Chapter 4

The snake was supposed to bite into her arm but it aimed at her face and almost got her by the cheek. Thankfully, Nelly's quick reflexes took over and she pushed backwards as the snake missed her by an inch.

"Fuck" she mumbled.

Ganjai rushed to her after securing the snake. "I apologize for that, Luna. We will try again when you are ready." She did a mid-bow.

"Is this really the only way? Are you sure I will survive this?" She paused to calm herself down before she continued, "has anyone ever done this before and did they survive?"  Nelly asked as she had started doubting the healer's powers. It seemed Ganjai was not as knowledgeable as she thought. She would rather not go through with it to seem like a good Luna and loose her life.

"The Alpha we tried to save survived and was brought back but his Luna died. That is why we insist that you never close your eyes. It is a matter of life and death"  Ganjai said, " let us try again. This time, we will end it immediately. Do not worry" she smiled.

Her smile seemed to terrify Nelly as of that moment, but she had to be brave.

"Alright. Let's do this" Nelly said as she moved closer. She hesitated for a second then came closer.

Ganjai opened the snake's basket slowly. She immediately grabbed the snake from the bottom and brought it out. 

"Steady Luna. It will all be over soon." Ganjai said as she looked at Nelly and smiled. She leaned closer to Luna and took the snake's teeth to Nelly's arm and pierced it. Nelly wanted to scream but she tightened the group on her mouth. The pain was excruciating but she had to seem brave in front of the villagers.

A few seconds later, the venom was already in and Ganjai had returned the snake to it's basket. "Are you alright?" Ganjai asksd, as her eyes showed genuine concern. 

They sat for a few minutes, the venom had to spread over her body and so it did.

A few seconds later Ganjai pulled out a knife as she kept chanting a song. The villagers started singing along. Nelly did not know the song but It sounded too lovely to be a ritual song. She hummed it to help her take her mind off the situation.

"It will be over soon," Ganjai pressed her hand against Nelly's chest to try and reassure her. Her heartbeat had increased and Ganjai's touch had somehow helped her calm down. "Remember, do not fall asleep. You will be feeling dizzy and sleepy any moment now because we are about to draw blood out for our alpha. Remember to stay strong" Nelly nodded as she finished. Immediately after her speech, Ganjai pulled her arm and slit her wrist and put the slitted hand over the Alpha's mouth.

Nelly watched as her blood was flowing through her body towards the wound she just had. She watched as her blood dripped into Luthan's mouth as she thought of the promise he made to her.

"This bastard better repay me" she thought to herself. He better do or she would kill him again.

After a few minutes of the act, Nelly suddenly started feeling drowsy. She squeezed the healer's hand and said, "the drowsiness is here and I feel so sleepy" 

"Stay strong Luna. You are almost through. Please" Nuna said as she softly patted Nelly's back. Nelly blinked repeatedly as she tried to fight sleep.

It was the hardest battle ever. It was harder than her childbirth labor. Bringing Taron into the world did not involve this much struggle, she could remember. She blinked harder as she soon felt her hand numbing.

"Help. I can't keep this up. I can't" Nelly began to cry. She was feeling pain and sleepy at the same time.

"Just one minute more. The alpha would soon regain consciousness, we are almost there." Ganjai said as she placed her hand over the Alpha's chest and started singing. Her voice grew louder. Blue light was shining from beneath her palms. 

Nelly tried her best to hold on. It was not easy. She had to blink fast to stay awake and still stretch her hands over Luthan's mouth. She was beginning to feel his breath and this made her smile. She widened her eyes. Thank goodness.

"I can feel him breathing. He is breathing!!" She exclaimed loudly. People started clapping and singing the song louder. Ganjai smiled and kept singing the song, her voice thickening. Nelly joined in to avoid sleeping but it was not working.

Suddenly, Luthan coughed. Nelly's blood spewed from his mouth. He coughed over and over again. He began coughing intensely and soon, he opened his eyes. He was now fully conscious as his chest was fully rising and falling with force. Heat rising from his body. He sat up straight, staring at the people gathered and clapping. Luthan was observing his environment.

Ganjai smiled, "Welcome back nephew. We thought we had lost you. Welcome!!!" She ended her sentence by exclaiming. The people clapped and roared with praises. 

"What happened here?" Luthan asked as his gaze fell on his aunt, the healer, Ganjai. She smiled, "You were killed and I was brought here to save you. I took a week to get here. You and your Luna had died. I saved her first and had her save you. You are alive" 

"Where's my son? Where is my pack?" Luthan looked into the crowd.

"Your son is with me. He is with my son Damon. They are in my hut playing, last time I left them. They are fine" Nuna answered. Luthan turned to face her as she smiled at him. He smiled back and soon looked down to notice Nelly's eyes closed.

"Why is my Luna's eyes closed? What is happening to her? Is she not happy to see me?" He asked as he reached to shake her.

"Oh no, oh no!!" Ganjai and Nuna gasped.

Everyone stopped talking and praising the return of their Alpha.

Ganjai rushed over to Nelly's side. She put a finger on her and then bent over her mouth to inspect her breathing.

She rose up and said, "Our Luna is not breathing. She must have slept" 

Everyone gasped. Among the people gathered in the center, one could hear "oh no." Many people immediately broke into tears.

Luthan became confused. He looked around the center and could not understand why people were reacting that way, so he turned to his aunt, with tears in his eyes, he asked, "Aunty, what is going on with my Luna?"

"She is dead" Ganjai answered with tears in her eyes.

"You brought her back before. Bring her back again." Luthan said as he rolled over to Nelly's side and looked to Ganjai.

"I can not. There is in way to bring her back to life now. I am sorry"

Nelly had died. Nelly had died for the second time.