FATED BY BLOOD AND FIRE

From Camilla's View

I rolled over and gasped for air. My heart felt like it was trying to escape. The grass under me was cold and wet, and my hands grabbed at it. The air smelt like pine and dirt, and there was a thick fog around the trees. I was no longer in that awful fire. I was not on fire. But the memory of seeing flames on my skin, hearing screams, and seeing him walk away stuck with me like a bad dream that would not go away.

I am no longer Camilla. Not to them. It is a name I chose to hide who I am. It feels weird that my new face does not belong to me. I rubbed my lips, cheeks, and nose. Though they are not the same and are softer, my eyes are still mine. They are green and sharp, and they still hold all the pain from before.

I got up and brushed the dirt off of my clothes. As I walked towards the place I swore I would never go back, my boots dug into the muddy ground. The only sounds in the forest were the leaves rustling and the howl of a wolf far away. My old house. The pack. The place where they lied to me. Where the man I loved, Lucien, let them burn me alive.

When I thought about him, my chest got tight. I had to get even with him because of what he did. That is why I came back. To fix things. To make him feel the same pain I did. But my legs started to shake as I got closer to the pack's territory. What if he saw me? What if he still recognised me even though I had changed my face?

When the trees split, I could see the pack's land's wooden gates. Those old, wolf-head-shaped stones looked right at me like they knew my secret. Two guards stood there, the wind making their fur cloaks flap. One of them was tall, had a beard, and held a spear. The other was almost as young as a boy, and his eyes were darting around nervously.

The tall one asked in a rough voice, "Who are you?"

I took a deep breath and kept a straight face. "Hi, my name is Mira." "Just a tourist." "I need a place to rest."

The young guard gave me a strange look. "Where are you from?"

I pulled my cloak tighter and said, "Far away." "I have been walking for days." "Please, I just need a place to stay."

The tall guard looked at me twice and then gave me a nod. "Okay. You do follow our rules, though. Not a problem.

My heart was racing as I nodded. They had no idea who I was. The woman they called cursed, Camilla, was not there. They burned the woman after tying her to a stake. My boots crunched on the gravel path as I slipped through the gates. The village spread out in front of me. There were wooden houses with smoke curling out of the chimneys, kids running through the dirt streets, and wolves lurking in the dark. It was different but the same. More sad. It seemed like everyone was hiding something because the air was heavy.

As I walked towards the middle of the village, I kept my head down. That is when I saw him. Lucien. He was next to the packhouse, which is a big wooden building with wide steps. His dark hair was all over the place and longer than I remembered. It fell over his eyes. He had his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slouched while he talked to a woman with grey hair. He looked... hurt. Alpha is not as strong as he used to be. Not the man who promised to love me forever and held my hand under the stars.

I could not breathe. I was ready to scream at him, run up to him, and ask why he let them hurt me. I hid behind a cart full of firewood and did not move. The wood broke under my nails as my fingers dug into it. It hurt that my heart still skipped a beat whenever I saw him. Though I did not want to hurt him, I did want to run to him and hold him.

The woman with grey hair rubbed his arm and then left. Lucien just stood there and looked at the ground. After that, he turned around and looked at me for a moment. I went cold. I could tell he was in a lot of pain because his eyes were so heavy. Did he understand? Could he tell it was me? Not at all. Not possible. My face looked different. My smell was different. But my heart was beating so fast that I thought he could hear it.

He turned his head away, rubbed his face, and went into the packhouse. I let out a breath that I had been holding. My hands were shaking. I had to keep my mind on it. Not to feel sorry for him, but to get back at him.

A little girl ran by me, and her braid moved. She stopped and turned her big brown eyes on me. Putting her head back, she asked, "You new?"

I forced a smile and said, "Yeah." My name is Mira.

She smiled and said, "My name is Elin." "You look good." Do you want to see my rocks?"

I was shocked and blinked. That was all I said. "I need a place to stay."

The packhouse was where she pointed. "Talk to Lucien. He is in charge. He is nice, but he is sad a lot.

Too bad. I felt like the word hit me hard. It did not bother me that he was sad. I did not wish to care about him in any way. As I walked towards the packhouse, I told Elin, "Thanks." My stomach turned. I was not sure if I was ready to meet his eyes.

As I climbed to the door, the steps squeaked from my boots. It was heavy and had more wolf heads carved into it. When I knocked, the cold wood hurt my knuckles. He was there when the door opened. Lucien. He looked even worse up close. He looked tired, and there were dark circles under his eyes. Like he had not bothered to iron it in days, his shirt was wrinkled.

