The Return
984 Words
Selena’s POV
Pain.
That was the first thing I felt.
A deep, aching pain that spread through my entire body, as though I had been crushed and put back together again.
My head throbbed.
My chest felt tight.
My limbs… heavy.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
The world around me was blurred at first—shadows and faint light blending together.
For a moment, I didn’t understand where I was.
Then…
Memories came rushing back.
The forest.
The glowing circle.
The rogue.
Isadora.
The betrayal.
My breath hitched sharply as I forced myself upright, panic surging through me.
My hands moved quickly over my body, searching.
My side.
My chest.
My arms.
Nothing.
No wounds.
Not even a scratch.
I froze.
A shaky breath escaped my lips.
“That… can’t be…”
My voice was barely a whisper.
“The forest… it must have been some kind of illusion…”
But even as I said it, doubt crept in.
It didn’t feel like an illusion.
It felt real.
Too real.
I pushed the thought away, my heart still racing.
I needed to leave.
Now.
I quickly reached for my footwear lying a few steps away and slipped them on, my movements rushed and unsteady.
Every instinct in me screamed danger.
I stepped forward, pushing through thick branches, my breath uneven as leaves brushed against my skin.
I didn’t stop.
I couldn’t stop.
Then, something caught my eye.
A piece of cloth hung loosely on a branch, swaying gently in the wind.
Frowning, I stepped closer and pulled it free.
My breath caught.
It was Isadora’s.
My fingers tightened around the fabric as a cold chill spread through me.
So it wasn’t a dream.
It wasn’t an illusion.
It was real.
Everything.
The betrayal.
The attack.
Her.
A sharp wave of urgency hit me.
I had to get out of the forest.
I had to warn the pack.
They needed to know the truth.
Without wasting another second, I turned and began moving faster, my steps quick and desperate.
Then I saw it.
The stone.
The same stone I had tripped over before.
Hope flickered in my chest.
“This way…” I whispered.
And then I ran.
Branches whipped against my arms as I pushed forward, my breath coming in sharp gasps.
My mind raced.
Isadora…
The trap…
The truth…
I burst through the last line of trees and stopped.
Everything went still.
The courtyard was filled with light.
Decorations. Tables. Flowers. Laughter.
Wolves gathered in large numbers, dressed in their finest, their voices blending into a low hum of celebration.
Confusion hit me instantly.
“What… is going on…?”
My voice was barely audible.
Then I looked ahead and my world shattered.
Kael stood on the platform.
Tall. Commanding. But something was different.
He wasn’t dressed like an Alpha at a normal gathering.
He was dressed for a ceremony.
A wedding ceremony.
My heart dropped violently.
A strange, sharp pain pierced through my chest.
Then, I heard footsteps approaching the platform.
It was slow, steady and familiar.
My breath caught as I turned.
A figure approached the platform.
A veil covered her face. But I already know who was behind the veil.
The way she walked…
The cold aura that followed her…
I knew it was her.
“Isadora…”
My fingers curled into fists at my sides as the realization sank deep into my chest.
The crowd murmured in excitement, completely unaware of the storm rising inside me.
Then the veil was lifted.
And something inside me broke.
Pain exploded in my chest.
Not normal pain..Not something I could ignore.
It was sharp. Crushing.
Like invisible claws digging into my heart.
My hand flew to my chest as my breathing became uneven.
“Why…?” I whispered.
Why did it hurt like this?
Why did it feel like something inside me was being torn apart?
Deep within me…
Something stirred.
Something ancient.
Something powerful.
And it screamed.
My vision blurred as my body reacted violently to what I was seeing.
Kael.
Standing beside her.
The Alpha.
The man my body responded to in ways I didn’t understand.
I didn’t know why. But my soul did. And it was rejecting this.
Nearby wolves began to glance at me, noticing my unstable breathing, my trembling body.
But the ceremony didn’t stop.
Their voices carried through the air.
The vows. They were already saying the vows.
Each word felt like a blade. Cutting deeper. And deeper.
“No… this can’t be happening…” I whispered weakly.
The world around me faded..The voices blurred. The crowd disappeared.
Until… Someone shoved past me.
“Move.”
The voice snapped me back to reality.
My eyes shot toward the platform.
Kael.
Isadora.
The vows were almost complete. Something inside me snapped.
The pain twisted.
Changed.Became something else.
It became anger that was hot and burning. And I wasn't able to control it.
“Enough!” I screamed.
My voice cut through the air.
Before I could stop myself, my body moved.
One step. Then another.
I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the shocked faces turning toward me.
I didn’t care.
I saw nothing but the platform ahead.
My heartbeat roared in my ears.
By the time I reached the front, the pain had transformed completely into fury.
“Kael! Stop!” I shouted.
Silence fell.
He turned.
His golden eyes met mine.
Cold. Unreadable.
“Selena,” he said.
My name on his lips felt like a blade. Then suddenly, his expression shifted.
Concern. Confusion.
“Where have you been?” he asked, stepping forward.
I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him everything.
The forest.
Isadora.
The truth.
But before I could say a single word, the air changed, heavy and powerful.
A presence filled the space, pressing down on everyone.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The crowd parted.
And then, she appeared.
The Great Witch.
- Writer
