The Beast's Possession

**Aife

pov**

The day was exhausting - so many things happened in a row that by the time the evening came and night slowly started settling over the land, I was glad that soon, I could get some rest. But first, I decided to go outside for a while and enjoy the cool air on the porch. As soon as I sat down, I sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the paint scent of the pine trees lingering around me. My hands instinctively settled on my flat belly and a faint smile spread across my lips. I couldn't feel the baby kick yet, it was too soon, but I could feel the life that was growing inside me.

Slowly, my thoughts traveled to the baby. Would the baby have Bane's mesmerizing eyes? Maybe my hair. Or maybe, the baby would surprise me with something completely their own, looking nothing like Bane and me. I didn't care about the gender, never really thought about preferences, all I wanted was to ensure my baby was born healthy and in a safe environment.

As I kept thinking more about the tiny life growing inside me, I couldn't help but smile. My life had been nothing but a painful mess of chaos for the last few months, so this baby was the first ray of happiness that I've gotten. The injured rogue wolf whimpered, pulling me from my thoughts. It still refused to return back inside the house, laying a short distance away from me, as if protecting me from any danger that might linger outside.

It hadn't tried to run, not even when it met Zion and Kala. I've been watching it for a while so I quickly figured that the wolf's scents were extremely sharp. It kept watching everything around us, every little nose caught its attention, but again, it didn't leave. That simple fact filled me with an odd sense of relief.

The door to the house opened and Kala slowly stepped outside, holding two cups of tea in her hands. I knew its tea without catching the whiff of mint lingering around her, mainly because Jonathan insisted that both of us were banned from having any coffee.

She handed one of the cups to me without a word and sat beside me, her gaze instantly followed mine and focused on the injured wolf.

"It's still here," Kala whispered and brought the cup to her lips, blowing the steam off the hot drink.

I nodded and repeated her action, smiling to myself just a little. "I'm surprised, honestly. The poor thing is scared out of its skin, that much anyone can see. But, nevertheless, it's staying put. Honestly, I think it's more curious than anything else, watching and waiting to see what happens next."

Kala sipped her tea and watched the wolf for a few seconds. "But that's a good sign, isn't it?"

"I think so. But it worries me too, a little. The wolf hasn't shifted. If it's been in wolf form for too long, it might mean..." I trailed off, not really wanting to voice my assumption out loud.

"You think it has lost the human part, don't you?" Kala finished my thought for me.

I glanced at her, a little taken aback how blunt she was with her words. "It's possible. Some shifters lose themselves if they stay in their wolf form for too long and vice versa. They forget who they are."

Kala shook her head and offered me a reassuring smile. Not this one, I don't think that's the case. Just look at the wolf, Aife. It listens to you, doesn't it? Yes, it's cautious and I'd say for a good reason, but it's not wild. If it had truly lost itself, it wouldn't be sitting there, letting you help tend to wounds and guarding you like a domesticated dog."

Her words gave me a sense of comfort, but the doubt was still there. Nevertheless, I nodded and took another sip of tea as a comfortable silence settled over us. The wolf yawned and settled its head on its paws, the ears twitched lazily at every sound. For a moment, everything around us felt calm.

But calm couldn't last, not with my thoughts and worries. My mind drifted back to the pack, the chaos I left behind when I ran. Slowly, I turned to Kala and braced myself for the question I could barely whisper. "How is he?" Kala furrowed her eyebrows. "He?" She repeated, acting clueless. "You mean Zion? He's seen better days, but he's okay, Jonathan is helping him to bed as we speak."

I shook my head. "Don't do this to me, Kala. You know who I'm talking about."

Kala's eyes fell to the cup in her hands, zeroing in on the liquid like it was the most mesmerizing thing she had ever seen. I could hear the wheels turning in her head as she decided how much she wanted to tell me. And when she didn't answer, I only kept pressing harder.

"Kala, I think I deserve an answer to my question. I know things have to be bad back there just based on how Zion looks. I can only assume what is going on, but you've seen it first hand. You know what's happening, so please, just tell me the truth. I can handle it."

Kala sighed and set her cup beside her. "It's not that easy to explain, you know. The pack is struggling and Alpha Bane. Shoot, Bane is not himself, Aife. Not in the way you remember him."

I swallowed and tightened my grip around the cup. "How bad is it?"

Kala hesitated for a moment and when she looked at me, her gaze was filled with something I couldn't quite place. Pity, perhaps? Or possibly fear, I wasn't sure.

"He lost control. There's a thing inside him and it has taken over completely. He's hurting people. He hurt Zion. The pack is falling apart, Aife. Some people are trying to hold everything together while others are too scared to breathe near him."

I could barely hold back the tears as I thought about the women who were already fearing for their lives every day. Also, after seeing the state Zion was in, I suspected it had to be bad, but hearing it made everything much worse. "Why was Zion hurt? Why did Bane do that? They're best friends."

Kala's expression darkened in an instant, I could see the hatred burning in her eyes. "He tried to protect me and the pack. Bane made Zion his first target. It's not safe there anymore."

My hands started trembling so I set the cup down before I spilled the tea. My eyes traveled back to the wolf and I tried to focus on the injured animal instead. The horror Kala described felt like a nightmare and sadly, everything felt too real too.

"We have to do something," I muttered, more to myself than Kala.

She didn't agree, only reached over to squeeze my hand and whisper. "We're both expecting, Aife, this stress isn't good for our babies. Let's head inside and get some rest."

While I agreed and followed right on her heels, I knew I couldn't stand by and do nothing. I might have escaped the nightmare, but now, I was sure I had to go back. With or without help.