He asked, "Can I help you?" in a low voice, as if he did not want to speak up.

The dry throat made me swallow. "Hi, my name is Mira." "I am new." What a nice place to stay! The guards told me I could.

He just looked at me for a moment, his eyes moving over my face. When he did not say anything, I held my breath, ready for him to catch me lying. He did nothing but nod. He said, "There is a room in the back." "It is not much, but it is warm." "Follow me."

I went inside with him. The air smelt like smoke and old leather. There was a fire in the corner of the large packhouse, which had long tables and benches. The furs of wolves hung on the walls, and the firelight made their eyes sparkle. A short hallway led me to a small room with a bed, a table, and one window.

He did not look at me but said, "It is yours for now." "Settle down. Dinner is at sundown."

I said, "Thanks," but my voice was almost a whisper. He got up to leave but stopped at the door. He turned his head back to me and frowned.

"That is not you," he said almost to himself. My heart stopped. "Have we met before?"

I tried to laugh while shaking my head no. "No." I am just going through it. "Never been here before."

He slowly nodded as if he did not quite believe me, and then he walked away. I laid down on the bed and put my hands over my face. It was too close. He could not figure it out on his own. Not yet. I had to make plans and find out what happened after I died to get him to pay.

The rest of the day was a blur. My small bag only had a few clothes and a knife that I kept hidden under my cloak. I took it out. When it got dark, I joined the group for dinner. A lot of people were sitting at the long tables and eating stew and bread while chatting and laughing. I sat on the edge and watched. Luis was in charge, but he did not say much. He moved his food around and looked away.

Elin sat down next to me with a big plate in front of her. She asked with her mouth full, "Do you like stew?"

I took a bite and said, "It is good." It was hearty and warm, but I could barely taste it. Lucien kept coming into my mind. He looked so lost and different. I had a desire to understand why. I felt like I should hurt him for it.

I went to my room alone after dinner. The fire was the only sound coming from the packhouse right now. My mind was racing as I lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. I had to keep my mind sharp and remember why I was here. But when I closed my eyes, I saw his face again. Those tired, guilty eyes.

I fell asleep, but I could not stay asleep. In my dreams, there was fire and screaming. My heart was beating fast when I woke up. It was dark in the room, but something felt off. A quick, quiet shadow moved outside my window. When I woke up, I reached under my pillow for the knife.

From the hall came a soft creak. There was someone outside my door. It was so slow and quiet that it made me hold my breath as the handle turned.

Camilla POV

I didn't sleep that night.

I lay on the narrow bed in the guest room they had given me, staring at the ceiling, my mind spinning like a broken wheel. A child. A little girl with golden hair who called Lucien "Mama." The word kept echoing in my head, over and over, until I wanted to scream.

It felt wrong somehow. Lucien wouldn't grab another mate so fast. He wasn't a wolf who moved on easily. When we lived, he was super loyal, almost too much. He'd miss me for years. So, where did the girl pop up from?

Before the sun showed, I left my bed and roamed the packhouse halls. My feet just went, remembering paths walked a bunch before. When I found the nursery wing, I got quiet and listened. The house was still, but a soft hum came from a room.

I cracked the door open just enough to peek.

The little girl sat on a bed, Lucien doing her hair. His hands were big and awkward, messing up a lot, but she laughed and asked him to try again. It hit me super hard, and I grabbed the door to stay up.

"Daddy, you're making it all silly," the girl laughed.

Daddy. Not Mama at all.

My ears tricked me then.

Both relief and sadness hit me hard. She wasn't mine, but his. That meant-no, I couldn't think about that stuff now. Not right now.

I stepped back from the door and strolled down the hall, my legs feeling like jelly and odd. A staff went by with new water, and I gave a nod without seeing her face. I just had to find a place to be all alone. A place to let this feeling go before it ate me up.

I ended up in the library, a room I hadn't thought of for ages. Books stacked the walls from top to bottom, and the smell of old books filled the air. It felt calm here. Silent. A spot where no one would bug me at all.

I took a book from the shelf at random and sat in the nook, acting like I read. But the words danced in my sight, made no sense. All I could think of was that small girl. She looked four or five years of age. Lucien moved on as my body was still not cold yet.

The thought made me desire to smash something up.

"You must be new around here."

I glanced up. A young lady stood in the door, watching me with keen eyes. She had dark hair and a nice face, and smiled like she found a friend.

