CHAPTER 51

OLIVIA'S POV
"What do you intend to do with the people shouting outside?" Esther asked and Leo let out a scoff.
"Why should I care? I'm about to become the most powerful in the world!"
I simply watched Esther and she caught my gaze. She knew exactly what I wanted.
She flickered her finger and a gasp escaped from Julian's lips and I could feel him again. A tear threatened to roll down my cheek but for some reason, it didn't come out.
Esther gave me a look. I knew what she meant.
I looked at Julian's face and prayed to the moon goddess for his well-being. He shouldn't have come... But I was glad enough that he was safe now.
"We should leave now," Esther informed and I walked toward her and Leo. I had made up my mind. As long as I went with them, Julian would be spared. Esther already proved it by reviving him. It wouldn't be fair if I asked for more.
Esther waved her fingers in front of her and a beam of light appeared.
She stepped into it first and disappeared into the beam of light. I was not even surprised. I was sure she was not a werewolf, even the name Leo called her was weird. Esther...
Leo gave me a look and I decided to enter the beam of light. I was already hesitating too much.
If I wanted to save Julian then I had to be more decisive. It wasn't safe for Julian to be around these monsters.
I took a step into the beam of light and was surprised to see that on the other side was a different road path and it looked too familiar it was almost scary.
I stepped out of the portal and looked around. That was sorcery. I'd seen Esther do unspeakable things with just her eyes and hands.
If she could kill without weapons then she had to be a witch.
Leo stepped out of the portal and I looked at him. He was working with a witch?!
Right from history, witches were deemed vile and untrustworthy. If it wasn't for Queen Jezebel back then, the witches would have taken over our realm.
I sighed deeply. Even though she helped us regain control of our lands she took one of us as a slave. Even though she said the man that she took was her husband, who would believe that bullshit?
I did not know the full story but I recognized the power flowing within me. If Esther and Leo wanted me on their plan, then... I had to be a part of some big puzzle they had to fit.
GROWL!
I heard teeth making wrenching sounds in the woods next to us. My body ached.
Were there rogues around the area? It was too dangerous! However, neither Esther nor Leo looked worried so I didn't have a reason to be. I was a part of their plan, after all. They wouldn't let me get hurt right?
These answers were left unquestioned as she crossed through the territory I now recognized. Black Shrout.
It was home.
However, rarely did people pass this route in fear of rogues.
I followed behind Esther and she stopped halfway into the territory. I wondered where the Alpha and beta were.
Knowing them, they were territorial and would instantly know if someone crossed their territory.
Esther laughed and suddenly murmured a weird language under her breath.
I instantly held my head as a sharp pain crossed my brain, almost knocking me out of breath.
A shaky breath escaped from my mouth and I looked at the spot in front of me which initially looked like a free spot but now, a big sturdy was deeply rooted into the ground. It couldn't be an illusion either because I could feel the overall energy of the tree.
It looked and felt mystical... Natural... like a part of me.
I didn't know why but...
A scream escaped from my mouth without my knowledge and I fell to my knees as the pain in my head grew much worse. I thought I would die.
It was ripping my brain out of my skull- At least that was how it felt.
I looked at the tree and tried to reach it. I felt called to it more than I would have liked. It was almost as if the tree was calling for me to take control of something.
"ARGHHHH!" I let out a ear-piercing scream as I felt the pressure in my head increase along with flashes of memories I'd never seen before. In my memory, I was screaming as well but for a different reason.
A tear rolled down my cheek as the images and voices became clearer.
I was attacked from every angle. Their claws tore through the barriers of my skin while some others directly jumped on my back and ripped the flesh off my skin until blood was gushing out.
"ARRGGGHHHH!" I cried and fell to my knees as claws, sharp teeth, weapons ripped off his skin.
I was being eaten alive!
At least that was what it felt like and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Why was I having these memories? Did they happen to me? I had no idea.
What about the life I used to live before now? It was blurry.
I could make no sense of it.
But the pain I was feeling in my head didn't make me think straight either.
"Why don't you just fill the tree with your blood? That way, you'll no longer feel pain."
I opened my eyes and looked over my shoulder to see the sly smirk on Esther's face. It looked way too familiar and It sent shivers down my spine.
"Die, Olivia." She urged, the fake smile engraved on her face. "Only then can the pain go away."
I looked at her with disgust but that didn't last for long. I was left to deal with another head-splitting headache.
I heard a howl accompanied by growls which only contributed to my headache.
