Fated to a human

JC POV  

The scent of coffee filled my nostrils, pulling me from the haze of restless sleep. I had fallen asleep lying next to Haylie, her cold, lifeless body beside me. 

 By now, I had grown so accustomed to the smell of death clinging to her that I could no longer distinguish it. 

"Looks like someone is awake," Klinton's voice broke the heavy silence. 

I rose from where I had been lying, my movements sluggish. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I turned to see him sitting across the room, cross-legged on the floor, a steaming mug of coffee in his hands. 

"What time is it?" I asked, my voice rough from exhaustion. 

Klinton smirked, the kind of expression that usually irritated me but now felt oddly grounding. "Don't worry, my friend. It's still early," he replied, taking a sip of his coffee. 

A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I glanced over at Haylie. Her body lay as still as it had since the moment she passed, her pale skin untouched by the light of life. My chest tightened, and I felt the sharp sting of tears welling up in my eyes. 

"It's been a whole day," I murmured, my voice breaking. "She's been gone for a whole day now." 

Klinton set his mug down, his tone shifting to something firmer, almost urgent. "That's exactly why we need to move today," he said, his gaze locking onto mine. 

I looked up at him, confusion and desperation swirling within me. "What do you mean?" 

He leaned forward slightly, his expression serious. "We have to bring Haylie back before her body begins to dissolve." 

I rose from my sitting position, straightening my stiff body. Klinton watched me, his expression calm but firm. 

"But first, my friend," he said, gesturing to the coffee mug in his hand, "drink a coffee with me. Then we'll head down to the caves." 

I let out a heavy breath, nodding as I made my way over to him. Klinton grabbed the coffee pot and poured the dark liquid into an empty mug, the rich aroma filling the room. He held the mug out to me as I sat down beside him. 

"Here," he said, his voice softer now. "Drink some coffee." 

I took the mug, realizing this was the first thing I'd had to drink in a day—maybe even two. Since the chaos erupted, I hadn't thought about myself, only about Haylie. 

Lifting the mug to my lips, I took a sip. The warmth slid down my throat, chasing away some of the cold that had settled deep inside me. I took another sip, letting it ground me in the moment. 

"There's a cave," Klinton began, his tone measured as he cradled his own mug, "where we can take her. But I'll need your help to go under the water with her. That's the only way I can dive into the spirit world and see where she is." 

I stared into my mug, the weight of his words sinking in. "Is there a way to bring her back?" I asked, my voice low but steady. 

Klinton took a sip of his coffee, his gaze steady as he met mine. "First, I have to find her in the spirit world," he explained. "Once I locate her, I can guide her back through the veil. If she can find her way, she'll return to her body." 

His words hung in the air, both a promise and a challenge. 

I took another deep sip from my coffee, letting the warmth seep into me, a fleeting comfort in a world that felt cold and desolate. For a moment, it was as if the heat of the mug anchored me, giving me something to hold onto. 

"Do you think she'll find her way back?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My gaze drifted to Klinton, searching his expression for even the faintest glimmer of hope. 

Klinton met my eyes, his own calm but unreadable. "It depends, my friend," he said after a pause, his voice measured. "I can't tell you how long it will take—or if she'll make it. But with faith, she'll have a chance. Faith is the thread that guides her back to her body." 

His words hung heavy in the air, offering no certainty but still leaving a sliver of hope. 

Liam POV  

I stood motionless, staring at Melody's lifeless body sprawled on the shower floor. Without hesitation, I tossed her heart to the ground beside her. 

The bloodied organ landed with a sickening thud, but I felt nothing—no remorse, no satisfaction. My soul was carved hollow by the pain of Haylie's death, and any shred of humanity I had left seemed to drain away with her. 

Turning back to the water, I let it rinse the blood from my hands, washing away the evidence of what I'd done. 

 Once the crimson streaks disappeared, I reached out and shut the tap, stepping out of the shower. Grabbing a towel, I began drying myself, my movements robotic, devoid of thought or emotion. 

Life as I knew it was over. Haylie's death had shattered me into someone I no longer recognized. As I finished drying off, I walked to my room and opened the cupboard, pulling out a pair of jockey shorts and pants. Dressing quickly, I combed my fingers through my damp hair, trying to clear my head. 

Then, something caught my eye. 

A shadow shifted in the doorway of the bathroom. 

I froze, my jaw clenching as I looked up. My heart pounded as the figure stepped into the light. It was Melody. 

"How is this possible?" I growled, my fists tightening at my sides. "I just killed you." 

A slow, mocking smirk crept across her lips. She took a deliberate step forward, her presence as unnerving as ever. "Have you forgotten?" she purred, her voice dripping with condescension. "I'm immortal, Liam. You can't kill me." 

I dropped the towel, letting it fall limply to the floor, and arched my back, feeling my wolf stir inside me. "What about your heart?" I snarled, gritting my teeth. 

Melody chuckled, her laugh cold and cutting. "Oh, that?" she said, her tone playful, almost taunting. "I don't need that pathetic piece of flesh. That was Melody's heart—her weakness." 

Her words cut through me like a blade, my wolf snarling in the back of my mind. She disgusted me. Every fiber of her being filled me with revulsion. 

"Don't look so disappointed, Liam," she sneered. Her form began to shift, her skin no longer bare. A sleek black gown materialized, draping over her body like shadow. 

"You disgust me," I spat, my nails digging so deeply into my palms that blood began to drip to the floor. 

"Don't worry," Melody cooed, ignoring my hatred as though it were a mere inconvenience. "Our baby is perfectly fine. In fact, thanks to the dark energy flowing through me, it's thriving." 

A smirk curled my lips, but there was no humor in it. Only bitterness. "You're nothing to me," I growled, my voice laced with venom. 

My eyes never left her as she sauntered toward me, a wicked smile playing on her lips. Every step she took fueled the fire burning inside me. 

"Oh, Liam," she purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "You'll come around eventually. After all, Haylie is gone, and soon, you'll realize that I—and our unborn child—are all you have left." 

Her words hit me like a dagger, twisting deep into my core. The anger surged, unstoppable. 

"You're nothing but someone I'd love to see dead," I snarled, my voice trembling with hatred. "I won't rest until you feel what Haylie felt when you killed her." 

Melody stopped, her eyes narrowing into slits of malice. A wicked glint danced in her gaze as her lips curved into a cruel smirk. "That sounds like a challenge," she taunted, her voice laced with malevolence. 

I had enough. 

Every fiber of my being screamed for vengeance. I was ready to charge, to end her once and for all. My wolf roared in agreement, urging me to act. This woman was a plague—a shadow I needed to erase. 

Just as I lunged toward her, her form flickered. 

Before I could land a blow, she vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but silence in her wake.