Chapter 2

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.”

“Yes,” Celine responded, “You had too many injuries on your original face and body, we had no option but to give you a new one so you could survive.”

“Why did you save me? What do you want for me? "I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion.

Just as Celine was about to answer me two more women similar to her stepped into the cave.

I took a cautious step back as I stared at the three of them, all identical and wearing the same robes in different colors.

Celine stepped forward towards me. ”There is no need to be scared, Scarlett; these are my witch sisters, Seraphina and Lunaria.” Her voice was soft and reassuring. “We all did the ritual together to bring you back.”

I stared at the three of them, my head reeling from everything. I felt like I was in a dream. This couldn't be real.

“We saved you for a reason Scarlett,” Celine said. “Let me show you.”

She stepped forward, slowly taking my right hand in hers. Her touch was cold and burning at the same time, my skin tingling from her touch.

“There is something you must see, something that we saw in you that made us bring you back.” She whispered.

I watched cautiously waiting patiently as she turned my hand over, revealing a small mark of the moon on my wrist. Celine waved her hand over it and it was glowing green.

I froze, my breath hitched in my throat. I never had that before, how did that appear on my hand? I reached out with my fingers and rubbed frantically, hoping it would come off, but it didn't budge; it was engraved in my skin.

“It won't rub off Scarlet; that is the mark of the goddess,” Seraphina explained. “It is a sign that you have been chosen by the goddess herself. This mark gives you great powers. Powers that can free the Black Blood Pack from the curse that has plagued us for years.”

I stared at the mark, my mind reeling. Powers? A curse? I didn't have any powers. I wasn't a witch, neither did I come from a bloodline of witches. This was too much to take in, too much to understand. But the way the three sisters stared at me, their glowing eyes filled with expectancy, assured me, it was all real.

“What curse?” I asked, my voice filled with curiosity.

The faces of the sisters darkened at my question.“The curse was placed by a dark witch that fell in love with the first Alpha of this pack but he left her when he found his true mate. She cursed his generation with madness and has bound us to this land, preventing us from leaving, and it weakens us. We have searched for a way to break it for years, but we have always failed… until now.”

“And now you think I can break it?” I asked, hoping they'd all hear how ridiculous this sounded. 

“Yes,” the sisters echoed in unison. “The sign marks you as the chosen one. But there is more. The Alpha, Zane, has sensed something in you… something that we can't understand.”

“What does your Alpha sense with me?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady but I was failing immensely.

The sisters stiffened. “You would know when you meet him,” Celine muttered.

I frowned, my mind spinning with thoughts and ideas. What would the ruthless Alpha Zane want with me?

“Your old life is gone, and you are starting a new one here. Whether you understand it or not, you can't fight your destiny.”

My mind was storming with emotions, but one thing was clear—I needed to go back. Back to my pack and take revenge on my mate. Rand and Cassie had taken everything from me and killed me and I needed to find a way to escape here and get my revenge.

A tall figure appeared at the entrance of the cave, the shadow huge and imposing. The sisters stepped aside, turning to the figure and bowing deeply.

His presence was commanding and filled with authority. My breath caught in my throat as I looked up to see Alpha Zane, his dark piercing eyes locked onto mine with such intensity I had to take a few steps back.

“Welcome to the Black Blood Pack, Scarlett,” He said, his voice deep and sharp. “We hope you can fulfill your destiny and break the curse plaguing our pack.”

And at that moment, I felt it. Like an invisible string connecting us and pulling me to him. My wolf awakened suddenly, pacing within me.

“Mate.” She howled the impossible.

It couldn't be. I just couldn't be his mate.

I froze, my eyes widening in realization, but Rand was already my mate. Was it possible to have two mates?