#94 Beyond the Lie

No, it doesn't make sense. My mate doesn't have a human name... My mate is... No, wait, why am I so sure? My mate is Liam. Liam... Liam Black. What is this? That truth is engraved in my mind, so set in stone I can't shake it off or ignore it, not even for a second. Like a hammer pounding in my head. Liam, Liam Black is my mate. Each time I think about his name, about him a little more, my heart races. Liam, Liam, Liam... What... Who is Liam! Why can't I remember him... Who... Why... Why would my mate's name be there? What is that... What is that stone? What's going on...

As if to echo the storm in my head, a headache breaks in, and I stumble back, utterly lost. I don't understand. The name on that tombstone, it... it's almost glitching, like something's wrong. No, something is definitely off about that thing. My mate... My mate is dead. Liam is... Liam is not dead. If Liam was dead, I... Oh, Moon Goddess, it hurts so much just to think about it! I can't! I can't, I can't imagine a second Liam is gone, no. It's impossible, I wouldn't... Oh, how could I...

"What is it?"

I turn around. The witch is there, staring at me with that cold look in her eyes... Something's off. She's standing at a careful distance, and there's something odd about her, something different from before. My heart accelerates a bit, wary. I feel in danger, restless. I look around. The forest is still the same, but my guts tell me something is off about all of this as well, all my surroundings shouldn't be trusted. What does that mean? Why did that tombstone... make me feel like this?

She steps forward, but I growl, as a warning. I don't want her near me, or near my mate. ...Wait, what am I saying? My mate is dead, so why would I think...

"What is it, Luna?" She asks, tilting her head. "You look confused."

"Don't... call me that."

"It's your name. Luna. You chose to take my name, remember? You're Luna."

"No."

I growl, pissed for some reason. This isn't my name, this isn't... True.

*Mara!*

Who the hell is calling me! This voice just keeps coming to my ears, again and again, like some distant echo I can't ignore. I feel so drawn to that male voice, to this... feeling. This thing in my heart, that feels just so warm, and so good. I want to see you. I want to see my mate, find my mate. I need you...

"We will find him, together," says the Witch, gently.

No. I don't trust her. Something's off about her, and I just trust my instincts, the instincts that warn me to stay away from that woman... I growl again, warning her not to approach. I know something is off, and I won't let myself get trapped in this lie. I just... want my mate. I step back again, closer to that tombstone, but... That's not my mate, I know it in my heart. My mate is alive, I haven't lost him. My mate... My Liam.

"Enough, Luna, let's go back."

I don't trust her, and I know she lies.

"What have you done to me," I growled.

"Nothing. You're like me, now. There is nothing here."

"What is that?" I ask, glancing at the tombstone.

This time, she stops and chuckles.

"This? Don't you already know, Luna? It's your mate's. You know it, right? He is dead. I killed him."

Those words hit me like a dagger in my heart. No, no, no, Liam isn't dead. I don't believe her. I can't believe her. Liam isn't... I can still feel him! There's no way my mate is gone. I need to ignore her words. Each time she speaks, her voice... I even forget that other name each time she calls me Luna. I'm not Luna...

*Mara! Mara, answer, please!*

I smile, keeping my eyes closed. That's right. That's my name. Mara. My name, so bright and so warm, like... Like a flame. That's right. I'm Liam's mate, Mara. I'm not Luna.

"Enough," hisses the witch. "You're coming back with me. I killed your mate."

"No, you're lying."

"It's the truth," she continues. "I killed your mate, Luna. I killed the wolf you loved so much, I killed the one you loved the most."

I feel my heart aching, my throat tightening, the tears coming up to my eyes. No, no, I can't believe her. I can't give in. This... This isn't my pain, she's just trying to make me feel like it is, to confuse me. I need to get out of there...

*Mara, wake up, please! Mara!*

How do I wake up? I'm not asleep! I'm awake, and trapped here!

"...Liam?"

"Mara! It's me, babe. Come on, come back to us, please. Wake up! Mara, wake up!"

How do I wake up? How do I come back to him? I ought to remember. I keep my eyes closed, trying to ignore what I hear, what I feel. That snow under my feet isn't real. This cold isn't real, neither is the sound of the chiming leaves in the trees, or the sounds of the forest. I can't trust any of this.

Liam... I need to focus on Liam's voice. I feel him. Moon Goddess, it's so strange, but also... so warm. I smile without thinking, absorbed by our bond together. I can feel him... His warmth, his presence by my side. He's here, he's alive and he's with me. I am alright. I feel... His hand on my shoulder. I smile, and grab it. It's faint, but I can feel his large hand, his gentle fingers grabbing mine back. Moon Goddess, I'm so relieved. He's really there... I can feel him, my inner wolf feels him too, like we're complete again. Oh, I feel like crying...

