Lauda

Atasha’s Point of View

A beautiful smile spread across my face at the sight of how Devon reconnected with her old friend. How I wished something like this could happen to me and Astrid in the near future. But even though I adored her and cherished her much more, there was still bitterness in my heart that I couldn’t comprehend. Ever since we got separated, I've been looking for someone to look up to, someone who I could call a sister.

In terms of what a decent lady should do or how she should act, I had no notion where to begin. I considered myself fortunate to have met Veronica back in the Crimson Moon Pack. From the moment I was separated from Astrid, I've treated her as if she were my older sister. I was interested in how she was doing right now.I hoped to catch up with Veronica, as well as Astrid, in the future.

"Let's go inside. I will get some lunch ready for you. Perhaps you're already famished." Claudette hugged Devon once more after saying it.

"I'm fine, Claudette. How quickly time passes by. Here we are now," Devon murmured, then her eyes were drawn to me and Elijah. "Thank you so much for bringing me here," she said.

I nodded with a smile. It warmed my heart to hear such things from Devon.

“It feels fantastic to be able to help people reunite. Isn't it?" I then whispered to Elijah. He turned to me, and happiness was visible in his expression too.

In response, he said, "The next time I witness something like this, it will be you and your sister who will be reunited."

We made our way into Claudette's home. From there, I was able to see what she was like all over the place. She began preparing home-cooked meals while conjuring up a little enchantment to brighten up her home with some beautiful piano music to accompany us.

I was very taken aback by the fact that the piano was making wonderful music despite the fact that no one was playing it. What made you think that's even possible? The witches were incredibly intriguing beings, and I discovered that, despite their scary nature, they were also very much like ourselves.

Do the same things apply to werewolves who have been treating their friends as family, or is this an exception that solely applies to Devon and Claudette? I remember being afraid of stories that had anything to do with witches when I was a kid.

"Come on, Atasha, let's figure out a better approach to carry out our agreement to lift the curse that has been set upon you..." While we were seated at the dining table, Elijah stated that, which made me come back to my senses. Devon, on the other hand, was humming and moving her head left and right at a time with the tune emanating from the piano, and I was staring at my empty plate in silence.

"If there is something wrong, Elijah and Atasha, please tell us," Devon intoned, concernedly, at me. I just shook my head and didn't say anything. I noticed Claudette sitting beside Devon as dinner was being cooked, and I decided that Elijah and I needed to wait for the right moment to speak up regarding the whole plan regarding breaking the curse cast upon me. They were still enjoying their time together, and I didn't want to ruin it for them. Not at this time, unfortunately.

While enjoying the company of their cheerful conversation, the fact that Devon told us how she was upset about her mother working in this underground world completely caught me off guard.

“The primary reason why I felt from the Witch Mountain was that I no longer wished to be a part of the pain of so many people. It's also making me feel suffocated and overwhelmed," Devon sighed.

Claudette placed her hand against her shoulder and slightly patted her. “Devon, it will be a difficult road for us, but we must preserve our knowledge for the benefit of everyone.” Sipping her milk, she explained that not everyone would understand what he was saying. "Nothing can really be compared to the taste of fresh milk straight from the cow," Claudette remarked.

"Do you happen to have a cow here?" I asked her curiously.

"Yes, but it had already died. But I keep some of its body parts, particularly its tongue, which is the most important ingredient in my spell-casting efforts to come up with a tasteful milk,” she said with a smile on her lips. “Anyway, the existence of some werewolves from the south is unknown to me. I guess it became really a hobby of the witches to quiet their enemies," she added, a snickered voice that crept me out.

Then I looked at Elijah. I noticed that his face was displaying the same expression as mine. I was curious as to how many werewolves had been cursed by the witches that were operating from this place. Regardless of the numbers, I was sorry for what had happened to them.

I realized how difficult it must be for someone who has been cursed to feel unwelcome and to transform into someone they did not want to be. In frustration, I clenched my teeth together.

“Keep that wits in yourself and focus on the goals we have in mind. I want to keep our emotions under control, as much as possible. Once we become enraged, we’ll find ourselves in a difficult situation. Let us not lose sight of this,” Elijah told me, using his ability to speak through my mind.

I sat back on the backrest and took a big breath to calm myself.

"Devon, please pay attention to what I will tell you." I looked at Devon intently. I'd like to tell you something... about the truth. Your mother... she is the High Priestess of this underground world." Devon was caught off guard when she heard my statement.

"Atasha..." Elijah was whispering in my ear.

The look on Claudette's face said it all. "You haven't told her yet? I thought—"

"Claudette and I had an agreement," I interrupted Claudette’s remarks and continued on with my words. "We agreed to bring you here in this place to be reunited with your mother, and to live with them again. That's why we asked you to come with us and leave your place." My right hand was resting on my lap, gripping the fabric of my dress pants tightly. My body was trembling, but there was nothing I could do about it. We must proceed with our deal with Claudette as soon as possible.

