Chapter 4

　　Celine's POV

　　Slowly, I opened my eyes, trying to grasp what was happening. I stared blankly at the wooden beams of the ceiling above me, beams I recognized. My childhood bedroom. But that was impossible.

　　I was dead, I had to be dead.

　　"Celine... wakey wakey!" Jessica's voice cut through my confusion in a very sweet tone, Her face appeared above me, filled with a warm smile that made my stomach turn.

　　I jerked away from her so violently that I nearly fell out of bed. "Get away from me!" I screamed, never have I been so angry and disgusted about a person.

　　Jessica blinked, her smile faltering as she pulled her hand back. "What are you doing, Celine? It's just me, Jessica." She spoke like I was being ridiculous, like she was the concerned sister and I was the crazy one.

　　But I could still feel it, my head was throbbing as a result of the pain from the effect of the bronze statue, the image of my blood that filled the ground was still clear. The memory was too vivid, too real to be just a dream.

　　"Is this truly you?" My voice trembled.

　　"Of course it is. Why are you acting so strange?" Jessica tilted her head, her brow furrowing in what looked like genuine concern. The performance was flawless.

　　My mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. "The ceremony... the treaty with the Bluehills Pack... where's Father? Is he handling the fallout?"

　　"Ceremony? Treaty?" Jessica stared at me like I'd grown a second head. "Celine, that's six months away. The Bluehills Pack isn't even scheduled to visit until November. Are you feeling alright? Did you have a nightmare?"

　　Six months. The treaty ceremony was six months away.

　　My heart began to pound. "What... What date is it?"

　　"It's May 20th. The treaty negotiations don't even start for another few months, remember?" Her eyes searched my face with growing worry or was it suspicion? "Father wants you to meet with the pack cartographer today to begin preliminary work on the territorial surveys. Did you forget?"

　　May 20th. Six months before everything fell apart. Which means ... I had been reborn six months before my entire life fell apart.

　　"I... I need a minute," I whispered, my hand instinctively reaching for my chest where I should have felt broken ribs and crushed organs. But there was nothing, no pain or injuries, yet I couldn't feel the presence of my wolf.

　　Jessica reached out to touch my shoulder, but I flinched away. There was a mixture of hurt and disbelief. The same silly look that I had fallen for in the past.

　　"Celine, you're worrying me. Should I call the healer?"

　　"No!" I blurted out even before I could stop myself, but then it occurred to me that if I had truly been reborn, then I couldn't let them find out about it, but how was it possible?

　　"Get up, Celine," she continued, her voice taking on a more cheerful tone. "Get dressed. Father wants you at the pack house within the hour. You know how he gets when you keep him waiting."

　　She smiled that warm, sisterly smile that I'd once cherished, but it was clear to me that her words were definitely a threat.

　　"We're all counting on you for this treaty. You're so good at the detailed work that the rest of us find tedious."

　　She spoke but what she meant was. You're useful for the grunt work nobody else wants to do.

　　"Just give me a few minutes. I'll be down soon," I managed to say, my mind confused and trying to put into place what was going on.

　　"You have ten minutes!" she chirped, before finally slipping out and closing the door behind her.

　　The moment I was alone, I let out a long sigh of relief as my hand reached for my head where I was struck by the statue but there was not even a single pain.

　　"It wasn't a dream," I whispered to the empty room. "This is real, I have no idea how it's possible, but somehow, I made my way back to six months before my life fell apart"

　　I walked to the bathroom so I could get dressed to see father, but as I walked past my desk, I noticed a book on the floor.

　　"Damn it," I hissed and bent down to pick it, The moment my fingers touched it, I felt this electric shock that went through my entire body.

　　Slowly, I opened the first page. The words there were written in that same flowing silver script, and as I read them, my blood ran cold:

　　"IT WAS NOT A DREAM. YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN SIX MONTHS BEFORE YOU EXPERIENCE THE SAME FATE AGAIN, UNLESS THIS TIME, YOU CHANGE IT. THE MOON GODDESS GRANTS THIS GIFT ONLY ONCE. USE IT WISELY, OR DIE FORGOTTEN, AS YOU DID BEFORE."

　　I was so shocked that I didn't realize when I fell down and the reality of everything that happened, slowly overwhelmed me.

　　But now I know. Now I could see them all for what they truly were.

　　I threw the book across the room, watching it skid under my bed, as if distance could make this nightmare less real.

　　"This is insane," I muttered, pressing my palms against my eyes. "This can't be happening. People don't just... come back from the dead."

　　But werewolves weren't just people, were they? We had the Moon Goddess watching over us, ancient magic running through our veins. If anyone could grant a second chance, it would be her.

　　I quickly took my bath and got dressed as I hurried downstairs.

　　When I walked downstairs, Jessica was waiting in the dining room but I froze as soon as my eyes locked with hers.

　　She was wearing a pale yellow sundress with white flowers, the exact same outfit she'd worn that day six months ago. Every detail was identical, down to the way her hair was braided over one shoulder.

　　Just as I lowered to stare at myself, I realized that I was also wearing the same dress as before. Everything was happening as it had six months ago, this was certainly no coincidence.

　　"Celine, is everything alright?" Her voice was filled with concern as she took in whatever expression was on my face.

　　"It's the same!" I breathed, barely audible. "Everything is the same. It's all happening again, exactly like before."

　　"What's the same? Celine, you're really starting to worry me. Should I mind-link Father? Or the healer?"

　　I couldn't answer. My mind was spinning too fast. If everything was repeating exactly as before, then I knew what came next.

　　Jessica and I would go to the pack house together. The cartographer would brief me on the survey work. Damien would show up with tea, poisoned tea and I'd drink it, thinking he was being thoughtful.

　　The wolfsbane would make me sick by evening. And it would continue, day after day, week after week, slowly killing me while I had no idea what was happening.

　　Not this time.

　　"Jessica, you go ahead to the pack house. I'll meet you there. There's something I need to take care of first."

　　"What? But we're supposed to..."

　　"I'll be there soon. I promise. Just... go ahead without me." I was already moving toward the door, grabbing my jacket, not giving her a chance to argue or convince me to stay.

　　"But Celine, Father specifically said……"

　　I was out the door before she could finish, my heart pounding as I walked so fast, I didn't even realize when tears rolled down my cheek, the pain was still there.

　　It didn't take long and I was outside the pack house, I halted a cab and got in.

　　"Where to?" the driver asked.

　　"The pack house of the Nightwing pack " I blurted, not sure why I had decided to go there of all places.

　　The driver furrowed an eyebrow at me. "That's... that's Alpha Kade's territory. You sure about that, miss?

　　There was fear in his eyes and he had every right to be afraid.

　　Alpha Kade. The most ruthless Alpha in the region, the Alpha King who was said to have been cursed by the moon goddess after murdering an entire village by himself.

　　He was an Alpha that would murder anyone without batting an eyebrow, he has never lost a battle, Alpha Kade wasn't just dangerous or Ruthless, he was regarded as death itself.

　　I know I was supposed to be afraid, but I had seen death once, and I wasn't afraid of it, but I was certain of one thing, he was the man capable of granting me the powers I needed to take down my family and all of them that hurt me.