Reincarnated To Take Revenge On The Alpha

1. The Prophecy

CLAIRE

"I can't believe you're going to marry Nicholas Mikaelson," Avery says. "I heard he's a hottie."

I roll my eyes as we walk into class. Trust Avery to focus only on how many abs he has. I still remember how she squealed the first time we checked his i********: page and saw his shirtless pictures. To her, a man can to no wrong as long as he's got a six-pack and biceps larger than her head.

"I heard he's a bit of a sadist," I say as we walk to our seats. "He's an asshole."

She shrugs as if to say that's not important, but it is to me. In what universe is a sadistic man given a free pass just because he's hot? I imagine she would have been excited if she was the one who was summoned before the council this morning and informed that she was going to marry Nicholas Mikaelson, the sadistic lycan who was going to become the Alpha of the Janus pack very soon.

I met Nicholas once a few years ago during a party thrown by his father, Alpha Marcus of the Janus pack. My dad had dragged me to the event, and that was when he introduced me to Marcus and his son, Nicholas.

"You're the girl who can't shift, right?" Nicholas had said with a look of disdain in his eyes, and I had to resist the urge to punch him right in the face.

“Nicholas!” his father snapped, his voice so powerful and authoritative that it made the entire room shake. I’d never seen a lycan up close, but I finally understood why they were so much more powerful than us normal werewolves. One word from Marcus was enough to make his son fall in line, and he bowed his head in shame.

“Forgive me.”

But I could tell that it didn’t come from the heart. So I did all I could to avoid him for the rest of the night. Or at least I tried, until I caught him f*****g one of the waitresses on the upstairs terrace.

“Get the f**k away from us,” he’d said to me when he saw me standing there in disgust. “I don’t want your disease rubbing off on me.”

I left that night with a sour taste in my mouth, vowing to never lay eyes on that bastard ever again. I’d been hearing stories about how he slept his way across most of the country, and the rumour was that he had hired a witch who would check on the women he slept with every night to make sure they didn’t fall pregnant. I also heard that he had killed over a thousand rogues in the last few years, and that he had single-handedly stopped an invasion about a year ago. There was no doubt that he was powerful, but he was also infuriating and a total asshole.

Avery snaps her fingers in front of me, pulling me out of my reverie. “When will your dad announce the betrothal?”

“I don’t know,” I shrug. “He said the Mikaelsons are coming later today for the official proposal and betrothal. But he didn’t say when he would announce it.”

She leans over suddenly, and places her hand on my arm. I look up as she stares at me in that scrutinising way that makes it seem like she’s looking into my soul. I hate when she does that, but I prepare myself for what’s definitely coming.

“Are you alright, Claire?” she asks. “I mean are you really alright?”

The way she says it makes me want to cry. I try to hold it in, but the tears are threatening to spill at any moment. I haven’t really given myself an opportunity to cry about it properly, but I know that once the flood gates are open, there’s no stopping them.

It just isn’t fair. I hate that there’s nothing I can do to change this. I hate that this decision was made without consulting me. As the Alpha’s daughter, shouldn’t I get a certain level of protection from these sort of things? An arranged marriage is not so uncommon in our society, but it is mostly reserved only for people who can’t find their mates. If you are lucky, you could eventually develop a bond with the person you end up marrying. But that’s not the life I want for myself. I might not have a wolf or be able to shift, but I still want to believe that things are going to get better for me one day.

But now, everything has been destroyed by my own father and I have to end up with that sick bastard.

I wish my mom was still alive. Maybe if she was, then things would have been different. Maybe dad wouldn’t have spiralled into his loneliness and depression, and he would still be able to think rationally. But a part of him died with her ten years ago, and I have been forced to bear the burden all by myself.

“I’ll be alright,” I say, sniffing as I hurriedly wipe the tears lingering in the corners of my eyes. “At least I hope so. It’s just too much, you know? Normally I would refuse, but he said it’s for the pack, and all my life I’ve been taught that my duty is to the pack. As the Alpha’s daughter, I know that I have to make every decision with the pack in mind, knowing that my choices affect everyone else. But there’s a part of me that’s like ‘What has the pack ever done for me’, you know? I mean these are the same people who mock and ridicule me everyday for something that isn’t in my control. They laugh at me because they think I’m choosing not to shift or something. And I’m just supposed to give up my future for them?”

“Hey,” she says as she pulls my hand towards her and gives it a tight squeeze, “don’t worry about anyone else. Just focus on yourself. If you don’t want to marry Nicholas, then tell your father. I’m sure he’ll figure something out. Alpha Klaus is an understanding man. He’ll figure something out.”

I highly doubt that. My father is not someone who can easily change his mind. Once he makes a decision, then nothing on earth can change his mind on it. I know this firsthand, but I suppose Avery wouldn’t know since she hasn’t really been around him that much. Ever since my mom died, he doesn’t let anyone into the pack house anymore, except on official matters. It was this decision that forced everyone to move out and build new houses all around Blackville.

