70 Chapter 70: Trouble in paradise

The sun was already setting, giving off an orange hue to the sky. Elize stared out of the window absentmindedly, her confused mind ignoring the thick trunks of ancient tress as the car sped past them. Zack and Alex had opted to run in their wolf forms back to the pack house since it was the faster way. Irina was humming a random song as she kept driving, letting her friend be in her own world. Elize was thankful for that. Her mind was preoccupied with the thoughts of her mate. Zack hadn't given a second glance at her as they had disappeared into the forest quite a while ago. He was maintaining a cold distance from her. It was unsettling. She didn't know what she did to tick him off to this extent. 

The thick trunks of trees gave way to thinner ones, as the car took a wide turn onto a broader road. Elize was able to see the pointed roof of the pack house jutting out from above the tree line. It brought back a lot of memories to her. She had left this place as a witch and had returned as a human. She remembered the pack people's response to her staying with them. They had always hated the fact that she was a witch. Although a lot of them had turned a new page after the incident with the wraiths, most of them still had to the very end hated her. She wondered, if they would feel any different towards her if they knew that she was now human.

The car came to a stop in front of the huge four storyed mansion. Irina turned off the ignition and sighed.

"Do you want me to take you back to your place?" She asked, keeping a concerned hand on Elize's shoulder.

Elize shook her head. She'd rather go inside the pack house than go back to her place. She wasn't ready to be near the other witches right now- especially Aileen. What bothered her most about getting out of the car was the fact that she'd now have to face someone who she dreaded with every hair on her body. She'd have to face Alpha Li. And with the way that Zack was acting now, she feared that she'd have to face the man all alone. 

"You know, if it makes you feel any better I can stay with you till you want me to." Irina said, with a smile.

Elize nodded with a grateful expression. "Please do."

She took a deep breath and opened the door. The sight before her was not a welcome one. In her distracted stage, she hadn't noticed the huge crowd standing in front of the pack house. There were at least a hundred witches of all ages whose heads were now turned towards her direction. She recognized a few of them from her initiation ceremony. Most of them had kept staring at her with a disgusted look back then. Apparently they didn't like her much and the feelings were mutual. 

It was supposed to be quite far from Aileen's house. As the head witch, she had two residences- one of which she'd never seen. The one which was next to Elize's place was abandoned for a long time, ever since her great grandparents passed away. Aileen had apparently moved back to the two storyed house, owing to the fact that Elize was back. Since the witches of the protected village were not too keen on having Elize stay with them, Aileen had no other choice but to keep her company. Elize had never bothered with those witches. She had always thought that their animosity had something to do with her great grandfather being a werewolf. But now that she knew the truth, she understood that it was solely due to her being from the coven of Ruah Yareach.

The witches started whispering as soon as Elize stepped out of the vehicle. She kept her head down and her mind preoccupied. They were after all, descendants of the people who slaughtered her ancestors. Her new found hatred for the Island witches kept increasing as she walked through the crowd. She never wanted to associate with them ever again, Elize thought. She could hear the murmurs clearly as she kept walking.

"Look! She's the one who got bitten by a wolf!"

"Shame on her!"

"Slut!"

"I heard she's a half breed."

"No wonder, the moon goddess chose her to be nothing but a sacrifice."

The last comment got to her. Her irritation had the possibility to reach new levels on that particular day. Elize was about to turn around when a firm hand wrapped around her shoulders. She turned to see the smiling face of Irina.

"Don't let them get to you." She whispered, leaning in to her ears.

Elize's heart grew heavy. She wanted to cry. Why was everything so wrong with this day? She thought sadly. She kept moving, leaning on Irina's tall figure. Soon, they were past the crowd and inside the pack house. She noticed that the dining hall was crowded with wolves. Many bowed to her as they spotted her in the entry way. Some even smiled and waved at her. Elize smiled back politely. It seemed that the pack was somehow friendlier since their last meeting. She felt a little bit lighter knowing that. At least she had a people. She was going to be the Luna of this pack. 

"There you are!" A chirpy voice greeted her.

Elize smiled shyly at the gorgeous red headed wolf walking towards her with the largest smile she'd ever seen on her. Nina was clothes in black from head to toe, with hilts of knife jutting out from the sides of her boots. She looked nothing short of Lara Croft from Tomb Raider- the ultimate combat heroine of her heart. Wait, but this was not how she was dressed usually. This looked more like she was going for a fight with-

"Why are you dressed like that?" Elize asked, raising her brows.

"Just thought I'd dress up for the event." She replied with a wink.

"A war is not an event Nina." Irina admonished, but there was a lightheartedness to it. 

Elize looked back and forth the two red heads. Was she missing out on an inside joke here or something?

"Anyway," Nina said, turning to Elize, "Let's head upstairs. Some major drama is waiting for you."

Elize smiled awkwardly. She looked around her, searching for the one person she hoped to find among the wolves sitting and talking with each other in the dining hall.

"If you're looking for Zack, he's already with Alpha Li in the office." Nina said, pulling at her hand.

"Great." Elize said, rolling her eyes.

She let herself be dragged up the stairs along with the two women. She had half a mind to turn back and run for it. But she knew that she had to face this at some point or the other, since she was not planning on returning to her own mansion. 

"Do I sense some tension in paradise?" Nina asked, stepping on to the next flight of stairs.

"Nina." Irina warned, this time her tone stern.

Elize sighed. Was it really a paradise to begin with anyway?

"What? I was just asking!" Nina protested.

"It's fine. First, let's get this over with." Elize said waving her hands at her friends. 

They had already reached in front of the office and loud voices were coming from inside. The three of them stood outside, confused whether they should knock or not. 

"-dare you come back after what you did her?!" Zack's voice thundered from inside.

He sounded really angry. It was the first time she was seeing this side of his. She could guess who he was addressing. There was onnly one possible source of tension- the man who tried to start a war on the Island once more, taking advantage of their absence. 

"Zack! That's no way to talk to your grandfather!" She heard a shrill voice, which appeared as angry as her mate's. It was probably his mother. She was the only person who was concerned about people's manners towards the old man.

"I'm the Alpha here! And I say that he has to go. I don't want to see him on the Island again!" Zack shouted in reply.

She heard a low growl, which was oddly familiar. Wait, where had she heard this from before? It was definitely not during Alpha Li's stay here. "You ungrateful piece of-"

"You really want me to go in with you?" Irina asked, distracting her from the old man's swearing session.

Elize looked towards her friends. "Would you both please come in with me? I'm kinda scared of that evil man." She blurted out.

Suddenly the conversation in the room died down. Elize realized that she had spoken that aloud in a place full of wolves. There was no doubt that every one of them inside had heard her. 

The door slowly cracked open to reveal the tiny face of Meiling. Zack's mother looked tired, her hair disheveled and huge bags under her eyes. She looked nothing like the elegant woman who commanded respect with her presence. Although she looked like that, she had a fierce look in her eyes as her gaze fell on Elize.

"Elize." She said, opening the door wider for her to enter.