Chapter 14: Morana

[Ocean]

The familiar sterile scent welcomed my senses when Arzhel opened the door.

My back was gently pressed against the plush cushioned bed. My vision became hazy due to the constant pounding on my brain. Another surge of pain slammed into my head, my body contorted awkwardly, convulsing, and my mouth gaped open, screaming. My bone hurts, it feels like they’re grinding against each other, and my skin is burning.

“Baba! Look at her teeth!” Aria gasps in surprise. I’m not getting what she meant, but something sharp grazed my lower lip.

“Oh, good moon in heavens! Arzhel I’m right!”

“Please, Seraphina, not now! Do something! Ocean! Please fight it!” Arzhel’s hysterical voice pierced my ears, but the excruciating pain caused my mouth to close. A strong scent filled my nostrils, it was a mixture of Seraphina’s herbal medicine.

“Take it, Ocean, and inhale the contents. It will help you relieve the pain.” Her voice instructed, and I obediently complied, notwithstanding the stinging odor.

Arzhel’s hand never leaves mine. The herbs Seraphina forced me to inhale went straight to my head. I take another lungful and exhale. The medication began to take effect.

“Come on, Ocean. You can do this.” The pain gradually subsided, the flitting images faded, my vision cleared, and the sharp object in my mouth dulled. Arzhel’s face was the first thing that greeted my sight, followed by Seraphina and Aria on his side.

“That’s right, Ocean. That’s right.” Sweat is beading down my brows, and I’m catching my breath. I sat down slowly, Arzhel helped me in getting up, and looked at them.

Those images were familiar to me, and I knew they were from my past. My memories are beginning to return, and based on what I’ve seen, I’m not ready to find who I really am. I am scared, those images frightened me, they didn’t belong to a normal human being. A beast with razor-sharp teeth, long sharp talons, and scales, those belonged to a creature who hides in the dark. My hand scans my teeth to see if they’ve returned to normal, and they do.

“It happened again, Seraphina. Right? Something had showed up. What am I Seraphina? Am I a monster?” My attention was drawn to the elderly woman, whose expression implied that she already knew the answers to my questions.

“Your body knows who you are and has begun to reveal it, but your mind is still confused.” She said, but that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. She must have seen the resolve in my eyes as she took a deep breathe before speaking.

“Ocean, you are a miracle, not a monster. We believe your existence went extinct thousands of years ago, but here you are.”

It still doesn’t answer it, and it only raises more questions. Thousands of years? My kind?

“What exactly am I, Seraphina?” I asked once again, getting a little impatient. I brace myself for any possible answer she will give me, she opens her mouth at the same time the door swings open, interrupting Seraphina. A woman with brunette hair appeared.

“Seraphina, the Alpha have arrived and requested for your presence.” She said, and her gaze landed on me.

“All of you, including you Ocean.” That took me by surprise. It’s extremely unlikely that he wanted me to be in the same room as him. Me? Quillan wanted me to be there? What for? So he can terrorize me again?

“Ocean, you can stay here. I’ll inform my son that you’re not feeling well.” But if I do that, he could go berserk again, something I don’t want to happen.

“It’s okay, Seraphina. We don’t know what he’s thinking right now, so we shouldn’t give him any reason to cause trouble, especially now that we have a visitor.” I’m still quite disappointed from the intrusion and I am only arms away from knowing what I am, but raging Quillan is not someone I want to pester with right now.

Arzhel was about to argue, but I took his hand, stood up, and began walking out the door. Whatever Seraphina used to relieve my headache worked like a charm. There was no trace of the excruciating pain on my head.

Quillan awaited us in the living room, along with a black-haired woman sitting in a cushioned chair, her poise exuding confidence and elegance, as if she already knew her place in this place. She quickly stood up when she saw us and put on a smile, but her lingering stare on me didn’t go unnoticed.

“Welcome to Seriphos Pack. I’m Seraphina, Quillan’s mother.” Her gaze veered away from me and toward the elderly woman who greeted her. I stayed close behind Arzhel, skittish of what Quillan would do if he saw me.

“Hello Seraphina, I’m Morana. Alpha Braun’s daughter of Crystal Pack.” Morana, the woman, stretched her arms to Seraphina, and they shook hands.

“I had no idea you kept a human in your pack. Alpha Quillan is quite known to have despised their kind.” Her gaze sweeps to my petite body, scrutinizing me from head to toe. Judging.

