Chapter 1: A new body.

DEVA LOREN/LANA ALVAREZ

I stirred uncomfortably in my bed, finding it softer than usual. Groaning, I opened my eyes to discover myself in an unfamiliar place.

Where am I?

As I attempted to sit up, my head rang, and dizziness set in.

Okay?

I decided to lay back down instead. That's what I needed.

Looking around, I couldn't make sense of my surroundings. The last thing I remembered was blood spurting out of me as my killer gleefully watched me die.

Had he come for me? The man who had forgotten for years? 

There was no way. Who suddenly reappears after clearly abandoning a person. I took a few deep breaths. If I was in danger, sold, or worse, I had to escape.

Struggling, I managed to get up, holding onto the canopy for support.

The room was soft but sturdy. Pale stone walls emitted a gentle glow from moon-shaped lights. A full-length mirror stood in the corner, tall and smooth, with a dark, shiny frame. A white fur rug lay beneath it.

The bed was large with carved wooden posts and a soft lilac canopy. The sheets were layered in shades of grey and purple, adorned with fluffy pillows and a warm quilt bearing an unfamiliar pack’s crest.

Across the room, a wide wardrobe displayed gowns, cloaks, and crowns—some gold, some silver, and some made from antlers. A line of boots and shoes sat neatly by the wall, ranging from soft slippers to sharp-heeled boots.

The air carried scents of jasmine and wood. A few rings, necklaces, and a note lay on the dresser.

[Forgive me, father and mother. You took away the man I loved, so I decided to take mine. Without him, there cannot be me. I cannot exist in a world where he doesn't exist. Pardon me if this vexes you. My life is not yours; it is mine. I bid you farewell. My apologies to the Alpha; I pray he finds another woman worthy of the coveted title of hisconcubine.]

Whose room is this?

I tried to turn the doorknob, but it was locked. The windows were barricaded. Peering through them, I realized I was in an entirely unfamiliar place—a castle, a royal home. This was not where I was before, nor was it the place I once called home.

I paced back and forth, realizing I had been kidnapped. That witch, my killer, had sold me, perhaps to a perverted, evil rogue who intended to keep me locked away for his deranged purposes.

As I moved from one end of the room to the other, something in the mirror caught my eye. I froze, fully turning to face it, and what I saw in the reflection terrified me. I couldn't contain my scream as I fell to the floor.

No, it couldn't be.

This isn't my face.

What in dark magic has happened to me?

I looked away and then back, but the face I saw was not mine. Her hair was dark and wavy, unlike my straight hair. Though we shared a similar eye color, mine had a shade of blue. Our noses, eye shapes, brows even her chest was a little larger than mine. 

Who is this woman, and why do I see her instead of myself?

The doorknob shook, and I crawled backward, cornering myself instead of running.

Brave move, Lana. Brave.

I was met by six servants, two dressed as nurses in unfamiliar clothes.

"Princess Deva," the red-headed servant breathed like she was relieved to find me in my state.

Deva?

My name is Lana.

I scrambled around thoughtlessly but stood up, looking for a way to escape.

This wasn't me.

Am I dead?

Is this a nightmare?

Where in heaven's sake am I?

There was no time to plan. I had to move. Without thinking, I bolted at full speed, despite the heaviness of my  lavender gown and the tightness of my corset, clutching a fistful of fabric as I charged ahead like a runaway bride.

The maids divided as I ran through the tall, dark hallways.

"Princess Deva is running away, save her!" the maids screamed.

Save me?

I need saving, but away from here.

Why am I being called Deva?

I ran across while guards chased after me. My legs moved with all their strength, determined to save whatever was left of my fate.

Until an animal blocked my path, barking furiously—a dog that refused to move aside.

I swerved past it as more people pursued me, and suddenly two guards blocked my way. I changed routes, running anywhere that wasn't a dead end.

I felt like I was in a maze, a huge one, trying to find an exit. My head throbbed as if a hammer had been brutally swung against it. This was terrifyingly annoying.

"Move out of the way," I warned, as those behind me closed in.

"We apologize, princess, but we cannot let you go," they said, wearing sorry expressions.

"Why? I don't even know where I am. Did you kidnap me?" I cried out. "Let me go."

"Princess Deva—"

"I'm not Deva. My name is Lana! Lana Alvarez. Let me go this instant. I am not the one you are looking for. I don't even know how I got into this body, so please." I began to beg, hoping they might see a distressed woman and help her find freedom.

"Do not let her pass!" a guard shouted.

Think, Lana. Think. I bit down on my lower lip and a devious idea popped into my head just the way a bright light would.

I screamed as if I had seen a ghost, and the guards looked ahead. I moved to the hallway on the left, where the floors were covered in a velvety wine-colored rug.

The dog followed, barking as if trying to convey a message.

What in the moon's curse was happening to me? Was this a trial I had to pass before reaching heaven? If so, it was absolute torment.

Looking back, I instantly regretted it, stepping on my gown, losing my balance, and falling to the ground with my rear in the air.

Two guards approached me from the front, and more came from behind. As I looked up, I saw Deva's face, not Lana's, not mine.

Workers gathered around, whispering as I was forcefully taken back to my room. The dog followed, and I glared at it, needing something to blame.

"Please, rest, Princess Deva. Alpha Cain will be informed of your awakening. You shouldn't be up and running after just surviving death," the red-headed servant said, her face filled with worry.

Have I truly been sold to a depraved sexual pervert who likes to keep young woman for unthinkable pleasures? 

My heart thumped in fear.

As they set food and medication for me, I looked back into the mirror in the room. I even slapped myself harshly, making the guards and workers stare at me as if I were crazy. I might be, but nothing could be crazier than waking up in a new body.

Something had happened to me and I was going to find out what it was.