** Diana’s POV **
“And I also brought this dress for you. Diana?”
I looked up at Paul who was holding a sun dress up while he looked at me desperately. Ever since that day I went with him, I haven’t even broken into a smile.
That day was a week and a half ago.
“Diana, is something wrong?”
I nodded. “Your mate must be worried. You should go and check on her.”
“Actually,” he scratched his head. “I’m going on a trip with her soon to settle some, matters. You’ll be all alone for a few days.”
“Okay.”
“You promise you won’t go back to that pack?” He questioned.
I nodded. I didn’t want to speak out and say “yeah, I promise I won’t run to my mate.”
He nodded and jumped to his feet before taking my hand in his and kissing my knuckle. I shuddered. Then he turned and left, leaving me in my dead village.
That’s right, he brought me to where he had killed my family.
When I could no longer hear his footsteps, I stood and grabbed the dress he had given me, grabbing it’s sides before pulling with all my might.
I tore it right down the middle.
I wasn’t going to accept anything he’d give me. The food he left for me, I’d toss them out, and the clothes, I’d rip them. To be honest, I have no idea how I’ve survived this long. Must be some werewolf thing.
I began walking, listening to the worried voices of Christopher and the pack. I had blocked them out the night I left with Paul so that they wouldn’t track me down. If they found me, Paul would attack them, and I didn’t want anyone to die for me.
I halted at the graves of my family and sat down.
“Hey mom. So, I found my mate a couple of weeks ago, you already know that. But you’re probably wondering why I’m back. Well, it’s Paul. He said that if I didn’t return with him, he’d hurt Christopher and the pack. They already hurt his little sister, and-“
I fell silent when something familiar caught my eye. “What the…” I quickly plucked the item from the ground and observed it.
“This- this is the flower that killed me when I was a kid!”
The rainbow flower sparkled in the sunlight, looking extravagant and captivating.
‘Don’t do it.’ Sofia growled in my head.
“Well, look who finally decides to show up. I haven’t heard from you in awhile.”
‘I’ve been busy.”
“Busy?” I snapped. “You’re inside my body! What’s so busy in there?”
‘…digestion.’
“Yeah, exactly. Do you even have any idea what’s going on? We can’t see our mate anymore!”
Sofia growled. ‘I know what Paul is doing Diana. But do you not remember what that flower did to us? It killed us! So if you take a bite from it like you’re thinking, you won’t just kill us for a second time, you’ll also kill Christopher!’
I smiled at the poisonous flower. “Don’t worry, it’s not going to kill us.”
‘Diana! Don’t do-‘
She wasn’t able to finh because by the time she shouted my name, I was already swallowing the deadly weed.12
Black dots filled my vision before turning to complete and utter darkness. And the strange thing was, I wasn’t afraid, I welcomed it.
“Ugh, what? Where am I?”
Have you ever decided to stay up one night, when everyone in your family is asleep, and just stare at the sky filled with stars? You see everything, and it feels like you’re being swallowed up by the constellations. That’s what was happening. I was being swallowed up by the starry sky.
“Diana.”
I quickly turned, ready to get into a fighting position and take out any opponents. But, when I spun around, no one was there.
“Hey sis.”
My head snapped towards a boy a couple years older than me with blonde shaggy hair, a muscular frame, and hands in his jean pockets while he wore a sly smile.
“Hank!” I gasped. “You- you’re alive!”
I quickly ran to my older brother and wrapped my arms around him.
“Hey Diana, what’s wrong?”
I looked up at Hank to see him smirking. Is he serious? I haven’t seen him in three years.
I cocked my eyebrow. “Are you okay?”
“He is Diana, and so are we.”
I turned my head to see my mother and two younger brothers, Solomon and Thomas, smiling at me.
My arms dropped from Hank and my overwhelming joy died.
“You guys aren’t real. You all are hallucinations.”
“No we’re not big sis.” Thomas giggled. “We’re real! See.”
He ran up to me and slapped my leg, making me yelp.
“But, I buried you guys. I remember.” I mumbled, rubbing my leg that was in pain.
Mom was in front of me in a flash and cupped my cheeks, staring into my eyes. Being this close, I could see the features we shared. Our button noses and rosy cheeks.
“Everything may be all in whack right now sweetheart, but things will clear up.”
I nodded and took in her face. But, I spotted something that wasn’t supposed to be there.
Stormy gray eyes.
I noted the difference and stepped away from them. “So, you guys are…dead… But, if that’s why I see you all, where’s dad?”
No one answered, instead, Hank changed the subject.
“Diana, we don’t have a lot of time, so please, ask the questions you want to know, not what you need to know.”
“That doesn’t make sense, it should be the other way around!”
“Ah, ah, ah little sister. Listen to your big brother.” Hank teased.
I sighed. “Okay, questions I want to know… Hank, how come you didn’t come with me and Grace? I know you would’ve lived if you did.”
He smiled. “Diana, when I first saw you after you were born, I swore I’d protect you. I failed to do so when we were children. But that night, when I was holding off the rouges so that you guys could get away, I thought of it as redemption.”
I blinked back tears. “Gosh dang it Hanky, you’re going to make me cry! I promised Christopher that I wouldn’t.”
“You can cry here Diana, it doesn’t really count since this is sort of like your conscious.” Hank chuckled.
I laughed as tears began to flow freely. “You jerk.”
“Butt hole.”
I laughed harder which caused me to cry even harder. When the emotions settled down, I turned to mom.
“Mom, how did you… you know.”
She smiled. “I was looking for you sweetheart, to tell you something important. But, a certain wolf had gotten to me first.”
“Paul?!”
She turned away and I knew I had guessed right. Paul had killed my mother.
“So, Thomas and Solomon. Why didn’t you guys run? Why did you stay to fight?”
“We wanted to be like daddy!” They replied simultaneously.
I chuckled. “You guys didn’t have to do that. Y’all already look like him.”
“Well,” Solomon murmured. “We also wanted to pose as a distraction so that you could run and find your mate.”
I felt my heart clench. “Were you guys trying to get me out? You all could’ve lived! This is all my fault, isn’t it?!”
Hank smiled. “Diana, no it’s not. But we’re out of time. We have to go now.”
“No! I just got you all back! You can’t leave!”
They all grabbed hands and smiled at me as they started to glow and fade.
“No!” I lunged forward but went straight through them. “You can’t leave me again!” I sobbed. “We can stay here! Be a family again! I want you guys to meet Christopher! And meet Grace’s mate! I want you guys to-“
“Sweetheart,” mom soothed. “I’ll be watching over you, I promise.”
I cried as they vanished and as the stars came collapsing on me. And before I knew it, my eyes, my actual eyes, opened to a very familiar face.
“Christopher?”