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“H-how?”
“So, when the moon was first created by what we call Healers, a friend of theirs betrayed him, or so the legends say,” Kieran cleared his throat. “We call him Tatuka.” He was an Indian man who stole the Healers’ necklace to heal his sick wife. Something that none of us has found in a million years.
“By punishing him, Tatuka was made into a werewolf. They thought it was evil and dark back then. Being a werewolf, he couldn’t go home at night when the moon was full. He had a pregnant wife and, because of the punishment he got, he wasn’t there to see his first son born. He was constantly on the run because of the hunters.
“Lots of people were scared of him and wanted him dead. Even his wife, the woman he dedicated his life to. The healers even killed his own son, because they thought he was the result of some dark magic.
“Tatuka” was pretty annoyed by this. So, he thought that by mating with lots of women he would end up with a pack. He was out for revenge on the Healers. Eventually, after fifteen years, he made a strong pack, killing all the healers there were,” Kieran finished.
I was gobsmacked and didn’t say a word. It took me a while to get my head around it. I wouldn’t have believed it if it hadn’t happened, but I saw a beast a couple of minutes ago. “So, there’s no Healers alive today, then?” I found my voice.
“Legends said one was hidden, knowing what the werewolves were up to. I doubt that though. Up to this day, all of us werewolves despise them,” Kieran spat.
“What do Healers do?”
“They’re werewolves, just like us, but they weren’t made by dark magic. They were made by God himself to protect the Earth. So, we have no choice but to bow down to them. They have the power to heal, to do light or dark magic.”
“Wow,” I nodded. “Is this some kind of Twilight thing? Do vampires exist, too?”
“I’m afraid to be the one to break this to you, but your dreams of becoming a Bella are over. Vampires aren’t a thing.”
I brushed it off. “So, when you shift, does it hurt?”
“Hm, the first time you shift into a werewolf. Which is about when you’re five or six.”
“So, back at the alley, how did you know that guy?”
“Hey, just so you know, Silas is a werewolf as well. He’s called an Assassin. He’s paid to kill people.” I got the shivers just thinking about how close I came to being killed by him. But I quickly shook them off and focused on the questions I wanted to ask.
He mentioned something about lockdown and about experts. What is that?”
“The Experts are a council. So, the Alpha and Beta werewolves were part of a pack. There are four packs in this town. One is my dad, his beta Tom, and the other is Luca’s dad, his beta Stanley. Yeah, Luca is a werewolf. The Moonfire Pack and the Eclipse Pack are both made up of werewolves. Knox and I are supposed to take over my dad’s place soon,” Kieran said, smiling at me. “A lock down is when you’re under a spell, keeping you locked from your wolf. That only happens if you break a law in our society.”
“So, do you guys have any other supernatural powers?”
“We can persuade people to do what we want, depending on our rank. For example, if I tell Beck to jump off a bridge, he would. We can also read each other’s minds and talk to each other through our link.”
“But I’m not a wolf, and you still read my mind and all that?” It came out more like a question than a statement.
“So, about that…” Kieran started off a bit nervously. “We’ve got this thing called a mate. A mate is basically a soul mate, but in werewolf terms. We’re in touch with our mate. Mates could be werewolves or humans.”
He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck. I just blinked a few times and looked at him strangely.
“And how would you know that the mate?” I found the courage to speak.
When you look at them, they’re just so happy. Plus, your wolf would want nothing more than to be with them,” Kieran stuttered and looked around, avoiding my eyes.
“So… you’re saying we’re mates?”
“No, I mean, yes. Well, that’s what my wolf is telling me, anyway. Um, maybe,” he said, rambling a bit.
I thought about this for a few moments. It took a while, but this really got into my head. Then, I had an aha moment. I had a lightbulb moment. “You were the one who bit me about a month ago. I wasn’t dreaming. You said I was your own, right? I’ve read enough of this in books to understand. That’s why I had feelings for you that I didn’t understand.”
“Look, Tali, I’m really sorry, but…”
I felt really angry. I was shaking, and I was sure my face showed how I was feeling. “You knew how I was feeling and yet you decided to hurt me? You’re a jerk,” I snapped.
Kieran jumped and then got himself together again. “Look, I had my reasons, alright? I’m happy to make it up to you. Tali, it doesn’t matter how long it’s going to take. It could take five years, and I’ll still be waiting. I’ll be waiting until I’m old and wrinkly. I’m happy to do this for you.”
I looked at him. You could just see it in his eyes, pure determination, and he looked dead serious. It was clear he wasn’t messing around. But I couldn’t let him keep hurting me. I was done with that. I wiped away a stray tear.
I gave a little scoff and put on a bit of a smirk. “I’d like to see you try.”
Before I could even think about it, Kieran came over to me. He grabbed my face with his hands and kissed me.
–
I didn’t say anything or do anything when she kissed me. Shock was the only word for how I was feeling right now. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Kieran’s lips felt warm against mine. It fit my heart-shaped lips perfectly. I felt a few tingling sensations run from my mouth to my insides, and that made me feel full. It was as if I finally found the missing piece of the puzzle.
I was over the moon at first, but then I saw how he really was and I had to get a grip. I gave him a push with my hands and put them on my hips. I shot him a dirty look, hoping he’d be able to see the rage in my eyes. “You’re a pain in the a*s. I’m not going to forgive you so easily,” I finally said, breaking the awkward silence. Kieran jumped a bit and looked like he was about to say something, but I quickly carried on. I felt a bit awkward. “I think the main thing right now is who’s trying to kill me.” I got the shivers when I thought about it, and I started to feel really careful where I was. “Who the heck is this Iron Justice?”
“I’d like to know that too,” Kieran’s voice was laced with venom. He looked at me. “Tali, don’t worry. I’ll kill the bastard. You can’t just walk alone anymore. We’ll be keeping an eye on you. It’s not safe. I’ll give Luca a call, and I can’t believe I’m saying this. I’m going to ask for his help.”
The sincerity of his words made me feel calm. I took his word for it. It was strange, but I did. “Why is this person trying to kill me anyway? So, what about werewolves – do they even come under Iron Justice?
“I’m not sure, Tali. The Iron Justice knows something we don’t, and before it gets to you, I’m going to kill him. Or her. Iron Justices don’t affect us unless they hit our hearts. Otherwise, if it shoots anywhere else, we’ll feel the pain, but it’ll heal quickly. The only things that can kill us are beheading, silver touching our hearts and old age.”
“What?” I didn’t even get to finish my question before my phone rang. I gestured to Kieran to wait a minute.
“Hello,” I replied.
“Tali? Tali, where are you?” Elias’s voice, sounding worried, came from the other end. “We’ve been waiting for you for ages!”
“Elias, relax. The librarian had a hard time finding the book I was looking for,” I lied. “Anyway, I’m on my way there now.” I ended the call before he could ask any more questions.
I started to walk off, but Kieran grabbed my arm. “Tali, you can’t just walk away. I’ll walk you there. And, did you forget we were in the middle of the woods?”
Instead of holding his hand, I held onto the belt loop of his jeans. I don’t think this guy will be getting any satisfaction from me anytime soon.
But I could still feel the warmth of his lips on mine. I wanted more. It was as if it sliced my heart open, but not in a painful way, but a nice way. But I can’t think of that right now. All I could think about was who on earth was trying to kill me and why.
Just to let you know, I’ve got a few more things to add.