~4~

We traveled for what felt like hours. The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon, and the wind had begun to rustle through the trees as dark clouds gathered overhead, promising a storm.

My legs were stiff from sitting in the same position for so long, and the awkward silence that had settled over the carriage did nothing to ease my nerves.

Mika hadn't looked at me once, much less acknowledged that I existed, leaving me with nothing to do but stare out the window and watch the forest pass by. Towering trees stretched as far as I could see, their branches swaying whenever the wind picked up.

“So you're the infamous Catherine Wells, the witch everyone despises. Tales of you have reached even the large cities.” Cain broke the silence from the front of the carriage, his hands wrapped tightly around the reins. “I didn't think you'd look so puny.”

I stared at him for a moment.

There it was again.

Witch.

The word everyone seemed to be throwing at me lately.

At first, I thought it was just an insult. But what if... just what if Catherine Wells was actually a witch?

“What exactly am I infamous for?” I asked dryly, as though I already knew the answer and simply wanted to hear it from them.

Mika scoffed, the rough angles of his jaw tightening.

“Don't pretend like you don't care. We know exactly what you've done.”

What I'd done?

Geez, Catherine. What the hell did you do to piss off everyone?

“Oh, please, enlighten me.” I feigned boredom. “What rumors have reached your ears?”

Mika's piercing blue eyes pinned me in place.

“Oh, let me think.” His voice dripped with mockery. “How about the fact that you cursed an entire family because you were rejected by a lover? Or the fact that you turned countless people into toads with your witchcraft? And let's not forget the number of people you've inflicted with illness because they paid you to do it.”

My jaw fell open.

Like, actually open.

Catherine Wells really was a witch.

Not only that, she was a vile one at that.

And the worst part? I had just taken over the body of a woman who had apparently caused chaos wherever she went.

Honestly, of all the bad things ever to happen in my life, this one took the cake.

For a moment, I couldn't speak. Nothing came to mind.

Mika let out an amused laugh. “What? Can't speak?”

I pursed my lips, my nails biting nervously into my skin.

“If I'm such a menace, why do you need me so badly?” I asked.

Cain was the one to answer.

“Trust us, if it were up to us, we'd have nothing to do with you. However, the Alpha is desperate. The future Luna has fallen ill, and, unfortunately, only a witch can save her now.”

The carriage fell silent as his words sank in.

There were still so many questions swirling through my head.

For starters, what the hell was an Alpha?

Did he mean... the leader of a pack of wolves?

Something clicked into place.

The Ravers Pack.

Alpha.

Beasts.

Could these actually be...

No.

Impossible.

I turned the thought over in my head, but if witches existed, then the possibility that werewolves did too wasn't so far-fetched.

Maybe I really had landed in one of those damn fantasy worlds after all.

I cleared my throat, ready to ask about the possibility, when the carriage suddenly came to a stop.

I lifted my gaze toward the front.

A massive iron gate stood before us, attached to towering stone walls that stretched in both directions until they disappeared into the distance.

Beyond the gates was a sprawling estate.

No, make that a palace.

Its white stone walls rose several stories high, with tall windows and dark roofs visible above them. The sheer size of the place made me forget about the rain threatening overhead for a moment.

Large trees surrounded the estate, their branches forming a thick canopy around the grounds. Beyond them, the forest continued as far as I could see.

The gates groaned open.

The horses moved forward, their hooves clopping against the cobblestone as we entered the grounds.

Something about the place immediately struck me as strange.

It was way too quiet.

I couldn't see a single servant, guard, or anyone else moving around the grounds.

Almost as if they were hiding.

And if they were...

Hiding from who?

The carriage rolled farther inside before coming to another stop.

Cain climbed down first.

Mika opened the carriage door and stepped aside. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword as he looked at me.

It wasn't exactly welcoming.

“Come on.”

I hesitated before climbing out.

My shoes met the rough cobblestone, and I instinctively tightened my grip around the bag Suzy had given me.

As I looked around, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched.

Mika started forward.

“Well?” he called over his shoulder. “Follow me, witch.”

He started toward the palace, and I reluctantly followed.

Cain walked behind me, leaving me sandwiched between the two men as we crossed the courtyard and climbed the wide stone staircase.

The palace doors loomed above us.

Mika pushed one open.

Warm air brushed against my face as I stepped inside.

I stopped.

The interior was just as extravagant as the outside.

A massive chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting warm light across the polished marble floors. Tall windows lined the walls, their dark curtains framing the stormy evening outside. Ornate paintings and gold-trimmed decorations covered the walls, while a grand staircase curved upward toward the second floor.

For a moment, I could only stare.

Okay.

Maybe calling it the palace wasn't an exaggeration.

I looked toward the top of the staircase and came to a complete stop.

My blood turned to ice as I spotted the pair of golden eyes staring back at me.

I knew those eyes.

Those damn eyes.

The ones I'd seen through the flames.

The ones that belonged to that man... the one who had killed me.