06

ALTHEA

Three months had passed since the incident. Callista never visited me, her best friend at the hospital once. Alpha Damon and Orlando visited me from time to time. But aside from them, I never had anyone else visiting me. It was the day when my bandages were about to open. Despite his busy schedule, Alpha Damon came to check if I was doing okay. Orlando also came with me to support me.

"Are you ready, Althea?" Druid Carol asked me in a low tone. Taking a deep breath I turned my head towards Orlando. Orlando gave my hand a gentle squeeze and a small smile appeared on his face. His smile gave me the strength I needed at that moment.

"I am ready," I replied to the druid with a confident smile on my face. Although no one could see my smile because my face was covered with bandages, it was just for my reassurance. Alpha Damon turned his gaze towards the druid and nodded his head once. The druid bowed her head in front of the Alpha. She started unwrapping the bandages.

"Just for you to know, there is no guarantee that your face and body wouldn't have any scars.” Druid Carol added while unwrapping the bandages off of my face.

“When she has her wolf, the healing abilities of her beast will heal not just the wounds but scars as well." Alpha Damon replied to druid Carol. She patted my back before she pulled the last bit of bandages off of my face. It was no news to me. I already knew about the scars.

The druid revealed my face for Alpha Damon and Orlando. I was staring into Orlando's eyes to see my face in his eyes. The sudden look of surprise, followed by a hint of disappointment made my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. Druid Carol handed me a hand mirror.

I heaved a shaky breath and looked into the mirror. A loud gasp escaped my lips and the mirror in my hands suddenly fell to the ground. I covered my face with both of my hands and started crying. Maybe I was expecting too much when my heart wanted Orlando to hug me and tell me that everything was alright. That everything would be better. But I knew already that I was asking for way too much.

My reflection scared me so much. I couldn't imagine what might be going through Orlando's head. I couldn't read his mind or listen to his thoughts. A gentle hand appeared in my head. I already knew that it would be Alpha Damon, caressing my hair gently to make me feel better. I looked through the space between my fingers and found Alpha Damon standing in front of me.

"Don't cry, sweet child. Your inside is what matters the most. Be at ease. Everything is going to be alright." Alpha Damon spoke in a low tone, caressing my head so gently. His fatherly voice and kind words forced me to stop crying. Nodding my head, I wiped my tears away. Before I could look at Orlando, he suddenly stood up and zoomed out of the hospital room I was in.

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A week later, I was discharged from the pack's hospital. I was drowned in the oceans of my thoughts as I walked towards my home. It was not very far away from Alpha's mansion. I kept my eyes buried in the ground that I was walking on. But I could feel the gazes filled with hatred following me.

If gaze could kill, I would have been lying shredded like grass on the ground. Taking a deep breath, I stopped. I turned my head towards the sky. Tears welled up in my eyes and there was only one question in my heart: "Why, Moon Goddess? Why!!!"

I heard a familiar voice from behind. That made me look behind. A sudden rush of energy surged through my body as I saw my best friend standing in front of me. I left my bag on the ground and walked towards Callista. She was standing between a bunch of girls. "Hi, Callie!" I shouted as I ran towards her. Callista looked at my face and a shocked look appeared on her face.

She covered her mouth with both of her hands. "Oh my Goddess, Thea! Is that you?" Callista asked me in a low tone. The bright smile on my face vanished immediately. I already knew what she was referring to. I clutched onto the hem of my dress tightly and narrowed my head.

"Are you going to keep being friends with her, Callie? With that ugly face, she will be ruining your image too." One of the girls standing with Callie asked her. Tears started forming in the corner of my eyes as I feared something way worse.

Callista walked towards me and placed one of her hands on my shoulder. I held my breath, thinking about the worst. "If you think for a second that these are ever going to separate us. I owe you my life. I am alive and well, because you protected me that night with your life." Callista spoke in a neutral tone, tears welling up in her eyes and her voice cracking. We both were crying as she suddenly hugged me.

We used to play with each other since we were babies. We had been best friends. i though she was gonna part ways because I was no longer that perfect picture. But she didn't. “You and I, we are sisters forever. Don't listen to anyone at all. We will forever be together. I don't care what the others think.” She added further.

Callista and I hugged each other tightly and cried tears. The mean girls that always followed her for Alpha's money, for free shopping and meals, made faces and left. “Yeah! That's better for you, bitches. If you can't handle the truth, you better stay the fuck away from me. But don't you ever mock my sister again.” Callista screamed at them as they walked away. She pulled away from me. While wiping our tears, we laughed at the mean girls who ran away.