"Olivia, its not too late to choose the easy way out. And besides, you already promised me to die in exchange for Julian's safety."
I had no idea what to say about that.
I knew the name Julian but I barely knew who he was to me.
"You will not kill a member of Black Shrout," I saw several feet standing in front of me.
I looked up at their faces and saw that they all looked quite different and unique in appearance.
One of them was stoic, cold with an icy glare, the other looked tough and warm, one had a glint of mischievousness in his eyes while the last one wore a solemn look.
I felt connected to all of them. It was like I knew them but I didn't at the same time.
Esther scoffed at them, "Who are you fools?"
Leo neared her and said, "They are the Alpha, Beta, Omega and the deputy general of the army. They're all from Black Shrout."
The name rang a bell. Black Shrout.. Where did I hear that from? Was I a part of this pack?
"Is that so?" Esther smirked.
"Didn't you sell Olivia to me already? Why do you bother if we do anything to her?"
The so-called Alpha gave me a pitiful look and said, "I thought she ran away with you Leo. I thought you were her mate so I decided to leave her in your care but when I found out about the Beta's assistant selling her to you, I decided not to let her, a member of my pack be bullied by you."
Was I a member of his pack? Why did I not remember?
The pain in my head got better and I was able to stand on my feet with some difficulty.
"Who are you guys?" I asked honestly.
At this point, I was going mad from not recognizing a single person in front of me.
"Sister, it's me, Gillian." The man who held a solemn look said with a suspicious look, "I know you're angry at me but you shouldn't pretend not to know me."
I looked at the man that called me sister. He looked very odd. Who the fuck was he and why was he trying so hard to get my attention.
He called himself my brother but the only feeling I got from looking at his face was anger, rage, disgust.
"You, my brother?" I scoffed, "I don't believe it."
I may have lost my memories due to one reason or the other but I was not a pushover and dumb enough to believe what either of these monsters were telling me.
I was going to rely on what I felt to guide me. Not like I had a choice.
"You can get angry at me later. Right now, I'm going to take you back home." He said and showed me his claws.
He had shifted halfway, which meant that he and his wolf could work together in a human form.
Leo stood in front of me and I heard his joints make cracking sounds as they turned flexible. His clothes ripped out of his body and his skin turned into fur as he changed into his black wolf.
I took a step back at the magnificent scene in front of me.
Leo let out a loud growl and the remaining three men changed into their wolf forms.
Watching them shift felt eerie and animalistic but I couldn't bring myself to run. I had no idea what was going on and why they were fighting.
Did the other group want to save me from Leo and Esther?
Esther let out a scoff as the wolf with brown fur attacked her. She held the wolf in the air with her magic and Leo was swept aside, leaving me vulnerable in the hands of the werewolf that had called himself my brother.
I had no idea what to do.
I still had a splitting headache and the flashes and feelings of me being eaten alive were very much evident.
I just hoped it wouldn't kill me. I wanted to know what happened.
All the memories I was seeing looked foreign but I could deeply feel it in my soul and it was eating me alive.
My so-called brother grabbed my hand and started to drag me away from the tree but it felt wrong. I felt more connected to the tree and Gillian didn't even seem to notice the tree. That alone made it obvious that we were from different worlds.
I couldn't be saved because I was not like them.
I didn't even know who I was or what my reality was. If I went with them, I would lose the opportunity to find out what my connection with the tree was and I didn't want that to happen.
The aura of the tree was mystic, calm, and welcoming and it made me feel at home while the man who claimed to be my brother gave me nothing but bad vibes.
His aura was disturbingly toxic and I felt like I shouldn't go with him.
If I did...
I paused in my steps and so did the man.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
I shook my head and snatched my hand away from his, "I cannot go with you."
He looked into my eyes as I did linger into his brown gaze which held a lot of guilt and pain.
"At least, don't die." He murmured under his breath before clearing his throat, "After all this is over, you can go wherever you want, I won't stop you. But you're not allowed to get yourself into trouble and die."
He got a hold of my right hand and tightened his grip on it, not giving me any chance to break his hold around my wrist. "I'm sorry for this.." He gave me a look before saying, "I'll explain everything later."
With that, he continued running while pulling me along with him. The evening wind caressed both of our hair which left our hair wildly dancing behind us.
Now that this man was holding my hand, I had no idea what to feel.
There were two conflicting energies seeping out of him. One was dark and bad while the other, guilt and regret. However, I felt the other energy so strongly. Guilt. And it made me a bit curious, what was he guilty about?