turned away like nothing happened.

Did she not see me tied in this van begging for her help?

Then I realized that the windshields were closed and not see through. She can't see me. I tried to punch the windshield glass, in an effort to break it. But nothing happened. Not a single scratch. I felt weaker than the weakest human being ever.

Thank goodness that the two men couldn't hear my attempts in the noise of traffic. But then I landed the hardest punch on the windshield, scratching it a little. And then the traffic signal went green. Sameera's van left, so did the one I was in. My struggles to escape went in vain.

I felt getting unconscious again. I tried not to close my eyes, but couldn't help. Like someone was forcing my eyes close. I dreamt of the day I met Sameera, how she saved my life. Then felt the van stop with a shake, waking me up. And then I realized what Moon Goddess was trying to remind me. I know who can help me escape from these vampires that kidnapped me.

Sameera.