"I'll go get some dinner for us." Claudette pushed herself to her feet and walked away from the dining table.

I caught a glimpse of Devon's face and could see that she was somehow disappointed. I lowered my head as I couldn’t look at her for that long.

“I truly apologize for not informing you sooner, Devon,” I said while staring at my empty plate once more.

Devon extended her arm to take my hand. She held it tightly, and I looked up at her.

“I was well aware of your goals from the beginning, Atasha. You are aware that I want you to be successful. I get what you are trying to say. You don't have to be concerned,” she expressed sincerely.

“Devon, it was a pleasure to actually meet you in person. Neither Atasha nor I would be in our present relationship. Without your help, I wouldn't be able to tell if she's my true mate. I'm very content with my life now that I have found Atasha,” Elijah said that made me blush right away.

“What are you saying, Elijah? It's embarrassing!" I complained.

Devon then chuckled and suggested that Elijah and I should get married. Since her mother was a High Priestess, she could perform weddings.

“Hey, that's a good idea. I like that thought of being married with the witches' blessing,” Elijah remarked, and both of them laughed. I palmed my face in frustration with these two.

Then Claudette cut us off in the middle of our conversation as she placed the dinner she had cooked for us on the table. Because of the smell, I was on the verge of puking when she opened the pot. There was an aroma that reminded me of a dead animal that had been rotting for how many years? Ahead, a pig with some veggies on top was simmering in a pot of fatty soup when I peered inside. I was shocked to see what was on the inside. She also prepared a pie, but with some odd-looking fingers of a human on top of it.

"I'm afraid I'll have to refuse that," I muttered honestly.

Elijah cracked a grin. Seeing him, though, reminded me of how much I missed his cooking. No way was it possible for me to eat anything other than what Elijah used to prepare for me.

"Let's go meet my mum after this, Atasha. I'd like you to meet her," Devon said, which made me regain my composure and sanity after smelling the food that Claudette prepared.

"So everything is settled now. I'm relieved that we've been able to come to an agreement on this,” Claudette remarked as she already sat beside Devon. “By the way, Devon, I can't bear the thought of you seeing your mother again. I’m very excited. But now, let’s enjoy this feast!”

I then revealed and opened up a conversation regarding the conditions of the deal we had made to ensure that I would be cured of my curse, as I guess this was the right time for me to discuss it with them.

You promise us, Claudette, that in exchange for bringing Devon to us, you will help me get the curse removed from me. This is what you're claiming, correct?"

Devon turned to look at Claudette after I finished speaking.

"Yes, you are right. So let's get prepared now. We'll proceed to the castle and meet the Highest Priestess, Diva, who will be our aid," she replied, then started to dig on her meal.

The fact that I couldn't contain my emotions hearing those statements from Claudette caused me to envision what would happen next. Elijah then hugged me sideways and kissed me on the forehead.

"Atasha, this is it!" he said.

Devon coughed as he spoke, which I overheard. To which we all laughed, she remarked, "All right, you guys are very lovely, and I'm glad for you two, but please don't display your affections towards each other in front of my meal."

After our dinner, Claudette then created a magic spell for me and Elijah so that we could get access to the Highest Priestess's castle and meet her. I pleaded to Claudette to also ensure we would not be harmed once we got inside, as we saw from last time that there was like a special magic cast around the castle. She understood where I came from and whispered a chant before stretching her palms out in front of her. I felt something inside of me, and it felt like an additional layer of protection on top of the one that Devon had already put in place for us.

"Now, let's keep going and head straight for the castle," Devon said.

While walking out of Claudette's house, my heart was racing so hard that I couldn't tell what was causing it, but I think it was because I was both excited and terrified at the same time. While we were walking our long way towards the castle, Elijah came up behind me and hugged me.

"Atasha, as soon as you are free of your curse, let's get back to the werewolf land and get married," he said sincerely.

My heart began to pound more loudly upon hearing his words.

"You have no idea how I want to become your Luna, El. I'm looking forward to getting married to you..." I replied, and I could feel the hot tears on both sides of my eyes. I turned around and faced him, tiptoed, and kissed him deeply on his lips.

His warm lips pressed against mine, and I realized how fortunate I was to have Elijah as a part of my life. While we kissed, I hugged him tightly as I wanted to feel his warmth.

"I can't wait for us to go back to your territory and become your official Luna," I uttered in hushed tones, and he kissed me passionately once more.

I could feel that Devon and Claudette were looking at us from a distance. I was catching my breath when I withdrew from him, then looked at the two witches. They were both smiling at us, and Devon gestured with her hands.

"Yes, we saw it!" she yelled.

Chuckling, I shook my head, and we followed both of them as they began to continue walking toward the castle.

It took nearly half an hour before we arrived in front of the castle. I looked up and glanced at it for a while.

"I can’t wait to be free," I uttered under my breath, and tears pooled in my eyes.