Chapter 2 No heart

Selene

Your mother is dead. She is gone. He killed your mother. The Lycans killed her. She is gone! He ripped out her heart. He killed her. Those words kept repeating in my head as I ran through the woods, breathing hard.

“Mama,” I cried, still running. I could not stop rubbing. As much as I wanted to, my legs would not stop moving. He killed her. Her heart, I saw it. The look in her eyes, she was helpless. She did not want to die. “Serena.” I gasped. Where was my sister, she left with my mother. Everyone was running, there was chaos everywhere and I just disappeared into the woods, running as well. As fast as my legs could carry me. I didn't even know where I was going.

“Serena,” I called again. And then I paused in my tracks. Where was my sister? I needed to find her. I had to make sure that she was safe. The thought of saving my sister, made me turn back and I began to run towards where the chaos was taking place, crying hard. He killed her.

“Oh, mama.” I wailed, my heart twisting in pain. She was the best. She supported me. She taught me. My mother loved me. She was my best friend and he just killed her. The Lycans killed her.

I was still running and then, my brows furrowed when I noticed that something was up in my pursuit. Something was chasing me. I increased my pace and from the way my heart was beating so fast, it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

Something was chasing me and it was coming at me so fast. It also came out of nowhere. “Please stop. Just stop.” I begged. Ignoring the tiny sharp stones that dug into my skin, hurting like hell.

“Just stop.” I cried, but it did not stop coming at me and it was when it got near that I noticed that it was a Lycan wolf. A huge one. A huge black Lycan wolf that was right behind me.

My heart raced even faster and I tried to increase my pace, but I couldn't. I already felt out of breath. I felt weak. The Lycan wolf howled and I yelled and cried, falling to the ground on my back. I was sobbing as the Lycan wolf came upon me.

“Please no.” My whole body was shaking with sobs. Everything just went wrong in one night. And it happened so unexpectedly. The heavy weight of the Lycan wolf was upon me as it snarled at me, showing me its huge fangs. It would have been better if I passed out before it ate me alive.

The Lycan wolf growled again and the next thing I felt was pain. It bit me. Its fangs sank into my flesh like hot iron through butter. I screamed until my voice broke, the pain, unlike anything I’d ever felt. I thought death would take me right there.

I expected the Lycan wolf to tear my flesh out, but it didn't. But instead, it jumped off my body and left just as fast as it came.

It did not eat me but bit me. It was the same thing as killing me. I was a witch. Witches never survived a Lycan bite. So the Lycan wolf had the intention of killing me. All I felt was pain as I lay crying on the ground, the full moon shining down harshly at me. What a pathetic way to die. And what a pathetic day.

First, I almost got raped by my stepdad, then I watched my mother get killed. My twin sister was missing and I got bitten by a Lycan even before I got to see her. I was going to die. I would not survive the bite. No witch did. I blinked and my eyes turned heavy. I did not wait for death to take me. It was best I died in my sleep. So I just closed my eyes, embracing whatever peaceful death that I thought was coming for me.

……

I groaned and the first thing that I was met with was a sharp headache and the stings at the sole of my feet. I groaned yet again and then I blinked, slowly prying my eyes open. I was met with the tall trees that canopy together, almost covering the sky.

And when I moved. It was the uncomfortable feeling of sand and dry leaves that made me quickly sit up. “I'm alive?” Those were the first words that escaped my mouth and I looked around.

It was broad daylight. I was still dressed in my dress from the previous day, I still looked battered as my silver hair hung closely on my shoulders. There was dry blood on my dress and some trickled down my hand.

“I’m alive.” My voice was barely above a whisper and I looked around again. I was alive. But how? “The Lycan wolf. It bit—” I did not finish my statement when I quickly moved my hand to the side of my neck. There was no mark there. No injury. I checked the other side and it was the same thing.

I was quick to stand up on my feet and ignoring the pain I felt on the sole of my feet, I ran straight to where the witch's party was holding. I was still confused, but I needed to find Serena.

“Oh, my nature.” I gasped at the sight in front of me. There was smoke everywhere and then dead bodies. Dead witches to be exact. A lot of them were lying dead on the ground and it was the majority of the witches of Elarith.

From the spot the fire was coming from, I could see a pile of dead bodies and they were all burned. Beyond recognition.

I placed my hand over my mouth, biting back a sob. I felt the urge to vomit as the sight was too gruesome to look at. “F…fuck.” There were bodies everywhere and I felt my skin crawl. I kept looking around and my eyes fell on a body. My mother.

“Mama!!” I cried out as I knelt beside her dead body. Her body was still warm. Her hair still smelled like lavender. But her heart, her heart lay in the dirt like some forgotten thing.  I don't know what came into me, but I started muttering some spells.

It was the delusional side of me that thought that I could bring her back. To my dismay, silver sprinkles started glowing from my fingertips and as I chanted more, the silver light increased.

I was in awe because the best my magic could ever do was lit a fire. “Selene stop.” I heard a croaked voice and I paused. It was my mother. She was speaking to me, in my mind. Her body was not moving, but I heard her.

“Mama?” I cried out.

“Stop doing the spell. It will ruin you. Don't do it, baby.” Her voice was pleading.

“Mama, they are dead. Everyone. It's…it’s..” I cried, having no idea why I was talking to my dead mother in my head or even performing magic.

“Selene something has changed in you. But you need to find Lucien. Find Serena. Find the headstone.”

“Why did the Lycans do this?” We have been peaceful. “Why?” I sobbed, clutching her dead body.

“It was the Alpha’s orders and Selene, don't go near him. Go far away. It is dangerous.” She warned.

“What is his name? The one that killed you.” I was dying to know because I was dying to kill him and every Lycan that lived in his kingdom.

“Dain Hawthorne. Stay away. He is dangerous. He's the Alpha and is dangerous.  Keep the heartstone away from him.” My mother pleaded with me and I cried even more.

“Did he do it? And how am I talking to you? You don't have a heart. How can I hear you? The magic? I…i…i.” I stammered but then stopped and broke down into tears. My heart heavy.