"Stop it!" She screeches. "Your mate is dead, and I..."

"Stop lying!"

I finally open my eyes, and this time, I'm sure. The snow, the forest, none of this is real. Whatever she did to me, I can see through it now. Perhaps because I know, everything now feels... so fake. I can see her illusion wavering. Everything turns into some weird shades, like an image unable to settle in my eye. The only thing that doesn't change is the butterfly. I see it fly, and land on the tombstone. It flaps its wings a couple of times, and I stare at it, like my only point of focus.

"Stop your stupid illusion trick," I growl.

This time, she just stares, but... The witch. She's not real either, is she? I can see through her lie, now. This is all... fake. I take a deep breath.

I am Mara Jones, Liam Black's mate. It all comes back to me now. Moon Goddess, for how long... have I been here? I was really in the other Luna's place. All this time I spent here, in this illusion... I've been here for years! No, no, it can't be. As the panic rises, the hand on my shoulder seems to fade away. I try to grip on to it, but the anger, the pain comes back to haunt me. I didn't leave them behind. I couldn't have. I didn't... I look around, hope to see a sign, something, anything to help me out of this nightmare. I want to see my mate, I want to know he isn't dead, that everything's alright. This is a dream, but doubt creeps in to make me doubt, make me waver, and I can't stand it.

My eyes finally land on the Butterfly. That blue, mesmerizing butterfly, that looks so peaceful and pretty inside this nightmare. I take a deep breath.

"...Help me," I whisper.

It flaps its wings, just once, and suddenly takes off, flying to me. I put my hand forward and, as soon as it lands on my finger, a wave of relief comes over me. Not just that, but all of my memories come back, too.

Silver City. Kelsi, Ben. Nora, Selena, and the Black Brothers... and Liam.

"I'm here, Tiger."

I glance over my shoulder, and he's here.

Moon Goddess, he's really here. It's Liam. I suddenly lose all my strength and fall back, right in his embrace. I chuckle nervously, half-crying and half-laughing, just so glad to see him. I feel his torso against my back, protecting me... For a while, I get lost in his blue-grey eyes above me, darkened by the storm raging above us, as if those were the only things I ought to see for the rest of my life. They probably are.

He's a mess, he looks panicked and stares at me as if I was about to disappear at any moment, but no doubt, that's my man. I chuckle again, and he sighs, hugging me tightly.

"Moon Goddess, Mara... Thank Moon Goddess you're back... Damn it..."

I nod, but the truth is, I'm still not... completely back. It's like both universes are trying to overtake the other. I see the forest around us, but I also see the raging flames of a fire, wolves fighting golems, and in front, Luna still standing there and watching us. Above us, there's a clear day, but, somewhere behind, like a strange filter, also the raging clouds of a thunderstorm.

I'm still being pulled towards that other place; She wants to keep me trapped there, to keep me in that forest, with the sorrow of a loss that isn't mine. I feel Liam, but he's the only tangible thing that I can hold on to. Everything else around me is wavering, as if I was on the verge of falling into one world or another... I look down at the Butterfly on my finger. It starts... melting there, and I watch as it literally imprints itself onto my finger. It's now stuck there like a very vivid tattoo... I feel a slight pressure, but that's it. Is this what's helping me stay awake? I hold on to Liam's arms a bit tighter. I need him, otherwise, I'll go back into that horrible nightmare where I think my mate is dead...

"Enough, Luna!" I growl, warning her.

"What is it?" She chuckles. "You're dreaming, Luna. Your mate is dead, and I killed him... Don't you hate me?"

I close my eyes again, for a second. I'm not going to give in to her lies. This is probably how she got them all, all those witches. Make them see that nightmare, make them feel the loss of their mate, and then, have them give in to the hatred. But I won't. My mate is right there, I haven't lost him.

"Mara, who are you talking to?" He whispers, sounding worried.

"...You can't see her?"

"What? Her? ...No, I only see... Some sort of dark hurricane. It's like the black aura you always mentioned..."

So this is really happening all in my head.

It's the same mind spell as the one I was stuck in, when I trained with little Mara. Somewhere out of time. I stayed in there for years indeed, taking the female wolf's place, but outside, probably a lot less time has passed. Thank Moon Goddess...

"Liam, how long was I... out?"

