Mates of Auroville

　　KIARA’S POV

　　I groaned as I tossed in my bed. The bright light streaming from the window made it impossible to remain asleep. How I wished I could be lost in the soothing darkness forever.

　　A wave of piercing sensation made me realize that sleeping for a long time would remain just that, a dream. It was a miracle that I had managed to sleep the previous night.

　　A long, suffering, groan escaped my mouth as I pulled myself up. Massaging my head with one hand, I drew the sheets closer around me.

　　Forcing myself to crack open my eyelids, I swept my eyes around my bedroom. The peeling paints, cracked walls, and low wooden ceiling; not exactly ideal but I was glad they let me have my own room.

　　Thuk! Thuk! Thuk! Thuk!.... the distinct creaking of the wooden floorboards hit my head like a hammer. A shudder coursed through me when I realized that it was a Sunday.

　　Bile rose in my throat and I rushed to the bathroom. The queazy sensation in my stomach didn’t subside even after I had emptied it of all the contents.

　　I was washing my mouth when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe that the reflection that was staring at me was mine. My skin looked as smooth as marble. There was not even a single boil or blemish. My lips were full and supple, my hair…

　　Hell no! my long hair had got tangled and messy. My hands shook slightly as I picked up the comb and tried clearing the knots as soon as possible.

　　“Kiara! You might as well like to hurry up.” Ariana’s sickly sweet voice made my stomach twist. Placing the comb quickly on the edge of the basin, I straightened my hair and rushed out.

　　“Why are you always in the bathroom?” Anderson’s gruff voice boomed in the room as soon as I stepped out.

　　I stole a glance at his bearded face before walking straight to my bed. Letting out a deep sigh, I sat on the edge of the bed. There was no use struggling. I could never win…

　　“Drink slowly. This time it is much stronger…” Ariana said, handing me a goblet.

　　My hands trembled as I brought the goblet close to my lips; the pungent aroma making me gag. The queasy sensation in my stomach magnified. I swallowed the bile that had risen in my throat and drank up the contents of the goblet in a single draught.

　　I had learned from experience that the longer I waited to drink, the more difficult it became. My throat burned as the liquid flowed down my gullet.

　　A scream escaped my mouth and I stumbled to the floor as the convulsions hit me. It was as if my entire body was burning from within. I laid flat on the cold floor, hoping that it will soothe me but there was no use.

　　The liquid spread through my entire body like lava. I screamed, cried, begged but they stood there like a statue. Not that I had expected them to pity me.

　　Anderson grabbed my arm. I winced slightly as he pumped in the contents of the syringe into my veins ruthlessly.

　　My head started spinning and the burning sensation subsided slightly.

　　“Andy, Don’t you think we have injected her with enough wolfsbane?”

　　“Maybe, I am just making sure that she doesn’t shift…”

　　“What if she is never able to shift?

　　“It is possible. We have been giving her shots every week. Anyway, what do we care…”

　　My heart sank when I heard his statement. All these days I had been clinging to the hope that one day I will be free. Then, I could shift and let my body, mind, and soul heal.

　　“Why are you doing this?” I rasped, leaning against the wall.

　　“A couple of weeks more…” Anderson stated before trotting out of the room. Ariana followed close behind.

　　I pulled my body to a fetal position and buried my head between my knees. He didn’t tell me why he was doing this but at least he gave me a timeline.

　　My heart pounded against my ribs in anticipation. I just wanted this to get over quickly so that I could finally go home.

　　The next Wednesday…

　　I was seated on a chair near the window. Tall trees with lush foliage extended in all directions. Bushes, brambles, and creepers grew in the lower region making it appear like an impenetrable wall.

　　I liked to sit here and watch the greenery. They soothed my eyes and I managed to divert my mind off the burning sensation.

　　I was watching a squirrel walk along the branches of a tall tree when the creaking of the floorboards sounded.

　　My eyebrows furrowed as I turned around. Anderson and Ariana were standing in the doorway as I had dreaded.

　　My heartbeat accelerated and sweat trickled down my forehead. Why were they here?

　　My heart thumped with every step Ariana took towards me. I jumped to my feet and stood there wringing my hands.

　　Chuckling slightly she grabbed my hand. My mind became fuzzy and it was like my body had suddenly lost all its weight. Everything turned dark for a split second.

　　My jaws hung open when my vision cleared. We were standing in the middle of a street. There was a slight pop sound to my right. My head snapped in that direction to come face to face with Anderson.

　　A gasp escaped my mouth, “How!?”

　　“That is not important,” Anderson said in a clipped tone.

　　“Honey, we have work to do,” Ariana said placing her hand on my shoulders.

　　I cringed on the inside but didn’t dare to move away.

　　Moving closer she whispered, “Do you see that boy leaning against that ornate pillar? Walk up to him and kiss him.”

　　“What!” I exclaimed taking a step away from her.

　　“We just want to see if you can follow orders…” Anderson’s gruff voice sent a shiver down my spine. I knew that I couldn’t defy him.

　　My legs felt heavy as I trudged towards the boy. He must have been deep in thoughts. He didn’t turn around even when I was mere inches away from him.

　　My heart pounded in my ears as I tapped him on his shoulders. Startled, he spun around a bit too quickly, causing him to bump against me.

　　His eyes widened and his face flushed. “I… I… was not looking… I am so sorry…I…” He stopped talking abruptly.

　　His gaze held mine and his mouth parted. His breathing hitched and he kept gazing at me.

　　At about five feet seven he was only slightly taller than me. I had to admit that he was quite attractive, with angular cheekbones, cherry red lips, and piercing grey eyes.

　　The sound of Anderson clearing his throat brought me back to reality. Damn! I had never thought that my first kiss would be with some random guy on the street.

　　My ears picked up the sound of foot tapping. Anderson was getting impatient. I couldn’t afford to dally any more.

　　I pulled his face close to me and crushed my lips with his. It was that awkward kind of kiss when you just move your lips against your partner since you have no idea what you are doing.

　　At first, the boy was stunned and stood frozen but when he realized what I was doing, he turned me around and pressed me against the pillar.

　　His hands tightened around my arms and his lips moved urgently, his tongue brushed against my teeth, seeking entrance.

　　My heart twisted with guilt when I looked into his eyes. It was so wrong to kiss him abruptly and just vanish later. I was contemplating whether I should push him away when I noticed his eyes turning red.

　　His hands slumped to his side and he staggered making us lose contact. My eyes widened in horror when I saw that his lips had turned blue. His eyes widened in fear as froth came out of his mouth.?

　　Seconds later he was lying on the ground still and lifeless. His entire body had turned a faint shade of blue.

　　I stood there too stunned to react. I felt someone grab my hand and moments later I was back in my room.

　　Licking my dry lips, I asked in a shaking voice, “W..what happened to that boy?”

　　Deep inside I knew that I was the reason for his death but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it yet.

　　Ariana’s face lit up with a victorious smile. She placed her hand on my shoulder and said, “He was poisoned by your kiss.”

　　Anderson’s eyes lit up with pride. He crossed his arms and said, “The potion was much more effective than I had expected. A few more weeks and her kiss would be lethal to werewolves too.”

　　My heart sank at his statement. The way he said those words… it seemed like he was going to use me like a killing machine.

　　The terrified look in the boy’s eyes as if he was looking at a predator was still fresh in my memory. I had to find a way to escape these monsters.

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