Inside the hall, up to a hundred women were standing around a huge round fire pit. They wore uniform long white gowns, each holding a glass of candle, and their long hairs were neatly combed to the back.
Miranda motioned for Audrey to walk into the circle. Audrey took a deep breath, then slowly walked into the circle, standing near the fire pit. The women lifted their candles above their heads and bowed their heads to Audrey in respect.
"Sisters!" Miranda spoke from the circle.
"We are honored to have the very first and most powerful of our kind in our midst today!"
"We are honored, oh great one!" The women chanted in chorus.
"My bloodline has lived generations as the descendants of the first witch, Catherine; and lately, as time went by, everyone believed that the story of Catherine the great one was a myth. But here! now! Catherine stands before us, alive! And stronger than ever, because now, she has been blessed with a wolf, not just any wolf; the wolf of the moon goddess!" Miranda looked around the circle and saw hope in the eyes of her sisters, she saw reverence for Audrey in her sisters' eyes.
"Now, as white witches, we shall help her recall her powers."
Miranda finished and lowered herself on her knees and the sisters followed suit, placing their candles in front of them.
Holding their hands together, they closed the circle and started chanting with a soft soothing voice, in a strange language that Audrey did not understand.
Audrey suddenly felt like her body was being possessed by someone else, she felt like she was present but she was no longer in control of her body, but she was accurately aware of what was happening around her.
As they continued chanting, Audrey felt the fire beside her grow bigger and stronger, like something or someone was trying to reach out to her from the fire.
Her whole body started glowing in an intense golden light, like the sun was rising from within her, and her red hair looked like it was in flames, glowing in red and golden-yellow flames, her green eyes had now turned to a glowing bright red.
She knew without a say, that Catherine had been awakened.
"Children."
A serene soft voice echoed amidst the chant.
Audrey felt Catherine's strength and power consume her whole being. She heard a voice that spoke through her but did not belong to her, she could feel the love and affection Catherine felt for the witches, like a protective mother to her children.
The sisters seized their chanting, their heads bowed, and no one dared to look up at her blazing light. They had never seen one with such power, they had only read about her in books which did not do justice to the real deal.
"We have to prepare, my sister has become stronger in my absence, she has gathered more dark powers to herself, and dark witches still roam the earth. We have to send them back to their realm. They are planning to attack with more powerful dark forces than the last time. But we are stronger. Do not fear, this time; I am with you. My sister shall not succeed a second time."
"Through your power, we prevail. Your words we must follow!" The sisters answered in chorus.
"The amulet."
That was the last thing Audrey heard before she collapsed.
"Isabella!"
A woman's voice called out in the dark forest.
"Do not go, Isabella." A woman held onto Isabella's wrist, preventing her from going toward the voice that was calling her.
"I have to, Miranda. She has to grow with her Pack, not like me…a rogue." Isabella whispered, rocking a sleeping two-year-old baby in her arms.
Miranda nodded and reluctantly let go of Isabella's wrist.
"I still believe that I would have taken better care of my little niece." Miranda caressed the baby's face.
"Isabella!"
The voice was getting closer to them.
"Here, a gift I got from the witch market, for protection. It'll look beautiful on her." Miranda smiled as she placed a red amulet shaped like a half-moon around the baby's neck.
"Yes...it does." Isabella sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"I'll be waiting," Miranda said and went behind a huge tree, waiting for Isabella.
"Luna Aurora." Isabella bowed her head to a beautiful woman who emerged from the other side of the forest, a guard followed her closely behind.
"Isabella," Luna Aurora called softly, walking slowly to Isabella. She stopped right in front of Isabella and raised her hands to her face, caressing her teary cheeks. Isabella sobbed harder as she felt the gentle touch of the Luna on her cheeks.
"I know you had your reasons, I know you better than they do. But I'm not going to ask you why because I trust you. I love you."
Isabella broke out in loud sobs as she heard those tender words from Luna Aurora. She could not form words as she still struggled to catch her breath in between sobs.
"I can't go against the Alpha, but I beg you to give your baby a better future. I promise on the love we've shared; I will treat her like my own." Luna Aurora outstretched her arms, giving Isabella the chance to give the baby to her of her own will.
Isabella hugged the baby close to her body, she sniffed and kissed the baby many times before reluctantly putting the baby into Luna Aurora's outstretched arms.
"She is yours now. Never tell her about me. I am not worthy to be her mother. Promise me? Promise?" Isabella pleaded with Luna Aurora.
"I promise." Luna Aurora nodded. It was the last wish she could do for her, for old time's sake.
Isabella nodded, silent tears streaming down her face.
"We have to go, sister," Miranda said behind Isabella, as she came out from behind the tree. She did not bother acknowledging Luna or her guard.
"Goodbye, my friend!" Luna Aurora smiled sadly at Isabella then turned and started walking back in the direction she came from. Isabella stood there, unmoving.
