The Alpha’s not-so Human Mate

15. The Body Exchange

I started to see Esnie's face reflecting on the surface of the moon lake.

I cleaned my eyes. "Gosh! I'm going insane by the minute". I whispered to myself.

I turned to leave the moon lake, but I felt a powerful force drawing me back to it. I looked down at the water again and saw her face staring back at me. She was in tears.

"Esnie? Is this real?". I asked in disbelief.

She nodded her head, which scared the life out of me. I jumped into the water and swam to the bottom, but didn't see anything. I got out and looked back down. There she was. How?

"Talk to me, Esnie".

She mouthed the words: 'Save me'. Just then, the reflection faded from the water's surface.

"Esnie! Where are you!" I yelled, but it was futile.

I ran back to the pack house. I got to the clinic and saw the nurses taking her corpse to the morgue. "Wait! Leave her body!" I ordered.

One of the nurses stared at me as if I was crazy. "No offense, Alpha Jace, But if we don't take her away from here, her body will begin to stink."

"Did I stutter? You better not move her body!" I only saw red at that point and I didn't care about being polite.

I ran out of the pack house not minding that everyone was gawking at me as if I had lost my mind, which I had. Fiona was the only one who dared to follow me as I made my way to my car which was parked in front of our mansion. "Jace, son, what's all this madness? Let her be cremated and allowed to rest in peace.”

But I wasn't in the mood for her 'motherly' advice. I got in the car and drove off.

I drove north, to the heart of a town called Silva-obscura. Even werewolves were afraid to enter this territory because it is swimming with witches. These witches sometimes have the power to steal a werewolf's power, turning them into an average human. Silva obscura was a forbidden place for all werewolves, but at this point, I didn’t care.

I headed for the cottage of the infamous Medina, the witch. I had her in my grasp once. That was when my father, Alpha James, was still alive. But out of pity, I let her go. My father almost killed me that night because I showed 'weakness' according to him. Now, I believe she owes me a favor. Hopefully, she thinks so too.

I never believed in witchcraft, but I was desperate. It was only a matter of time before my Esnie's body began to decay, but I was not going to let that happen.

I drove past some folks who, to be honest, I didn't know if they were witches or not. It’s hard to tell in a place like this. I stopped my car in front of Medina's cottage and stepped out onto the barren land surrounding it. The old cottage was almost dilapidated with barely anything holding it together.

I entered through the door frame. The wooden floorboards creaked loudly with each step I took. I entered one of the rooms and found her kneeling before an ugly-looking carved image. Burning before the altar was a tongue of fire.

She turned her head in my direction and I got to see her face under the light; she looked older since the last time I saw her. She was completely grey, with wrinkles on her once youthful skin. And hugging her frame was a black dress.

She grinned, revealing her scanty dentition. "I knew the son of the moon would need my help one day.” She mocked.

I was in no mood for her craziness, so I went straight to the point. "I need you to bring my mate back to life".

She got up from her kneeling position and faced me. "Impatience; the worst trait to be possessed by one who seeks the impossible".

"Please, Medina, for old times' sake.”

She assessed me with her reddish-brown eyes. "'Old times'? You mean the days your father terrorized my people? Do not remind me of the things I lost because of him.”

She walked around me and came to stand in front of me. "But you... you are different from him. But if things don't go your way, and you end up losing your mate forever, you will turn out to be a far worse tyrant than your father.”

I swallowed, not liking that future. "I'd rather kill myself than live without my mate.”

She laughed. "Oh, but Death is not an aimless drifter, he won't just show up at your doorstep because you order him to. He answers to a higher power.”

She sat down on a creaky wooden chair in the corner, and stretched her aching back as best she could, then continued: "Life and death is not a child's play, It is serious business. A price must be paid.”

"What price?" I asked without much thought.

She answered, “For the life of your beloved mate, you must be willing to sacrifice your happiness".

I was tired of the suspense. "Go on!”

She smiled. “You must be willing to trade places with your enemy."

I grew confused. "What are you talking about, old woman?!”

Her eyes darted to the space behind me. "You must exchange bodies with him.” She pointed at something behind me.

I looked back and saw, Kaiah?!

He was standing near the door with a smirk dancing around his lips. “We meet again, Alpha Jace. Why is it that whenever we meet, it is always about your mate?" He asked as he walked over to me.

I punched his face. "This was all your doing, wasn't it, Kaiah?! You attacked me using a scent masker because you are a coward!".

He touched his busted lip with his fingers and checked those fingers, when he saw the smudge of blood on them. He returned his gaze to me, and for a quick second, his eyes changed to purple. “If I wanted to kill you, I would proudly let the world know it was me. A scent masker is not my style". He took out a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiped the blood.

I believed him. Kaiah is the cockiest alpha I know. He would never hide doing such a thing.

I proceeded to ask him. "What do you want with my body, Kaiah?"

"Nothing that concerns you". He responded with a smirk on his bleeding lip. His words aggravated me.

“If you're gonna be taking my body, then, yes, it does concern me.” I said firmly.

We stared each other down until he was the first to break the stare.

He looked down at his wristwatch and looked back up at me. "You have exactly ten minutes until the body of your mate becomes utterly unfit to inhabit. What then? Will you start searching for a new body for her?".

"Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But I must confirm that she is breathing first before we go ahead with the exchange.” I had a feeling that his plans wouldn't be good, but Esnie was my priority at that time. I will deal with him later.

"Fine". He shrugged and signaled Medina.

She chuckled darkly. “I need something that belongs to her".

I handed her Esnie's necklace. She threw it in the fire at her altar and began chanting incantations.

After a few minutes, she looked back at me: "She lives.”

I communicated with Jerry through our mind-link and ordered him to check her body again.

Minutes later, he responded, completely bedazzled. He told me that she was breathing again!

I returned my focus to the two vultures in the room: "She's breathing.” I announced.

Medina made Kaiah and I sit in the centre of a symbol drawn on the floor - surrounded by burning candles. Then she began with the rituals...

If I tell you that I wasn't afraid, then call me a liar. It felt as if my head was going to explode as her voice echoed in the distance. I felt like I was spiraling into endless darkness. A chilling wind engulfed me, chilling to the bone. I could feel my soul leaving my body. Until I passed out...

My eyes opened and the first thing I saw was my face staring back at me from the opposite side of the room.

I looked down and noticed my hands, no, Kaiah's hands. I raised my hand and touched my face. I winced when I felt the pain on my lips from the punch I landed him earlier.

We both stood up, still getting used to our new bodies.

"What now?" I asked.

He smirked: "Let's return to the pack, shall we?" He walked outside.

I turned to Medina. "Thank you for bringing my mate back to life".

She gaped at me and made a gesture with her hand for me to come closer. I went close to her, and she whispered into my ear: "Come back in thirty days and I shall reverse the spell".

I turned around and left her cottage without another word. I found Kaiah already in the driver's seat of my car.

“It's my car now". He grinned.

I sat in the passenger’s seat and put on my seat belt. "Who would’ve thought that the great Alpha Kaiah would go to such lengths just to walk in my shoes, literally.” I mocked as he drove us out of Medina's compound and onto the dirt road that would take us out of Silva-obscura.

"Hmm.” Was all he said in response.

The ride was silent. My mind wandered off to my mate.

I hope she recognizes me...