Shadows on her heart

Arabella's POV

Where is everyone?

I scratched my head, glancing around the empty dormitory. The room was so eerily quiet it made me feel like I was the last person on Earth...or at least in the dorm.

Still groggy from another restless night, I could barely shake off the fog clouding my mind.

Ahh! Now that I remembered I had fainted at the border.

Was it Ash who brought me back? Was I not taken to the healer? How did I come back to the pack house? When did I come back?

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to clear away the haze as I grabbed a towel and my brush, making my way to the washroom.

Turning the corner, lost in my own thoughts, I bumped into someone. The impact jolted me, snapping me out of my trance. "Oops! Sorry!" I mumbled, stepping back, my voice still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning, Arabella! Are you just waking up?" Lizzy's bright eyes sparkled with an energy I sorely lacked. I forced a weak smile, embarrassed.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night," I admitted, frustration lacing my tone.It was not a lie. I did not sleep, I had a total blackout!

Or maybe is was the pain. Whatever.

"Where is everyone, by the way?" I finally asked. Lizzy's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "Huh? You don't know? Today is a Pack holiday! We are celebrating the old Luna's birthday. Everyone's busy with the arrangements," she chirped, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Damn!" I muttered under my breath as it dawned on me. How could I forget? Ash's mother's birthday was a huge deal for the pack.

I rushed to freshen up, scrubbing away the remnants of my restless night. Ash hadn't officially assigned me a role in the pack, but I could still find a way to be useful while I was there.

I wandered to the mini hall, then headed toward the grand hall near Ash's mother's estate.

"Hi, Josh! How's it going? Need any help?" I asked, spotting Veronica's brother. He used to have a huge crush on me back in the days.

"Hi,Bella!Yeah, sure. Can you put these lights around the main door?" he asked, handing me a tangled bundle. "Just make sure they are well-spaced and don't overlap, alright?And please don't eletrocute yourself!" He winked, after adding. "See you around. You look more beautiful than when you left! "

"Got it," I said, giving him a thumbs-up and a silly wink as I walked off with the lights.

I was halfway through stringing them when I accidentally stepped on someone's foot. I stumbled back a few steps, bracing myself to protect the fragile lights in my hand.

Looking up, I saw her.

Moana.

The Goddess seemed to have poured every ounce of beauty into that woman. She was lean but curved in all the right places, her blonde hair and porcelain skin making her look almost too over weight. Volumptious would not be the right word. She was a dirty bitch!

Really? Moan, of all people?Ahhh! My bad luck!

"Watch where you are going!" She snapped, her tone dripping with irritation.

"Maybe you should take your own advice," I shot back, steadying myself and attempting to walk past her. The last thing I wanted was to engage with that venomous woman.

Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a slow, smug smile.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence," she drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. "Arabella, isn't it?"

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories surged forward, unbidden and cruel.

I could still hear Ash's voice as if it were yesterday. "You are not what I need, Arabella. I need a mate who can stand by my side, not someone with a schoolgirl crush. I need a woman with lineage, not an orphan."

I closed my eyes, willing the painful memories away.

The memory of his icy disdain stung as deeply now as it had then.

"Arabella!" Moana's voice yanked me back to the present. She was snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Hello? Did you hear me?"

I blinked, shaking off the haunting memory. "What do you want?" I asked, my tone was sharper than intended.

She smirked, her hostility barely veiled. "You're really back, huh? Causing a stir already. Did you know rogues attacked the moment you set foot in our territory? Bad omen, if you ask me."

Her words prickled my nerves, but I forced myself to stay calm. "I am here to support the pack," I replied coolly. "Unlike you, I have spent my years bettering myself.I am a doctor now. The pack more than needs me. "

Her smirk deepened. "Support or stir up trouble? You always had a knack for drama."

"I don't have time for this," I said, shoving past her.

She leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. "This is not over. Stay out of my way, Arabella, or you will regret it."

My heart pounded, but I refused to back down. "Do your worst,woman. I am not afraid of you."