As Mr. Ezekiel walks into the class, I push all thoughts of my upcoming betrothal to the back of my mind. I’ll deal with it later. When I get back home, I’ll sit my dad down and ask him why he thinks this will be a good decision.

The rest of the day passes in a blur of classes. At lunch, Avery and I sit in the corner of the cafeteria and share stories about Nicholas Mikaelson, and the details of what she tells me really scars me. But Avery seems fascinated by him, and I can tell that she wouldn’t mind being in my position.

“He’s a total s*x god,” she says. “And I heard his d**k is so big that it can split you in half. I want to see what that’s like.”

I simply roll my eyes and push all thoughts of Nicholas’s d**k out of my mind. And when the day finishes, Avery and I walk home together. Her house is not so far away from mine, being the beta’s daughter and whatnot. My dad always wants her dad to be close in case of anything, so it’s barely a five-minute walk from her house to mine.

Along the way, we talk about prom, the last football game of the season, our plans for the weekend and the beach party Annalise is throwing next weekend. We talk about our upcoming trip to Los Angeles, and then we briefly talk about how things might change if this betrothal goes ahead. It all depends on how soon it has to happen. And the thought of it twists my stomach into a knot. I hate this feeling of waiting for something terrible to happen. But there’s nothing I can do about it, so I sigh and ignore it.

When we reach their house and Avery waves goodbye, I’m left all alone as I walk home and think about how suddenly my entire life has changed. I think about my future, and how I might have to live with the worst Alpha to have ever existed once Nicholas becomes the Alpha of the Janus pack.

None of this would have happened to me if I simply had a wolf.

But I’ve had that exact thought over a billion times in my life, so there’s no need to think about it.

As I turn onto the path that will lead me home, through a canopy of trees that blocks out the sunlight, I find a small old woman standing in the shade and fidgeting with what looks like a compass. She’s wearing a cloak, which seems strange to me in this heat. Her wrinkled hands grab at the compass, and she lifts it up as if she can’t see it clearly, then turns around and looks up at the trees before mumbling something to herself.

I pause and watch her confusedly. I’ve never seen someone like this before. Blackville is no stranger to such confusing characters, but I’ve never actually seen one up close. You just hear about them sometimes and wonder what has gotten into them. But there’s something about this woman that draws me in, and I slowly make my way towards her while preparing to bolt as soon as I sense something unusual.

“Hello?” I say, waiting for her to turn and see me. “Can I help you?”

She turns and smiles at me, with crooked teeth that look like they’ve been stained with dirt, and a giant mole on her left cheek. She is hunched over, but she stretches up just a little bit when she looks at me.

“Oh, hello, my child,” she says as she hobbles over towards me. “I’m so sorry to disturb you. I was looking for the Alpha’s home. I was told it’s this way, but my compass isn’t working so I don’t know where to go.”

“You know you don’t need a compass, right?” I ask. “You could have just asked around.”

“I did,” she says, looking slightly offended, “but everybody is avoiding me for some reason.”

“It’s fine,” I say. “People can be stupid sometimes.”

“Tell me about it,” she says, and we both laugh.

“Well, it’s just up ahead,” I say. “You can walk with me if you want.”

“Oh, that would be lovely,” she says, falling into step beside me. “And what is your name, sweet girl?”

“Claire,” I reply. “Claire Roberts.”

She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow, and I know she recognises me as the Alpha’s daughter. But she says nothing as we keep walking, heading up the path silently with nothing but the wind in the trees breaking the silence.

“Something on your mind dear?” she asks, and I shrug nonchalantly.

“It’s nothing.”

“Do not allow yourself to sink into sadness,” she says. “Whatever is bothering you, I’m sure it will pass eventually.”

“You wouldn’t get it,” I say. “This isn’t something that will pass eventually. It’s for the rest of my life.”

She silent for a while, and I could have sworn that the temperature dropped just a little bit as she looks up at me and says, “It’s for the greater good, Maria.”

That’s when my heart plummets into my stomach. I pause and stare at her confusedly, while she flashes me a crooked smile.

“How do you know my middle name?” I ask.

“I know more than you could imagine, my child,” she says. “Things that were, things that are, and things that are yet to be. I have gazed into the future’s eye, and you will be surprised by what I know.”

I step back in horror, but I can’t run away even though I’m willing my legs to move. Something about her eyes keeps me frozen in place, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t bring my feet to obey me.

“A great tragedy awaits you, my child,” she says, stepping forward. “Death knocks on your door, and before the clock strikes midnight, you shall answer its call. You shall be betrayed by three companions. One for love, one for revenge and one for power. Trials lie between you and your goal, and you must overcome this if you want to survive. For she who has tasted death cannot die again, but will rise as a phoenix, beautiful and terrible as she strikes down her foe. But a heavy choice will face you before the hour comes. Overcome this, and you shall be the strongest human in all of existence. Fail, and you shall plunge the world into a thousand years of darkness.”

And with that, she turns around and vanishes in a cloud of smoke leaving me dazed and confused.

And more scared than I have ever been in my entire life.

***