Gray Valley

t h i r t y - f i v e

"THE TRUTH?" she demanded.

"Ever heard of the Soulmate Curse?" If it was true that she spent years researching Brown Wolves, she would have heard of the curse.

"Oh, I know, alright," she smirked. "The mighty legend of the War of Hearts..." I couldn't help but smile in response. "It's really just some stupid fairytale."

She really had no idea what she was getting herself into.

"You're in a war, now."

"A war?" I had asked.

"The War of Hearts."

Mary may not have believed it to be true... But it was only a matter of time. It wouldn't be long before she realised the truth.

"You're only one of his soulmates, Maryanne." Instead of sugar-coating the truth, I simply told her of it.

"I don't believe you... West would never betray me."

"Not on purpose," I answered. "All Grayson Wolves are affected by the Soulmate Curse and for Gray Wolves, Soulmates are forever... Very soon, he will feel the same way about her, as he does for you."

"What?" Her mouth eyes darkened, as she took a step closer, her body practically touching mine. "What the hell do you mean?"

"He may even forget you..."

And for the first time, I saw Maryanne Grant get angry.

She lunged forward, pinning me against the wall by my throat. The bloodlust on her face, made me freeze in place. I watched, astonished, as her fingers morphed into claws and she lifted them to my temple, before slashing the end across my cheek.

"Weslyn, are you hurt?" Liam could probably feel how she felt because of their bond.

I wanted to call out; to reassure him that I was alright... I couldn't, though .

The claws were much more painful than I thought it could be. The whole entire left side of my face seemed to sting from the venom in her claws.

But there was something else.

Feeling her venom seeping into my veins was like deja vu... Possibly the most painful feeling of all.

I had felt it before.

And maybe that was it, but the agony had shocked me so much; I could no longer move... By Luna, I could barely breathe.

"Mary!" a voice growled, shoving her away from me, so that she slammed into the opposite wall. "For the love of Luna! What the hell do you think you doing?"

My brother stood before me, his face filled with concern. He slowly lifted his hand and traced the slash on my cheek. I winced slightly, but lifted my own fingers to check my wound. Only to find that I had already began to heal.

"Thank Luna," he murmured softly, pulling me into a tight hug. I grimaced in pain. My back was probably badly bruised from hitting the wall so hard. "I have no idea what I would've done if you didn't heal so quickly. But-" He hesitated.

"But?" What was so bad; that he couldn't say it? I wasn't that hurt, was I?

"You'll probably have scars," he mumbled. "Werewolf slashes and bites don't heal like normal injuries, so..."

"That doesn't matter."

From the scar that ran along my back and the many others on my body, I had become accustomed to having scars.

They had become part of me. Without them, I wouldn't truly be me.

"West," Mary breathed. She slowly stood up from the other side of the room and swept away the blood on her temple as if it was nothing. "You h-hurt me."

The stutter in her voice was only slight but it was enough for me to realise the most important thing of all.

She feared West.

I wasn't sure why or how, but he was the only way that she could be controlled.

"You hurt my little sister," he gritted out. "We may be mates but that doesn't give you the right to hurt her."

"But you're supposed to choose me!" she shrieked, staring up at him in shock. "Not her... Me."

"Do you truly think that I like seeing you in pain?" he ran his fingers along the healing cut on her forehead. "I hate it... I hate myself for it."

"I don't understand."

"I'm sorry, Mary," he told her. "If you truly do not understand, I don't know if it's possible for me to explain to you. I've missed you and I still..." he took a sharp intake of breath. "I still care for you... But don't hurt her. I won't let you get away with it."

Without another word, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door. I sank to my knees, my head still pounding from her attack.

"Weslyn?" West called.

But his voice sounded as though it came from far away; too far away. Before I knew it, my head spun and the world around me started to blur.

"Lyn!"

The moment I realised who it was, I faded into darkness.