Chapter Seven

MARCELENE.

“Stretch forth your right hand.” Fern said, the blade of the knife she was holding glistened under the fire touches that had lit up the whole place.

I nervously swallowed down the lump in my throat and I bit down on my lips to keep them from trembling. I'm very screwed.

Earlier that night, the two maids had entered my room and dressed me up in a simple but rather difficult to wear white gown. It was sweeping the floor, but I loved it. But what's going to happen later in the night didn't allow me to take in and admire myself.

“ Wow. You are beautiful,” One of the girls had complimented me as she combed my hair. Her blue eyes peered into my face through the mirror, a smile lingering on her lips.

“ We heard you are the new Arion and that you are also a white wolf?” She continued, the second girl immediately hit her slightly on her elbow, "We were instructed not to ask questions, Jenny." She silently said to her friend. But I answered anyway. I'm as scared as they are.

“ I guess so.” I muttered, but it was practically to myself, as if when I do that, it will register more in my brain.

The venue meant for the ritual was different. It was in the open, right under the moonlight. Many candles and touches lit up everywhere, but this time it was like the whole of the wolves of the pack were present. Present to witness my doom.

All eyes turned to me when I walked in. Some eyes are curious, some accessing, some jealous, some neutral, but I ignored and desperately searched among the crowd for my mom or Aunt Kira. No sign of them. They didn't even come to pick me up in my room, which is a first, especially from my mom.

An extremely big guard assisted me up the altar where Seer Fern was waiting, a smirk mixed with scowl plastered permanently on her face, which looked weird and intimidating. Alpha Tan was also seated near the altar with a satisfied smile on his lips again.

I took a last look around, but I still couldn't find my mom or Aunt Kira. Where are they?

“ The hour of the blood moon is upon us, and we must perform the sacred rite of binding the Arion to our pack,” Fern started, her voice high pitched and firm.

“ Her strength and weakness will be ours, and our strength and weakness will hers. The blood moon will bind us together, mind and soul.” She said, and the people began to howl in response. Fern went down on her knees, her hands high up in the air.

“ Kneel.” She commanded.

I quietly go down to the floor on my knees, face to face with the witchy looking Fern. She stared at me for a moment, then she closed her eyes and started murmuring words I can't fathom to herself, her hands still high up in the air. They would probably be aching.

Her eyes opened abruptly. She turned to Alpha Tan and nodded at him. In response, he stood up and came closer.

Fern took a knife among the various gadgets arranged on the floor.

“Stretch forth your right hand.” She said, the blade of the knife glistening under the touches that light up the whole place.

I swallowed hard and bit down on my lower lips. I'm very screwed.

The atmosphere was colder than usual, but sweat still went down my spine.

I slowly stretched my right hand out. My teeth sank into my lower lips as she raised the knife higher. I quickly shut my eyes as I felt the sharp blade sliced my palm.

I couldn't register whether it was painful or not, when I heard screams and howls around me. My eyes opened immediately. The perfect lines containing rows of people have scattered. Everyone was running like ants.

“ We've been breached. We have been breached.” Someone was shouting.

I looked behind me, and Alpha Tan had been shot all over his chest about ten arrows already if I'm not mistaken, and more were still coming at him. It certainly took him by surprise.

I ducked an arrow, in alarm I looked around me, desperate in need to take cover because obviously I'm at the centre of it all.

But everywhere is in the open, no place to hide, and I definitely stand out in my flowing white dress.

I can't find Mom or Aunt Kira anywhere, and scary thoughts are starting to jump up and down my mind along with the rapid thump of my heart. I can certainly have a heart attack from the way it was beating.

Some of the wolves in the pack turned before an arrow hit them, and they faced the hundreds of wolves entering from all sides of the place, snarling and ready to pounce on each other.

Fights started in full, and it felt like I was in a movie. It looks really bad.

Suddenly, a figure appeared among the intruder wolves, and he was coming towards me. Coming for me.

I moved back, and my eyes widened. I know him. He was just like the silhouette of the man in my dreams.

He has a strong build which very well makes him stand out among the other wolves. His frame radiated strength while his cold eyes burned with such great intensity that dares anyone to challenge him. It was like everyone stayed out of his way because his stride towards me was undisturbed.

Determination gleamed in his eyes as he made his way towards me. As he came closer, I also kept moving back. I felt like shrinking and vanishing out of the whole place, even out of Amaranth altogether.

He finally stopped in front of me, his extremely dark eyes wandering throughout my face, and I tried my best not to turn and run.

“ Hello, Blink. It has been so long.” He said, his deep voice sending waves through my ears.

As if to stop it, I stretched forth my two hands and placed them on his chest. An action I regretted immediately. His chest was hard as rock, and my effort to push him away didn't have even an ounce of effect.

My bloody right hand had stained his clothes.

But that wasn't the main problem yet. My blood soaked his chest, and came in contact with his skin. The fires suddenly increased and I felt a jab in my heart. It felt really painful, and I groaned and held onto my chest tightly with my head bent a little.

The moon also changed its color, it turned to a deep red.

Time slowed and everybody's eyes were turned on us. Jaws dropping in shock.

It felt as if our hearts synced, and a connection had set in. Or it actually just happened.

“ Noooo!” I heard a loud howl beside me. In a daze, I saw Alpha Tan back on his feet ready to charge at us. But he was held down again by more arrows piercing through his skin.

“ Marcelene?” I heard another shout. It was my mom. I whipped her head around in her direction. Her eyes widened at what was transpiring between the strange man and I. She turned into a wolf, and within a minute, she was running towards me at a crazy speed.

“ Mama?” I mouthed before the man grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder like a bag full of nothing. Empty.

I instinctively kicked and clawed, but he was strong, too strong.

My mom charged at him, but with a hit from his other arm, she was sent flying across the altar. She hits the wall hard. And she was still. She didn't move again.

I screamed, fighting furiously over his shoulder. Desperate to go over to check if my mom is at least okay. But all my actions were futile. They literally had no effect.

He carried me out of the building altogether, but my screaming won't stop.

What ifs kept running through my mind as I thought of my mom. This guy actually killed her. Heavens.

He stopped suddenly and put me down.

“ You crazy man. You killed her,” I shouted, anger tearing through my body as I trembled.

“I hate you.”

It felt as if I should kill him.

He scoffed.

“I guess we have something in common.” He said quietly, I almost couldn't catch it, and with a sharp strike to my neck, he sent me spiraling into darkness.