Chapter 13: Becoming Elara

Misty

Standing at the window, I stared at the beautiful sunset. The sky looked like a fairytale. How I hope my life would be. Even though it's beautiful my mind wasn't there to make me enjoy it. All I could think about was when would the Ninja wolfs return.

Would they kill?

My mom Linda pushed the door open and walked in with this look of pure satisfaction on her face. She was holding something that made me cringe – Elara's blue shirt, all wrinkled and covered in blood.

I could see some of her hair stuck to it, soaked red. Mom breathed in deeply, like she was savoring the moment. "It's definitely hers," she said quietly, obviously pleased. "She's finally dead."

I felt goosebumps at the sight of blood but made myself smile anyway. "You're amazing, Mom."

She gave me bright smile throwing the shirt on the floor like the garbage it was. "I had to get rid of her. Especially after seeing that mark on her." Her face twisted up, and you could practically feel how much she hated Elara. "I called the ninja wolves as soon as I found out, and now the deed is finally done."

My mouth went dry. "But..are you completely sure she's... dead? What if—"

"The Ninja wolves never mess up," Mom cut in, sounding totally convinced. "And with that much blood... nobody could live through that." She came closer, looking at me really hard. "Elara's gone, Misty. Now nothing's standing in your way."

I felt this my chest felt light, like an obstacle removed from my path. "In my way? What's your plan" I asked as I know she already ga one.

Her smile turned sneaky. "Come on, Misty. Don't play dumb. You're going to be Blayze's mate. The Luna of Silver Pack."

My heart did this funny jump – I was excited and scared all at once. "Oh my god, Mom!" I hugged her tight, feeling like I might burst. "I knew you were planning something, but this is huge!"

Mom stroked my hair really gently. "I promised you'd have everything, didn't I?" For a second, her voice got softer. "Nobody's going to take what's yours. Especially not some Wolfless orphan wolf."

I pulled back, my hands shaking as I touched my neck. "But what about the mating mark? Blayze will know I'm not her."

She just waved it off like it was nothing. "That's why we have witch hazel."

I stared at her, confused. "Witch... hazel?"

Her smile got bigger. "We're visiting the witch tonight. She'll fix everything."

...

The night was dark as we walked through the foggy woods. Our shadows seemed to dance around us, making it more scary. But Mom walked like she owned the place, head high, back straight. Well she's used to it at least. She cine to witch Hezel almost every month.

While Mr on the other hand, kept stumbling with tree roots and stone, as I try to keep up with her.

Tired and scared. "Mom... Did you got lost? Where exactly are we going?" I whined.

She didn't even look back. "Don't give up yet, Hazel would turn you into Elara."

That sent another chill down my spine. "Turn me into... Elara?" What's the meaning of that?

"Yes. Starting today, you're going to be Elara." She said it like it was already decided. "We'll make your hair black like hers, and the witch will handle everything else. No one will not tell the two of you apart."

My heart was beating fast. "But... But what about the mate bond? What if Blayze figures out I'm not real?"

Mom stopped so fast I almost ran into her. When she turned around, her face was dead serious. "Don't ever say that again."

I stopped, shivering. "I'm just... scared. What if he feels something's wrong? What if he knows?"

Her jaw got tight and her hands balled into fists. "He won't. Not if you do your job right." Her voice got really quiet and scary. "You've been preparing for this your whole life, Misty. To be Luna. To be his. Don't mess this up for us."

Her words suddenly felt heavy. But I nodded, happy she was relying on me for ones. "I won't. I promise."

She seemed satisfied and started walking again. "Good. Because if he suspects anything, you'll wish you weren't alive."

\---

Soon we arrive at the witch's cabin, it was like a nightmare, twisted branches everything around the rotten cabin. The air was stinky, it smelled like rotten herbs mixed with something else that made my stomach turn.

Mom sighed then knocked at the door twice, ten she said we should step back. Seconds later, the door made a creepy creaking sound, and there she was – the witch, her face was not seen clearly because of the dark. But her eyes caught the moonlight and seemed to glow.

"Linda," she said in this scratchy voice. "Here for the spell?"

Mom nodded, keeping her chin up. "I need her to become Elara."

The witch's eyes turned to me observing me slowly. "This one?"

I couldn't move an inch as she stared at my very doul. Making my heart would jump out of my chest.

"Yes. She'll be perfect to replace her." Mom sounded super confident. "Can you do it?"

The witch let a wicked smiled. "I can do anything... if you the pay is good."

Mom pulled out this little bag that made jingling sounds when she threw it to the witch. Obviously full of gold jewelries.

The witch's eyes lit up when she saw the money, then she quickly put it away. "Come inside." She said with a smile.

I looked at Mom, not sure what to do. She just nodded, her face blank. Taking a deep breath, I walked in.

It was freezing inside and really dark. The room was dark and messy, with bottles and jars everywhere, filled with stuff I didn't want to know about.

"Sit down," the witch uttered, motioning to the wooden chair in the middle of the room.

I sat down, shivering a little which make me gripping the armrests so hard my knuckles turned white. The witch walked around me, observing me while touching my face with her cold fingers.

ButIt felt weird, almost not human.

"Yes... this will work," she mumbled, her eyes gleaming. "First, we need to do your hair."

Mom stepped up with a bowl of black hair dye. "Don't move, Misty."

The dye was cold and smelled awful. I sat really still, staring at the crooked ceiling while Mom worked quickly, covering all my hair.

The witch started saying words I couldn't understand. Then she put her hands on my chest, and suddenly there was this cold pain that felt like it was burning through me. I gasped – it hurt so bad my whole body shivering.

"Don't move," the witch snapped at me, and holding me tighter.

The pain was unbearable, I scream on top of my voice. Then, just like that, it stopped.

I looked down, breathing hard. There it was on my collarbone – a mating mark.

Elara's mark.

The witch stepped back to look at her work. "From now on, you're Elara. Nobody will know the difference."

Mom smiled like she'd just won everything. "You're ready. Now we just wait for Blayze to come back."

My heart was racing with excitement and fear all mixed together. I was Elara now. I would be his mate, his Luna.

But deep down, there was this tiny voice of doubt. What if he knew? What if he felt something was wrong?

I forced myself to ignore that feeling. I didn't have a choice anymore. I was Elara now.

I just had to make him believe it too.