Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession
Chapter 144: Eliminate fear

Chapter 144: Eliminate fear

"They were extremely fast that my running would actually be likened to a snail’s crawling when compared to their speed," Dera continued telling the story, her voice slightly shaky but steadying with every word as she delved into the dark, terrifying memories she had tried to bury.

Her eyes were faraway, lost in the images of that day, yet her presence was solid, like someone who had survived a storm and lived to tell the tale.

Tessy gave her all of her attention now. Her eyes were wide, her posture leaning in slightly, drawn closer to Dera not just by the suspense of the story but by the unspoken weight she felt pressing into the room.

"But that was not all," Dera went on, her voice now firmer. "Their eyes could change colors, their teeth and nails grew longer than normal at will, and they were super strong."

Tessy could almost see it, her imagination giving form to the monstrous beings Dera described.

"I had only managed to run a short distance," Dera said, "when I was caught by my hair and pulled back with such force that I felt my scalp had caught on fire and my hair had been ripped off."

Her hand instinctively brushed over the back of her head, as though the pain of that moment still lingered just beneath her scalp.

"I landed butt flat on the forest floor," she said, her brows drawing together, the memory etched in the lines of her face. "But the one who caught me did not even let me recover from the pain I was feeling on my head. In no time, he was standing before me, and before I could register what he was about to do, a blinding slap was delivered to my face. The impact sent me straight to the ground."

Tessy winced, her hand flying to her own cheek as though she had felt the slap herself.

"I was yet to recover from that when the same guy grabbed my neck and lifted me off the ground only to jam my back against a tree." Dera’s voice trembled now, and her fingers tightened around the hem of her gown. "With that, I lost consciousness for a few seconds."

The forest faded into a haze in her mind, the colors and shadows swirling in a disorienting blur.

"By the time I opened my eyes," she said slowly, "something sharp had stabbed my side. I didn’t know what it was, and I didn’t care at that moment. But with the last bit of consciousness I still had, I saw Williams pulling the guy away from me before he could do any more damage."

She paused to catch her breath, and Tessy’s eyes glistened, feeling every word settle deep within her.

Dera swallowed, her next words coming with the finality of death itself. "At that point, life was leaving me and I knew it. I was dying."

Her tone had shifted. The fear, the pain, the rawness, it all saturated the air between them.

"I was alone on the ground," she said. "I couldn’t move, and breathing was becoming increasingly difficult. I couldn’t even speak." Her voice broke slightly, but she kept going, relentless in her retelling. "Soon, Williams came back beside me and pressed down on the bleeding wound on my abdomen while telling me to stay with him and to keep breathing."

Tessy bit her lip, her heart pounding.

"But I knew that was not possible," Dera said. "I could see him faintly, I could hear him, but I couldn’t do what he was asking. It was out of my control. At a point, everything turned black and I couldn’t see him anymore, neither could I hear him. But that was when I felt it... a sharp pain by the side of my neck." Her voice lowered, becoming softer but no less intense. "This exact place," She lifted her hand slowly and pointed to her neck, her finger settling on a precise spot.

"It instantly restarted my heart, forcing me back awake. But at the same time, I began to feel a strange hotness move around my body as if I had been set on fire. I began to scream."

Tessy’s breath caught in her throat. The thought of such agony and yet being brought back from the edge of death, it chilled her to the bone.

"Williams said some strange words," Dera said, "that finally made me lose consciousness again. By the time I woke up again, I didn’t open my eyes immediately, and I didn’t move. But I heard voices, and it was Williams and his mother."

Dera’s eyes were far off now, her mind slipping back into that moment on the forest floor.

"I was still on the forest floor. I didn’t know how long I had been there, but I felt pains everywhere and I wanted to scream, but I held it in because I wanted to know what they were talking about."

She turned to look directly at Tessy, eyes firm. "And that was when I heard exactly what Williams did. He bit me to save my life, but that had cost him his right to get a mate from the Moon goddess."

Tessy’s eyes widened at that.

"I didn’t know what that meant at that time," Dera continued, "until later on. He told his mother that he didn’t regret it, that he couldn’t let me die because he loved me. He said he was willing to accept me as his chosen mate."

Her eyes softened now, the memory bittersweet. "I wanted to listen more, but my body did not let me. The pain became too much and I ended up letting out a groan that attracted their attention. They immediately approached me."

She mimicked the gesture of someone placing something into her mouth. "The woman put something in my mouth and gave me water to swallow, and I did. After a few minutes, I felt a little better. Then she told me that they would take me to a hospital and that I should say it was an animal attack when asked what happened."

Dera tilted her head toward Tessy. "I looked at Williams and he nodded in agreement and added that he would explain everything to me once I recovered. I agreed and played along."

Tessy nodded slowly, her hand clenched around the hem of her dress now.

"I didn’t stay long in the hospital because I recovered very fast," Dera went on, "but a few days after I got home, the effects of what Williams did started coming at me strongly."

Her eyes flashed with the memory of chaos. "I would wave my hands, and anything in the direction of my hands at that time would come crashing down. If I stayed too long staring at a glass, it would shatter."

She leaned forward, her voice lowering. "I went to Williams for help when it became too much, and that was when he explained everything to me. His mother helped me learn to control it, and I can tell you, one of the first things you have to do is to eliminate fear."

Tessy leaned closer, hanging onto the words like a lifeline.

"Once fear is gone and you embrace the changes happening within you, it will be easier for you to handle," Dera said, her eyes locked with Tessy’s. "It took me a while to eliminate fear, but I eventually did. However, when it was time to begin other parts of the training, so many things got in the way and we didn’t get to do it. So I didn’t get to use the powers, but eliminating fear helped me keep it down and hidden where it didn’t interfere with my everyday life."

Dera ended the story.

The room was quiet, the air thick with the weight of everything Tessy had just heard. She let out a sigh after Dera stopped talking, her lips parting slowly.

"I don’t think my case has to do with fear," Tessy said softly, "but there is no harm in trying. Can you tell me how exactly you eliminated fear?"

Dera nodded her head, willing to share everything she knew. "Of course. Your case is more complicated than mine. You were born with this power, as I wasn’t. But then, you might still have fear that you don’t know about."

Her tone was patient, filled with calm assurance.

"So to eliminate it," Dera said, "the first thing you have to do is accept you are a changed person and no longer the person you were yesterday. Accept that something is different. Accept that you have these powers and accept that they are a part of you now and will forever be."

Tessy nodded slowly, absorbing the words, allowing them to seep into her.

"You need to accept these facts with your heart, your mind, and your spirit," Dera said with finality.

Tessy looked down at her hands. It sounded so easy but she knew it was difficult. Acceptance of things as strange as being a witch was not easy. But if it would help her get her life back in order, then she was willing to give it a try.

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