1. Reborn Again?

You live. You die. And that is it! Mostly. But sometimes, some crazy things might happen, like- 

Rebirth? What the! 

_

(Amelia)

It was so dark... it was like a blind man's land. She couldn't see anything. And then her eyes hurt from too much light.

The silver light danced around her, its soft sparkly threads calling to her blood. 

'Am I dead?' She looked at the woman in a white dress, with long silver hair. She looked ethereal. 

'Choose wisely, and you will change your destiny.' The woman said. 'This... is what you have prayed for and so you will be given one more chance.' 

'Who the hell are you and why are you talking in riddles?'

'This next life is a gift. You can either choose the light or darkness. The path is clear. You only have to choose one and you will get everything you want.'

'I choose the one that will end everyone who has slaughtered my pack!'

***

(Reborn and travelled back to a year ago)

Beep. Beep. Beep. The sound was incessant. Amelia tried to shut it off. It didn't go away. Why was it so noisy in here? 

“Shut up. Shut the heck up, you damn thing!” Amelia hissed softly, and groaned, as she banged her hand over the alarm clock. Once, twice, but still the thing screamed like a banshee. It rang inside Amelia's already tortured head. 

Amelia had never liked mornings. She was a night wolf, through and through.   

“Amelia… wake up, you idiot. We have to get ready to go to the mating ball. It is the first day of the mating ball and I am so damn excited for it." Cilia said. 

'Wait? What ball? What first day?' Amelia thought groggily. She mumbled under her breath and turned away, pulling her blanket further up. 

"Why are you still snoring away like an uncouth beast? This time more packs are attending the ball, or so I heard. So, we might be lucky enough to find our mates this time. Up, up, lazy girl.”

Cilia’s voice was rather cheerful, too cheerful for this early in the morning. Amelia hated early mornings as much as she hated Colton- 

'What mate? What the hell is she talking about?' Amelia thought again. 

“I don’t want to find my mate.” Even as Amelia mumbled it, something felt wrong. So wrong. Her heart groaned in protest.

Her mind was blurry and screaming in pain, but somewhere in there she knew, she was dead. She was DEAD!

She was not supposed to be sleeping in her bed. Cilia was not supposed to be sitting with her, nattering about the first day of the mating ball.

'What is going on here? What am I even doing here? Why is my head feel like someone is hammering a million nails inside?'

Amelia thought inside as she tried to pull herself out of the sleepy haze.

Her brain was still fuzzy and she wasn't properly awake yet, but still... somewhere deep in her brain, Amelia knew this could not happen. It was impossible! 

The Mating ball was like a year ago, wasn't it? 

And hadn't Amelia already went to the ball, and found her mate there? The mate from hell? The mate who was more a nightmare than a dream! 

She had died a cruel death in the hands of Meganne Foster, hadn't she? Meganne Foster, Colton's wicked mistress/lover.

If she closed her eyes tighter, Amelia could vividly feel the jagged claws ripping viciously through her skin.

She could still feel the hot blood streaming down her like a fountain of red. She could still hear the snap of her bones as Meganne bent her and broke her. She could feel the vibration of the voiceless scream that had left her lips, when Meganne finally, finally finished her. 

'No, this isn’t right. This has happened already. This is... not real. I must be dreaming.' Amelia thought with a frown on her lips. 

Amelia's body was feeling tight and her muscles were aching as Amelia thought about what was happening here. 

She had died a painful, excruciating death and so was her beautiful best friend, Cilia and so were everone Amelia had ever loved. Mom, dad, Ash, Blaine. They were all dead. 

Cilia had looked so, so broken, so fragile as the massive red wolf tore her apart. Amelia's mom Barbara couldn't even stand straight as Meganne broke her neck after slashing her throat.

Amelia’s heart crumbled in pain and panic. She grabbed Cilia’s hand, without even opening her eyes…

She was afraid to see her best friend right now, to realize this was all a dream, and that Cilia was, in fact, really dead. 

'Please, let this be real. Let her be real.' Amelia thought.  'Please let it all be a nightmare. I don't want Colton.' 

Mate. Everybody had talked how precious and treasured mate bond was, how utterly beautiful.

Amelia had been looking forward to meeting her mate all her life, and then when she had found him, her heart had soared, she felt the pull of him, his wolf. He was the perfect man, even when he hadn't given a damn to her, she had wanted him. 

'F*ck me, f*ck him. It is all- it is all a lie.' 

Colton Rivers… the name sent the ripple of disgust and rage through her body. She wanted to crush him under her feet like the fly he was. She wanted to wring his neck and listen it snap.

Dark fire of vengeance swirled inside her, growing, growling. The anger was a roaring fire and… it grew and grew until it made her whole body burn with the need to break Colton Rivers into two. She was ready to burn him in her fire. He would deserve it, too. 

