Chapter 4

*Present time*

.......

"No, wait! You have what you want. The money and the documents. Just leave us alone." I had to plead if that was the only way we'd get spared or even save April alone.

"No, I've dreamed about this for so long, it's gonna happen, Valerie," Eve replied with a small chuckle, smirking evilly.

Realizing they weren't going to reconsider, I lunged unexpectedly at the man holding April, knocking the gun off his hands and head-butting him, grabbing April from his arms. “Run!” The words barely left my lips when I felt bullets pierce through my lower back and I fell to the ground, groaning as unbearable pain smeared through my body. I looked up when I heard April scream to see the men grab her roughly before she could run.

“Kill her,” Came Tyler's command.

“No, please... No! Stop! She’s just five!” I tried to stand up from the ground, ignoring the pain shooting through my body. He did not waste any second again, but roughly spun her around to face him and punched his hands into her chest, pulling out her heart. A loud agonized scream escaped my lips as April's limp body fell to the ground. I burst out crying immediately, staring in horror as blood surrounded the spot she lay on. "No." Sobs after sobs racked from my throat and my heart clenched hard in pain, all air cut out of my lungs.

I did not pay attention to Tyler as he walked closer to me with a dagger in his hands. I knew right there he wouldn't spare me, and I don't even plead to be spared. He already killed the rest of my family and clan, and I think it'll be better if I die as well.

“You know the first thing you should do? Take that silly thought of me being your mate off your mind because even if I would spare you, I would never accept a filthy piece of shit like you as a lifetime partner.” He spat out with so much hate in his voice. “Secondly,” He continued with a scoff.

"You know the first mistake your father made?" He spoke and crouched before me, swinging the dagger in his hand. "Birthing you." He spat out angrily and stood up, moving just a few inches away from me.

"Say hi to the Devil, bitch." I saw him raise the dagger in the air and close my eyes tight before I was thrown into pitch darkness of nothingness.

****

The loud howling of wind is what pulls me to consciousness. I let out a small groan as I gently rose from the floor, brushing off the sand from my left cheek. I took a step back and fell to the ground, placing my hand on my chest as the loud, scary rumbling of thunder filled my ears.

It was cold and totally dark here, with not even a tiny glint of light anywhere. I could easily guess it was the supernatural version of hell. I stayed curled up on the ground, looking around the largely deserted area without an end, as loud screams filled the air, seeming to come from all directions.

A shudder coursed through me as I recognized all of those voices, the now familiar screams of our people. Was it yesterday? I have no idea how long I had been here, but I could guess it wasn't so long. I sat up, and looked around the area, the sky looking so close; I was sure if I stood up, I could touch it. I raised my knees to my chest, wrapping my hands around myself, resting my head on my knees as I tried to ignore the deafening, petrified screams of the people echoing around.

I snapped my head, my gaze darting around as I heard April's scream echo in my ears. I could swear that sounded close and real. I stood up from the ground immediately, walking around the deserted area. "April?" I yelled, my voice echoing around. If she was somewhere around here, she could definitely hear me.

"Valerie!" My eyes watered when I heard her respond.

"April, where are you?" I asked, picking up my pace as I tried to follow the sounds of her scream.

"Vale-" Her voice suddenly died down mid-sentence and the rumbling of thunder went silent immediately, the howling wind settling down.

"April." My voice shook as I looked around, not finding any lead to search for her.

"Valerie." I turned back swiftly when I heard a soft, melodious voice behind me. A woman with bright silver hair and eyes was standing behind me, clothed in pure white apparel, her skin whiter than normal and very delicate.

"Who are you?! And where is April?" I demanded immediately, allowing my face to contort into a frown to give her a hint that I wasn't as easy as I looked.

"Valerie-"

"Don't call me! Where is April?! Where did you keep her?!" I couldn't contain my anger anymore and lunged towards her, ready to grab her around my neck and shove her against the floor. But before I could even reach her, I felt a strange force push me away, sending me flying across the deserted area, my body colliding harshly with the floor and tumbling hard.

I grunted as pain shot through my body and I slowly stood up on the ground. My heart skipped a beat as I looked up to see her standing right in front of me. How did she get here so fast?

"Who are you?" I asked, brushing the dirt off my body.

"That should've been the first question you should've asked when you saw, instead of trying to attack. Though I understand your actions very well, the overprotective cousin of April." She spoke, walking around me in slow, majestic strides. "I'm Selene, the moon goddess." My eyes widened almost immediately when she revealed. How was I supposed to know she was? Then, if she truly is the moon goddess I've heard of all my life, why did she decide to watch us brutally killed and did nothing about it? Never even try to warn us that a traitor was in our midst, selling us out for a price I have no idea about.

"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking as I recalled all that happened to us. "Why did you let that happen? Even to April."

"I understand how you feel, Valerie, but I can't change everything." She responded calmly.

"Then why the fuck are you, the goddess? Why do we have to worship you when all you do is sit and watch us get killed?!" I yelled, pointing my fingers at her as tears rolled down my eyes.

"There are some things I can't interfere with, Valerie, but I can always make things right."

"Well, you failed! You failed an entire vampire clan, you failed! You did nothing while we were brutally killed, and what do you expect? That I worship you, huh? You're nothing to me, okay?" I spoke harshly as I turned around, walking away. Although I was a hybrid, born to a werewolf mother and vampire father, that clan would always be my home. Now I wonder why they had Mom killed. I guess they're just monsters after all. "I'll just look for April on my own." I sniffed, ready to walk whatsoever miles it might take me to find her and make sure she was fine.

"You can't find her." I stopped when she spoke, her voice echoing around the area.

"And what do you mean by that?" I snapped as I turned around to face her, crossing my arms.

"This, all of this." She spoke, waving her hands around as she walked closer to me. "They're all an illusion and are just in your head. None of it is real. You would never find her. You would never find anyone here."

"Did you bring me to hell?" I asked, quirking my brows at her, anger coursing through my veins.

"No, I brought you here for a reason." She replied as she stood a few meters from me, a warm smile on her face. I wanted to look away, but the look in her eyes oddly instilled a sense of security in me.

"What is that?" I asked, finally taking a deep breath.

"I'm sending you back to the world, Valerie."

"For what?" I asked, already feeling confused. My life over there was a mess and the last thing I want to do is live it again and end up dead the same way.

"To make things right Val, there are a lot of things you don't understand." She took my palm into her hands, gently caressing the back of my palm.

"And what's there to make, right? I can't do anything, you know?"

"Yes, you can, which is why I'm sending you back. To make things right and put an end to the war between your clan and the werewolf clan. But do not be blinded by revenge Valerie, to make things right, you have to understand what you're dealing with, okay?"

"Well, I don't think there's more to understand than my supposed best friend betraying me and selling us out!"

“Well, there would be a lot of difference now though,” she leaned closer to me, gently caressing my cheek with her hand. "A lot, it would take self-control to understand." She leaned closer to me, placing a kiss on my head.

A wave of drowsiness suddenly engulfed me, and my legs went weak. "Wait, a min-" I couldn't complete my sentence as I felt myself fall to the ground and, without a warning, a bright light surrounded me before I was thrown into oblivion.