Hi,

We all know how tough the time is right now and we are realizing now, how important it is to stay healthy. So, please, STAY AT HOME and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

****

LEGUMES-

The soybeans, split peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils and green grams all belong to the legume family. In India, we also call them as pulses. They are packed with heathy nutrients and rich in iron, proteins and calcium.

They also help to keep our bowels heathy as they are rich in fibre. They are broken down slowly and your stomach feels fuller for longer, if you eat them. They are usually used in salad or other side dishes.

My favourite legume is Green gram (Moong Dal) and when it is cooked in my house, I am always served the highest quantity :D It's also the first plant I had grown in my life as part of school project.

We all know the benefits of sprouted green gram salad, but yes, homemade sprouts are much better than the ones wrapped in plastic.

____

"Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies."
― Dorothy Allison,

___

CHAPTER 02 - LIE

Pure soul.

They were ancient spirits and God's beloved children. He sent them to each fairy clan so that they can help the fairies in maintaining a balance between the humans and other creatures. The Pure Soul would choose a rider in each clan and would be visible only to that one fairy in the form of an animal.

The chosen rider would be the most powerful fairy in the clan and also their ruler. Every generation, the Pure Soul would choose a rider and guide them in maintain the balance.

When harpy queen Elizaveta came to know about the existence of such creatures and the powers they possessed, she wanted to have one of her so that she could possess the power of longevity.

Spurned by the fairies, a furious Elizaveta then attacked the innocent humans, killing them and destroying the balance.

When she felt the cold water being sprinkled on her face, Cyane let out a pained cry and opened her eyes to stare at the face of an unfamiliar man, who was hovering over her with a concerned expression etched on his face.

She had the dream. The same dream she had been having for years. A little boy was reading to her. He was telling her the story of her clan. She didn't know who he was, but his voice was soothing and she enjoyed listening to it.

Her grandmamma told her that it wasn't a little boy, it was her father who was reading to her and for a while, she had believed it, but now she knew the voice belonged to a young boy. Who was it?

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" the man beside her asked her leaning back.

Cyane took in her surroundings and abruptly sat up with wide eyes, when she realized, she was in the middle of the woods.

"You speak English?" the same man questioned.

"What? How?" she looked around in total confusion. How did she end up here? She remembered walking towards the parking lot with Izzy. She remembered sitting in another car. Then how did she end up here? What had happened?

She was still dressed in the same red dress that she had worn before running away from her wedding. Cyane stiffened at the thought of her wedding. She was supposed to get married... yesterday.

Though the sun rays were canopied by the thick branches and leaves, they still reached the ground through tiny loopholes. It was night when she had reached the Scevola airport!

Theos!

Where is this place? What had happened? How did she end up here?

"Look, miss..." Cyane's violet eyes flew to the man addressing her, "I am assuming it's a miss" he added hastily. "You need to come with me. You are cold and wet, and I am sure, very hungry. Which is why, you need to come with me. This part of the forest isn't safe, and we need to leave now, if we want to make it out alive" he said looking around.

Cyane allowed herself a moment to look at him. He seemed to be in his thirties and he also had a ring on his wedding finger. Could she trust him? He was a human and she could swear that before today, she had never ever seen him before.

"Can you walk?" he asked in concern and Cyane found herself nodding. "Come on" he said holding her arm and placing a hand on her shoulders, to help her get up.

Cyane flinched the moment his fingers touched her bare skin and the man too pulled his hand back like he had been electrocuted and stared at her with wide eyes when he realized her clothes didn't cover her back.

Since fairies often had to spread their wings, they usually wore plunging back line dresses or backless ones. Keeping that fact in mind, her grandpa had brought her a similar style dress.

However, the man in front of her thought something odd about it, Cyane was sure of that when she looked at his eyes. He didn't understand and she didn't want to explain.

All she wanted to know was why was she here, in the middle of the woods. Obviously, she had flown here but why? Why did she end up coming here in the middle of nowhere? What had happened?

A jacket being placed on her back, momentarily distracted her and she looked at the man who gave her a hesitant smile, "Let's go. I promise nothing will happen to you" he assured kindly.

Taken aback by the kindness, Cyane blinked. Could she trust him?

A mewl of the cat gave her the required answer and she looked up to see the cat with golden eyes sitting quietly up on the branch of a tree. Relieved to see a friend in this unfamiliar place, Cyane smiled and then took the man's extended hand.

She knew she was safe because her friend, Mr. Black was here. He had brought help to her in the form of this kind man. She could trust him because not only did Mr. Black have her back, but she was also stronger than this human.