"A bit over an hour. You... Got in the same state as Ravena, with the dark eyes, so we thought you had been taken too, but Nora said she could still feel your spirit, and the white aura in it... Selena, too, she was sure you were still fighting. I could still feel our bond, but it was... very faint. So we just kept fighting to get to you."

Over an hour? Moon Goddess, I can't believe I abandoned them for so long... I knew I had to walk in Ravena's stead, into this trap, but still... I hope everyone's alright.

Something suddenly makes an awful noise on our right, and Liam growls, but to me, there's nothing but the forest!

"Liam, what's going on!"

"The golems are coming closer," he whispers quickly. "Don't worry, we won't let them get to you... So you can't see them, uh?"

"N-no, I have to focus," I mutter. "I'm still trapped in her Curse, just... more awake, now."

"I figured so. Your eyes... They have turned black, but your irises are gold again. Are you going to be okay...?"

I chuckle. I hope so...

"Can you kiss me? Now?"

"Anytime."

I feel his lips on mine, but it's very faint. Moon Goddess, his lips... They are so warm...

"NO!"

Luna's scream pierces my ears, and everything around fades back into the forest again. This time, she isn't pretending anymore. A magic circle has appeared under us. I growl. I can feel Liam, but he's gone from my vision. She's blinding me somehow, but I don't care. She can win the visual battle, my mind is where I need it to be, and crystal clear.

"Stop it, Luna," I growl.

"You think you can beat the Curse? She's like you," she hisses. "You're just like her, and once you experience her pain, you'll give in too. You're a wolf, like her, and once your mate is gone..."

"Like you, you mean?"

She freezes, and I snicker. I knew it. I struggle to stand back up, but I feel Liam's hands helping me get back on my feet. Although I can't see him, his strong embrace is all I need. I know he'll never let go, as long as I need him. I swallow my tears back. I am not giving in to her charade.

"Enough..." She hisses.

"No, you're the one who should have enough," I retort. "Enough of your lies. You know, I knew there was something wrong about that whole Curse thing from the start, Luna."

"Shut up!"

"It didn't hit me at first, when I heard the tale for the first time. The wolf and the witch, it fitted with everything we knew about the Curse, the Witches, the Royal. Except that... There was something that didn't make sense. I can't believe how I missed it."

She stays silent, but her eyes are glaring at me. The black markings on her body are shining.

"Why would the witches be the one to suffer?" I continue. "It was Nephera's Story that made me realize it. If you look at the picture, she was the main victim of that Curse. She lost her child, she suffered the most and went insane until she attacked her own sister. Sure, the man she had once loved went crazy, but... Why did the Black Brothers' mom not get affected by the Curse? At first, I bought the whole motherly protection thing. Perhaps there is some truth in it... But even if it was true, why would Nephera have been the one driven crazy by the Curse, consumed by it? If the Witch Luna had placed the Curse, it should have attacked the male werewolves, but not the witches. Did it make sense she would have cursed her own daughters? Why would my mother have been cursed, and Clarissa, too? Nephera, and all the other witches, just for falling in love with a wolf? Only to get abandoned and suffer more when they met their mate. Why?"

She steps back, looking defiant, and I step forward, ignoring all the fatigue and pain. I know I have the clue to all of this. I can see the doubt in her eyes. She even has trouble keeping up appearances. The witch from before had long red hair, but now, that hair is getting brighter and clearer. I can see behind her mask, behind her spell. I'm breaking free from her magic, and she knows. The spell is being lifted, and the forest is slowly disappearing. I see the dark sky, the thunderstorm, the fire, the golems. I feel Liam even closer, I see his arms wrapped around me.

"There were two witches, in that tale," I continue, determined. "Luna, the original witch, and Luna, the original werewolf, who received magical powers. ...This is the real reason all the witches before me have failed, isn't it? They tried to stop a Curse created by a witch, they thought they could reason with her, stop her, that they would be able to relate to the witch. They had no idea what they were really dealing with, and they were all wrong."

I chuckle. Moon Goddess, finally... Finally, I'm getting to her. I don't feel sad, nor do I feel happy about it. I'm just... so calm. It's even weird how calm and composed I am right now. I understand, and I see the truth. I take another step, and once again, she retreats. She's almost acting as if she's scared of me now.

"That's right," I whisper. "I know who you really are, why I am the one you couldn't stop. You did this whole charade to try and stop me, but it won't work, not on me. Because I'm not just a witch, like you. We're the same, aren't we? Both werewolf, and witch. You're not Luna the witch, you're the other one in the Story. You made me feel your pain ...Luna, the wolf's pain."