*Selene's PoV*

More than an hour had passed since Channing had started with explaining the entire story. It was funny how he knew every aspect of it, even though he was not present everywhere. But it was heartbreaking at the same time to hear that he had such an evil soulmate.

"What happened after that?" I asked, while handing Channing a glass of water.

We were now shifted and had found ourselves a seat in the kitchen where Fang had furnished a dining table for four. Channing gulped down the entire glass of water before continuing in a grave tone, "The mark was evoked, but it came with consequences. It turned out the process went well, but because I had done it without Ellie's consent, it brought in a curse on us. Luckily we did not lose our wolves but only the ability to mark any other person as our mate."

"That sounds..." my voice trailed in a whisper, remembering how Dandeline had told about these potential side effects if I evoked my mark without Fang's consent. "Sad," I finished my sentence, bringing myself back to Channing.

Channing let out a dry laugh, "it does, but I am glad I evoked it."

"What happened when Ellie woke up?" My curiosity took the best of me as I asked the question instead of consoling Channing first. I went to immediately correct my mistake by apologising, but Channing spoke before I could say anything.

"It was a mess when she woke up and found out we three Warchilds had joined hands to make her void of her mark," Channing continued. "Not only that, but she now could not have another soulmate. Ellie did not care about me having lost the ability as well she was angry at the fact that the opportunity to get her mate's healing was taken away from her. There was a huge tantrum she threw at the scene and the innocent Akame faced the consequences."

There were so many places in the story where my heart had wrung inside my chest. "Did Ellie kill her?" My question only made Channing more troubled remembering the past.

"Akame died trying to protect me," replied Channing, and I could see how much regret and blame he carried for that girl's death. I placed my hand over Channing's shoulder and rubbed it, trying to console the heavy heart and his burning eyes that were holding back the tears. Channing held my hand that was on his shoulder as if my action was only making him hurt more, "I was so dazed and in shock that I did not care if Ellie came to kill me. Before Fang could reach, Akame had stepped in front of me, taking Ellie's strike."

There was a silence that spread in the room with that news. I had not met this Akame girl even once, but I could tell how much she must have cared for her friend Ellie, who did think even for a second before killing her childhood friend.

"Let's leave it be. Everyone has a tiny part of their past that hurts," Channing reasoned with himself more than with me. "Fate is not fair to anyone."

"Yea," I agreed with him. Everyone does have a part of the past that hurts. "I am sorry about Akame," I continued, while placing my hand on the back of his palm. Channing was avoiding to look into my eyes and I awkwardly removed the hand that was consolingly over his.

Channing noticed this small action. His face turned to me with a mild smile, "I have it all behind you don't have to feel sorry about it."

My lips pursed with a tight smile. Throughout the story, Channing had not once mentioned what happened to the princess of the Cermesi clan and where was his soulmate now.

I would have very much liked to believe they went back to the lands that they belonged to, but Channing had deliberately hidden their names.

"Channing," I grabbed his attention that was fixed on the empty glass of water in front of him. He kept twirling the glass while he hummed in question for what I had to say. Channing's gaze did not shift to mine, so I just continued without waiting for him, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Channing was quick to reply.

I cleared my throat to dissipate my own awkwardness, not wanting to go back to the topic of his soulmate, but my curiosity was nagging me with some answers that I had reached. "What her name? I mean Ellie's real name... I suppose you found out about it later."

Channing stopped the twirling of glass on the table and the constant sound it was making stopped. "I did find out. I just don't want you to get too involved in it."

What did he mean by I would involve myself in it? Isn't that the least of what friends do for each other?

But there were other conclusions that the mind was reaching to. If I could get involved with them, that meant they were right here in Winterwells. Worst as a Beta I would be associating with them. My mind rummaged through all the possibilities of the situations where I would run into them. Of course, I can be kept away from some things according to what task Channing gave to me, but there was one place that Channing had no control over my interactions and that would be the pack.

Was one of the Cermesi sisters in the pack?

It did not take long to come to conclusions with rhyming Ellie's name with someone. It was a nickname, so usually, it should be close to the person's real name.

"Channing, is it someone from the pack?" I asked, trying not to be too direct for the first time itself.

Channing sighed as his gaze deliberately turned towards me slowly. He stared into my eyes for a long moment before he sighed again and went back to playing with the glass of water on the table. "I said you should stay out of this, it's for your own good," his tone was monotonous.

My eyebrows crinkled at his words of disapproval, "Is it, Hailey?"

Channing dragged a sharp breath as his eyes turned to me, "Why do you want to know about it so bad?" His voice carried a fluctuating tone for the first time.

I knew the context his question was in but I stuck to my context of the question, "Because Ellie rhymes a lot with Hailey, and," I paused, running my tongue over my lower lip before continuing. "And Hailey has a kind of bloodlust that I can feel, even from a long distance. Maybe it was how you said Ellie's bloodlust increased after... after you Blood Noesis," my voice faded almost in a whisper at the end.

Channing did not move his gaze from mine and gazed at me intensely. I gulped at the tension that I had built with my question.

"It is not Hailey," Channing replied and my eyes that had averted from him turned back to him. Channing had not moved his gaze from me, not even blinked, "just stay out of it okay?"

I nodded almost immediately, "Okay, I won't pester about it anymore."

"Thank you," came Channing's low voice.

I did not say anything more to him and got up from my seat to drink some water. I saw Channing's eyes shift to me and he probably observed me till I went to the water tank. Even though Channing had asked to stay out of it, my mind was getting restless with the thought that his cunning soulmate was still in Winterwells. I took a sip from the glass of water I had filled. Inside my mind, several images of all the members flashed, but I barely knew their names.

I had a strong gut feeling that it must have been Hailey. After all, everything about her characteristics matched the description. Blood lust, cunning... no, something did not fit here as well. Although Ellie and Hailey matched a lot.

"By the way," I heard Channing's voice and turned to him, waiting for what he had to say. "What are you going to do about Hailey's note?"

Hailey's note! How did I forget that? My hands fished inside my pockets when I realised I had only brought my phone and house keys back with me, as Channing had picked it up for me. A drop of sweat trickled down my back, remembering what Hailey had written on the note. If anyone else were to get their hands on it my secret would be out. I had totally lost it from my mind as I had got my mobile and keys which were listed as important things in my head. Only if I had given the same priority to that note.

"I think I forgot to take it," I said to Channing in a panic tone while grabbing my jacket to go out.

Channing got up as well and tried to stop me, "wait it must be still in the ballot boxes with your votes in them. No one will touch that, the boxes were asked to be discarded off to Sam."

I shook my head, biting my nail with anxiety, "I tore the note and had slipped it in my pocket. I will be so screwed."

"When did you do that!" Channing asked, shocked, as if he had missed to notice it. His face held a thoughtful look before he spoke, "I had asked Sam to gather your things, he must have forgotten to return it to you."

"Oh no, I have to get to him fast," I said, hurrying towards the exit when Channing held me by my shoulder.

"You wait here in case Sam comes to your house to return your stuff. I will look for him outside," Channing gave me a smile, and I tightly returned it back.

"Okay," I agreed as Channing exited, leaving me alone, overflowing with anxiety.