___

"If you think she needed help so badly, then you should have dropped her to a nearby police station or a hospital. Why did you have to bring her to our home, Jack? And I think the help she needs will be provided to her in the rehab. Look at her... she looks like she has been surviving on drugs for so long. How could you even bring her to our house?"

Sitting on the floor, near the foot of the bed, in the room assigned to her for the night, Cyane flinched while Mr. Black hissed angrily.

They were talking in the other room, but thanks to some werewolf gifts that she possessed, Cyane could still hear them talking loud and clear. She also felt that the lady of the house, Anna, was doing it purposefully.

She gently ran her fingers on Mr. Black's head to soothe him.

"It's okay. Don't forget they helped me" she said quietly. They did ask her to shower, provided her a new dress and then fed her dinner. Throughout the whole time, Cyane had been aware that Anna didn't like her and didn't want her around her baby.

The couple, Jack and Anna, had a little baby. Though Cyane wasn't allowed to see him, she came to know about him only when he had let out a wail earlier. Their modest house had been closest to the woods and Cyane couldn't see any neighbours around either.

"Anna" Jack began gently, "I don't think she is on drugs. I think she was attacked... and her attacker might have drugged her though."

Cyane flinched again because she got his drift, but it wasn't true. She knew her own body well and she knew she hadn't been physically hurt because she felt fine, there hadn't been any wounds and her clothes had been intact. Yes, she healed very quickly but she would have still known if anyone had touched her untowardly.

"Even the more reason not to bring her home" Anna shouted in rage. "The police will be involved. Did you think about that? Did you think about us?"

"Stop shouting. Max will wake up, plus she can hear you" Jack tried to calm his wife.

"Let her. I don't care. I don't want her here Jack. Tomorrow morning, you are going to take her to the authorities, or I will call them myself!"

A door was slammed and Cyane closed her eyes. They were fighting because of her and she didn't want to cause any more trouble to the couple.

It had been two days since she had run away from her wedding and she already missed her family. She wondered what had happened at the wedding. Did Lucy and Gian marry? When did everyone figure out, she had escaped? Does Poppy know she never made it to his place? How worried were they?

She remembered walking towards the airport parking lot and getting into that another car. The next thing she remembered was waking up in the woods and getting into Jack's jeep.

She missed around thirty-six hours in between and she had no idea what she did in that time. She had tried to rack her brain for hours and failed miserably.

As tears streaked down her face, she placed the heel of her palm on her down bent head and tried very hard to remember but she just couldn't. Why couldn't she? What had happened to her?

Mr. Black paced in front of her and mewled repeatedly, his long, black tail, standing tall in the air. Cyane knew she was worrying him.

As she looked at him, he stopped pacing and his golden eyes met her teary gaze unflinchingly.

"What did I forget Mr. Black?" she asked him feebly.

He moved closer to her and she let him climb on her lap.

Did she purposely run away from her grandpa's men or did they dump her in the middle of the woods? Did someone drug her? She had taken a juice they had given in the plane... did they mix anything into it? That explanation made sense, but things still didn't add up. Izzy seemed genuinely nice and she had been with her throughout the journey. She would know, but she hadn't gotten into the car with Cyane. Did the car driver drop her in the woods? Did he try to do something with her, and she had run away from him and ended up in the woods? That also seemed likely.

"I have tried to remember it so bad, but I cannot. I just cannot remember it Mr. Black. What happened? Why did I end up going to the woods? I cannot remember any of it" Cyane spoke forlornly.

Mr. Black, the cat, tilted his furry head back to look at her. "You were there, weren't you?" she questioned and when he simply stared back at her, she got the answer.

"I don't remember Mr. Black, but you do. So, tell me, is it a good thing that I don't remember or bad?" Unfurling her fingers, she placed her palms in front of him.

She had been doing this with Mr. Black since she was eight and when in doubt, his answers soothed her nerves.

The cat placed its paw on her left hand and smiling sadly, Cyane curled her fingers around Mr. Black's paw and lowered her head to place a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

"You think it's good?" she asked him and once again, his golden eyes met her gaze as if challenging her to prove him wrong.

"Then I believe you" she finished and leaned back against the edge of the bed.

There was a knock on the door and her eyes widened. Mr. Black scrambled out of her lap and hid under the bed, while she went to open the door.

"Can I come in?" Jack asked and she nodded and let him in. "I... I got you something to drink" he said as he passed her a glass of milk.

"Thank-you" she smiled.

