Chapter Eight

Diana

I followed the woman through the forest, the strange energy around us pressing heavily against my chest. The trees seemed to grow taller with every step, their bark glowing faintly in the moonlight, and the ground beneath my boots hummed with a rhythm I couldn't explain. The forest felt alive, like it was aware of every move we made, watching us closely. I know I noticed this before but it just doesn't sit well with me and the fact it's a continuous thing I am not comfortable.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked, my voice quiet but urgent. The more I thought about the strange, shimmering light and the beast that had almost killed me, the more I realized how little I knew. Everything felt so surreal now.

The woman, who still hadn't introduced herself, glanced over her shoulder, her eyes glowing faintly. "You've crossed into the Veil," she said simply, as though the words should mean something to me.

The Veil. I had heard stories—legends really—about places like this. Realms where magic thrived, where the rules of the world didn't apply. But I'd never believed any of it. Not until now. My heart raced as I tried to piece it all together.

"Veil?" I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Like... between worlds?"

She nodded, her expression unreadable. "Yes. The Veil is a realm hidden between the worlds of the living and the dead, a place that exists beyond time and space. It's where creatures like us, those with power, can escape from the chaos of your world."

I swallowed hard, trying to process the information. "Creatures like us? Who are you?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she kept walking, her long strides graceful and purposeful. I stayed close behind her, my mind racing with questions. There was so much I didn't understand. Why was I here? How had I ended up in the Veil? And what did she mean by "creatures like us"?

Finally, after a long silence, she spoke again. "You're not the only one who has crossed into the Veil," she said. "There are others here. Those who were banished, those who sought refuge from their past. Some are lost, some are waiting."

I frowned, still unsure of where this was going. "Who else is here? What do you mean, 'waiting'?"

The woman stopped suddenly, turning to face me. Her piercing gaze locked onto mine, and I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. "I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me explain."

I raised an eyebrow, unsure if I wanted to hear whatever she was about to say.

She exhaled slowly, as though gathering her thoughts. "You may not remember it, but your mother was once a part of this world. She was part of us, Diana. A powerful witch, bound to this realm in ways you couldn't possibly understand. And she—" She paused, as if searching for the right words. "She was involved in something that changed the course of everything. Your story, your past... it all connects here."

I blinked, my mind racing. "My mother? A witch? But—" My words faltered as the woman's eyes softened.

"Yes. She was a witch, but not just any witch. She was a powerful one, connected to forces much older than anything you've ever known." She lowered her voice, as though speaking of a deeply personal secret. "She was part of the Coven that guards the Veil. But when she met him... everything changed."

I stared at her, my mind spinning. "Him? Who are you talking about?"

The woman didn't answer immediately. She took a few steps away from me, gazing into the dark forest. "The werewolf prince," she said, her voice heavy with meaning. "The Alpha of the Dynamic Pack."

I felt my heart skip a beat. The Alpha. Dante. My mate. "What does he have to do with all this?" I asked, my voice shaky.

The woman turned back to face me, her expression solemn. "Your mother met him by accident. She was part of a mission to protect the realm, to keep the balance between worlds. But when the werewolf prince crossed into our territory, things went terribly wrong. He was injured, severely, and your mother saved him."

I felt my stomach twist. I didn't want to hear about this. Not about her. Not about my mother. "What happened then?" I forced myself to ask.

The woman sighed, her eyes filled with something I couldn't read. "Your mother healed him, nursed him back to health. And in that time, something unexpected happened. The connection between them grew. They... they became mates."

"Mates?" I whispered, the word feeling foreign on my tongue. It seemed impossible to even think about, much less accept.

The woman nodded, her gaze hardening. "Yes. Your mother, the witch who had dedicated her life to the realm, fell in love with him. She believed he was her fated mate, the one she was meant to be with."

I shook my head, a mixture of anger and confusion welling up inside me. "But he... he already had a mate, didn't he? He was already married to someone."

The woman's expression darkened, and she stepped closer to me. "Yes," she said softly, but there was a sharp edge to her words. "Your mother discovered the truth too late. He wasn't being honest with her. He had a wife, and he was using your mother all along."

I froze, the weight of her words crashing into me. My mind couldn't wrap around it. "He... used her?" I felt sick just thinking about it.

The woman nodded grimly. "Your mother went to the werewolf realm, to tell him she was pregnant, to tell him she was carrying his child. But when she arrived, she learned the truth. He had no intention of leaving his wife. He had never truly cared for her."

A knot formed in my stomach. The pain in my mother's eyes when she must have realized that... I felt it, like it was my own. The betrayal. The hurt. "What happened after that?"

The woman's voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Your mother tried to leave. She wanted to escape, to forget him. But your father—he wasn't going to let her go. He and his guards stopped her, forced her to stay."

My fists clenched at my sides. My father had done that? Had stopped her from leaving? My heart filled with rage. The betrayal. The lies. The manipulations. It was too much.

"And your father," the woman continued, "he took your mother's power away. He crushed it, Diana. He crushed it so that she could never be the powerful witch she once was. And then he made her serve his wife as a maid."

I could feel my breath quicken. "He made her a maid?" I almost couldn't believe it. The woman nodded.

"Yes. And your mother, weak and broken, was forced to serve the woman who had stolen her mate. She was humiliated, trapped. And then she gave birth to you."

I stumbled back a step, my mind reeling. "But why? Why would he do that to her? To us?"

The woman's face was pained as she met my eyes. "Your father feared your mother's power. He knew she could never be fully controlled. So, he took it from her, leaving her helpless. And he used you, Diana, as a pawn. He knew your mother's powers would eventually transfer to you."

I felt a cold chill wash over me. "No. I... I never asked for this." I couldn't stop the anger and hurt bubbling up inside me. "What happened to my mother after that?"

The woman hesitated for a moment. "Your mother became ill, Diana. She fell so ill that her life was in danger. But she never stopped loving you. She tried to protect you, even as she grew weaker."

Tears stung my eyes, and I quickly wiped them away, angry at myself for feeling vulnerable. My mother—everything she had gone through. I would make them pay for this. For her. For me.

"I'm going to make them pay for this," I whispered, my voice steady despite the rage burning inside me.

The woman's eyes softened, a small, knowing smile tugging at her lips. "I know you will. But first, you need to learn how to control your power, Diana. You have the potential to be stronger than your father. But you must embrace who you are."

I nodded, determination flooding my veins. "I will. I'll do whatever it takes."

And with that, I vowed to become stronger. To reclaim the power that was rightfully mine. To destroy the people who had torn my family apart even Jane and he mother were no exemption.

No one would stand in my way.