IMPORTANT!!! IF YOU'RE CONFUSED READ THIS FIRST.
So after reading a lot of your guys' comments on the last chapter I realized that so many of you were confused by the ending so here's what you need to know before you read this one.
1) Alice Oden IS JANE'S PAST SELF so yes, she's a new character technically
2) This chapter is technically in the POV of Alice
3) Jane & Alice are the same person. If this confuses you remember that Alice is Jane in the past.
4) Levi, Luke & Anouchka will appear in this chapter but with different names. At the end of the chapter I'll reveal who is who in case some of you want to try and guess then I won't ruin the surprise for you ;)
OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH FROM ME, HAPPY (HOPEFULLY ONLY SLIGHTLY CONFUSING) READING :D
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As Alice slowly rouse from her sleep, she sat up and looked around not at all sure where she was. It wasn't until she saw the familiar beauty of the Huxton pack lands that she felt her mind settle and become at ease. The pack hadn't been her home for more than a month but she felt as though she'd always truly belonged here.
Standing to her feet she saw that she must've taken a short nap beside the well – why that was she had no idea, but she couldn't come up with any explanation. As the only human in the pack she often found it increasingly harder to keep up with the wolves that seemed to be able to run around her in circles. Not to mention she hadn't been feeling too well lately.
Leaning over into the well, she hauled up the bucket and threw a bit of water over her tanned face. She wasn't a beauty by anyone's standards but she'd grown into her features with grace. She was eighteen with long, blonde hair; sharp, grey eyes and a body that was quick to show how well fed she was. Her parents had always made sure she had been healthy and taken care of, but her new husband adored her and wouldn't let her even think about going hungry.
"Alice!"
She smiled to herself, as it seemed that merely thinking about her husband made him appear. Looking over her shoulder she watched Daniel Jaxon run towards her with all the strength, power and grace of the Alpha werewolf he was. She'd had no idea such fanciful creatures even existed until he began to court her three months ago and explained that she was his soulmate.
His dark eyes ran over her in worry and as he gently held her at arm's length so he could look over her, panic expressed clear across his handsome masculine features. Alice reached up and moved away some of his dark hair out of his dark eyes and she smiled up at him as she asked innocently, "And what is it that has you so troubled my dear husband?"
He shook his head at her playfully, "No one had seen you for almost a half hour, I was beginning to worry. Is everything okay? Do you still feel ill?"
She giggled at his blatant concern for her, it made her insanely happy that he cared so much about her. In the day and age that she lived in it wasn't very common for a man and a woman to wed for the sake of love. Lucky for her, her parents had been well enough off to give their only daughter a handsome dowry and in turn it meant she was able to marry Daniel Jaxon who was the lord of the great Huxton estate. Although, now that she knew about the werewolf world she supposed he was just the Alpha and this was his land.
"I am fine Daniel you mustn't worry about me so much," recently she had been feeling a little under the weather but she hoped that with a little fresh air and sunshine it would pass. She couldn't be coped up in her bedchamber all day,
"There're more important things to concern yourself with than just me."
What she had said was true.
The Huxton pack was most definitely not one of the strongest out there and as such left the pack open to many forms of attack and they were quite vulnerable. Although, Daniel was a strong and diligent leader he could only protect and care for so many people at the one time. She'd been disappointed to find she would have to spend so much time away from him, but she'd quickly learnt to get on with it. There was no sense in moping around when all Daniel was trying to do was keep everyone safe and protected.
Often at times she could see the draining, defeated look he carried in his eyes when he thought no one could see. It broke her heart to see him in such a lonesome state but there was only so much she could do if he refused to turn her into a wolf. There was too much risk of her not surviving and he refused to take the chance. She hated not being able to do anything to help him, and she hated even more how he would continually shut her out. She knew that there was something he wasn't telling her, something involving pack affairs but squeezing information out of him was impossible.
"You're still human Alice Oden," Daniel told her as he pressed a soft kiss along her brow and Alice huffed indignantly.
"When will you allow me to take your last name?" She asked him as he held her deeper in his arms and began to pepper her face with delicate kisses, soft enough that even a bubble wouldn't pop under the pressure.
"After all you've said to me Mr Jaxon, are you ashamed of people knowing I'm your wife?"
It had been an issue concerning her for quite some time now, almost a month they'd been married and not once had he relented and let her change her name, even the priest had been quite stunned at Daniel's insistence that she keep her last name.