"Uh... I... I wanted to tell you something" he said looking around and her eyes automatically drifted towards the bed, hoping he couldn't see Mr. Black. "I am sorry for what happened to you. I really am. But I think, the best way forward is for you to seek the help of authorities."

"I understand" Cyane nodded because she felt sorry for the man. He was doing the right thing, but he was unsure if it was the right thing.

"You-You do?"

"Yes"

Jack swallowed, "Well, that's good." Clearing his throat, he shook his head before saying, "I am taking you to the authorities tomorrow. Can you be ready by 9 o'clock?"

"Okay"

"Okay" he nodded and then turned to leave, but stopped and looked at her once more, "I truly am sorry" his eyes conveyed his message and Cyane gave him a genuine smile as she tucked her hands behind her back.

"Don't be. You helped me when I had no one. This, I will never forget" she said raising her chin as she crossed her hands from behind, to do the bird gesture.

To the outside world, that gesture meant that she was a Sylvan clan fairy but within her clan, it was a symbol of respect and promise.

Later, when she slept on the bed, with Mr. Black sprawled on the other side and snoring softly, she swore she would repay Jack somehow.

Tomorrow, he would take her to the authorities and then, they are going to contact her grandfather and then she would be back in the castle.

___

Sharp at nine the next morning, Jack knocked the door and while Mr. Black jumped out of the window, Cyane opened the door and gave him a bright smile to ease his guilty conscience.

She was wearing his wife's yellow dress, which was double her size and she knew she looked stupid in it.

"Ready?" he asked her, and she nodded.

While they were heading out of the door, she stopped in her tracks when she heard the soft baby cries.

Anna was standing at the threshold of the living room with her baby in her arms. She couldn't see his face, but her heart melted when she saw the baby's chubby arms and legs. Her legs moved on their own and when she raised her hands to touch the child's head, Anna stepped back and glared at her.

Taken aback, Cyane blinked, "I won't hurt him."

"Leave" Anna said curtly.

"Anna" Jack reprimanded his wife.

"Please just leave. You have caused enough trouble already" Anna said to her instead.

Clenching her fists, Cyane nodded and left. If she had touched the child, she would have blessed him but she refused to feel angry with Anna's decision even though it hurt.

Anna was protecting her family and Cyane respected that!

___

"I am sorry dear; we do not have anyone named Roderick Swafford in our list?" Officer Palmer said to Cyane as she checked her computer.

"How is that possible? He is my grandfather. He lives here. Has been for more than two decades" Cyane argued with a frown.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Officer Palmer demanded and Cyane nodded confidently. "Is he registered?"

"What?"

"Anyone living legally in Scevola must be registered under the Residency Act. Are you sure he is living here legally?"

Cyane paled at the question and the consequences of her answers. What do I do? She thought looking around and then a bulb in her head flashed.

"Uh... can you look for Bardo Talcott?" The officer looked at her with a questioning brow but then typed the name.

"Did you say Bardo?" Cyane looked up at the unfamiliar man and when his eyes met hers, they turned a shade of dark brown.

Wolf.

"Yes" she answered without taking her eyes off his, hoping he would know Bard.

"Bardo? The owner of Bard's Bar?" Officer Palmer asked her colleague.

"Yes" Cyane and the other officer said at the same time.

"Come with me" he turned and she followed him towards his desk. "Who are you?" he asked as she sat down. "How do you know Bardo?"

Cyane read his name through the ID card and then leaned forward, "Call Bardo and tell him you know where Cookie is?"

Kevin cocked his eyebrow in amusement but she met his stare unflinchingly until he blinked and picked up his phone.

The phone was answered almost immediately, and Kevin cleared his throat before saying, "Hey, Bard... there is someone here called Cookie and—"

"Where is she?" Bardo barked from the other side. Leaning back in her seat, she smiled smugly at Kevin, who was staring at her with renewed interest. He didn't know her, which meant he wasn't very closely associated with Bardo.

But Bardo's immediate family, that is the boys he took in as children, knew her very well and they were also the ones who had trained her, along with Bardo himself.

"He will be here within an hour. Do you need something? Coffee, tea?" Kevin asked nervously.

"No. I just want to go home" she sighed.

Bardo Talcott was a very close friend of her grandfathers. When Cyane had been ten years old, he had taken over the responsibility of her training. Her grandmamma also trusted him because she had let Bardo and his men enter their castle grounds for her training and Bardo had also been invited for her wedding.

A wedding that never took place!