"I'm Senna," she stated, going to me. "I cook in the kitchens. Are you okay?"

I nodded, trying to be just fine. Trying to not let the mess inside show on my face. "It is nice here."

Senna sat across from me, without invite. "Where are you from? I've been here always, and I have never seen you." She leaned her head. "You give off a vibe. Like you fit but also like you don't."

My fingers gripped the novel tighter. "Just passing by this town now."

"Folks all say the same thing," Senna said, a secret in her tone. "The boss hardly lets new folks stay unless it's fate. Something about you made him curious."

"The boss?" I made my voice sound smooth. "You mean Lucien?"

"Who else?" Senna moved closer. "He's nice, you know. They fault him for the past, but they don't get it. The group misled him. They spun tales 'bout his love, and he fell for it since he trusted them." Her eyes grew sadder. "By the time he knew the truth, it was too late for amends."

My heart felt heavy and so tight. "What were those fibs?"

Senna glanced around like she checked for ears. She then hushed her voice lower. "The girl they torched. She was called Camilla. She was his partner, and folks said she was cursed. A threat to us all." Senna shook her head slow. "But no one thought that way. All knew she was brave and good. The group just wished she died since they feared her might."

Air stuck in my lungs. I could not even make my body inhale.

"What became of her then?" I asked, my voice sounding raspy.

"She was torched," Senna said soft. "They bound her tight to wood in the square, and the group set her ablaze. Lucien watched since they made him. They said he watched to show his trust to all."

I jolted up fast, my book slipped, hitting floor hard. Senna seemed stunned at my move, I did not even care. I had to flee that place now. Before I messed things up, I must leave.

"So sorry," I spoke, going back toward door. "I just gotta run-"

"Hold up," Senna yelled loud. She dug in her jeans, got a box made of wood. "I got this months back, down by the oak tree, beneath dirt. The spot where Lucien sits at night." She then popped it open, showed me mail, paper worn and thin. "I feel it was for Camilla, it's his writing, a name on it is my love."

She stretched it toward me.

I gave it no grab.

"Who's the girlie?" I then spoke up. "The blonde one with golden light?"

Senna's face switched. She now seemed blue and all mixed up. "That girl's Elin. She's just... no one knows where she got born. She just showed up six months back, Lucien took her. The group wished she would just leave, but he said no." Senna's voice dropped. "I feel that Lucien sees his lost Camilla in her. Like he aims to save her by minding Elin."

The room spun hard.

Lucien took a kid and named her- or she got a name that starts like E, like Camilla wanted. Our kid got the name Elara. We said it so much. A bold name for bold gal.

"Kira?" Senna stood up, looking spooked. "You good? You look like you gonna fall."

I could not talk.

Right then, a shriek tore open the house's quiet air. I knew that sound right away, pain and fear mixed up. It came from where the babies sleep.

It had to be Elin.

Senna and I dashed that way fast; my heart felt like a drum gone wild. We got there and saw Lucien down low, holding Elin close. Her head was cut and bleeding, and she sobbed, trying to grab him.

But this wasn't just a slip-up. I could smell another wolf's blood hanging in the air. Someone meant to do this bad thing.

Lucien looked up at us, his eyes wild and hot, a kind of anger I'd never glimpsed. He was looking like he was trying to guess who did such a thing.

Then his eyes stuck on me.

And just like that, his face shifted like the wind. His hand rose slow, finger pointing right at my chest.

"You did it," he breathed out low. "Didn't you? Your smell is all over."

Camilla POV

"This wasn't done by me."

The phrases shot from my lips ere I halted them. My fingers trembled, and my tone seemed extra noisy in the hushed space. Lucien stayed on his knees, embracing Elin near his chest, and his gaze burned into me like blazes.

"Your scent," he stated, his tone hushed and risky. "It's smeared across her. And across this space. I can detect it crystal clearly."

"I never entered this space," I stated, stepping ahead. "I pledge it."

Senna seized my arm. "Kira, what's he saying? What scent?"

I yanked from her grasp. I couldn't detail what he meant sans giving myself up. I couldn't speak that I was a wolf. That I could morph to be rapid plus lethal. That my aroma felt risky plus ancient plus hexed.

Lucien rose, yet embracing Elin. The wee girl cried soft near his neck, her tiny hand holding his shirt. He glared at me using such hate in his view that it felt like a blow.

"Keepers," he shouted. His tone boomed via the packhouse, and within moments, two huge wolves showed within the doorway. They stayed semi-shifted, their forms vast plus savage. "Escort her to the holding space. Don't let her flee."