Quillan just stands there quietly watching us, but his scorching eyes are fixed on me and Arzhel. I don’t know why he wanted me here. He doesn’t utter a single word, he’s merely observing as the conversation went.

“This is Ocean. She’s a survivor from a shipwreck. Our beta found her by the shore.” Seraphina explained briefly.

“I see.” She looks at Arzhel and smiles.

“It seems you’ve already claimed her as your mate. Blood moon still in a week from now.” I can see Arzhel’s jaw clenched at her commentary remark but he keeps his face straight.

“I hope you’ll like your stay at our pack. I’m Beta Arzhel, at your service.” He said through his clenched teeth and dipped his head slightly.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make myself at home.” Her sly smirk made the tiny hair on my nape stand up.

I think I may have found the female version of Quillan. I can say she’s cunning and has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. Aria scoffed at my side, rolling her eyes.

“You must be starving from a day long journey, shall we eat?” Seraphina led us all to the dining room, and Quillan walked up to the stairs without saying anything.

That’s strange. He didn’t roar in my face, like he usually does. Not that I’m asking.

“I already didn’t like her. Why would my uncle invite someone like her?” Aria teed off in hushed tones that only I could hear.

“Aria, she might hear you.” I simply chastised her behavior by nudging her side, she only crossed her arms to her chest and jutted her chin in defiance.

We piled onto the table, Sam emerged from the kitchen, placed the food in front of us, and sat down between Seraphina and Aria. I was about to sit in the chair next to Arzhel when Morana spoke up.

“Ocean, right? I don’t want to be rude and insulting, but you’re not supposed to dine with us. You’re a human, and your kind is much inferior to ours. It’s a tad demeaning for me to dine with stupid meaningless beings like you.” My jaw hangs open at her direct statement. I was the last one left standing when she said that, and it put me on the spot.

Everyone fell silent, too stunned to what she just said.

“I mean, Alpha Quillan despises your kind. Right? Surely, I will be the future Luna in this pack, and we share the same resentment towards humans, making us a great match. I don’t believe you’re deserving of the pleasure of dining in the presence of a Luna. I’m not quite sure why the Alpha keeps you at the Pack house. You should be cleaning at the stables or something, since it fits you better.” She continued.

This is just an utter discrimination, is this why Quillan wanted me here? To be insulted by his prospect mate? All eyes were on me, waiting for me to say something. The air was heavy with tension until Arzhel cleared his throat and turned to Morana.

“With all due respect and also no offense intended. Ocean is considered a member of our family and deserves to be treated with respect. Blood moon, as you said, is still a week away. You can’t act as our Luna until our Alpha is fully mated with you. But then, for now, you are no more than just a mere guest.” The corner of Morana’s eye ticks from what Arzhel had stated but still forced a smile. Her knuckles had turned white from squeezing the utensils too tightly.

“Of course, none have been taken, but I will never forget that this happened when the time comes.”

“I’ll prepare myself for it... when the time comes.” Arzhel countered quickly, emphasizing the last phrase.

“Now, Ocean, sit down and eat. You really need to regain your strength, particularly after what happened earlier.” Arzhel said this without looking at me. Aria bent down her head, a coy smile playing on her face, and engrossed herself with the meal. Seraphina remained silent, but her contentment was visible to Arzhel. Samantha, on the other hand, had tried to keep her face straight, appearing to be unconcerned by the moderate rivalry in front of us.

I’m not supposed to be happy, but it warms my heart to know that amid of my identity crisis, they’re still people on my side.

The meal went uneventful after that. Morana was the first to finish her meal, and she didn’t even wait for the rest of us to finish.

“Please excuse me, but I really want to rest. I’ll just ask Alpha Quillan where my room will be.” She blandly said and stood up without bothering to look at us or just even wait for Seraphina’s consent to leave. Our eyes followed her movements until she’s out of sight.

“Looks like we have a bleak future ahead of us.” Aria suddenly blurted as soon as Morana was no longer on sight. What she said was meant to be grim, but her face cracked and she burst out laughing, as did Arzhel.

Seraphina just shakes her head, but amusement dances in her eyes, and Samantha smiles at her daughter’s cheerful behavior.

For the first time, a thought struck into my head.

I wish Seraphina was mistaken and I was a human.