She refused to think about that now. Right now, all she wanted to do was reach the sanctuary of her grandpa's home and after she was thoroughly rested, she would decide on how to deal with the consequences of her decisions.

___

Thirty minutes later, several cars came to a stop in front of the police station and Cyane raised from her seat when she caught Bardo's scent.

A muscled, well-dressed man stepped into the room with confident steps. Taking off his sunglasses, he scanned the room until his frowning brown eyes met hers and warmed immediately.

Cyane hadn't seen Bardo in two years and in that two years his hair had turned the shades of salt and pepper, but he was still as handsome as ever. She didn't know his exact age but supposed he was the same age as her father would have been right now, if he was alive. However, Bardo didn't like to be called an uncle and so she had always called him by his name.

"Cya—Cookie" Bardo corrected himself when he realized he was surrounded by strangers. "I am so glad you are safe."

He held her hands in his scarred ones and looked her in the eyes, mentally asking her if she was safe. Cyane's smile reassured him and he nodded, before turning to Kevin.

"Can we go home or are there any paperwork's that needs to be done?" he asked Kevin as Officer Palmer approached.

"Yes. There are some documents you need to sign. The guy who brought her here said he found her in the woods, and he also said she was attacked, which she had denied. We had her tested and technically we should wait until we get the report but since she seems well enough, we will send her home. So, we need to know if you related to her" Officer Palmer said.

"We are. She is my niece" Bardo lied easily and went on to sign the papers.

___

While they drove away from the police station, Cyane was glad to be around a familiar person whom she could trust.

"I am glad you asked for me. I have already informed Roderick and he will be home by tomorrow morning. Your grandmother has asked for all the flights to be cancelled, so he must travel by road without arousing her suspicions. He still hasn't told her where you are" Bardo informed her.

"The cops.... They couldn't recognize Poppy's name" Cyane told him with a frown. It was something that had been nagging her.

Bardo looked uncomfortable and shifted in his seat before answering her, "He is worried the past will catch up to him. He goes by an alias here in Scevola."

"Oh! What's he called here?"

"Ricky. That's it" Bardo told her.

"And he's been living as Ricky for the past twenty years?"

"Yes. When you lived in Scevola, your name had been registered as Cookie" Bardo smiled.

"No last name?"

"No. It would have piqued interest. Everyone knows where the last name Sylvan comes from."

Cyane was quiet for a while before she asked, "Bardo, the people here... do they hate a Lycorian?"

"No. They fear a Lycorian and fear makes people do things that they won't be proud of" he answered gently.

"Why do they fear us?" she was curious to know more.

"Dirty politics works in Scevola and Aelius, Cyane. The hunger for power drives the wolves here mad. That's not the case in Lycoris. The queen rules there and she remains in the throne not just because she is powerful but also because the people love and respect her. The fairies have always been powerful than us and they have restrained themselves to the mountains. If they descend to this part of the world.... That's what the wolves fear. There's no chance wolves would win a war against the fairies, especially not the ones belonging to Sylvan clan" Bardo shook his head and she nodded understandingly.

She loved being a fairy, but she also couldn't deny the truth that she was a daughter of a wolf. It confused her... her grandfather's need for secrecy. She was aware that he originally belonged to Aelius and had left the pack after her aunt was killed. But why would he continue hiding himself even now?

Only her grandfather could give the answer to that very question.

____

The car stopped in front of Bardo's two storeyed house and as Cyane walked past it, she noticed the logo in silver. Tracing her fingers over it, she looked at the car and realized it was the same model as the shiny black one that picked her up from the airport.

"Is something the matter?" Bardo questioned, staring at her. His men who were all around the front yard of the house, were all watching her curiously.

"This car.... You sent Matt to pick me up from the airport?" she asked.

Bardo stiffened and nodded. "Your grandpa asked me to."

"I got into his car but then... I ended up in the woods Bardo. Did Matt do something to me?" Cyane stepped closer, wanting to know more.

There was a growl and she turned her head to look that Bardo's men were looking at her cautiously. It raised her suspicions and she frowned at them before turning back to Bardo.

"What is this?" she demanded in confusion.

"Step back" Bardo ordered his men with a growl that was loud and angry. "You are scaring her. Step back and let her breathe" he commanded and hesitantly one by one stepped back.

"Yes. I did send Matt to pick you up. It was on your grandfather's orders, but you never got into his car Cyane."

"What?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Izzy led me towards that car."

"She got misled too. The car was of the same model but it wasn't one of mine. However, the driver of that car drove away before we realized. He must have tried to hurt you but you somehow managed to successfully escape from him" Bardo shared as he placed a hand on the small of her back and led her into the house.

