Chapter 4

~ELENA’S  POV~ 

Did he just say mate? 

The shock of his touch sent a jolt down my spine. I wanted to push him away, yell at him and remind him of how he killed me in the woods, leaving me to rot in cold blood. But the confusion whirling in my head wasn’t settled yet. 

He pulled away, cleaning his tears immediately. It was almost as if he’d forgotten that we weren’t alone and that awareness just returned to him. “ I…I didn’t want to believe it when I was informed of your…” his sheds hung in the air.

I saw the difficulty as he fought with his words. His wrist only grasped my arm tighter, like he was now glued to me. “When I was told you were murdered. I thought I would never get to see you again,” he completed. 

I couldn’t believe my ears. This was the same man who murdered me in cold blood. The same beast who slit my throat and left me for dead. His eyes this time weren’t as dark and cold as they were in the forest last night. 

Instead, there was a glint of emotion. Relief, Love, Surprise? I couldn’t quite place my mind on what it was. He was staring at me like I was his world, his everything. I felt an itch at the back of my throat, like I was being forced to speak. 

But what was I going to say to the man who killed me?

Oh thank you for welcoming me back from the dead? It’s an honor to be your mate? Or maybe I should just tell him his Rhoda was gone and reveal my identity…

No…that sounded dumb. 

I swallowed hard, my throat dry. The situation pressed on me, weighing every ability to think down. I wasn’t just trapped in the body of someone else. I was trapped in the body of a woman who is loved by the man that killed me. 

I let out a sigh and what felt like my first words. “I…I need water,” I stuttered. A lady zapped out of the room and returned immediately with a glass of water. Garrison took it first and nodded in approval. 

I took the glass from him, stared at everyone in the room before taking my seat. 

“Everyone leave,” he ordered. As they made their way out, someone else walked in. His stature as that of Garrison. Hair tattered and reeking of smoke. He looked familiar. I thought I recalled his face from the battle. 

“Rhoda?” He called with a tone of shock. His ash eyes flicked from me to Garrison as he froze on his tracks. “You’re…alive,” he said, a smile flushing across his face. “She’s alive brother!” He exclaimed, furthering his steps till he got me. 

More strange people. How would going to cope? How much longer could I pretend to be someone else. 

“It’s really you,” he said, touching my skin. I forced a smile, almost pulling away when Garrison’s voice interrupted him.

“What’s the report Killian?” Garrison asked. It took a while before excited Killian turned back to his brother. 

“We took as much skaves as we needed. For now, Sizzle pack will have no army to retaliate. We couldn’t get to all of them, but we sure did damage. The rest of the Lycans are on their way back with the prisoners,” he reported. 

All I could do was sit and listen as his words struck my heart like pieces of glass piercing through the skin. My grip around the cup tightened as i fought with the pain in my chest. 

“Come with me Rhoda. There’s a lot you have to know,” Garrison reached for me. But I declined with a smile. 

“I’ll need some time to rest,” I told him. He nodded in approval and placed a kiss on my head before leaving the room with his brother. As the door clicked shut, I dropped the cup and rushed back to the mirror. 

Tears pricked my eyes as I stared at the reflection of the woman in the mirror. They treated her with so much respect. How did I end up in the castle of the creatures who killed my parents? 

How did I end up being the wife and mate of the man who killed me and destroyed my pack? I needed to figure out what happened to me. 

Garrison’s words echoed in my head. “You were murdered…” 

Now the responsibility to know what happened to this woman—Rhoda rested on my shoulder. Now it was all about survival and knowing what role I had to play in this twisted reality. 

But most importantly, I needed to protect myself and the secret that I wasn’t the woman Garrison believed me to be. My gaze returned to the sheets. They were still stained in blood. Rhoda’s blood. 

I noticed her stomach had a little portrusion. I placed my hand on it and massaged it, when I suddenly remembered my pregnancy. I started touching around my stomach, trying up get a sign of life. 

But it was peaceful. There were no signs of movement or life. Tears streamed down my eyes as the weight of the situation crashed on me. My child died with me. An innocent child. 

I stepped away from the mirror, my hand resting in my stomach as I made my way to the window. I fell on my knees, gripping the velvet curtain as I burst into tears. 

Just when I thought the moon goddess finally looked upon me and took pity on me, that hope was snatched away from without letting me have a moment to take it all in. I sat for sometime, sobbing my emotions away. 

I sulked up, returgee to the mirror and stared at myself for a while. Only one word rang in my head. Revenge. Maybe I was in Rhoda’s body, but that wasn’t going to limit me. I could feel the strength  coursing through my body. 

The reason why I was brought back to life wasn’t clear to me yet. But one thing was—Garrison must pay for the lives he took. My life, the life of my unborn child and the lives of my pack members. And with this second chance to live again , Viola would pay as well. 

If she’s still alive…

A knock came on the door and it creaked open. It was a familiar face of a lady from eariier. She courtesied. “Luna Rhoda,” she greeted. 

I wiped my tears and watched as more ladies walked into the room. They swiftly took off the blood stained mattress and replaced it with another. They arranged every other section of the room and left the first lady inside. 

The moment the door was shut, she hurried to me and pulled me into a hug. 

“You are strong Rhoda. But beating death…that’s on another level strength,” she said, her voice mixed with tears and laughter. Her words stung me in the chest. 

No I am not strong. You all are mistaken. I thought. She pulled away, a smile on her face as she took steps back. 

“You don’t seem excited to see me too,” she said, cleaning her tears off. It felt like she’d spotted simeyhin different about me. She looked like the smart type. “Rhoda It’s me, Lisa,” she said. 

“Oh…I’m sorry Lisa. It’s just a lot to take in. I need sometime to wrap my head around it all,” I breathed, massaging my forehead as I made my way to the bed. 

“I saved him…” Lisa said, causing me to halt in my tracks. I turned back to her, trying to hide my confusion. But I guess she saw it. “ I saved your son,” she clarified. 

I stiffened, trying to understand what was at play here. Was Rhoda pregnant? 

*****