Zoya’s P.O.V
I took a deep breath before sharing my harrowing experience with them, my voice quivering slightly as I recounted the night's events. "The demon came to me last night. It was like an invisible force, suffocating me with its malevolence. It wanted me to hurt myself, and worse, it kept urging me to kill my baby…offer it as a sacrifice. I heard its whispers, its vile suggestions echoing in my mind."
There was a collective intake of breath, as if the gravity of the situation had taken a toll on everyone in the room.
Lady Athena's gaze was both compassionate and grave, her eyes reflecting a deep understanding of the darkness I had faced. "Zoya, what you describe aligns with the demon's methods. It preys on our vulnerabilities, twists our thoughts into something unrecognizable. And it feeds on souls of the innocent. What could be more innocent than an unborn child?"
A chill ran down my spine as I processed her words. The idea that something could manipulate my very thoughts, drive me to do the unthinkable, was terrifying beyond words.
The silence that ensued was more than intense. It was electrifying and sharp, like everyone, including me, was mourning what could have happened – I could have killed myself. I could have killed my unborn child. It would have been so easy; the knife was just there.
All I needed to do was let the demon take my hand and guide the blade straight into my stomach, and then I would bleed out, and so would my baby.
If I hadn’t fought against those terrible thoughts, if I hadn’t been strong enough to counter the demon’s manipulation, that ill will, I could have ended my child’s life just like that.
Just like that.
It would have been so easy. So, damnably, utterly easy, and it made me want to throw up.
The thought made me shiver uncontrollably.
And then, Lady Athena's next words struck like a lightning bolt.
"It's not just you, Zoya," she said, her voice holding a note of urgency. "I can sense a darkness lingering on all three of you, a shadow, the demon’s hold — Zoya, Silas, and Ezra. This curse, this malevolent force, it's like a shadow that's trying to consume your lineage."
The weight of her revelation settled heavily upon us, a foreboding cloud that seemed to hang over everything. It was a revelation that left us vulnerable, exposed to an enemy we couldn't fully comprehend. The room seemed to grow colder, the air heavy with the weight of an impending threat.
“If the demon isn’t stopped soon…” Lady Athena warned. “It will soon have all of you killing each other until there’s nothing left of your bloodline.”
“What the hell does it want from us?” Ezra demanded, though his anger was not directed to Lady Athena. He looked frustrated… and afraid. “And why is Zoya being affected? Isn’t it supposed to only affect our family?”
Lady Athena's piercing gaze shifted between us, a mixture of concern and resolve etched onto her features.
"Zoya's connection to Ezra and the life she carries within her has made her a prime target for this curse. It feeds on the vulnerabilities within the heart, and the bond between mates and the prospect of new life create a powerful gateway for its influence."
I felt Ezra’s eyes on me, and without looking back at him, I knew what emotion he was staring at me with — apologetic. I knew instantly that he felt bad for me. I was roped into this because of my relationship with him, and I knew that he was thinking something along the lines of, ‘If we hadn’t met each other, she wouldn’t be in danger like this.’
My heart twitched in pain at the thought of him regretting our involvement. I didn’t want him to feel like it was his fault. Because none of us knew that this was even happening. And more than that, it was my decision to be with him through thick and thin.
I took his hand in mine. “It’s not your fault,” I told him sternly. “Knowing what I know now, if I was given the chance to go back in time, I would still choose to be with you.” My grip on his hand tightened, and I felt him squeeze my hand in return. “We’ll get through this. Together.”
“I love you,” was all he said in response, and if we weren’t in a room with an audience, I would have kissed him until we ran out of breath.
“I love you too,” I told him, and when I said it, I realized that I had never felt something so surely until now. I meant those words with everything in me.
Just then, Anika's voice was tinged with frustration as she questioned her grandmother. "Okay, that’s sweet and all,” she remarked before turning to Lady Athena. “But why am I not affected then? Silas and I are mates too."
My gaze shifted to Silas at Anika’s demands and even though I wasn’t all that well-versed in the werewolf world, I was very sure that Anika wasn’t actually Silas’s mate, because…well, because I was his mate.
But I refrained from saying anything out loud as I was, in fact, almost ignorant about the dealing of the supernatural world and not only had I learned about the existence of wolves, but now I was learning more about demons and witches as well. And also because Silas himself seemed uncomfortable at Anika’s demand, even though she was his chosen mate.
Lady Athena's lips quirked into a wry smile. "Ah, my dear, that is a story for another time. Right now, our focus must be on finding the source of this curse and severing its hold on your pack."