"I don't remember any of it. Why don't I remember any of it?" Cyane asked perplexed.

"You don't?" Bardo asked and she shook her head.

"I don't remember anything. I only remember getting into that car. I thought he was one of your men" Cyane furrowed her brows, for she was shocked to hear about this. How could she forget something so big?

"No. My men wouldn't hurt you but this guy did and I think you are just shocked. Maybe after a proper sleep, you will remember everything" Bardo soothed and then said, "Have some."

Cyane looked up to see a maid placing a tray of biscuits and coffee cups on the table. Suddenly, she lost her appetite and wasn't in the mood for anything.

"I can't remember anything Bardo. I am trying" she stood and paced the room nervously. Mr. Black was with her... so he knows and he thinks it's good that she forgot it. Which means, the driver, the guy who had introduced himself as Matt had tried to hurt her but she was unscathed. Mr. Black might have helped her. She knew him and she knew what he was capable of.

Mr. Black might have taken care of the guy, but who was the guy?

"Who was that guy? Why would he attack me? Before that day I hadn't even seen him" Cyane was curious because less than an hour of landing in Scevola and this had happened. How did her grandpa live here?

"We don't know who he is, but we do want to find out" Bardo swore.

"Izzy had seen him. She might be of help" Cyane pointed out hopefully.

"Izzy has lost a family member and she has flown back to her house. She has given us details and we are looking into it. We will find this guy."

"But why me?"

"There's a reason Roderick lives with a different name here" Bardo said quietly and she stiffened as understanding dawned on her.

"The wolves of Aelius?" she demanded but Bardo neither confirmed nor denied. Instead, he ushered her to a room and asked her to freshen up before lunch.

As she showered, she felt completely at unease because it didn't sit with her well that someone tried to kill her and she couldn't even remember it. Who was that guy and most importantly why are they after her grandfather?

___

It was the question that pondered her even an hour after her dinner.

Late in the afternoon, she spoke to her grandfather and he told her that he would be coming home tomorrow morning and Cyane decided she would demand answers for a lot of questions. Her grandpa had been hiding things from her and it didn't sit well with her. Especially when she knew she could keep him safe in Lycoris.

No one would try to hurt him in Lycoris and no one would hurt her either. Now, she understood why her grandpa had let her go to live with her grandmamma. He knew she was safer there. But why didn't he come with her? Why was he still living in such a place? Why did he have to send her here when he knew she wouldn't be safe?

You know why! A voice in her head screamed and she flinched. Yes! She knew that her grandpa wanted her to escape from that unwanted wedding and this was the only solution he came up with. He had assured her safety but he was still outmanoeuvred.

Restless, Cyane got off the bed and strolled towards the window. She watched as a group of Bardo's men met up and then goofed around.

A smile crept on her face as she heard their lame jokes. So carefree!

Cyane looked away when they took off their clothes and ran towards the woods, shifting into their wolves in the process. It amazed her how their body was capable of turning into wolves. She had seen her grandpa shift and did remember her dad's wolf form too but it always amazed her to see a full-grown man turning into a four-legged animal.

When they disappeared from her view, she stood up and searched for them, but she couldn't get a good view.

The wolves follow a hunting trail and they love to howl when the moon is bright in the sky; her grandpa had shared that bit with her and she was curious to know more about wolves. She wanted to see them in a pack even though she knew Bardo and his men where rogues and so was her grandpa. Still, she wanted to see these wolves hunt and how different it is from the hunting her clan members boasted about.

Biting her lip, she turned to see Mr. Black sitting on the bed and watching her curiously.

"I'll be back in a minute" she promised as she spread her wings and flew out of the window.

She flew high above the trees because she didn't want to disturb them or their prey. She spotted them somewhere in the middle of the woods and folding her wings, she quietly lowered herself, so she could sit safely on a branch of a tallest tree without making a noise.

Cyane was disappointed to see that the men weren't hunting, instead having a bonfire party with lots of alcohol.

She was about to fly back until she heard them talking about her, "Who is she again?"

"Ricky's granddaughter. The Sylvan" another answered. "She needs a place to stay low until Ricky comes home."

"Bardo is going to keep her here?"

"I guess. She is safe. I mean... as far as I know no one here is interested in flat ones" another one said and colour marred Cyane's cheeks when she heard their words.

She knew she had no breasts, but to hear it from men... it not just embarrassed her but also annoyed her. She would let Bardo know so that he could give them an earful!

