A Bloodbath Call
1792 Words
Chapter 5
Luca held himself in anger even as he paced about his chamber. He re-lived the unpalatable experience over and over in his head. He attempted to take Zoe’s words for it, and peradventually someone else leaked the video to the blogs. He feared how Odessa was feeling after seeing her collapse in school. His father had placed a heavy curfew on him and Zoe for the scandal that had occurred. Although Luca thought his father had lost the familiar tone of anger that he possessed. He just appeared to have a mischievous excitement buried in his voice. His father stormed back into the house when he returned, still with that mischievous aura, yet dinner was quiet except for Lyra, who couldn’t stop ranting about her wedding preparations. Luca had his head buried in the unfamiliar mist of his dilemma, while Zoe just feared to utter a word, seeing that she was the prime suspect. The creaking sound of his window opening abruptly caused him to shriek in fear.
“Vynessa, what are you doing here?”
He inquired in a hushed voice that appeared to be mixed with strands of fear.
“I came to see you; I haven’t seen you all through the day, especially seeing the uproar that the desperate human caused.”
She smiled as she let her hands explore Luca’s body. He felt a mild sensation, but the subtle nature reminded him of his night in Odessa’s house last summer. A single touch from her threw his body in a ravaging flame of desire.
“Yeah about that, I’m sorry for what happened.”
Luca pleaded even as he observed Vynessa’s white hair glow in the dark. He felt mesmerized and a little jealous of her divine endowment, yet he unwrapped himself from her grip.
“It was embarrassing and sad, but I love you, Luca, so I guess I just have to take it. Your family was dragged into it and I know your dad might be too hard on you.”
She continued as she rested her head gently on his shoulders.
“Actually he didn’t, and I do not want him to, so please you have to leave before anyone sees you.”
“No, I don’t. I’m your mate with or without some formal wedding, so no one would say a thing.”
Vynessa argued.
“Then you don’t know my family. You have to leave now.”
Luca insisted as he dragged her towards the window where she climbed in from. She was right, but he needed to clear his head. Like Vynessa, it was a bunch of drama, and he didn’t want that.
“That reminds me, Vynessa, you do not have a hand in the scandal that happened today, right?”
Luca asked with his eyes peering deep into her being. If anything, she was a schemer and Zoe happened to like her.
“No! Why would I make an intentional attempt to tarnish my fiancé’s reputation?”
Vynessa negated with a perfectly thought up act. He let her down with a swift decision to see Odessa. He had to apologize for what his indecisiveness had caused her.
***
“Who is there?”
Xandros asked as he observed the swift movement in the Ursaria. He knew he saw Luca’s black hoodie, hence he persisted. His legs spinned with the scuffle in the Ursaria flowers until he caught Luca by the leg.
“What do you think you are doing here boy?”
Xandros inquired as he pushed off Luca’s hood.
“Please I need to see Odessa!”
Luca pleaded. It was his only resort. He couldn’t bypass Xandros, despite their differences in age. Also, as a human and werewolf, Xandros was unexplainably powerful and no one could dispute that fact.
“Get out, you have caused so much harm already.”
Xandros insisted as he led Luca out.
“Since you won’t let me see her, would you at least inform her that I have come?”
Luca asked. He had never been obstructed from sneaking into Odessa’s room before. Hence, he concluded that it was either because Xandros always turned a blind eye or was never on duty. Xandros stood in front of the gate as he watched Luca retreat in defeat. He made up his mind not to keep her safe and sound even if it meant lying to her, which he did with no remorse.
Days passed slowly, and the weekend came with a familiar jubilee. There is nothing the capital city loved more than the weddings of powerful people and Lyra’s wedding was a milestone that no one dared to miss. It was strictly based on invitation and the whole Tharros estate was seasoned with the marriage spice.
“My mum spent 15 minutes twirling in place just because Alpha Tharros sent our family an invitation card.”
Whitney scorned. She visited Odessa every day after school. She came as a ferry bearing good tidings of gossip. Her frequent visits appeared to be the medicine to Odessa’s sad soul.
“Why do you act like you are also not excited?”
Odessa probed as she let her fingers sync with the knitting pin.
“How can I be? The wedding is just going to be a playground for the elites to rate each other’s progress and release new gossip for headlines. You know how I hate it.”
