A CHANCE TO REWRITE FATE
NATALIA
The heavy rain made it nearly impossible for me to see where I was going, but that didn’t stop me from sprinting blindly through the forest. I’ve already lost count of the times I tripped and had to ignore the branches and twigs hitting my face from the strong wind. I was already covered in mud from getting up every single time I tripped, but it was the least of my concerns.
I continued running even though it felt like I was wading through quicksand. I couldn’t afford to slow down, not when my life depended on it. I pushed my legs harder and didn’t dare to look back. The pack guards were still after me, and if I stopped, I’d die.
They betrayed me. I can’t believe my own husband disposed of me like this for his true mate. My husband, the man I thought would learn to love me as much as I did…
To my unpleasant fate, I stumbled on uneven ground. My foot was caught on a rock, and I tumbled forward. Panic quickly hit me when I realized I was hanging on a cliff’s edge. I immediately tightened my grip, desperately grabbing on so I wouldn’t fall.
I winced when I cut myself, but I held tighter, desperate to live. I just dangled there, suspended over the void below. I wanted to ask for help, but I doubted any of my pursuers would help me. After all, they were given the orders to kill me. If they see me, they’d just step on me till I fall, making their job easier. I swallowed back my tears, having no choice but to try and pull myself up.
Hope bloomed in my heart after I lifted my gaze. I saw my best friend looking down at me.
“Ivy, help me,” I pleaded. My voice was barely heard against the strong wind. “Please, help me. I can’t hold on any longer-” I stopped myself after seeing her eyes.
There were so many emotions in her eyes, so much anger and betrayal. My own friend doesn’t even believe that I’m innocent.
She didn’t respond. Ivy just watched me as if she was savoring the moment of my struggle. At that moment, I knew that I was truly alone.
“Why, Natalia?” she whispered, her voice as barely audible as mine, “Why did you do that? My brother died because of you. Why did you betray us?”
Rain droplets mingled with the tears on my cheeks as I struggled to find the words to explain.
“I didn’t do it.” It was all I could say while my eyes already blurred out in tears.
Ivy was the only friend I ever had, and I would never do anything to hurt the people she loved. My only sin was to love and trust the wrong people.
He was the one who betrayed me. Tristan.
For a moment, there was silence, and all I could hear was the raging waves beneath me. And then, slowly, Ivy stepped forward, her hand outstretched toward mine.
My eyes widened. Does she believe me now?
“Ivy,” I mumbled, “Thank you for believing me.”
I thought, finally, someone believed that I was innocent, but just as our fingers were about to touch, she hesitated, and her gaze flickered with doubt.
She quickly backed away. “No. You can’t fool me with that pitiful look again. Now I know why everyone hates you. I should have seen it sooner. Because of you, Simon died.”
Ivy quickly disappeared from my sight, leaving me on the edge of the cliff.
The remaining strength in my body quickly vanished after hearing Ivy’s words. I fell into what felt like an endless abyss. I firmly closed my eyes and quietly accepted my fate. I don’t know what I did to deserve this, but I promise that if the next life exists, I won’t let those people trample over me again.
I promise I will fight for myself. I’ll make it right this time.
I gasped awake and quickly looked around in slight panic. My eyes roamed the place once again, still confused as to what was happening. I’m in my room, back to my old room, in my birth pack.
All of that… was just a dream?
No.
It was too vivid to be a dream. I could still feel the s***h of rain against my skin, the feeling of falling and betrayal deep in my bones. My hands were still trembling from grabbing onto the edge of the cliff, hoping to be saved. Even my wolf insists that it was very real.
After getting over my surprise, I quickly rummaged through my things, desperately trying to find my phone. After I did, I checked the date.
“February 21.” It was two days before my wedding before everything went down in my already terrible life.
I bit my lower lip just to stop it from trembling. I really went back in time, but how is that even possible?
My eyes roamed my old room. It felt nostalgic to be here even though I had only been gone for four months. I promised myself that I would do it right if I were given a chance.
Was it possible that the Goddess heard me and decided to give me a chance?
Four months of marriage I poured my everything into work, only for it to end up in betrayal. When I left this pack, I promised myself that I would be able to go back with pride because, finally, I would be of use to my father and my pack.
Little did I know, I just dug my own grave.
My shoulders jumped in surprise when the door of my room opened without warning. It was my best friend, my only friend in fact. She had no betrayal in her eyes, just a familiar smile.
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Ivy asked, reaching out for my forehead.“And you’re sweating buckets. Are you really not feeling well?”
I couldn’t stop myself and embraced her. It felt like ages since we could talk like this. We fell apart even before I was branded a traitor to the pack. I missed her so much.
“Okay, you’re acting odd. What is it?” She asked, confused, but patted my back.
I withdrew from the embrace and composed myself: “Nothing. I was just thankful that you were here. I missed you.”
Ivy belonged to the Shadowgrove Pack. Their pack and ours, the Duskborn Pack, have been long allies. Our packs were close enough that there were instances when members of each other’s pack spent the full moon in each other’s territory.
That is how we met, and she was the only one who approached and played with me when everyone avoided me like the plague.
“We were literally together earlier before you fainted. You scared me, but the doctor said he found nothing wrong with you. Is that wedding jitters?”
“I suddenly fainted?”
She nodded reluctantly, “You don’t remember fainting? Should I call the doctor? Maybe you need to get checked again.”
I quickly opposed the idea, not wanting my father to be involved. “I’m okay, just… just a little disoriented. Does the alpha know about it?”
“No, unless the doctor or your evil stepsister tells your father.” She casually responded.
“Keep it down. Kyline might hear you, or worse, the Luna might.” I covered her mouth in panic.
She slowly removed my hand from her mouth and rolled her eyes. “This is why they always berate you. You hardly ever fight for yourself. You’re still your pack alpha’s daughter. You deserve respect.”
“I just don’t want this to get out of hand.”
It was true that I was the alpha’s child, but I wasn’t the Luna’s. I was a product of a sin, and even though it wasn’t my choice to be born into this pack or to be born at all, I had no choice but to carry the weight of my parents’ sins.
Ivy frowned but followed my request with a murmur of complaint.
“Ivy, do you really think I should continue with the wedding?” I asked but realized that she had no idea of what was about to happen if I let myself be married to the alpha of their pack.
“If you don’t want to marry Alpha Tristan, I would.” She answered with a straight face.
I was surprised by her response. She never showed interest in Tristan before.
“It’s a joke, Natalia. I’m joking.” She deadpanned and quickly changed the topic, but I still couldn’t concentrate.
Two days was all I got to change something. I have to stop this wedding no matter what.