"I wonder if all the Lycoris girls are like that?" the first one mused. "Flat and fragile?"

"Don't go by their looks, they are stronger than us. You know the saying- Keep your hands off Lycoris gems and Lycorian girls" the another repeated and Cyane's mouth dropped when she heard it. That's what people here say about them? However, as she wondered she realized it was true... to some extent!

Creatures? What creatures?

"They need to be taken care of! They are slowly growing by numbers while ours is diminishing. We lost seven of our men, trying to save her!"

Cyane eyes rounded in horror when she heard their words. Bardo lost his men trying to save her? He... why did he lie?

"Why are they after her?" someone asked and Cyane wanted to know the same thing. What creatures were they talking about? Not wolves... what else?

"It got something to do with her blood. Heard they even killed her parents for it!"

The ground seemed to collapse from under Cyane's feet as she loosened the hold she had on the branch, lost balance and dropped down, rustling between the leaves and branches.

Her wings appeared on their own accord and as she floated on the air, the men looked at her in shock.

"Go get Bardo!" one of them shouted as Cyane soared high in the air.

Lies. So many lies!

"We need to leave" she told shakenly to Mr. Black who was sitting on a branch and silently watching her. Knowing he would simply follow her; she turned and flew away disregarding Bardo's anxious voice calling her name.

___

Cyane flew for hours on end and when she stopped, dawn was slowly settling in. She was near some lake and the area around was vacant.

It was quiet and peaceful... just what she needed at the moment.

When she heard the flapping of wings, she didn't turn to look, just said, "I need a moment."

The flapping stopped and Cyane closed her eyes when it was quiet again.

The tears rolled out then and soon it became uncontainable. Covering her face with her hands, she lowered her head and sobbed her heart out.

It hurt.

She cried for her parents, who didn't die in the air crash like she had been told, but had been killed. She cried because she hated herself for not knowing it and not caring to ask more about them. She cried because she couldn't remember anything. She cried because her grandparents lied to her. She cried because their betrayal hurt.

What was wrong with her? How could she care so less about her parents? They loved her. She knew they loved her so much! She had some faint memories and she had seen the pictures. But that's all it had been. She had never wanted to know more. It's like.... It's like she completely forgot about them!

Cyane felt sick and as she shivered violently, she pressed her knees closer to her chest. Still, she couldn't stop the tears.

When her surroundings turned dark and blurry, she closed her eyes and laid on the ground, with tear stained cheeks.

___

"How is she?" Cyane could hear a soft feminine voice asking from distance, waking her up but she refused to open her eyes because she was tired and sleepy.

"The fever has come down but we still need to keep her for a day or two at the most" another voice replied.

"What about the test results?" the same feminine voice asked.

"Blood test results are all good and she seems to be absolutely fine but we are still checking because like I guessed, she is a half breed. Her one parent is a wolf but she doesn't take after that parent."

"Any other injuries?"

"No. She is good to go after the twenty-four-hour observation period. Did you find out who she is?"

"Not yet" the woman sighed and as Cyane pried her eyes open, her gaze met the moss green ones of a woman, standing beside her bed.

"Hello there" the green eyes woman said with a gentle smile, as she gently tugged a strand of Cyane's hair away from her forehead. The gesture was warm, friendly and the smile tender and... motherly!

Unable to stop her thoughts from drifting towards her own mother, Cyane closed her eyes and cried in her sleep.

___

The sounds of heated arguments were what made Cyane wake up from her sleep again. She frowned at the ceiling and then gave her attention to the voices around her.

"I'm going to report to the police this time and you cannot stop me" a girl, who had pink streaks in her dark hair, said tearfully to another one who was sobbing on the bed. A middle aged woman standing on the other side of the bed was glaring at them.

Cyane sat up to have a proper look at the one in the next bed who had a broken arm and several very visible bruises on her face and a black eye. She had blonde hair and hazel eyes and looked to be in her teens but had been struck by someone very cruelly.

Who would do that to such a young girl?

"Go ahead! Do that you witch! I will tell the police how you have turned my daughter against her own family. She is a minor and gullible. You will be arrested and sent to prison, where people like you belong" the angry, middle-aged woman hissed at the other girl and Cyane flinched at the hatred in her tone.

"That's enough!" a loud voice snapped and sudden silence fell in the room.

Cyane saw the woman again... the one with the friendly, motherly voice who was also wearing a lab coat. Green eyes bright and shining in fury, she walked towards their bed and glared at the hissing woman. "Not only are you creating a scene and disturbing my other patients, you are also spreading homophobia, which I will absolutely not tolerate. Apologize to the girls now and leave my hospital. I don't want anyone else to catch your sickness."

