Rejected, Rebirth, and Revenge

Chapter Four: New Body

I raised my hands.

"I don't mean to cause any trouble," I said, and was surprised by how different I sounded. I tried clearing my throat and spoke again.

"What were you doing listening to our conversation?" he asked, eyes narrowed to slits.

"I didn't mean to," I insisted.

"Hunter," someone said behind him. "Maybe this is making things worse."

"Mind your business, Anthony," the man named Dixon replied without looking. His eyes were filled with rage as he beheld me, and I was starting to wonder what kind of night this was turning out to be.

"Look," she said, "I don't care that you're planning on killing Alpha Desmond. I really don't."

His face hardened at that. "Oh, really?"

"Yes," I said, sitting up. "I don't."

"And why is that? You're not a part of Dawn?"

I thought long and hard about my answer. Caspian's face invaded my mind and I closed my eyes. I didn't care if this man killed his father, I realized that now. It wasn't any of my business and frankly, they deserved whatever was coming to them.

"I am," I answered. " But I'm an Omega, so you can imagine why I don't care."

I saw some of the guys behind them exchange a look. It wasn't the best excuse but it was all that I could think about right now. I just wanted them to let me go. I wanted to go home and forget this night ever happened.

I'd deal with Caspian and his friends later.

"Hunter," the man named Anthony said again. "We're wasting time."

Hunter or Dixon or whatever his name was, looked at me for another beat before he stood. He towered over me and stared at me, and then said, "Go on, then. Get out of here."

"Yeah," a voice said behind them. "Make like a tree and leave, little fox."

"And don't come out after dark," another man added. "You don't know what could be lurking in the dark."

I couldn't tell if they were genuinely giving me advice or whether they were mocking me. I stood up and dusted myself off before turning away from them and running as fast as I could in the direction of the park.

I had no trouble reaching the more public area and I also didn't run into anyone on my way there. I was stunned, though, when I didn't find my bicycle where I had left it. A crinkle formed between my brows as I looked around. I checked the pockets of my dress suddenly and realized that I didn't have my phone with me either.

Had they taken my belongings?

I clenched my jaw as I looked around, unsure of what to do. I could always walk home but what would I tell my mother? How would I explain my rugged appearance and my missing cellphone? Or why I was even barefoot? I didn't want to tell her what happened right away. I would have to figure something out first, or maybe gather evidence. They were powerful and I wasn't, so it was their word against mine. But my cell phone was proof, as he sent me that text message.

I sighed heavily, cursing Caspian and his stupid friends in my mind for having done this to me.

I'd have to figure it out on my walk home. I didn't have a choice. As I walked, I fantasized about the look on their faces when they realized that I wasn't dead. Or bruised. Or hurt, which was how they left me. They were cowards, all of them, and I'd taunt them with it. I would bring them the justice that the goddess asked me to bring them.

I couldn't wrap my head around what happened. I was reborn. It was so surreal.

Was there still a chance that I might be dreaming?

All the houses in my block were closed. Everyone had gone to the Hunt. I didn't plan to, but I still imagined how they would look like if they saw me there. The thought brought a smile to my lips just as I was reaching my house, which was as dark as the others.

I frowned.

My mother wasn't home?

I neared it carefully, ducking so she wouldn't see me through the kitchen window in case she was there. I pressed my back against the wall and waited. Her car wasn't in the driveway, I realized, which meant that she left and was probably looking for me right now.

I tried the kitchen door. It was locked.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath. I would have to think of something else.

I walked around the house and found the front door also locked. I didn't have a key with me, so I was locked out. I didn't want her to see me in this state. She would ask too many questions. By the Moon, I was going to get in serious trouble. I looked up at the sky and shot a prayer to the goddess.

"Please," I said, "help me this one time again."

It was then that an idea occurred to me. The bathroom window was never locked, so if I opened it from the outside, I could sneak into my house. Sure enough, it was open, and I pushed it up further and then climbed inside. I landed painfully on the cool bathroom floor but after a few seconds, I was fine.

