4: REINCARNATED

THEODOSA.

My side was aching.

Burning.

My throat felt dry, my tongue heavy as I shifted on a hard, crusty surface.

I was aware of two things.

One. I was alive, and there was a terrible ache in my side.

Two. I wasn’t alone.

That thrum of electricity I’d felt with Narra and the man from the woods was present again.

Slowly, I peeled my eyes open, lips parting of their own accord when I saw the bars.

The concrete floor and walls.

I was in a cell.

My gaze automatically shifted to the right of the room, looking outside the bars, where the man from the woods was seated in a chair.

Shadows danced all around him.

I could only make out the harsh set of his features, his tattooed arms folded over his broad chest as he watched me with an emotion I could only describe as pure hate.

I actually flinched.

“You’re scaring her, Xahen.”

I jerked, turning sharply and looking behind me, where a man sat on a chair... inside the cell with me.

I took him in, noting he didn’t look like a prisoner.

His clothes were regal, his shoes polished. His face was clean shaven, dark hair glossed back as he leaned forward and smiled at me.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

“The real question is,” his eyes thinned with humor, “Who are you this time?”

The chair suddenly scraped back, forcing me to turn back to the man shrouded in shadows.

He approached the cell slowly.

And even on the ground, with bars of steel separating us, I still wanted to flee his presence.

My heart raced as he closed the distance, molten amber eyes giving nothing away as he studied me with rapt focus.

I was scared out of my mind, wondering how on the realm someone who looked like that could ever be paired with me by the moon goddess.

He was... more attractive than any other male I’d laid my eyes on.

I shuffled back, and the pain in my side bloomed. I glanced down, seeing what looked like makeshift dressing on a lengthy gash that ran from the left side of my navel to the top of my hip.

“Ah, you should wear that as a battle scar, with pride.” The man in the cell said, “No one has ever survived an encounter with that wolf.”

So it was all real.

Slowly, my head lifted back to the man standing outside my cell.

So... this was Xahen Ithorno.

“Xahen,” the dark-haired man began again, “Let me talk to her.”

Xahen didn’t break his stare.

There wasn’t even the faintest flicker of emotion on his face. But somehow, I could sense his resentment for me.

Did he see me like Narra did?

Like a fat girl, too unattractive or unworthy to be his mate?

“We agreed to do it this way, Xahen. Just go.”

The shadows reached out, gripping one bar of the cell.

He didn’t move, but the black shape of a hand was gripping the bar tightly.

His gift was shadows?

It made so much sense.

“Call me in when you’re finished.” The deep baritone of his voice carried, sinking into my skin and making me shiver before the shadow let go of the bar and he left.

“Now that that’s settled,” the man sighed, “Let’s do this, shall we? First, what’s your name this time?”

“Theodosa Fane,” I whispered with a frown, “My father’s the Beta of Duskmire. He’ll come looking for me.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Theodosa.” He smirked, dismissing everything I said but my name. “Ironically enough, I dont know why Im bothering with this.”

My brows furrowed.

He reached under his chair, pulling out a large book. “I dont have that much time here today, but I’m hoping we can get through this a lot quicker than we did last time.”

Last time?

“What are you talking about?”

He flipped through the book, then paused on a page, “Ah, here it is.” Then he flipped the book over to me. I looked, unsure what I was supposed to be seeing.

It was an old photo album. A really old one.

“That man who was just here, can you remember his face?”

I nodded slowly.

How could I ever forget a face like that?

“Good. Now, I want you to find him in this picture.”

It seemed I was looking at a black and white picture from a wedding. I found him immediately, wearing a dated suit, standing in the centre of everyone.

“I see him.”

“Who is he standing next to?”

My gaze shifted... and I stopped breathing.

Confusion made my lips part, brows furrowed as I pulled the book closer.

How...?

“She looks exactly like me.”

In a dated wedding dress, holding onto Xahen as they smiled for the photographer.

Was my mind playing some kind of trick on me?

She was an exact replica of me, like a clone, thrust back into the 1800’s.

“That she does.” The man said, “Her name was Oceanne Talis.” He took the book from me and flipped through a dozen more pages. Then stopped, turning it and holding it out to me again, “Find Xahen.”

Another wedding photo.

This time, the photographs were coloured.

Something slithered down my spine, an uncomfortable feeling engulfing me and forming a tight lump in my throat.

I found him.

“Who is standing next to him?”

Again, it was me.

He watched me carefully, “Her name was Luna Trivian.”

I pushed myself up to my knees, holding my side to battle the pain, “None of this makes any sense. I’ve never seen any of you before. I’ve never even stepped foot in this Kingdom.” I needed to get a handle on my growing confusion. “I’m from Duskmire. Me being here is a complete accident and if this is some sick sort of joke then––”

“No one is laughing, Theodosa.” His voice was eerily calm.

“This is crazy.” I pushed myself to stand, “I don’t know who you people are.”

The man stood, “You didnt the first time. When you washed up here, introduced yourself and made him fall for you. But we all knew who you were when you left him to die with a knife in his heart.”

What. In. The. Hell?

“Or the second time, when you acted as youre doing now, like you had no memory of us. Xahen, love struck fool, gave you another chance.” The man picked up the book and shook his head, “You betrayed him, again.”

This was madness. Complete and obsolute insanity.

“I’m only here out of curiosity,” he said, “Afterall, I’ve always had a soft spot for you, Oceanne.”

“My name is Theodosa!”

“Last time, it was Luna.”

“I’ve never seen you before.” I told him, trying to keep my voioce even, “I dont know how i can make you belive me, but I’m not a hundred years old. I’m twenty one. I have a family, a life. I grew up in Duskmire and I’ve never set foot out of it. I can prove it!”

“It doesnt matter.” He told me, “Wether you’re some sort of reincarnation or just a plain liar, your fate is sealed.”

“How?” I backed away from him, “My family will come looking for me. Mt father is second in command to Duskmire. You can’t hurt me.”

“Even if there is someone coming to save you, they wont make it on time.” He held my gaze, “Because the moment I walk out of this room, my brother is going to come in here... and kill you.”