Chapter twelve

Looking as she did before Khadim's capture, Ndeye was standing in a vast field of white and pink roses. She had no trace of injury on her body and was dressed in an immaculate white dress with a crown of flowers made of the ones she had before her eyes. Although the scenery was so enchanting with the presence of summer sun and a gentle wind blowing, Ndeye couldn't help but wonder what she could be doing in such a place, in such a guise. Wasn't she after all so dirty, soiled by a demon who dragged her soul with him into the abyss of the underworld? Wasn't it blasphemy to be in her child's body, whose innocence exuded from every pore? Sacrilege? Could even being in a field of snakes, each as poisonous as the other, be equal to his darkness? And a field of thorns then?

_ Stop thinking you're so black, condemned girl! A voice from behind her made her turn around.

_ Daddy! Mommy! Ndeye exclaimed as she recognized them.

_ I'm dead, aren't I? she asked.

_No. You're in between worlds right now, but you can still be saved," her father replied.

_ And I don't want to be saved. I just want to be done with life on earth and be able to rest in peace by your side, that is if I deserve to, said Ndeye.

_ We know that, but it cannot be possible. Your mission on earth is far from having begun to be even close to being completed, said her mother.

_ Therefore, you must go back," added her father.

_ I don't want to. I don't want to go back. I don't want to go through hell again, said Ndeye.

_ You have suffered so much and lived through a hell that has branded you in the clutches of this monster but believes us, your soul mate is different from him and...

Her father was interrupted by a sudden earthquake that became so powerful in a few seconds that Ndeye and her parents were separated. The tremor continued for a long time before stopping, plunging her into absolute darkness. Darkness that lasted she did not know how long before she saw a bright white light in the distance. She then began to move towards it until she realized that it was from a door of incredible dimensions and ajar that the light was emanating. But that was not what caught her attention. What caught his attention was the golden-haired woman, dressed in a tunic worthy of the ancient gods and endowed with unparalleled beauty, who stretched out her arm in his direction as if to signify that she was waiting for her and to invite her to join her, an invitation which she accepted by placing her right hand in the palm of his. The woman then pulled her to squeeze it and whispered a few words to her before pushing open the door and entering the light with her.

‹‹Quia venit tempus quod to puer meus excitare. A futuri absque communi vestra multa est in morale mundi.››

Ndeye opened her eyes with a start and realized that she was in a hospital room as she saw the many machines next to her and the IV in her right arm. Then she felt ahead resting on her lap and instinctively thought of Coumba, her only friend. She didn't care how she got there, all that mattered was that she was there with her. She began to stroke her hair, which was much shorter and silkier than normal. She then let her hand wander to his upper back, which was much more muscular and thicker than normal. It looked like she was dealing with a..... A man?

She then jumped and this time violently knocked Mohamed to the floor before leaving the bed, ripping out her IV in the process, to go and hide in a corner of the room with the scalpel that was on the table beside the bed to defend herself. Awakened in the worst possible way by being thrown to the floor, it took Mohamed some time to get his head together and understand what had just happened. His Luna, who had woken up, had been startled so violently that he found himself on the floor early.

What a wonderful awakening!

Where was she now? His eyes scanned the whole room to see her huddled in a corner, scalpel in hand and tears running down her cheeks.

Great!

He stood up and took the time to stretch before slowly approaching his Luna, resisting the urge to relinquish control to Aras who was eagerly claiming it. Only when he was close to her did she stand up and in one swift movement cut his left arm before immediately returning to her original position, her eyes shining with distrust and rebellion.

This was not his day!

Resisting the urge to give in to the anger that was coursing through his veins at being attacked by their soul mate, Mohamed thought quickly about what had just happened. Suddenly something clicked inside him. He had found out why Luna had hurt him. It was clear: she is afraid of him because he is a wolf, like his former torturers. Aras calmed down at once and arming himself with his courage, Mohamed took a step forward which earned him a warning glance from his Luna, then a second and a third before stopping at a certain distance from her.

_ I... I know you must be afraid of me believing me to be like your former torturers but believe me, you have no reason to be in such a state. I'm your soul mate and I would never willingly hurt you, he said as he slowly moved up to her height to try to hug her.

_ Liar! He had said the same thing after he had taken me to his house! You are nothing but a monster! Ndeye denied it in a loud voice and slapped him with all her strength.

He found himself thrown to the floor for the second time in the morning, this time with his cheek on fire as the slap had been so powerful that it echoed in the room.

Quite a force for such a small woman!

While he was writhing in pain, Aras was laughing like a man possessed in his head.

_ Well, thank you! You're not helping me! Mohamed complained.

_ It was so predictable that she wouldn't believe you that I wonder how you could be so naive and stupid.

_ I just wanted to reassure her.

_ I have to say, I like her fierce character. I can't wait for us to mark her so I can see what her wolf will be like and have fun seeing which of us will tame the other.

_ But she'll have to let us get close to her. You're nothing but a twisted, psychopathic maniac who's no use to me, Aras!

As he ended his discussion with the latter, Mohamed noticed that Ma'Fatou, probably alerted by the noise of his "little conversation" with Luna, was in the room trying to approach her.

Let's hope she doesn't get one like him!

To her great surprise and difference, she did not make the mistake of trying to touch her Luna but kept a certain distance from her, making Aras go off in a fit of laughter, which was the confirmation of his words.

_ Get away from me witch! It's probably him who called you to come and help him, but I warn you, I won't let you! warned Ndeye Ma'Fatou.

_ You see, Luna, I know how to fight ten times better than you, who can't even hold this scalpel properly enough to make it a formidable weapon of defense. If I wanted to hurt you, we wouldn't be here, Ma'Fatou replied calmly.

And on top of that, this frail human had hurt her with a badly held weapon!

He needed to brush up on his basic fighting lessons!

_ What do you want from me?

_ I only want to help you.

If you want to help me, first get that monster out of my room and then follow the same path as him.

_ I can't force him out because he's the Supreme Alpha and he won't come out because I want to help you.

_ Get out! Get out!

_ I don't want to hurt you, Luna, and you know why? Because as hard as it is to believe, I am, or rather was, human like you.

_ Is that right?

_ Yes.

_ Then why aren't you anymore? And why are you working for that monster?

She's the monster with the scalpel!

_ You know, like you, I was a victim of the cruelty of the Alpha of the country where I lived and of its men, Nigeria. For years, I and my fellow men were tortured, mistreated, forced to work like animals until Mohamed, here, and his men came to rescue us. That's how I met my soul mate and joined this pack. But even if I didn't have to endure the nightmare of every young girl like you, I understand your suffering and your fear. You see all wolves as monsters who can and will hurt you, but not all of them are, your soul mate, our pack, and the African Alpha and his pack are proof of that. I will not ask you to forget your fear of us, but to trust me and let me help you.

_ May I? You won't hurt me?

_ Not me or anyone else.

Ndeye dropped her scalpel and threw herself into her arms, crying with relief.

_ Now it's time for you to know your new home, Luna, said Ma'Fatou.