"Thank you, goddess," I said, breathing a lot easier.

It was too dark to see, so I turned the lights on. My eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the light and when they did, I rushed to look at my reflection in the mirror to assess the damage.

When I did, I screamed.

I backed away from my own reflection and all our toiletries on the shelf behind me crashed on the ground. My heart began racing and my eyes were wide as I looked in the mirror. This couldn't be. It wasn't possible.

Who was that staring back at me?

That wasn't me.

It occurred to me then that the rogues I met in the forest called me fox, and one of them even mentioned 'red hair' but I hadn't paid any mind to it. I didn't know what they were talking about. It also explained why my voice sounded different when I spoke to them. I should have wondered because that was the reality; my hair was bright and red, and my eyes weren't hazel anymore. They were blue and slanted. I did look like a fox. My dark hair was gone. My eyes and changed. Hell, even my facial structure was different. I looked down at my body. The first thing I noticed was how my breasts were heavier and my hips were fuller. I was not the girl who met Caspian in the woods earlier.

I was not Vivian.

I was too shocked to even think. I sank to the bathroom floor with my mouth agape, trying to sort through my scrambled thoughts. My first question was what I was going to do. I knew I had been reborn but I didn't know it would come with a brand new face and body. How were people supposed to recognize me?

I gasped.

What about my mother?

I was as good as dead, at this point.

Tears trailed down my cheeks. I covered my mouth with my hand to muffle the sobs. I was in a state of despair. I didn't know what to do. Things were clear to me before but now, they weren't. What kind of justice was I supposed to bring with a face nobody knew? How was I supposed to reveal to the world what happened when I wasn't even the girl they did that to, not physically?

"What do I do?" I asked the goddess. "Help me, please."

There was no magical idea. There wasn't a clue. I was in the dark and lost in my thoughts. I put my head in my hands as I cried, feeling sick to my stomach.

This was worse than I thought.

After a while, I stood back up again, seemingly convinced that something would change when I looked into the mirror again. Sure enough, my face was the same. It hadn't been my imagination. My eyes were teary and red, and I had the strong feeling that this wasn't real and I was either dreaming or in a fantasy world.

My world came crashing down when I heard my mother's car pull in the driveway. My heart skipped a beat and I was rooted to the spot in shock. What would I do? I couldn't let her see me like this. She would be too shocked and I couldn't do this to her.

She couldn't see me.

A wave of nausea hit me. I held onto the sink and hung my head. I only had a few minutes to decide what to do. It was either I met her downstairs and and told her the unbelievable truth, or I hid until the time was right.

"Where do I go in the meantime? What do I do?"

My heart sank the I heard the door closing, and then my mother paused and called out my name. "Vivian? Is that you?"

I wanted to scream yes, and tell her to come upstairs. My eyes filled with tears again and I bit my lower lip hard as I walked toward the window. It was already open, so I just climbed out and ran as fast as I could, my vision blurry with tears.

When I was sure I was out of sight, I hid behind a tree and thought about what I was going to do. Where could I go? I didn't have anyone to trust and keep this secret for me. I looked up at the sky and wondered why the goddess put me in this position.

What was I supposed to do now?

How could she—

I heard voices again and this time, I lowered myself to the ground. I didn't see anyone, not tight away, but upon close inspection, I saw the leather jackets and heavy boots.

Those rogues? We were crossing paths again?

They were a safe distance away from me, so I wasn't worried about being seen. I watched them walk past. I stared at them for a while, my brow crinkled. It felt like a sign of some kind. I stared at the moon again. What was I missing here?

Give me a sign, I said.

When the realization hit me, it was strong enough to bring me to my feet. Revenge. That was something we had in common. It made sense now. The goddess put them in my path for a reason. It wasn't a mere coincidence.

"Wait!" I said loudly, and even from a distance, I heard a sharp intake of breath.