Chapter Six

ELLA

Leaving Farlough Woods, we came upon land entirely ruined by a massive fire.

There was no form of living plant or grass in sight. It reeked of charred wood and was filled with pitch-black skeletal trees. The earth beneath me was also scorched and covered in dark ashes.

I tucked my tail between my hind legs, and my ears flattened as I walked close to my mom, unsettled by the sight of it.

The land was completely ruined, with no signs of living creatures on its earth, not even a bug or an ant, and it seemed unlikely that new life would ever grow here again.

"Here would have been your home if you weren't fated to a demon," Mom said angrily.

She then sped up, leaving me behind.

Four black vultures settled on a dead tree to my right. They all stared down at me with their creepy eyes, starving for something to eat.

I scurried to catch up with Mom.

We came upon a path so dry that the ground was covered with deep cracks. Mom told me it used to be a river, full of life before the evil alpha came and destroyed everything.

We went into a cave that used to be hidden by a waterfall; Mom had also let me know.

As soon as we were inside, Mom started to claw at the ground, searching for something.

"Give me a hand," she instructed, and immediately I went to help her.

I noticed a huge reddish-brown box hidden under the dirt as I was helping her dig.

She shifted as we dug most of it out of the ground and used her hand to pull it out.

Clothes were inside when she flipped the top open.

"Here, put this on." She gave me a long, light pink dress with puff sleeves along with a brown boot. She took a dark brown dress for herself and black shoes.

I shifted, put it on, and hid the necklace pendant under my clothes.

I loathe that I was hiding it from her, but something tells me that I could trust that witch and that she isn't my enemy, as Mom thought her to be. I don't know why.

"Are we going to stay here?" I stare outside at the barren land, lacking water and even food to keep us alive.

"Just for tonight," Mom said.

Lastly, she took out a huge green bag from the container.

"Come on, we need to get you up to the top of a hill. The trees here are not strong enough to hold you. There are huge stones up there that would be of much help.

A metal object rattled in the green bag, and I felt my stomach drop, knowing it was the chain meant to tie me down.

We arrived shortly on top of the hill with many stones. Mom stopped in front of a tall, upright one.

She dropped the bag to the ground, causing the chain to rattle even more.

"Why did you choose here instead of somewhere else?" I asked, seeing that since she came here, she'd been fighting back tears.

"Down below the hill," she pointed, not too far, with a voice sharp with anger.

"That is where that evil Alpha killed your father. I promise on that day that I will get revenge on him in the very same spot he killed my mate—the day your fated mate comes looking for you."

"Come on, the sun is now setting. I need to start tying you up," Mom urged.

I braced my back against the stone column, keeping both hands at my sides. She started wrapping the cold chain around my torso, binding my hands to my sides and my body to the huge vertical rock.

"Wait, Mom. I thought only one Alpha would be coming after me. How are you going to kill both Alphas? I asked, worried.

"I'm sorry that I kept this from you, El, but I won't be surviving your mating season tonight. But don't worry, you will. As soon as I kill your fated mate, I will unchain you, and you will escape while I try to defeat his evil uncle, who I know is also preparing for tonight."

"No," I began to cry.

I felt so stupid to believe that tonight our only problem was my fated mate, but it also involved his evil uncle.

"Don't worry. I'll hide your face from the evil Alpha and from any of the soldiers he may bring with him if I'm not lucky enough to kill him also tonight," said Mom.

"You can't do this to me, Mom. I can't lose you too, like Dad," I cried.

"Please, Mom, don't do this. We can run away together once you've killed my fated mate," I continued to beg.

Tearfully, she removed a mask made from wood that she had been holding behind her.

"I remember when you were born; you were the most beautiful wolf I've ever seen. Everyone who saw you also thought so," she said, placing the mask over my face.

"I cannot live without you, Mom," I wept even more.

"You will, Ella; you are stronger than you know. And I hope the moon goddess will bless you with a second-chance fated mate. Someone who isn't as evil as your first mate, so that you may never feel alone." Tears kept running down her cheeks.

"Just know that I love you, Ella, and wherever I go when I die, I'll be reunited, happily with your father." She smiled.

As I was about to fight my way out of the chain, not wanting to lose the only one I knew and loved, the place suddenly lost its light. Whatever I was teary about no longer mattered to me, nor did I care about the warnings of how dangerous my fated mate was, as I was taken over by a the strong urge to find him—the only one who mattered to me now.