BELLA

I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. I blinked twice before fully adjusted my gaze to my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the wooden barks lined up together forming a shelter.

I jerked myself out of the bed in shock.

Where was I? What was I doing here?

"Dear?" I heard a voice come from my back. I swirled around to my left and saw a silhouette of a person coming out of the door like structure. "Are you awake?" The voice was gentle yet held firmness in them.

The room I was standing was big and had fire-holder liting it up. As the figure came nearer and nearer, I was able to see the person's face.

It was a woman with blue vibrant eyes and white glowing hair. She seemed to be around thirty or forty years old.

She stood in front of me and touched my forehead making me flinch a little as I felt her hand be colder than mine.

"W-who are you and where am I?" I asked with confusion coating my voice.

"You're at Petinopotra, Alpha Loisel's pack's another half." She gently answered and tugged my hand to sit down on the spongy mattress. "How do you feel now, dear?"

"Except for dizziness, I'm fine."

She nodded her head and held my hands in hers. "Drink this and you shall be alright." She handed me a glass of water which I instantly gulped. "Oh, Myself Luna Orchida, mate of Alpha Loisel."

My mouth formed an 'O' before I asked, "what am I doing here?"

"You were being carried by a fine gentleman companied by a few of my pack members and four other unknown strangers." She smiled and pointed her hand towards the door. "The fine gentleman who is standing outside as refused to even see your face and has been beating himself up with his thoughts." She dropped her hand and continued, "I suppose you're his mate by the mark on your neck. Go and talk to him, dear and he shall be good."  

Why would he refuse to look at me? My mom's face flashed causing me to remember each and everything.

My own mate killed her. My mother.

She was a betrayer, an emotional wrecker who just broke me and my trust in her. My mother. Whom I have thought to be my role model to survive the hell I was living in. I could never forgive her even if the died. She was loyal to him, to Draco who just wanted to destroy love and gain the freedom for power.

"Are you fine, dear?"

I felt warm hands wipe my face. I sniffed and nodded my head. "I'm okay, ma'am."

"Oh dear, don't call me that. You can address me to be Orchida as I'm still as young as you." She flipped her hair away from her shoulder making me giggle.

Why didn't I get a mother like her? But, I can't judge a person by their first appearance. That's what my experiences have lead me to learn.

"Thank you, Orchida."

"Mention not, sweety. You're just to humble to be believable. My own daughter as never said 'thanks' for taking care of her regularly," She said with a giggle. "Go, talk to your mate."

I walked out of the room and searched for Xanthos.

The area around me had many cottages similar to the one I came out from. The fire illuminated from the sticks and broken branches. The scenery was that of a campfire.

I saw a silhouette with broad shoulders and body sitting in front of the fire. I took slow steps forward and touched the person's shoulder causing sparks to travel through my arm. I instantly knew it was Xanthos sitting with his head hung down.

"Xanthos?"

He jerked his head up to look at me. "Mate?" He whispered with a broken tone.

His eyes were reddish and had a dull look in them. He seemed as though he was crying for a long time.

"Oh? So you doubt that I'm your mate now?" I asked feigning offended.

He immediately pulled me on his lap before I could comprehend who he was doing. I shrieked when I settled on him.

"What if I say I really doubt that you're mine?"

"I'm really sorry to say but I'm yours and you're mine."

He nuzzled his nose at the crook of my neck and breathed in deeply. The fire blazed in the darkness surrounding us. It provided the warmth that we required the most. I stared at the fire and admired how it can destroy a person but at the same time provide warmth and light when needed the most.

"I apologize for what I did in the forest today."

"You did what?" I further interrogated though I knew what he was talking about.

He tightened his grip on my waist and pulled me closer to him as he continued nuzzling my neck.

"For kill--eradicating your so-called mother."

I chuckled at the choice of a word he used instead of saying 'killing'.

I turned my body and sat on one of his knees. Cupping his face in my hands, I leaned closer to him. "You needn't be sorry, Xanthos. I too wished for the same."

He kissed my nose and muttered, "if so, then I'm fine. I thought you wouldn't talk to me after what I did in my anger."

"You cried because of that?"

He looked at my eyes and slowly nodded his head. "I just couldn't handle the fact that you wouldn't talk to me."

"But I'm still talking, right?"

He smiled lightly before pecking my lips. "Right, beloved."

We sat in silence and stared at each other. I wanted to kiss him, touch him and do the things willingly but I held myself back as it wasn't the time for us to do one of the most intimate things between couples. Draco was still left to be killed.

"Xanthos?"

"Hmm?" He just continued staring at me.

"I-I need to tell you something."

"Hmm."