"Nay," I stated, stepping back. "You're committing a blunder. I didn't wound this kid. I'd never-"

Yet, the watchmen shuffled right at my face. One fellow seized my arm so tight, and fierce spikes burned into where he grabbed. I could have fought them off. With such force from the hex, I could shred them all easy. If I did that act, I would spill all my secrets. I would show them just who I was now.

Then my payback would end fast.

So I let them pull me off.

They took me down deep under, to a room made of stone plus one barred window way up high near the roof. The door banged shut behind me, and loud locks clicked hard in place. I was stuck down there.

I plopped down on that cold floor and dropped my face into my hands.

This felt off. This felt so very wrong. I didn't harm Elin yet. I learned she lived today. But Lucien didn't know it. He saw some guy who smelled off, and he pinned it all on me.

The sad joke stung hard on me. He had blamed me for faking stuff before. Five years gone, the group said I was cursed, and he ate it up so fast. He watched me burn alive without lifting one finger. So now, here I sat, jailed once more for his rush to judge.

That hot rage rushed back hard, sharper than before now.

But under that hate was more grief. Worse than I can speak. Doubt came up strong.

Because Elin felt hurt bad, and it wasn't some dream. If I wasn't at fault, then who did it? More so, why hurt such a nice small kid?

I was stuck for hours in that chill place, moving like a trapped beast. The sun slid over the small glass, and shades hopped on the walls. Nobody came to check on me. Nobody gave me grub or water. It felt like they erased me from their minds.

Then, when the light turned to gold, steps echoed near.

The door swung open, and Lucien entered. He seemed weary, like no sleep had come. His hair was wild, and his eyes had dark rings. He clutched something odd-a scrap that stank like Elin's blood.

"Where'd you grab this thing?" he asked, skipping hello or saying why he came.

I stood up, puzzled. "Huh?"

He held up the scrap. "This was there at the spot. It's cut from stuff I've not spied before. The group fears it's bad. They want you torched for it."

The group. Of course. They wished me gone. They saw what I was, and they hoped to use me to show the pack magic was real. That beasts walked with them.

"I don't know this thing," I spoke, which was real.

Lucien moved near me. He checked my face like trying to slice through my skin to find truth. "Why were you in the room reading 'bout Camilla?"

My heart froze up. "I didn't-"

"Senna said all," he spoke, slicing my words. "You asked 'bout Camilla. You asked 'bout what hit her. You acted like you cared for one you've not met."

"Is that bad?" I asked, my sound shaking. "Is it wrong to mind dark wrongs?"

A funny light danced in his gaze. For a flash, he seemed unsure. Like maybe he was slowly getting my point.

"Elin called you Mama," he mumbled low. "Were you aware of it? When pain hit her, she cried for her Mama."

The ache in those words stung hard. "I never hurt her in any way."

"I know," Lucien sighed, his voice so blue it hurt my ears. "I get that. I can sense that. You feel safe somehow, but I can't sell it to the group. They want a fight. They wish to say dark powers got to our group."

He then faced away to move out.

"Hold up," I shouted fast. "What will they do with me?"

Lucien paused near the doorframe. He didn't spin back to face me. "The group gathers soon, at midday. They'll judge you there. If you're found wrong, they'll kill you off."

He left me, and the door clicked shut tight.

I stood all alone in that bare space, as truth hit me like strong sea waves. History felt keen to come again. Like some years back, I stood accused for deeds undone. Like some years back, the group wished my end soon. Like some years back, Lucien would just see it and do zip.

Save this round, I might face real death.

The spell that woke me won't work twice. One death already felt too huge. If the group roasts me a second time, I won't come back here. Only dust and sad thoughts would stay on back.

My thoughts raced as I walked around, then I sensed a thing. A faint sound barely there. It came from the wall right near me.

I spun and found space between rocks. A glow shone in that space. The soft light seemed to beat like a heart.

I stepped up and shoved the rocks away.

A sign was etched in stone behind. An old sign I knew at once. It was a prophecy's sign, the same one burned on my skin when I came to be. When they said I was dangerous.

Below it were words I knew well. My mom's writing, clear as day.

It said: "If you read this, you're still here. Flee now. They won't quit chasing you."

I went to feel the words, and when I did, the stone shone brighter now. Light flew across the wall fast, the whole room filled with gold fire that didn't hurt.

A hidden room showed up in stone.

Inside stood someone I thought gone, watching me, tears in her eyes.

Lucien's mom was right there.