She stared at their retreating figure until they were covered by the thick trees of the forest.
"Let's go."
Miranda held her hand and walked in the opposite direction from where Luna and the baby had gone.
"Argh!!!"
They heard Luna's voice cry out deep in the forest.
"Don't, they are already in the Pack territory."
Miranda held back Isabella who wanted to run to the voice.
"Run! A black witch!" Miranda held Isabella's hand, dragging her to run with her.
"Watch out!!!"
Isabella looked forward and saw a huge tree falling toward her.
"Argh!"
Audrey sprang up in bed, breathing harshly as if her head had just been raised from water for a short air in a torture session.
"It's okay, it's just a nightmare. It's alright."
Miranda sat beside Audrey's bed and offered her a glass of water. She rubbed Audrey's back as she drank the water, hoping it would help her calm down and let her know that she was back to reality.
Audrey finished the water to the last drop and returned the cup to Miranda.
"The amulet," Audrey murmured.
Miranda paused her hand midair as she heard what Audrey had said.
"Where is it?" Audrey asked, resting her back on the headboard.
Miranda placed the glass down and returned to Audrey's side.
"I wish we knew what that was or where it was, but we don't. We will try our best to look for it, I promise, Great one."
"Don't," Audrey whispered.
"What?" Miranda asked.
"Don't talk to me so formally, I'm still your niece. Right?" She looked at her expectantly.
"Of course, dear child." Miranda hugged Audrey to her chest. Audrey hugged her back, feeling the genuine love of her aunt.
"I feel your emotions, why?" Audrey asked her aunt.
"You're a witch and a wolf, you can do a lot of things now, but you have to learn when and how to use your powers, which we will help you with."
"Rest now, you've been out for a day. The surge of power that entered your body must have been too much for your weak body, but not to worry, it'll be fixed in no time. I just wished we knew what the amulet was, and where it was." Miranda sighed hopelessly.
"The amulet…you gave it to me sixteen years ago, in a forest, I think." Audrey scratched her head, hoping her dream was the lead they needed.
Miranda turned her head sharply toward Audrey, staring at her like she was seeing her for the first time.
"You can relive the past?!" Miranda was astonished. Memories of what Audrey said came flashing through her mind like flashcards, like it just happened yesterday.
"I guess that's what it is, Who was the woman mother gave me up to?" Audrey needed to have a clear understanding of everything, so would know what she was unto.
Miranda sighed and adjusted herself on the bed.
"Luna Aurora. She was the Luna of the Grey moon pack. But she died two weeks after that night. She got shot by a dark witch's poisoned arrow, and after much suffering, and not responding to any treatment, she died." Miranda paused, searching Audrey's face before she continued.
"Her mate, Alpha Aloha, became a shadow of himself after the death of his mate. He barely kept living; and when his son turned sixteen, he made him the Alpha of the Grey Blood pack, then he vanished. But after a month, his body was found hanging on a tree inside the Pack's forest with a letter he wrote to his son neatly folded into his front pocket. The poor boy was lost." She started at Audrey's face again, searching for a reaction.
She knew from the time Luna Aurora died, that everything changed for Audrey in the Grey Blood pack.
"So, why did they say mother killed her? And, what was written on the letter to his Son?" Audrey asked, feeling like something did not add up.
"Well, before she died, they found out that the arrow was poisoned in a way that only a witch could. They don't know the difference between a white witch and a dark witch, so, the guard that was with her that night informed them that the arrow was from the witch who was with Isabella that night... Me." She sighed, remembering how everything happened that night.
"For the content of the latter, no knew what it was, only the Alpha knows," Miranda said.
"So, it was concluded that your mother asked the witch...me, to shoot a poisoned arrow at the Luna because she took her child. A war was waged against us, they killed most of us, and the survivors hid away…here. They believe that they eradicated every witch, but they're wrong."
Audrey now understood where the hatred was coming from, but even if it was her mother who shot the arrow, she did not think it was a solid reason to hate and hurt an innocent child the way the Alpha did her.
"It's all clear. Lake believes my mother made him lose his parents. So he hates me in return."
"It's okay child, you will never see him again."
"I think I will," Audrey said in a determined tone.
"Why?" Miranda was confused. Why would she want to go back to him after she finally escaped his grasp?
"The amulet you gave me, is at the Grey Blood pack. Luna Aurora must have kept it somewhere or given it to someone before she died."
Miranda slowly nodded, understanding what she meant now. She had never thought the ordinary amulet she had purchased from the witch market would become so important one day.
All she knew was that she felt attracted by it, and she decided to buy it for her niece. She did not know she was being compelled to return the amulet to its rightful owner.
"I will go back when I'm stronger. Now, I want to live like a normal girl, get a phone, get a job, go clubbing, study online. I don't know... Just do whatever girls do. I just want to live, for myself. And learn more about me, if I must face the dark witches, I have to get stronger."