Chapter 27 28
Scarlett's Point Of View
I was dead. Killed by my mate. My consciousness was gone as I drifted through the void, completely lost and wandering. There were times when the darkness grew cold and lonelier, and I almost succumbed to it. But something was stopping me from letting go and crossing over. There was something still connecting my soul to the side of the living.
I wasn't sure how long I had wandered in the darkness, but all of a sudden, I felt a strong overpowering force breaking through the darkness and surrounding me. It was a surge of immense power. I felt my body burn with an overwhelming intensity until I felt a faint warmth, blossoming in my chest.
The warmth felt like a fire as it grew stronger spreading all over my body and stirring me from my deep sleep.
Then I heard my pulse, steady and rhythmic, my heartbeat bringing me back to life. Slowly I regained my senses and feelings in my limbs. I could hear the soft murmurs of voices around me, speaking in a language I couldn't understand.
I woke up with a jolt, my eyelids heavy as I tried to pry them open. I finally open them, a bright light blinding me momentarily. I blinked, my vision gradually clearing to reveal a damp rock cave, weird markings on the walls, and my nostrils filling with the strong scent of herbs.
I tried to sit up, but my body held me down. I gasped, grabbing my rib cage in pain as the memory of Rand my mate, tearing into me with his claws slammed into me.
I should be dead. I thought. Rand made sure he killed me before he left.
I quickly looked around my surroundings, my heart racing in my chest, I was lying on an uncomfortable rock bed, naked and draped in red silk. The walls of the cave were lined with bottles and jars of strange liquid. The cave was lit with several torches hanging at every corner of the cave.
Where was I? How did I get here from the forest? How did I survive?
My throat was dry and I saw a bowl of water in the middle of the cave. I stood up groaning in pain as I reached the bowl, filling my parched lungs with the water.
But something wasn't right as I looked into the bowl, my reflection staring back. I reached out to touch my face, my fingers brushing my skin. It felt so foreign. It felt different.
I was different, I was looking at a different face in the bowl. I panicked, my throat closing in. The woman staring back at me was a stranger, my once black hair was now fiery red, my eyes a striking shade of green that glowed in the water. I had high cheekbones, full pouty lips, and a small quaint nose.
“Who am I?” The words flew from my lips, it was barely above a whisper.
I frowned, my mind clouding with confusion as I tried to make sense of what was happening. How was this possible? I was different, a completely new person.
I knew who I was. Scarlett Whitmore, the first female alpha of my pack, the Silver Crest pack, but this wasn't my face.
I staggered back, my hands reaching up to my face to make sure this was real and not a trick of my eyes
“What… What happened to me?" I gasped, her mind racing and voice bouncing through the walls.
A dark figure appeared at the entrance of the cave and stepped inside. I turned sharply, my eyes wide with fear of the unknown, but it was just a woman. She walked in with ethereal elegance, her feet hardly touching the ground. She was tall, her long silver hair cascading down her back, dressed in a long flowing robe in scarlet red.
“You’re finally awake,” The woman said, her voice soft and alluring.
She walked towards me in small steps, our gazes locked as I braced myself.
“I'm relieved you survived the reborn ritual, you were so long gone when we found you,”
“Reborn ritual?” I repeated, my voice trembling with confusion. “What did you do to me and who are you?” I asked.
The woman smiled, gently, her gaze never leaving mine. “My name is Celine. I am one of the witches of the Black Blood Pack. You were already dead when we found you, lying in the woods, wounded by your mate. We brought you here, to our coven and performed a ritual to heal you.”
I glanced around the cave, my mind reeling as I tried to process what Celine just said. Witches? The Black Blood pack?
Witches were a tale told to keep children in the pack in line. I'd heard rumors about their existence but I had never come across one.
I have heard rumors about the Black Blood pack as the most powerful pack in the world and the leader Alpha Zane. A name that was spoken in fear. He was known to be ruthless, and bloodthirsty.
“My face…” I whispered, her fingers tracing my lips. “You’ve changed my face.”