"Ashamed?" he repeated before he scoffed, "Never. But my sweet wife there are many wolves out there who would prefer my head on a platter then on my body, if word got to them that I had taken a mate who was human... it is not yet safe."
Safe. If Daniel had it his way she'd be living in a bubble.
Pulling away from him she swiftly ducked out from underneath his arms and shot him a playful smile as she went about carting water back from out of the well, the task she was sure she'd originally come down here to do before she'd taken her rest.
As she set about the arduous job she spoke to her mate, "Well, I hope you've not come to distract me from my work. As you can see I am very obviously in the middle of working hard to pull my weight in the pack."
He sighed and muttered under his breath, "You don't need to do these types of jobs Alice."
She hefted the heavy bucket with all her strength, she didn't want to be having this argument with him again. Just because she was human didn't mean she was made of glass. She knew she wasn't a big, strong werewolf like everyone else, she was under no illusion, but she had no intention of sitting on her behind all day.
Ignoring his mumbled words, she waited until Daniel continued speaking and didn't bother to hide her irritation when he came over and pried the heavy bucket from her finger tips.
"You're cousin has arrived," he informed her, "She is waiting for you in the house."
No sooner had the words left Daniel's mouth then she ran off in the direction of the lavish house a wide smile on her face. Bursting through the front of her new home she came face to face with her cousin – and closest family member.
"Marie!" She exclaimed excitedly as she took in the sight of her cousin. A tall beautiful woman with bouncing red hair and a laugh that could entice a whole room full of men. Marie had a wicked glint in her grey eyes as she held her arms open to embrace Alice.
"Little cousin," Marie greeted, "My oh my how you've grown!"
The two woman embraced fiercely having not seen each other for the better part of the year due to a harsh winter that had kept Marie abroad and Alice home in France. Alice had grown even closer to the cousin who was four years her senior, through the knowledge that Marie had been bitten and into a wolf. Marie was so excited at the revelation that her cousin had married into a pack that she'd just had to come and see Alpha Daniel and the Huxton pack for herself.
Alice and Marie held each other at arm's length smiles clear and wide on their faces as they delighted in the reunion. Alice was immensely glad that her cousin was here, as much as she loved her husband and the pack members who'd shortly become her family, she missed the presence of her own kin, especially Marie.
"So it is true," Marie probed innocently, "Alpha Jaxon really has mated himself a human. My little cousin."
Alice felt herself blushing and nodding just as she heard Daniel from behind her, "I hope the rumour has not spread too vastly, it is my duty to protect Alice I cannot do that by announcing she is mine, it will only serve to paint a target on her back."
Marie inspected Daniel with a sly smile, "I am glad to hear of you being so concerned for her Alpha, I did fear I would come here and find her being used as a meal."
"Marie!" Alice hissed glaring at her fiercely protective cousin.
But Alice knew that was just how Marie was, she would do anything for the people she cared about. Even lie to them, as she had done by pretending to have been human for all these years. Alice had no idea the intense strain it would've had on Marie and the stress it would've caused her but Alice knew her cousin wouldn't hesitate to wear herself down if it meant that those she loved would be safe from any harm.
"Daniel, I'm going to show Marie to her chambers," she told her husband who looked sceptically at the stranger he'd allowed to stay in his pack and in his home for a few of the warm summer weeks.
Daniel's eyes never strayed from Marie, as he spoke to Alice, "Of course. If you need me just call for me and I will hear you."
It hadn't escaped Alice's notice that all of Daniel's senses had become a lot stronger lately. And not just strong for a werewolf, or an Alpha, but just strong for any being in general. And it wasn't just his senses it was his physical strength as well, each day it seemed he was to be getting stronger and Alice was struggling to keep up. Especially now that she had fallen ill.
Reminding herself of the sickness she currently harboured, Alice began a violent round of coughing. After Marie's pointed look as she offered Alice her arm to lean on, Alice found herself blaming it on non-existent dust as she made her way to Marie's bedchamber. Her cousin rambled a little about the various places she'd found herself sleeping in whilst she'd been abroad but Alice was hardly paying attention.
Not only had her coughing fit caused her head to feel rather light and airy, but she was finally able to be alone with Marie and ask her the questions she'd been too fearful to ask anyone else. She didn't trust the other pack members not to repeat her questions to Daniel, but she knew that Marie wouldn't breathe a word to anyone.