"If anyone should be leaving it is her" the hissing woman pointed at the pink streaked one. "I am here for my daughter."

"A daughter you let your husband and son abuse so badly that she almost lost her vision" the doctor stared down the cruel woman.

"What lies are you spreading? No one abused her. She fell from the stairs. Dear God! If only I knew before, what kind of hospital I was bringing my injured daughter into" she rolled her eyes heavenward and Cyane frowned. "Get our bills ready, we are leaving now."

"No" the pink streaks one cried.

"Stop using the old age lie of falling down the stairs! No one is going to buy that and also please stop turning things around for your own advantage. This is the third time in six months that Winnie has come to this hospital covered in bruises. It's clear to me she isn't safe at your house but you are abusing the fact that she is a minor to your own advantage. I have kept quiet the last two times because Winnie asked me to, but today, I have already informed the police and they'll be here anytime now" the doctor continued and Cyane watched her with shining eyes and read her name from the badge attached to her lab coat.

A fearless she-wolf who might have been in her mid-thirties, Doctor Yolanda Zeke without a doubt was a significant person in this hospital. After shooting down Winnie's mother with sharp, cutting words, she turned her attention to Winnie and her girlfriend.

"Did you really call the police?" Winnie asked once her fuming mother left the room, muttering unrepeatable filthy curses at Yolanda.

"Yes. I did. This is getting too far Winnie. You cannot let them get away with it this time. You have a fractured rib too and it'll take you months to heal" Yolanda told her sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Just two more months. Once I am an adult, I can get out of there and also take Elvi with me. I can't leave Elvi with them... she is only ten years old and if anything happens to my parents, my brother will get her custody and he is a horrible person" Winnie sniffed. "Please take your complaint back because Kurtis will hurt her if you do anything to my parents."

"They are blackmailing you and you cannot possibly believe I will leave your brother out of my complaint" Yolanda frowned.

"My parents will protect him. They'll protect him at any cost and then he'll get Elvi" Winnie cried.

"He won't. I will make sure of that" Yolanda promised.

"No. You don't know them. They are crazy and they have people helping them" Winne was restless.

"Winnie please. Listen to doctor. Nothing is going to happen to Elvi" her girlfriend tried to soothe her.

"You know how powerful they are Mel. Tell her what their men did to you in the station."

Mel paled and gulped audibly while Yolanda, Cyane and everyone else listened in shock as Winnie cried and told how Mel was arrested and molested in the station by some corrupt officials, until a senior officer intervened. As a punishment for his intervention, the officer was then transferred to a drought hit village.

"They have the support of the king. That's how they were able to get away from everything, every single time. I can't... I can't let it all happen again. Please take your complaint back doctor. Please" Winnie begged and kept crying.

To give them privacy and to not cause any more disturbance to other patients, Yolanda and other nurses helped them shift to a special room in the upper floor.

___

Sitting alone in her bed, Cyane stared at the other patients in the room. The last thing in her mind was about how she ended up here. In fact, she could only think about how silly her life and her problems were compared to others.

She thought being a princess was a toughest thing in the world and it was, but that didn't mean what others faced was any less than it.

She spent the last few hours talking to other patients in the room and finding out about them and she learnt a great deal that changed her views. It made her realize that not everything was black and white as she had always thought.

It made her wonder, why her grandparents did what they did! What was their reason to lie to her? She wanted to ask but she also didn't want to hear any more lies.

A hand was waved in front of her face and blinking, Cyane looked at Yolanda, who was now standing beside her bed and smiling at her.

"You seem to be very much lost in your thoughts. Care to share?" she asked with mild curiosity.

"How are they? The girls?" Cyane asked instead.

"They are fine. They are upstairs... resting. Don't worry about them. Tell me how are you feeling?"

"Better. Very much better!" Cyane smiled genuinely. "Who brought me here?"

"Some joggers saw you in the park near the lake and they brought you here. So, tell me what's your name?" Yolanda questioned softly.

Cyane hesitated because fairies didn't often share their names to others but she also didn't want to use Cookie. What if her Bardo and his men found her? They would take her back to her grandparents and she didn't want to go there. Didn't want to hear more lies!

"Cyane" she answered truthfully, meeting the doctors gaze.

"And where are you from, Cyane?" Yolanda asked again.

"Not from wherever this is" she replied with a shrug.

