77.

-HER-

The next couple of days in the pack are very smooth for me. I am slowly falling in a routine with the wolves and adapting their ways. They have accepted me wholeheartedly. I doubt that they remember about me being a human and even if they do, they don’t really seem to care about it.

Everyone is also very supportive of me while I learn how things work around the pack. Everything seems too good to be true. I am slowly falling in love with the place and the people and I know it would be very hard for me to leave next time.

One afternoon, when I am visiting the administrative building, I see Tiffany. It’s been a long time since I have seen her. The last time I saw her, it was at Jake’s graduation and of course, she was there because she was graduating too. Although, no words were exchanged except for a couple of glances and glares.

I am waiting for Brooke to reach the office when I get to see her. Her eyes lock with mine as she walks towards me. Anger simmers in her eyes while a very rude judgmental look decorates her face.

“Bitch,” She mutters when she walks past me. I simply choose not to react to her. I have won and both of us were aware of it. She was evidently not taking her failure very well.

That night, over dinner, the conversation about the council’s visit was finally initiated. Although it came as a surprise to everyone that Davis was the one to start it.

“She doesn’t have to meet the council if she doesn’t want to. No one’s going to force her,” Jake’s dad commented firmly and his mom nodded. Everyone else agreed as well.

“I think I’ll meet them,” My words take everyone by surprise.

“Are you sure, Cybele?” Asks Jake’s mother while I feel everyone’s eyes on me.

“Yes, I want to meet them,” I tell her firmly this time. Jake’s parents exchange some looks with him silently before the dinner resumes. Though the conversation is changed instantly by Brooke. This didn’t feel right to me but I’d be talking to Jake about this anyway.

“So, what happened down there?” I ask Jake as soon as we are back in his room from dinner.

“What?” He mumbles and tries to avoid looking at me as he gets ready to go to bed.

“You know what,” I press, “The talk about the council,” I tell him. He sighs deeply before finally looking at me.

“Yes, what about that?” He asks.

“Would it be wrong for me to meet them? Your family seemed uncomfortable with the idea,” I tell him. He stares at me momentarily before finally breaking it to me, “Yes, they are,”

“But why?” I couldn’t help but frown at this sudden revelation. They have been so supportive of me all these days. What happened now?

“It’s not because of you. It’s because of them. The council already has its prejudices against you. We’re afraid that they might say something upsetting to you. They give a hard time to everyone,” Jake spits nastily while I listen to him in surprise.

“I’ll be alright, Jake,” I tell him.

“Cybele, you really don’t have to meet them. You know that right?” He asks with a look of irking decorating his face. I have heard that phrase so many times that I couldn’t help myself from rolling my eyes in response.

“But I want to,” If anything my words annoy him even more.

“If I were you, I would not meet them,” He comments.

“Jake, I still want to meet them,” I tell him anyway. At this, I could feel a combination of disappointment and anger at his side.

“You’re so stubborn,” Is the only thing he grumbles before getting into bed. The next couple of days pass very smoothly as well but the anxiety in me is slowly starting to feed off me. I feel it breathing down my neck every day.

When the day of the council’s visit finally arrives, I find it hard to function. Jake and his family are always by my side to support me but I have this gut feeling that something would go wrong. I just cannot shake it off.

Everything has been prepared in the pack for their visit. The tension is visible among the pack members even though they try not to make it too obvious. I have tried my best to learn everything in my past days. They have been informed about me already. I could only hope that they are not too judgemental.

I get to work early in the morning and help the wolves around the pack. Everyone is busy. Jake is mostly nowhere to be seen and so is Davis. Brooke and I try to work together but at some point, I have to leave her side to get to the administrative building to look after some official work.

They are supposed to be in the pack by afternoon, which is just a couple of hours away.

“Cybele,” A wolf approaches me when I am on my way to the administrative office. I stop on my tracks to look at him properly. He is tall and lean and somewhat older than me. I might have seen him around the pack before but I don’t really remember his name.

“Yes,” I answer after turning to him.

“Beta Jake is looking for you. It's urgent,” He tells me sternly. I find myself staring at the wolf momentarily. Something about him seems odd. I cannot put a finger on it but I don’t really have the time to think about it so I decided to go with him.

“Do you know what it is about?” I ask the wolf but he just keeps walking in front of me.

“He says he wants to have a word with you in private,” The wolf tells me after a long silence. I notice that he’s heading towards the woods. It feeds my suspicion but what if it’s something really very urgent? I'd hate it if something remains pending because of me.

“Where is he?” I ask him when we reach the edge of the woods behind an abandoned packhouse. He stops at my question and slowly turns around to face me. He glares me down while I am staring at him in confusion.

Suddenly, pain strikes my skull while my ears start ringing. I drop the files that I have been holding as the world starts to spin around me. I feel another wave of immense pain at the back of my head before the realization finally dawns upon me that I have been hit.

I try to stare hard at the wolf in front of me but the black dots take over my vision. Another blow to my neck is all that it takes for me to submit to gravity. My eyes roll back as soon as I hit the ground before finally drowning in darkness.