Chapter 8

• Marked As Theirs
• Chapter 08
• Veronica's POV
• ***FLASHBACK TO NORTH DAKOTA,
• “Veronica, what would you do if I suddenly died one day?” Bellarosa asked suddenly, blinking her eyes at me like she hadn’t just thought nonsense.
• I slapped her head, earning a scowl from her. “What the hell?!”
• “Exactly! It’s hell,” I snapped. “Do you need to see the pack’s doctor? Let me go tell mom before he leaves.”
• She pulled me back, and we both fell on the ground. “I’m fine. I just thought about it…” She moved closer and hugged me to the floor, her head on my chest. “Would you be lonely? Considering the way mom and dad are so head-deep into the pack and its politics.”
• I sighed and brushed my hand over her hair. “I’d be destroyed, Bella.” My voice was quiet, almost like a whisper, but honest.
• She didn’t say anything for a while, just held onto me like she needed to memorise my heartbeat.
• I held her back just as tightly, my mind drifting toward things I hadn’t let myself feel in months. Maybe even years.
• Our parents… they were great leaders. Respected and loved by everyone apart from us. Not in the way it was supposed to be.
• She pulled back first and stared up at me with those big.
• Aurora emerald eyes. “Promise me you won’t die before me.”
• I smiled. “I’m not going anywhere, silly.”
• “You better not,” she muttered, wiping her nose on her sleeve as she stood. “If I ever become Alpha, I’m banning death.”
• “Not even the Luna?” I laughed. “I’m pretty sure the Moon Goddess would want a word.”
• She twirled and bowed, “You’ve got to book an appointment, ma’am.”
• I shook my head, but I couldn't control the laugh that eased out of my throat.
• *************************************************
• “Veronica!”
• I raised my head, my hair all over my face, from the sweat I hadn't even realised was there.
• It was Taylor. She rushed toward me, concern etched on her face as she crouched down. “Girl, are you okay? What happened?”
• I took in a shaky breath, my hands trembling slightly. “I…don't know,” I whispered.
• She looked me over quickly before she let out a breath and pulled me up gently. “Come on. Let’s get you to a seat before you pass out.”
• I let her guide me to one of the chairs beside a classroom. Students were still murmuring around us, some wide-eyed.
• Taylor sat beside me and squeezed my hand. “What did you see?”
• I swallowed. “It was not a thing, Taylor.”
• Her brow furrowed.
• “Adn… Alpha Adnam, Beta Gareth, Aaron… and then—” I paused, trying to find words that didn’t make me sound insane. She didn't witness it. So, there was no way she would fully understand. “Someone… two people shifted, and they didn't feel or look like us.”
• “Like hybrids?”
• I shook my head. “No. Not wolves. Not even part-wolves.”
• She blinked. “You mean… humans?”
• I didn’t answer. I myself wasn't sure.
• “Ver…” she whispered, her face paling a little. Not the way I expected her to react, though. Maybe she was well familiar with happenings like this, and something like this didn’t shake her. But when she saw the expression on my face, she added, “Do you think that’s what all those meetings are about?”
• I nodded.
• Before either of us could say more, the familiar chime of the school bell echoed through the school.
• Taylor rolled her eyes. “Way to time a heart attack.”
• The noise gradually died down as students started heading back into their classes.
• We stood and trudged to our class too.
• A few seconds later, the door to our class opened, and our homeroom teacher, Mr Durn, stepped in, his tie slightly loosened.
• He walked to the front and nodded at the class rep, who quickly turned on the projector. The screen brightened.
• The headmistress’s elegant face appeared, her lips pressed together.
• “Good morning, students,” she began, her voice slightly distorted through the speakers. “I want to first apologise for the incident this morning. The situation has been contained.”
• My classmates whispered, and Mr Durn hushed them to keep quiet. I sighed and looked around. Adnam and Aaron were not back yet and I wondered what they were still doing.
• Had they gotten bitten? If peradventure they did, what would they become?
• Is Seth with them?
• Oh my! What about Beau? He left for school earlier than us because of the early morning training he had to coach the newbies for.
• “Security has been tightened. The affected students have been… escorted. I ask everyone to remain sober and… vigilant. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately to your teacher or the Alpha,” The headmistress’s voice surmised.
• Taylor glanced at me.
• My stomach twisted.
• That meant they hadn't contained anything. Something could still happen, and it might be worse than the previous one.
• “I just want to return home,” I whispered as Mrs Lotatana’s voice faded into the background noise. “To Zayn.”
• “Veronica, stick to me, and you’ll be fine,” Taylor said, taking my hands in hers. “I’m a witch, remember?”
• I rolled my eyes. “What has being a witch got to do with this?”
• Taylor’s lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I saw something in her eyes that wasn’t just… Taylor. It was older, like she was looking at something I couldn’t see. “You’d be surprised,” she murmured. “Trust me on this, Ver. You’re going to need all the help you can get.”
• I wanted to argue, to tell her she was being dramatic. But wasn’t I being dramatic also?
• The knot in my stomach tightened again. It was the same feeling I got when I knew something was wrong with Zayn.
• My mind was a tangled mess of what-ifs. What if they got to Zayn? What if they followed me home? I knew I stayed with one of the most influential powerful packs in Georgia, but what if…
• The bell finally rang after two classes, and I walked out hastily to go check on Seth. At least, I trusted Seth’s judgement.
• “Veronica”,
• I heard his voice as I was about to enter his classroom.
• I turned and rushed to hug them. “Seth, are…are you fine? Injured?”
• He pulled me closer and smiled against my hair, his hand on my waist. He then pulled back and pulled my hair behind my ear. I had forgotten to pack it. “I’m fine. It looks like you’re the one who is not fine.”
• He looked tired despite the smile on his face. “It's been settled. Alpha Adnam and Beta Gareth had to leave urgently… don't ask where. I don't even know.”
• I frowned. “They left? Just like that?”
• Seth nodded. “There was no time. It was serious.”
• I pressed my lips together, heart thudding again. “And… Aaron?”
• He tilted his head. “What about him?”
• “I haven’t seen him,” I said, trying to sound casual.
• Seth blinked at me, like he wanted to say something else, but instead he shrugged. “He’s probably fine. I think he stayed behind, but I didn’t see him either.”
• That did nothing to calm me. I didn’t know why I cared so much. It’s not like Aaron and I had even had a real conversation since he resumed. He was always brooding…distant.
• But there was something about him that pulled at me.
• “And what about Beau?” I asked suddenly, straightening.
• Seth opened his mouth, but the answer came before he could speak.
• Beau jogged toward us, his sleeveless hoodie soaked in sweat and his shorts clung to his thighs.
• “Y’all look like… what did I miss?”
• “You’re okay,” I breathed, relieved.
• He raised a brow. “Shouldn’t I be?”
• Seth rolled his eyes. “We’ll explain in the car. Come on.”
• I wasn't entirely okay, but my people were safe. Zayn was safe (Seth had confirmed that). Beau too.
• Even Taylor had stayed with me when she could’ve run.
• And though I didn’t have answers to half the questions burning in my chest, one thing disturbed me.
• I didn’t know if Aaron was safe.
• I didn’t know why my heart kept going back to him. Remembering those unreadable eyes every time he stared at me.
• He’d barely even spoken to me.
• And yet…
• I looked up at the sky, the clouds moving together and settling into a dark room.
• My heart… still ached.