Amelia sat up in the bed, rubbed her eyes and stared at Cilia. Cilia, who was here. Who was not dead.

"You are not a ghost?" Amelia mumbled and Cilia blinked. 

"No. Did you drink yesterday? I am not a ghost." Cilia smiled softly. 

Amelia looked up at her best friend, wondering whether Cilia had remembered anything, but Cilia was looking fresh and free, and there was only unexplained eagerness in her honey brown eyes. So, why was Amelia the only one who could remember that horrible day?

Was she dreaming again? Could one dream after they were dead?

Was this also the Moon Goddess’s crazy plan for Amelia? Amelia didn't understand what was going on here.

She cursed the Moon Goddess for all this mishap in her life. She was the reason for all of it. Amelia should never have trusted the Moon Goddess and her plan!

"You are not a ghost." Amelia whispered, as she rubbed Cilia's soft cheek.

“What?” Cilia looked confused at her friend’s dark look.

She touched Amelia’s soft blonde hair with a questioning look on her face. Amelia shuddered. Her touch felt so real. Maybe it was real!

So, maybe this wasn't the dream. 

Amelia remembered begging the Moon Goddess to not be cruel, to not take her life away like that. Was the Moon Goddess answering Amelia's prayer in this twisted way?

“Nothing, Lia. I am just too tired. Freya and I ran a long time yesterday night.” Amelia lied.

Amelia wanted to tell Cilia about this freaky Friday kind of event that was happening in her life, but she needed more time to think it through. It was still hard to wrap her head around. Just yesterday, she was dead. 

She was still unsure of what was going on, but if this was what she thought this was, then it would mean Amelia would meet her mate tonight and that would be the beginning and end of her happy life. She would meet Colton Rivers, and he would become her nightmare. 

No, this time... I will become his. 

“Oh. Are you nervous about meeting your mate? Is that why you look so damn confused?” Cilia asked, unbeknownst to the tempest swirling inside her best friend’s heart.

Amelia blinked. During the first time around, Amelia was of course nervous. But the nervousness was like a soft flutter of butterflies… the nervousness was eager anticipation. Oh, not anymore.

This time she knew what was going to happen in the ball. She would meet Colton with Meganne, and then his dark brown eyes would meet Amelia’s eager green eyes.

Amelia would shudder and shiver and Freya would growl in need. And then he would look away from her as if she didn't interest him. He would kiss Meganne Foster's dark red painted lips as his hands would carress her back, and Amelia would watch it with...

Amelia shook her head to push the thought away from her head. She needed to be clear headed to see this through.

Moon Goddess, even though a little bit of a mean witch, had give her a second chance and Amelia would be a fool not to take it with both hands.

This time, she had a bigger duty, bigger obligation.

She needed to protect her family, her friends, her pack. This was her first priority. But she also… needed to quench the fire burning inside her. The fire to destroy Colton and everything he loved, just as he had once destroyed her and her life and her happiness.

She got up from the bed and hugged Cilia who was looking confusedly at Amelia. “I love you, you know that, right? You are my best friend. My soul sister.” Amelia whispered softly. 

“I know, I love you too, but… babe, is everything alright?” Cilia’s eyes were concerned as she looked into Amelia’s green eyes. Amelia nodded softly and smiled at Cilia.

“Everything will be.” She said as she walked inside the bathroom.

Under the shower, she thought about everything that had happened in her previous life. It was still freakishly strange and unexpected, and she was still wondering whether it was all a dream, but… deep in her gut, she knew it wasn’t a dream. It was a horrible nightmare, but it had happened.

“I need a plan. I can’t let Colton see me. I have to hide my wolf from him.” She thought with a frown. “What should I do?” She mumbled to herself as the warm water streaked down her naked body.

Her head was filled with so many thoughts, so many feelings. It was hard to connect them all, but through every feeling surging inside her, she knew this. She had to find a way to hide Freya from Colton and Hawk, his wolf.

“Samara!” Amelia thought with a wild look in her eyes. 

The plan was slowly, slowly forming in her head. She needed Samara's help to survive the two nights of the Mating Ball, something every wolf wanted to attend in their life.

Two days of the mating ball. The mating ball would be held in Grand Olympus hotel in the capital city of the kingdom of Astoria, Bafeil. The wolves of Bafeil city would go all out for the mating ball.

The whole city would be decked in colorful lights, streamers, and tall cutouts of wolves would be standing through out the streets. It was a happy day, except for Amelia. 

"You will beg me, Colton, beg me to end you!" Amelia looked at the misty mirror in front of her and wiped the mist away with her hands. "And I will show you no mercy. Wait for me, Colton. I will destroy everything you have loved, at least a little, with your frozen heart."

___