Whitney nagged.
“But how come you were not invited? Is it because of the scandal?”
“No, Alpha Tharros handed me the card personally, but my dad said no.”
Odessa said with a voice buried in gloom.
“I think your dad is right. Those werewolves are no good, and speaking of werewolves. One of them asked me to deliver a letter, although I feel it is an irrelevant one.”
Whitney scoffed. It was her own way of comforting Odessa.
“Give it!”
Odessa impatiently asked. There was a sudden flow of blood from her head to her toe. She knew it was from Luca.
“Calm down, for all I know, it may be part of his silly tricks again.”
“Whitney, let me have it!”
Odessa impatiently asked. She had longed to hear from him. She deleted and banned his number from reaching her, but she still sat in front of the window every night wishing that he would jump in. Whitney passed her the sealed envelope, Odessa’s fingers nibbled at the tip and dropped it abruptly. She wasn’t ready for its content.
“So all the hassle was just for you to feel it? You are just as weird as they are. Anyway, can I continue with my sizzling news now or should I deliver another letter?”
“You can continue.”
Odessa approved in a meek tone. Whitney spent the day spreading all the gossip about the academy before leaving. As soon as the car drove out of the compound with Whitney, Odessa ran up the stairs to read out the contents of the letter.
Hey Odessa,
I have no perfect words to say to justify what happened earlier in the week. Had my cowardice not left you with the heavy burdens of dealing with a scandal? I’m sorry that I have not been able to come see you. I heard you were unwell. I pray that all the powers of the moon enable you for your quick recovery. I long to experience the full moon again with you and I hope it will be in better circumstances. Please forgive my lack of wit. I long for another chance to see you.
Yours,M.M.
“Axel’s doing”
Odessa muttered. Luca was unremarkably poor at writing. He knew the perfect words to say but lacked the prowess to express them in writing. She knew it was Axel’s doing. The knock from the door interrupted her daydreaming and blushing phase. It was Ethan.
“Good evening, dad.”
Odessa said with a weak smile. Since their fight on the day Alpha Tharros visited, they had not spoken properly.
“Evening, baby. How are you feeling today?”
“I’m good, dad. Thanks to Whitney and Elara, I’ll be back at school on Monday.”
Odessa expressed as she sat on the envelope containing Luca’s letter. She didn’t know war would break out if he saw it, and she wasn’t curious to find out.
“You seem more eager to return to school than to get well?”
Ethan probed.
“No, dad. It’s just really boring to stay at home all day.”
“You would have told me, I would have been here with you, my princess.”
“You would make it more boring with your business talks.”
Odessa pouted. It was typical of Ethan to always bore her with fantasizing talks about the family business.
“I’m glad to see you recovering fast…”
Ethan was still speaking when his eyes caught on the blood drops that lined Odessa’s window linen. He moved carefully as he observed that the drops had formed a plain pattern. It was a message.
“Dad, what’s going on?”
Odessa inquired hastily as her father continued to examine the tracks of the blood droplets. They were faint, but he had seen them before, hence he couldn’t miss them.
“Call me Rowan now!”
He thundered. His heart was running at an unusual pace and his mind couldn’t keep up. They formed a pattern just like the one he saw years ago. Rowan thumped in with the urgency that Odessa called him with. Elara came in with him.
“What is it, sir?”
Rowan inquired.
“Don’t step on it!”
Ethan ordered as he signaled Rowan away from the blood patterns. He used his index to point out the marks to Rowan, whose eyes bulged upon realization.
“It can’t be!”
Elara yelped.
“I had my doubts, but seeing how clothed the blood is, only one person draws a pattern like this.”
Ethan added.
“How did they find us and why did he deliver the message in Odessa’s room and not anywhere else?”
Rowan asked.
“Because he knows. What do we do?”
Elara responded.
“Dad, what is going on?”
Odessa asked with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“Elara clean this up, Rowan tell Xandros to double the security, Odessa get ready, we are honoring Tharros’s invitation tomorrow!”
Ethan ordered as he sped out. His fingers shook in fear. Everyone rushed to obey Ethan’s orders, but Odessa stood in the room bridled with confusion and mild tension.
“What is going on?”
- Writer
