Edith’s POV
“Are you sure you want to do this today? You only arrived a few hours ago; you need to rest more, don’t you think?” Talic asked, right before we walked into the Alpha’s bedroom.
“No, I have rested enough and taken a good shower,” I answered simply.
“But you haven’t eaten,” he pointed out.
“I’ll eat once I am done with what I’m supposed to do,” I answered and then walked in with him.
An elderly woman, who I could tell was an omega, stood next to a healer, quickly turned and faced us sadly.
“Welcome back, Beta,” she greeted in a low husky tone.
“Thank you. Healer, how is the Alpha doing?” He asked.
The healer looked at us, then shook her head.
“I hate to say this, Beta, but he is getting worse by each passing day,” she answered seriously.
I took a few steps forward and looked at the Alpha who was lying down on the left side of the bed carefully.
He was sweating profusely, and his complexion was very pale. His breathing was shallow yet labored, and his body was trembling. I moved to his side, leaned in, placed my hand against his chest, and closed my eyes, feeling the rate of his heart and the flow of energy in his body. When I opened my eyes, I looked at Talic seriously.
“He won’t make it through the week. Although he wasn’t directly rejected by his mate, his wolf felt a bond with her. He had actually accepted her way before he could even openly acknowledge it. Seeing how she is a corpse next to him is only making it worse. His wolf has already given up the will to survive the heartbreak, while the human side is already insane,” I said honestly.
Talic quickly moved to my side and grabbed both of my hands.
“Please help us,” he said in a pleading tone.
I pulled back my hands and looked at the healer.
“Healer, giving him your healing energy did make him feel a little better, but on the other hand, it made it very much worse because you are suppressing his need to grieve through the anguish. Holding back his grief is like not being able to breathe properly. It’s slowly suffocating him inwards,” I said.
“Then tell me what I need to do because I have tried everything in my power,” she exclaimed with teary eyes.
“I just need you to allow me to work. But before that, I will need a bow, knife, white powder, some candles, red Otis, and a little bit of wolfsbane,” I answered.
“Otis? Why would you need that, isn’t that the deadliest flower that kills any supernatural being? It’s a very strong poison, isn’t it!” she asked at the top of her voice.
Well, she had some knowledge about it but not entirely. Red Otis was a tree that strangely had red beautiful flowers that attracted a lot of beings, yet killed whenever it was used. The red flower was referred to as the flower of death.
“Just go and bring me those, now,” I demanded, ignoring her concern.
“Alright, miss,” she answered in a whisper and then looked at Talic seriously, who quickly nodded at her. She sighed loudly and then walked out of the room.
“As for you, go and inform everyone who is in the pack house to step out. No one should be in this mansion no matter what, do you understand?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered softly.
“It’s been a long time since I did this spell. If it doesn’t go according to how I want it to go, it may affect anyone that’s in close range,” I said seriously and then looked at the elderly omega who was standing in silence.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said softly and then looked at the dead Luna.
She looked like she was sleeping peacefully. Her face was pale, and her hair was nicely done. She was very beautiful that I could clearly see, and her clothes looked very expensive and dated.
It was hard to believe that she was the one the Alpha had hated and mistreated so badly.
“Talic,” I called once I had shifted and looked at him.
“Yes, Edith,” he answered.
“There are things I didn’t mention before because I wanted to mention them the very day I was going to perform the ritual. Firstly, the Luna may or may not come back to life,” I said as he frowned deeply.
“What are you saying?” He asked loudly.
“Let me explain. When I begin the ritual, I will need to take the red Otis to allow my soul or, should I say, spirit to move out of my body and cross a certain door where those who are dead are, in order to…,”
“No!” He growled loudly as the place slightly shook.
“I wasn’t expecting you to react like that. Anyway, we are already here and it needs to be done,” I said as he angrily grabbed my hands roughly.
“Not at the risk of your life! My gosh, I feel like a fool. If killing yourself is what it takes to bring the Luna back, then forget it. I won’t let you,” he exclaimed in a cracked voice.
Fear was showing in his eyes, and I felt sad for telling him the truth, but for some reason, I didn’t want to keep him in the dark.
“Beta, we need to save the Alpha,” the elderly omega whispered.
“Edith, if you die, I will also die. Please believe me, I am not bluffing,” he whispered, ignoring the elderly omega as tears filled his eyes.
“It’s the only way, Talic. Look at the Alpha; he too is dying. And to be quite honest, you won’t die because I am not carrying your mark, and I haven’t fully accepted you in any way,” I answered seriously.
“But I have!” He yelled furiously.
“Look, I won’t die because I have done this before; that’s why I’m immortal,” I whispered as he shook his head.
“Those souls that hate the place they were at when they were human or alive usually refuse to come back; that’s the only tricky part. I can only bring back those that are willing and have a very strong will to live again. Their will should be stronger than anything else,” I said and then continued to speak.
“And if the Luna does come back, she will not only remember everything that she had gone through in the pack, she will hate twice as much whoever she had hated. Her negative emotions will be what she feels more than anything else, that’s why her mate has to be close to her as a way to assure her of his love and commitment. Her wolf will be aggressive too. What rank was she?” I asked.
“I don’t know, we never saw her wolf. Most times those that don’t shift are considered as omegas and they turn out to be just that. Only on rare occasions they turn out to be another rank, and that had only happened once in our pack when we weren’t even born. It was a story told by the elders of our pack,” he answered.
“Then we will find out with time,” I said.
“Edith, what of the Alpha?” He asked in concern.
“He will be fine once I manage to revive the Luna. She’s his strength whether he accepts it or not. And make sure he does nothing to trigger her trauma or make her want to take her own life. Because once she dies again, there won’t be any other way to resurrect her. The resurrected can only be resurrected once,” I warned.
“I understand, is there anything you are not telling me?” He asked seriously.
“No, I just don’t want you in the pack house when the ritual begins,” I said as he shook his head.
“Please live, I can’t lose you,” he whispered in a cracked voice as a tear rolled down his cheek.
He really was different from all Betas I had heard of and come across. Most Betas were proud and chose to keep the female below them despite loving them. But he was already shedding tears for a stranger he had just met, and that made my heart flutter.
I tiptoed and kissed his cheek lightly.
“I will be okay, so please don’t worry. The pack needs its Alpha and Luna,” I said seriously when I pulled back.
He quickly pulled me into his embrace and rested his head against mine, sobbing silently, and that was enough to make me tear up and shed tears as well.