Chapter 28: Face to Face with Sabrina

Elara's POV

"Stop!" I screamed as the ground cracked wider beneath my feet.

The power inside me was like a wild animal trying to break free. Every second I held it back felt like holding lightning in my bare hands. Around me, wolves were running and screaming as their houses shook apart.

"You can't fight what you are," Morgana said, her purple eyes gleaming with joy. "Just let go, child. Let the destruction begin."

"No!" I pressed my hands against my chest, trying to push the power back down. "I won't hurt innocent people!"

"Innocent?" Morgana laughed. "These wolves watched you suffer and did nothing. They deserve whatever comes to them."

She was right about that part. Most of these wolves had treated me like garbage my whole life. But that didn't mean they deserved to die.

"Elara?" A sweet voice called out through the chaos.

I turned to see someone walking toward us, totally calm despite the earthquake still shaking the ground. It was Sabrina - Kaiden's chosen mate. The woman he'd picked over me.

She looked exactly the same as I remembered. Perfect blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a confident smile that had always made me feel small and ugly. Even with everything falling apart around us, she somehow managed to look perfect.

"Sabrina?" I gasped, surprised to see her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came as soon as I heard you were back," she said, walking closer with her hands held up calmly. "I wanted to talk to you."

The ground stopped shaking as my shock overrode my anger. Finally, I thought with relief. Maybe I could get this power under control after all.

"You wanted to talk to me?" I asked, confused. "Why?"

"Because I owe you an apology," Sabrina said, and her voice sounded truly sorry. "What happened between you and Kaiden... I feel terrible about my part in it."

I stared at her, not sure what to say. This was the last thing I'd expected.

"I know you must hate me," she continued, stopping a few feet away. "I took your mate. I took your place as Luna. I can't imagine how much that must have hurt."

"It did hurt," I admitted quietly.

"I want you to know that I never asked for any of it to happen the way it did. Kaiden rejected you before he even told me about his thoughts. I would never have gotten involved if I'd known you two were fated mates."

Her words sounded sincere, and part of me wanted to believe her. It would be so much easier if I could blame everything on Kaiden and not hate Sabrina too.

"That's... good to know," I said carefully.

"I also want you to know that I've been trying to convince Kaiden to reach out to you. To apologize for what he did. The guilt has been eating him alive."

Behind Sabrina, I noticed Morgana watching our talk with a strange smile on her face. Something about the way she was looking at us made my stomach twist with worry.

"Maybe we could start over?" Sabrina asked, holding out her hand. "I know we'll never be friends, but we don't have to be enemies either."

I looked at her open hand. This was more kindness than anyone from Silver Creek Pack had ever shown me. Maybe Sabrina really was different from the others.

"I'd like that," I said, stretching out to shake her hand.

The moment our skin touched, pain shot through my body like I'd been struck by lightning.

The silver mark on my chest burst into flames - not real fire, but a burning so intense I screamed out loud. Every nerve in my body felt like it was being electrocuted. Through the pain, I heard Morgana laughing behind us.

"What's happening?" I gasped, trying to pull my hand away.

But Sabrina's grip was incredibly strong. Her fingers felt like iron bands around my wrist, and no matter how hard I fought, I couldn't break free.

"Finally," Sabrina said, and her voice was totally different now. Cold and cruel instead of sweet and apologetic. "I was getting tired of pretending to be nice."

Her appearance started changing before my eyes. Her blonde hair darkened to black. Her blue eyes turned red like fresh blood. And her beautiful smile became something horrible and twisted.

"Who are you?" I screamed.

"I'm exactly who I've always been," she laughed. "Sabrina Frost, daughter of the Dark Circle, and your worst nightmare."

The heat in my chest got worse. I could feel something being pulled out of me, like she was stealing pieces of my soul through her touch.

"The power," I realized with horror. "You're taking my power!"

"Not taking it, dear," Sabrina said sweetly. "Just redirecting it where it goes. My masters have been waiting so long for you to reach full strength."

"Let go of me!"

"I don't think so. Do you have any idea how hard it was to get close to you? Months of pretending to love that weak excuse for an alpha. Months of acting like a perfect little Luna. All so I could be here when you finally came home."

Around us, the other wolves had stopped running. They stood frozen in place like statues, their eyes blank and empty.

"What did you do to them?" I demanded.

"Just a little spell to keep them quiet while we work," Sabrina said lightly. "Can't have them interfering, can we?"

I tried to use my power to break free, but every time I reached for it, the burning got worse. It felt like she was turning my own strength against me.

"Why?" I gasped. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because the world has too many werewolves in it," Sabrina said simply. "And you, my dear Elara, are going to help us get rid of most of them."

"I'll never help you!"

"You won't have a choice. Once I finish draining your power, you'll be our perfect little weapon. No more annoying emotions or moral worries. Just pure destructive force under our control."

The silver mark on my chest was getting smaller as she spoke. I could feel my strength leaving me, running into her like water down a drain.

"Please," I whispered, my knees giving out. "Don't do this."

"It's already done," Sabrina said proudly.

That's when a huge roar shook the air around us. Through my fading vision, I saw Alaric's wolf form charging toward us, his silver eyes blazing with anger.

But Sabrina just smiled and raised her free hand. Dark energy shot out like lightning, hitting Alaric in flight and sending him crashing to the ground.

"Too late, Your Majesty," she called out mockingly. "She's ours now."

As darkness closed in around me, I heard Sabrina whisper the words that made my blood turn to ice: "Time to wake up the real destroyer."