As Bella walked down the empty streets, she could feel the cold breeze brushing against her tear-stained face. The wind was cold, making her regret forgetting to bring a coat with her. She could go back and get one, but her pride told her otherwise. She even left without driving her car because she was in a hurry to leave her grandfather’s presence. She had no other choice but to walk her way to Baskerville Beanery. It was only a twenty-minute walk, not that far from her home.
The lonesome moon above her was half-full, but beautiful nevertheless. She sneered; the moon was exactly like her – a desolate beauty. However, it was far less miserable than her for it still had the billions of stars which complimented its periodic imperfection. She, on the other hand, was surrounded by people who would promise to love her for all eternity yet she could not keep even just a single one of them even if she would force herself to love. She was cursed; like the moon that had to endure the constant change of phase, she was unable to feel the fullness of love and happiness.
Bella took her time as she turned into a dark alley, enduring the cold wind damping on the bareness of her porcelain skin. Exactly ten minutes have passed, yet she was already in front of Baskerville Beanery, the most popular restaurant in the town of Baskerville. If she would just cross the road and open the glass doors of the famous beanery, she would finally meet Seth Morgan who was waiting patiently in his white polo. He was sitting next to the glass window and Bella could see him beaming in excitement as he gingerly smelled the bouquet of white tulips between his hands, his lips curled up in a feverish grin.
Bella sighed, feeling bad for the guy. She was not excited at all, let alone happy for having him as her date. Bella did not hate him. He was just not up to her standards. Seth was the son of her father’s beta, the strict and intimidating Beta Stephen Morgan. It was not the first time she saw Seth. In fact, she knew him. They were classmates in their academy. However, Bella did not pay much attention to him despite of his impressive skills, looks, and wits. To her, Seth was just one of those many wolves in their batch who could not surpass her abilities.
Bella only stared at the establishment across the road. She could not stomach the thought of dating Seth. It was not her first date, but she felt the knots in her stomach tightening in displeasure. For her, love was just unreal and impossible. All her life, she believed that no one was destined to become her mate.
At last, after battling with her obnoxious pride, she decided to cross the road. She bit her lower lip, unhappy with her decision; but was nonetheless determined to get the date over with. When she was about to step into the light emitted by the streetlamps, the heavenly sound of the Moonlight Sonata crept into her ears. The sound was magnetic, a pleasant disturbance to her music deprived ears. Bella turned around and followed where the music came from.
Bella’s curiosity brought her in front of the house of an infamous werewolf in his forties rumored to have been a rebel. “Lupin de Lima,” she uttered as she watched the wolf man exit his car. His driver was following closely behind, carrying a suitcase which was probably filled with tons of money. Mr. de Lima emitted a dangerous aura, yet Bella was unfazed to be standing in his territory.
Bella just stood there outside the gate and listened to the music being played from the inside of the mansion. Her eyes were beaming in satisfaction, silently admiring the talented fingers of the one behind the piano. The Moonlight Sonata had difficult keys, yet the person playing it had swiftly managed to skillfully hit the right keys and tempo. Bella smiled under the shadow of the tall gate, her fingers itching to touch and play the piano’s keys. However, she resisted the temptation and turned her back. The music ended; she had no more reason to stay there.
Both her feet were heavy as she walked her way back to Baskerville Beanery. There was something about the music she heard which made her want to listen to it once more. It was not the first time she heard the Moonlight Sonata. She knew how to play the keys herself and she had listened to it for too many times already since she was eight. Consumed in her own thoughts, Bella suddenly tripped and fell on her knees. She could feel a stinging pain coming from her knees and palms as she slowly rose from the ground. She dusted herself and grunted when she noticed two small rips on the lower part of her dress. The rip was stained with blood – it was from her knees. She slightly lifted her dress and saw blood dripping from both her knees. Her palms were bleeding too. Her cuts were small, yet she was bleeding too much. Bella panicked. She could not stand the sight of blood.
Just as she was about to run her way home, a familiar tune stopped her. It was still coming from inside the mansion. She listened carefully, recalling where she had first heard it. The music reminded her of her tragic childhood. She calmed down as she listened, and the stinging pain from her palms and knees were slowly disappearing. She stared at her palms. Her eyes grew wide in shock and amazement. The dripping blood from her cuts slowly flowed back inside her flesh. Her wounds disappeared as if they were never formed. She traced the spot on her palm where the wound was. There was no trace of it. Like vapors disappearing in thin air, the cuts on her knees had vanished as well.
Bella ran inside the open gate. She had to see and know who was playing. Perhaps, that person could be the one – the one who could cure her curse. Perhaps, that person could be him.
She sneaked inside the mansion, the sound was becoming louder. The inside of the mansion was far from the creepy ambience it emitted from the outside. It was a simple house decorated with gold and white furniture; the walls were painted in white and the floor was covered with a dark red carpet; and the ceiling was tall and wide, the fancy chandeliers dangling above were vintage yet simple. She stopped on her tracks. Grunting sounds and loud thumps disturbed her wandering eyes and eager feet. Curious, she followed where the pounds and knocks came from.
Her toes brought her in front of a tall white door with gold rims. The fancy look of the door was enough to make her turn the golden knob. She stiffened; her eyes unable to keep their calm. There, in that dark room, five young men were tied up in metal chairs, their mouth covered with duct tape. Their eyes were pleading Bella to untie them.
Bella flashed them an apologetic look, but was not at all regretful. She closed the door shut, cutting the confined young men's hope of being rescued. Besides being cold-hearted, she was not one who would get herself involved in other people's business.
She ignored the muffled cries behind the closed door and went up the stairs. Just as she was about to see the person playing the piano, a deafening voice inside her head stopped her. She clutched her head tightly, a searing pain was exploding madly in her mind. She slowly backed down the stairs, afraid of what was happening to her.
The wolf inside her was taking over her system. Bella did not know which one of her two wolves were trying to control her. She just prayed to the deities to not let it be the cursed, evil one — Anathema.
Bella’s vision blurred and her heart raced achingly before she could tame the wolf that was trying to control her. She held onto the banister as everything around her slowly turned dark. She was losing control of herself. Just before she knew which wolf was taking over her system, she completely lost control of her body.