"Marie."
Her cousin looked at her in sudden silence, she seemed to be bracing herself as she asked, "What's wrong? Are you truly not happy here with Daniel, do you need me to help you escape?"
Alice shook her head with a small smile that was gone almost as soon as it had appeared, "No. Daniel is... well, he's wonderful. The perfect husband, but."
Marie took a step closer to her, "But?"
"I think he may be doing something he shouldn't," Alice confessed with a sigh unable to meet her cousin's eyes as she continued, "I'm not entirely sure how all of this otherworldly activities are supposed to work but, surely... dealing with a witch isn't a good thing is it?"
Marie's eyes nearly exploded out of her head as she hissed in a whisper, "Witches?! You mean to tell me that Daniel is doing dealings with a witch?"
Alice twisted her hands nervously as she nodded, "Yes. And his brother – Thomas. I'm not sure exactly what business Daniel has with the witch but I know he seeks her constantly. I've also noticed that he's becoming stronger, impossibly stronger even for a werewolf and I think it has something to do with the witch."
"And the second brother, Thomas, what's his business in witchcraft?"
Alice frowned, "Thomas beds the witch. She's a beautiful creature but she makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, behind all her beauty is an evil that I cannot describe but I feel it. I wish Daniel would cease going to her, but I know that he wouldn't stop not if he thinks he can protect us all by going to her. Our pack is not very strong Marie, and Daniel worries about me being human. He shoulders so much responsibility for it all and I think he seeks the witch to make him strong enough to help all of us."
"Your husband is mad if he thinks that witchcraft will solve his problems and not cause him any trouble," Marie rubbed at a frown line between her brows, "Oh this news does trouble me... have you ever once spoken to Daniel about it?"
Alice shook her head and Marie began to pace the room as she contemplated the situation that Alice had just described for her. Daniel was perfect in every way, except he kept secrets from her, secrets that gave her a chilling suspicion could hurt someone if not him or her.
"And this Thomas..." Marie trailed off and Alice couldn't help the small smile that came across her face at the mention of her brother-in-law. Thomas was a humorous boy who often found himself getting up to mischief, like bedding a witch for example. Sure Vivian Altamura was an unbelievably beautiful woman, but she was also an incredibly dangerous woman with a temper no one dared to test.
"You will like Thomas," Alice informed her cousin, "He may be flirting with the dark side but he is always fun to be around."
Marie scoffed as she replied sarcastically, "I could only imagine. He's bedding a witch what's not to like about him?"
"Should I be worried Marie?" Alice asked her cousin nervously, "I love Daniel – more than I ever thought it possible to love someone, and Thomas is very dear to me too, I don't want them to get hurt."
Marie halted her pacing as she turned to her cousin a sad smile graced her features, "It is not them I worry about getting hurt Alice it is those closest to them."
Jane's eyes flew open as she panted and struggled for breath. Her body ached and her head felt like it was hosting a stampede of rhino's. Her mouth was a little dry as she struggled to take in enough air for her lungs. She looked at Anouchka who seemed just as spent by the act as Jane had been. Sharing memories of a past life wasn't an easy thing to do.
"Sorry..." Anouchka's words were hoarse and cracked, "I just needed a minute to breathe. That's not... that's not the end of it."
Jane looked down at the dried laceration on her palm, as her breathing returned to normal. She licked her lips, wishing there was still a way for her to access the water in the well beside her. She didn't understand much about the curse yet but she had a feeling she would soon.
"You and I, we were cousins?" She questioned and Anouchka nodded firmly. Endorsing Jane's belief that Anouchka was Marie.
"So that means," Jane continued, "Levi is – or was, Daniel? And Luke was-"
"Thomas." Anouchka answered as she regained her own breathing, "Luke was Thomas. You ready to finish the story?"
Jane hesitated for merely a second before she picked up another rock and with a muffled groan of pain she reopened the wound on her hand. She simply raised an eyebrow to Anouchka before Anouchka reopened her cut as well. In seconds their palms had been re-joined and Jane knew what to expect this time as the images rushed through her throbbing mind too fast for her to stay fully conscious.
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Authors Note:
Now are we confused or hanging out for answers? Or maybe a little bit of both.
Let me know in the comments, message me stick a post on my profile! Just scream at the top of your lungs and maybe I'll hear you ;)
Next chapter will be coming ASAP!!
Jasmine xo