A life for a life

Emandra felt her breath hitched, she suddenly couldn't breathe. Something was taking hold of her body. Shadows hovered under her feet. 

‘’We are at your service daughter of the moon’’ they said in unison. A sudden flow of energy surfaces within her, she is scared…scared of herself. Something was wrong with her and she could feel it. Whatever was happening was coming from deep within her, it was a part of her which had been suppressed for a long time. 

"Who are you? What do you want?" she asked, trying to step back, but it was of no use. They were shadows. The shadows stared at each other and laughed. 

‘’When the moon shines at its brightest, so do you, daughter of creation, the one after her mother's heart, we are just servants. We serve to be served, the witches of Altera hold the key to all answers you seek. Seek them out and you shall know, but be warned. It all dwells down to a price, a price steep and deep’’ Emandra suddenly felt dizzy. So much power. 

‘’I…I am not who you think I am”’ she takes a seat close to Chase.

 “I am just an orphan left to die but rescued and rejected by my mate. Now I have been granted a second chance mate, but he is dying”’ she cries. The shadows moved from her and hovered over Chase.

‘’Hmmm, we see. A mother always looks out for her own, rejected yes you were, blessed yes she did. Fear nor Moon child, for mother never turns her back on her offspring.’’ Emandra watched in anticipation as his body glowed and soon his temperature adjusted. He was no longer so white and steel but warm, his body carried a blush. 

‘’Thank you”’ Emandra smiles as she holds onto his hand. 

‘’A life for a life, a debt you shall pay. We will come when the time is right”’ the shadows disappeared and a resounding knock on the door brings Emandra back to her senses.

 ‘’Come in’’ she adjusted her dress. Delilah walks in carrying a tray of food. 

‘’You haven't eaten anything and Chase would not be happy I let you starve.’’ Emandra could not refuse. Her stomach was protesting against her will not to eat, it growled loudly. 

‘’Well, you should really eat, you're famished”’ Delilah places the food on the table and walks over to Chase. She moved backward trying not to scream. He had been like a corpse throughout the day but now he looked more like someone just sleeping. Delilah knew of the effect of what he had consumed, however seeing him all okay and recovering at such a fast rate made her skeptical about Emandra.

‘’I heard voices on my way here so I thought he was awake’’ Delilah voiced out but her eyes were keenly staring at Emandra whose breath quickened at the mention of voices. Chase was no longer near death as he had been 30 minutes ago when she came in to bring her water. 

‘’I…I was talking to myself…no, I was talking to my wolf’’ emandra explained but Delilah only shrugged. She did not buy her excuse, but she did not want to eavesdrop. Delilah watched Chase for Emandra and only left when she was done with her meal and back to Chase. Delilah walks out to find Enzo walking some council members out of the pack house. 

‘’’ Mr. Anderson, it is true Alpha has found his mate and she will be presented to the council when the time dimes right”’ Enzo frowns. He is the beta of Chase and second in command. He was not above the elders however he was neither below them. 

They were all equal however Mr Anderson held rather too much power in his hands. He was the richest in the land after the alpha, his wealth influenced the other reasons why his daughter Sofia had been the choice of Luna if Chase had not found his mate.

 ‘’But what if she is not from a reputable family? We need a luna with power at her command, the moon crescent pack needs a luna who can keep our pack in first position and not fall under the snowfall pack’’ Enzo had to keep his anger in check. His eyes shone as his wolf threatened to resurface. Chase was not a chess piece but the desperation was all written all over him. 

‘’Minister, we all know an alpha is stronger with his fated mate than a chosen mate. It would be nice, if you wait on Chase, like I said before he will do the needful in dew time. You may take your leave now, the alpha isn't available to meet you’’ Enzo did not see to their departure. His patience was fast running out.

 ‘’What did that old hag want this time around?’’ Delilah asked, walking towards the kitchen. Enzo sighed heavily pack business was not easy most especially without the help of the alpha.

 ‘’You know…the usual. He is planting ideas on reasons why Chase should reject his fated mate and go for a chosen mate with power and affluence’’ Delilah did not look surprised.

 ‘’Yeah right, it's been a few weeks without her coming over here and I can say peace and quietness has never been so longed for, a lady as Sofia is not Luna material’’ everyone knew the duties of the Luna is to stand by the Alpha, take care of the women and children while she makes sure the warriors are well taken care of after and before the battle. But Sofia was far from that. She was more interested in how many gold necklaces she could lay her hands on and the best fabric for clothes. 

‘’He is fine, but I am worried about his mate, that child looks more than she shows”’ Enzo turns to Delilah now focused. Emandra had been nothing but an Orphan sold to them. Every investigation carried out turned positive.

 ‘’No she means no harm, she is just going through so much, the mate rejection was a big blow’’ Enzo assures her. But Delilah could not dismiss her doubts. The moon had given way to the sun, and the peeking ray of sunlight, from the curtains woke emandra. 

‘’Emma…Emma, are you there?’’ Emandra called as soon as her eyes opened. She still had not heard from her wolf and it bothered her. She found herself on the bed and Chase was nowhere to be found. She jumps to her feet panicking. 

‘’Chase ... .Chase'’ her voice carried so much worry.

 ‘’He is not dead Emandra, he is taking his bath, the door is closed but he can sense your worry’’ Emma told her. Emandra could not explain but her wolf did not sound like her usual cheerful and playful self. 

‘’What's Wrong Emma, I did not hear from you all day and it felt like you left me’’ 

‘’I would never leave you willfully, Emandra, something is threatening to take my place, I am willing to share as long as I get to stay with you’’ Emma said sadly. Emandra did not understand but the shadows kept coming to her mind. 

“‘Did you see anything with the shadows yesterday?’’ Emandra hoped it was some dream but Emma’s soft pur confirmed her worries.

 ‘’They are here with me, Emandra, they look identical and very beautiful just like the both of us, their powers are so intense, it makes me dizzy. However one is pure and the other is dark’’ Emandra falls to the ground. 

‘’Emma can they hear me?’’ Emandra asked.

 ‘’Child of the moon, we hear you, we see you, we are with you. Remember a life for a life, a debt you owe us’’ Emma and Emandra could feel their emotions, they were not foreign but they felt like friends they had known before now. 

‘’Emandra, all I know is, they are us and we are them. We can't function without another’’

‘’Emandra ….Emandra’’ Chase calls her shaking her body body. She was not responding, her vitals were okay but she was still like someone who had just seen a ghost. More shadows hovering under her feet. Chase stared in disbelief. Everyone knew of the stories of the shadows. He looked at the woman in his arms and the shadows all over her.

 ‘’She can't be ... .she wouldn't be’’ Chase stares at her as she gradually comes back to her mind. Her eyes changed from purple to red. He felt the presence of her wolf. 

‘’She is tired, she needs rest’’ Emma purrs, leaning into his touch. She wanted nothing but to melt into the arms of the man before her. Much has been happening ever since she accepted the rejection of Mirrod. 

‘’What's wrong Emma, why are they here?’’ Chase points to the shadows who haven't left. Chase could see them smile at him, he felt drawn to them. 

‘’They are here, because we are here’’ Sleep takes over Emma as she gradually falls into slumber, the shadows disappearing with her conscious mind. 

‘’Who are you Emandra, who are you?’’