Yolanda smiled and then pulled a stool to sit beside her bed, "Well, right now you are in the Moonflower Community Hospital."

"And how far is it from the Scevola Airport?" Cyane demanded, for she wanted to know if she had enough time to escape before anyone comes looking for her.

Yolanda narrowed her eyes and shook her head before saying, "Very far. Cyane, you are in Lupus Moor and it is part of the Kingdom of Aelius. Where in Scevola are you from?"

Cyane's turned rigid when she heard the name Aelius and her lips curled in disgust.

"Aelius? Aelius? Why am I in this wretched place?" She was aghast to know she had stepped foot into this kingdom where the cruel wolves who had forced her family to abandon their home, still lived.

"Cyane! Calm down!" Yolanda said, standing up and leaning closer.

"I cannot calm down. This place is hell on earth and I will not stay here a minute further" Cyane shouted throwing away the blankets and the narrow tube attached to the back of her hand. It stung and she cried in pain as she pulled it off her.

"Cyane listen to me! You are not fit enough to leave the hospital" Yolanda cried, holding her arms and stopping her.

"I feel absolutely fine and I will be better when I am out of this hellhole" Cyane pushed off her hand and ran away.

Werewolves had incredible speed and Cyane knew that but she was still taken by surprise when two she-wolves cornered her in a corridor and tried to stop her.

"They won't hurt you" Yolanda assured calmly as Cyane glared at the she-wolves.

"Tell them to leave me alone or else... or else I refuse to take the blame for whatever happens next" Cyane warned shaking her head as Yolanda narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

One of the she-wolves chuckled and asked, "What will you do? Push me away?"

"If that's what you want..." Cyane shoved her in the chest and the energy that exuded from her hands sent the she-wolf flying to the wall on the other side of the corridor. She lost conscious as she hit the floor and more wolves appeared to see what caused the commotion.

"Okay! Okay!" Yolanda raised her hand in surrender as Cyane glared at the other she-wolf, who slowly stepped back while staring at Cyane in confusion.

"I promise you. No one is going to hurt you or stop you from leaving this place. But just tell me... why do you hate Aelius, Cyane? I want to know" Yolanda demanded.

Cyane let her eyes drift to Yolanda and all the other wolves behind her, who looked ready to attack her the moment she turned her back. "The kings men killed her and forced my grandpa to abandon his family home. If that hadn't happened, he wouldn't have moved to Scevola and I wouldn't have lost my parents there" Cyane's eyes filled up with tears as she uttered the last words.

She had hated Aelius because her grandpa hated it but now, after losing her parents in Scevola, she hated Aelius even more.

Yolanda's dark brows furrowed as she stared at Cyane, "What's your last name Cyane?"

Cyane refused to give her real last name but instead she gave the one that would make these wolves feel ashamed of themselves. Give them the name that her grandpa had abandoned when living in hiding in Scevola.

"Swafford. Rings a bell?" Cyane wiped her tears away, "Your king had his men kill my aunt—"

"Lisa" the name came out in a shaken whisper from Yolanda's lips and Cyane watched as Yolanda blinked a few times until her green eyes flooded with tears of pain before she tried to blink them away. Licking her lips, she opened her eyes and smiled at Cyane, before whispering, "You are Duke's daughter."

"Yes" Cyane frowned, refusing to be swayed by the tears because for years her grandpa and Bardo had repeated that the wolves of Aelius could never be trusted. No one could be called a friend but everyone could definitely be called an enemy.

"My God! I... I don't know what to say" Yolanda said truthfully.

"You don't have to say anything. You just have to let me leave" Cyane stated flatly.

"I... I can't do that. Not when I know you are not okay" Yolanda shook her head regretfully as other wolves watched Cyane suspiciously.

"I am fine. I will be better when I am out of here" Cyane argued.

Yolanda looked like she was about to refuse again but then stopped and nodded, "Okay! I get why you don't want to be here. You can leave but if you need anything—" she looked around and then one guy stepped closer and handed her a card, which Yolanda passed to Cyane, who took it hesitantly.

"I will always be here to help you, just like your aunt had once helped me" Yolanda finished and Cyane stared at the card, before nodding once.

"Your clothes are in there" Yolanda added and nodding, Cyane went to change.

She was grateful to whoever brought her to this hospital, but she couldn't stay in Aelius. She just couldn't!

She had no idea where she would be going but she refused to think about that when her priority was escaping from Aelius.

****

Well, how did Mr. Black, the cat come all the way? What do you think? Do share your thoughts...

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Next update, next week :D

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