"Today something strange happened--Xanthos?"

"Hmm."

"Could you stop humming!" I hit his forehead causing him to blink his eyes. He glanced around before looking at me.

"I zoned out?"

"I guess so."

"What were you telling me?"

"I said, today something strange happened. While my mother started her voice at me, a woman's voice suddenly echoed in my head. Asking me to kill my mother. It just said that it would be helping me at the time it's needed the most."

He moved his orbs around as he thought what it could be. He pulled his lips between his teeth before releasing them.

"How did you feel one you heard the voice?"

I thought for a while to recollect as to how I felt when the voice spoke in my head.

"I felt as though some divine power was being poured on me. I felt in peace and didn't feel a burden for a second. The voice was so melodies and held me almost in its caption."

He breathed out a sigh and nodded. "I assume it was Moon Goddess or Mozena."

"Who's Mozena?"

He stared at the fire for a few seconds before gazing at me. "She's the goddess of peace. You could say, a close friend or more like a sister of Moon Goddess. I'm not sure, but she does have a relationship with the Moon Goddess. It's believed that Mozena has come to the world around four hundred years ago to pass over a prophecy to the werewolf race about the emergence of new species called 'hybrids' which slowly brought trouble. She was the one who predicted my birth in this realm and with the help of Moon Goddess I was created."

"Then you should have brought peace, right?"

He bit his lip and shook his head. "I did bring. However, I never saw a war with humans coming. They were supported by the powerful gods but we, supernatural on the other hand had no one except for ourselves. Neither the Moon Goddess nor did Mozana come to help us. Nevertheless, we succeed and decided to show the humans what would happen if they challenge us. So, I supposed the system of 'human slavery' would allow me to show with whom they dared to fight."

I swallowed and got down from his lap. Averting my eyes away, I spoke, "then all the innocent humans met the same fate, you took our freedom and enjoyed your liberty."

"Mate, it's not like that. My only thirst was for power and fear from creatures around me. But, I never knew you would end becoming my mate. Never in my dreams, I thought a human would be my mate. The Moon Goddess as done that to stop me from doing any more wrong with the humans. Which got me angry and caused to me to take my anger on you. Your pure nature captured me, your beauty captured me and most importantly your uniqueness wrapped me around the little finger of yours--"

"Bella?!"

A very familiar voice reached my ears making me quickly stand up and run towards the voice.

"Clara!" I squealed and hugged her as tightly as I could.

She was safe! I thought happily.

"Bels? How're you?" Another familiar voice hit my ears.

I pulled away from her and turned to look at Onyx, who was casually staring at the surroundings. He seemed to be the same as the before except he looked fresher and tidy.

"I'm doing good, Onyx."

I felt a tap on my shoulder making me swirl and look at the person. It was the Gamma who didn't even tell me his name.

"Hello, human." His voice was as cold as the weather around us but I noticed a bit of warmth in it.

"Hi, Gamma."

"Come on, dude. Tell your name to her." Mason said from behind him. "She can be trusted very well."

The Gamma removed his hoodie causing his hair to fall on his neck in waves.  I noticed Mason's arm wrapped around the Gamma's waist.

I coughed and I pointed my thumb at them. "You two are mates?"

They looked at each other before wildly shaking there head. "Mason isn't my mate but we understood that girls aren't our cup of tea."

I laughed and shook my head. "Tell me your name, Gamma."

He had a contemplating expression. "Teddy."

Mason's eyes widened. "You liar, your name is not--"

I smirked. "If he preferred to be called 'teddy' so be it."

Teddy just rolled his eyes but I found a glimpse of amusement shining in his eyes.

"Mate!" Xanthos yelled and ran towards me.

I turned and smiled at him. "Yeah?"

'Are you angry at me, sweetheart?'

I smiled and shook my head. 'No.'

He beamed and pressed his lips against mine causing explodes of fire to burst all over my physique.

I was excited and happy that all my friends were safe and were in front of me. Yet, I missed Edrala and Natasha. Even, Kathy to say the least.

I pulled away from him and asked, "where are Kathy, Natasha and Edrala? And how did you enter this territory?"

All stared at each other and shrugged their shoulders. "Well, human. We escaped the guards by tricking them with the sounds of the growls and entered this clan. We soon found the scent of yours with others and tracked you till here," Teddy explained.

"Oh...but what if you get caught?"

"Don't worry, mate. We would take care of it," Xanthos assured me.

A/N

*goosebumps* Ah! The book is going to end soon and me gonna edit it. I know there are many grammar mistakes from chapter 8-16. It had many full-stops by which I myself got irritated.

Bye!
-Akila.