Half Faced Alpha
Chapter 40

"Natalia?"

Natalia's lashes fluttered as the ten year old version of her turned, the flowers in her hand and some place in her hair.

The village was quiet and peaceful, with everyone living to the fullest. Probably except Natalia, who felt a little caged, and had to listen to her mother rant on about someone who would replace her.

She trudged carefully to her mother, and the woman extended her hand. She held it and her mother pulled her closer, then removed her hair from the nail of her neck. She let her fingers trail on the moon sign, and a smile of satisfaction spread her lips. "The sign is there. He does not know."

Natalia turned. "What do you mean?"

Selina smiled, her eyes darkening. "Tonight, we will have a visitor. Someone will come to take all of us. Natalia, I do not care what you do, you have to be there too."

"What?" She asked her, her eyes innocently looking up to the older woman.

She rolled her eyes. "If you did not have that mark, I would have left you long ago. Very long ago. You are not worth it."

Natalia nodded and moved away, as the woman entered the small hut where they resided, but Natalia stayed there, intact.

Natalia watched as the moon rose, then gradually eclipsed. Her mother's friend, Ari turned and quickly left the compound and Natalia wondered what could have gone wrong. Her mother, however, looked very calm as she came back in.

"Natalia, there is something I must tell you. The man who will come today...you have to let him replace you. Wait for him if you must, but he has to replace you." "Why?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"Because he must kill you. For me to have my revenge, he must kill you. That is why, you have to wait for me inside. He will check, I am sure of it. I am sure."

Natalia cluelessly watched her mother as she put her things together, and started to turn on a few candles. She was used to seeing her mother do it. She was getting ready for a spell. "Come here," She said to her, and Natalia walked to her.

She grabbed her wrist, and putting her small knife just below the curvature of her palm, she made a small cut.

Natalia burst out in tears, but Selina didn't seem to care.

Her ritual needed it.

Natalia suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving. Her body felt weak and damp from her own sweat, and she felt something turn in the pits of her stomach.

It was like she was removing the past that she thought she had left behind and forgotten, and it brought back the mixed emotions and unadulterated childish innocence she had back then. Maybe it was not just innocence. Maybe she was always just naive.

She sat up and covered herself up in the blankets again, unable to remember when she had fallen asleep.

She could remember Axton coming to her room. She could remember everything till he left, but after that, it felt like her brain had lured her to sleep. Maybe even it was tired of the pain. She stood up and walked to her door, but refrained from opening it when she heard voices.

It was Beta Scott, and she peered through the glass part of the door. He was walking with an old woman towards Axton's room.

'Who could she be?' She asked herself

"I will bring the healer." He had said last night. Waa he sick?

"Beta?" She called as she opened the door. He turned to her, then came back.

"How do you feel? Did you rest well?"

She nodded, and closed her eyes. "Who is that woman?"

"She is the healer. Do you know... the brothers that abducted you yesterday...she is their mother."

Natalia nodded. "Why? Is something wrong with him?"

"He is very sick, Natalia. I know this is a very selfish request, but...we do hope you can help him. He is not asking for it, he respects you and knows you can not just forgive him that way, or forget what happened...." "I want to go home," She said, cutting him off. "Please take me home. That is all I want right now.""

Beta Scott's eyes widened, then thinned with disappointment. A range of emotions, pity for her and pity for him, empathy, and a little tinge of annoyance. It was minimal, and he knew he did not have the right to be angry. "Home? This is it."

She shook her head. "No. This is not home. This is Axton's place. This is the place where that monster..."

"Have you ever thought of how much it hurts him too? Do you know he will forever stay that way, like wet vegetables because you chose to only see your pain? I know it hurts you but... he made a mistake, Natalia. Everyone does."

"I do not want to hear all the explanations you cooked up to defend your alpha. It is really not my business. I do not care for it at all."

He clenched his fists. "I promised him not to let you go. I promised him that I will keep you safe, and hearty. He will not come out to see you. He can not even do it. So I am sorry, but...I will not grant your request."

He turned around, just as the healer emerged, her head lowered. "Beta. Can I talk to you?"

He turned. "Is it about alpha?"

She nodded, then looked at Natalia. "She is the one, right?"

Beta Scott nodded. "She is."

The healer took in a deep breath. "I can not do anything. I gave him something to ease the pain and help him sleep, but...it is too far gone. From what I saw, it is spreading too. If it continues this way, without any thing to heal it, it would ultimately consume him whole...and alive."

Natalia sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, but she could not stop the images of the night flashing back.

"Thank you, healer. But please, do not give up on him. We all need him."

She nodded. "I will try my best. I know everything is different now, so...I will try as hard as I can."

Beta Scott nodded and kept her go, before he turned to Natalia. "Maybe seeing him like that will satisfy you."

He turned and made his way to Axton's room, then locked the door.

Alpha Axton was asleep when he walked in, and he soundlessly made his way around the room. He brought a big bowl with lukewarm water and some healing ointment dipped in, then brought a towel too. Slowly, he pushed it in and dampened it, then slowly brought it out and wrung the water out of it.

He dabbed it on alpha Axton's now bare upper body, becoming extra careful as he dabbed it to the left side. It seemed like two different people, one part smooth and almost flawless, the other so damaged. "How could that witch let your body belong to one woman in more than just a literal way?"

Alpha Axton did not stare till he finished the unconventional bath, then combed his hair down. Half of it was silky and black, the other half a weird sickly red color, and it felt dry and almost shriveled up. He sat back down and waited for Alpha Axton to wake. He didn't want to leave his side, knowing fully well no one else would be there.