Her eyes fluttered open, like she’d just surfaced from hours of deep and troubled sleep. Her chest heaved, rising and falling as if she had been running for her life.
Memories flooded back to her - the attack, the fear, the pain, and the overwhelming sense of impending death.
She had been sure that she wouldn't make it out alive. Yet here she was, miraculously unscathed.
As her trembling hands pressed against her stomach and chest, she felt nothing, no wounds, no blood. It was as if the attack had never even happened.
She pushed herself up into a sitting position. Confusion swirled in her mind as she took in her surroundings.
This was not the familiar dark cave she had sought refuge in before everything went black. Instead, was an unfamiliar room, and she was alone sitting on the cold floor.
"You're not Nala!" A ferocious voice echoed inside her mind.
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the voice, but there was no one.
"You evil witch! What have you done to her?" the voice screamed again.
She scowled and her gaze turned more intense, irritated by the invisible presence that dared to challenge her. She paced across the room, her frustration building.
"Where are you?" she demanded with a warning.
"Don’t act like you don’t know!. You’ve stolen her body. Where is Nala?"
Her patience was fraying. She wasn’t used to being spoken to this way, especially not by some disembodied voice. Her hand twitched, her instincts pushing her to lash out, to destroy something—anything.
"Where are you?!" she shouted in frustration
"Look at you, trying to find me. You think you can see me? You really don’t get it, do you? You’re in her body, but where’s Nala?"
She clenched her fists. The voice was relentless, and it irritated her to no end. She stalked to the door, convinced the voice might be from outside.
She waved her hand, expecting her magic to throw the door open. But nothing happened.
For a brief moment, panic flickered in her eyes, but it was quickly swallowed by anger. She had once been the most powerful witch in existence, a queen who nearly conquered the world. It had taken the efforts of gifted werewolves to bring her down. And now? She was powerless.
Her teeth ground as she walked toward the door and yanked at the lock. The door wouldn’t budge.
"Open this door!"
"You thought taking her body would give you a fresh start? You thought you’d live in peace?"
Her eyes darted around the room, searching for anything to help her get out. She spotted the dressing table and rushed over, grabbing a hairpin. But just as she turned, she stopped, her gaze shifting to the mirror.
She stared at the reflection of the girl in front of her with a furrowed brow. She studied the features of the unfamiliar face - the striking green eyes, the long black hair. The only semblance of familiarity was her golden brown skin. She was now inhabiting someone else's body. It was Nala’s body, not Radella’s.
With a snarl, she raised the hairpin and slammed it into the centre of the mirror. The glass shattered under the force, the jagged edges cutting into her hand. Blood oozed from the cuts, but she didn’t care.
At that moment, the door creaked open.
A middle-aged woman in a dark blue gown entered the room. Her hair was pinned into a neat bun, and her cold eyes narrowed as they landed on the figure in front of the broken mirror. She paused, taking in the scene with a mixture of confusion and disdain.
Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked toward Radella.
Radella straightened, her gaze locking onto the woman. Whoever this was, she was about to regret entering.
Before Radella could speak, the woman stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face. The force of the blow sent Radella crashing to the floor. Her cheek burned, her lip split.
Werewolf, she thought immediately. The strength behind the slap was unmistakable.
"I’ve spoiled you too much," the woman said coldly. She stepped closer, grabbing Radella by the throat and forced her to look up. "You dared to escape?"
Radella glared but said nothing, calculating her current situation.
"You should’ve hidden better," the woman continued, her grip tightening. "This evening, there’s a banquet to welcome you back… Luna." She spat the title like it was an insult. "You know what’s expected of you."
With that, she released Radella and turned to leave, the door clicking shut behind her.
Radella sat in stunned silence. Luna? Was that what the woman had called her?. She had once led a campaign to wipe out the werewolves, and now she found herself in the body of one of their leaders?
Her fists clenched, shaking with barely contained rage. How had it come to this?
"I can see what you’re thinking," the voice returned. "I can hear every twisted thought in your head. You’re that demon who was killed five years ago"
"Show yourself!" Radella snapped, her voice dripping with venom.
"I am… her wolf," the voice said. "Obvious you can't see me"
Radella froze. The wolf. Of course. She had forgotten about that part. The girl’s wolf had been there all along.
"If you’re her wolf, then you know how I got here," Radella said slowly but coldly.
"If I could, I’d deal with this myself. But I’m stuck with you now. Tell me why you took her body. Nala never hurt anyone."
"I never wanted your master’s body. But now I’m here…"
She trailed off, her mind replaying the woman’s earlier words. The woman had called her "Luna." She was the mate of an Alpha?
"Don’t pretend you don’t understand," the wolf shouted. "Nala is the leader of this pack!"
Radella scoffed, her lips curling into a smile. "Leader? The leader? This body.... control the pack?" Her dark smile widened.
