Discovering Hidden Secrets

Elder Carter soon came back with a grey album. She sat on the couch while every other person circled her to get a glimpse of the album.

"This was your mum when she was 15 years old. This picture was taken some days before she lost her powers," Elder Carter pointed at the lady wearing a green dress with her long black hair well-styled.

She looked pretty and sophisticated. Although she wasn't the prettiest out of the three ladies in the picture, her charming smile stood out most.

"Her smile looks very beautiful. Judging from the way she dressed and the manner she carried herself in the picture I can tell that she was from a wealthy family," Jocelyn commented, her eyes centred on the picture.

Joanna sitting beside Elder Carter at the right pointed at the picture of a haggard-looking lady wearing a grey faded maxi dress, "When was this taken?" She asked without taking her eyes off the picture.

Joanna was more interested in knowing more about her mother rather than her family.

Why would she care about the family which cruelly abandoned their daughter because she no longer met their expectations?

Why would she give a fuck about people who have never shown up in front of her to ask about her wellbeing.?

She would rather pretend they don't exist than try to know them. She knows that the outcome will not be different from that of her mother if she finds them.

They will consider her a bigger disappointment since she wasn't even born with powers like her mother in the first place.

"That was on her eighteenth birthday," Elder Carter said.

"In the past, we had imagined Lucinda's eighteenth birthday party to be elaborate and extravagant, unfortunately, the very opposite of what we imagined was what happened".

"Your mother went through a lot…,"

"I know you both got separated a long time before I was conceived but I am curious to know whether you are aware of why she chose to give birth to me even though she wasn't doing fine herself?" Joanna asked.

For the longest time, she has always questioned her existence.

If her father considers her his biggest flaw then why was she given birth in the first place? 

Instead of bringing her into the world to suffer then why didn't they put an end to her existence before she came out of the world.

Why on Earth did they bring her into the world when she was never wanted?

"I am sure she would have been able to start afresh if she got rid of me in her stomach so why didn't she do that?"

"What reason could there be if not because she loved you," Elder Carter replied to Joanna's question.

"Your mother loved you more than she loved herself. Believe me, Lucinda would never have sent you to that household if she wasn't dying," Elder Carter said. She tapped Joanna's hands lying on her lap.

"What was the use of that love when it brought me nothing but endless pains and suffering," Joanna muttered. She stood up from where they all sat and went upstairs to her room.

Everyone was surprised by her attitude but none said anything.

Audrey followed and looked through the album for a little while longer. She left others still skimming through the album and went upstairs to check up on Joanna.

She met Joanna standing looking out through the window. 

Audrey walked over to where she stood and tapped her on the shoulder. The startled Joanna jumped up in fear. She was so absent-minded that she didn't feel Audrey enter their room.

"Why are you sulking?" Audrey asked. "Shouldn't you be happy that you have one more person in this world who loves and cherish you more than her life…,"

"What is the point of her love?" Joanna said coldly. "What is the point of the fact that she loves me when I can never feel her love? Her love only brought me endless pains, I wish…,"

"There is no need to say anything negative right now. I am sure everything will change for the better tomorrow when your eighteenth birthday reaches. You need to pull through this one day no matter how difficult it is because this is your chance to make a breakthrough," Audrey said with a stern expression.

Joanna turned to face Audrey. "Whether or not I can pull through it is not up to me. There are thousands of people who would do anything to make sure that I don't see my eighteenth birthday. It will be a miracle if I make it…,"

"Why would you say such a thing when you have such a capable friend like me?" Audrey said displeasingly. "You have me to protect you so chill hmm?" Audrey tapped her on the shoulder. She smiled brightly at unhappy Joanna.

Joanna and Audrey talked until Jocelyn came to inform them that it was almost time for the hunt.

At the last minute, Anthony insisted that he wanted to hunt along with the three girls. Joanna had trouble persuading Anthony to stay back with her.

Audrey took Joanna aside when she was about to leave with Jocelyn and Rachel.

"Although I know that Jocelyn and her brother the Alpha won't harm us in any way, I can't trust the other members of their community so make sure to be in your room and lock the door," The worried Audrey said in low tones.

"Always be on alert. Elder Carter will take you to the venue when the hunt is over. Be safe ok," Audrey said lovingly.

"I should be the one saying that to you. I will be rooting for you, don't worry," Joanna said. She smiled at Audrey to show her that she has got this.

"Come back safely and don't you dare get hurt," Joanna embraced her despite knowing that Audrey didn't want to go overboard by hugging her.

"Since it's our future Queen of Twipera Kingdom who gives the order, I won't dare to disobey," Audrey jokes. She released Joanna almost instantly.

Anthony and Joanna saw the three girls to the gate. They went back into the house after seeing them leave.

Leaving Elder Carter's home, the three girls didn't go straight to the venue the hunt would commence but Jocelyn took them to the packhouse. 

At the packhouse, they changed their casual wear to an outfit befitting of the event at hand. They all selected weapons for themselves but left the weapons in the care of Jocelyn's bodyguards.

When they reached the town square and everyone saw Audrey dressed in her combat clothes, people began talking in low tones but none dared to speak out loud with the Alpha present in their midst.

Despite knowing that she was the reason they were all mumbling, Audrey didn't spare them a glance.

She followed Jocelyn to the Alpha's shade where their seat was already made available.