Rejected, Rebirth, and Second Chance

He Can Help Me With My Revenge

|ADELINE’S POV|

Setting up for the ceremony was going well. I’ve heard so much about Rowan from the girls, they’re like his fan club. If he’s been to a diner, they know about it. If he’s had a drink from a cafe, they know about it. It’s like the whole pack has collectively decided to love Rowan.

Something I’m trying to wrap my head around. What made him so cool? Nancy was an omega, like most of the women in the group, but she was my close friend. Well close as a friend can come for me.

She talked more about Rowan than anyone. I had to pull her to the side once we were given a chance to take a break.

“What is with you and everyone being one on Rowan’s fan club?”

She gave me a cautious and strange look. “What do you mean? You talk about him too. Remember when he volunteered to help us donate more clothes to the children's center? You wouldn’t stop talking about him for a week.” She laughs. “Argh he’s so sweet. Please tell me he’s still single. I want to date him in my dreams.”

I talked about him? He volunteer? I remember that event, I remember pleading with Damien to help but he didn’t want to. It took us two days to sort through the clothes donated, and then to deliver them to the children's center in the next town. It wasn’t an easy task but we wanted to help kids who needed clothes.

That’s why I love being a part of this committee. They’re so freaking helpful and charitable.

“Right, I forgot. And I don’t know if he’s still single. He’s a part of the elite team, there are some hot girls there. He might be dating one of them.”

“What?!” Nancy and a few other women turned their heads my way.

“What? What do you know? Please tell us.”

They cornered me immediately, making my throat clog. God, that fear will never leave me, will it? I felt choked up, and not wanting to let them see how their proximity was freaking me out, I took a small step back and laughed nervously.

“I haven’t asked, it’s just a thought.”

“Oh, please check. Please?”

“Sure thing.” Once they dispersed, I felt like I could breathe again. Nancy came closer to rub my back.

“I’m sorry, I forgot. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, just.... I’m just dealing with the aftershocks of a nightmare.”

“Oh wow, another one? Maybe you should sit out the event. You’ve done enough work.” Nancy suggested. “I can walk you to a cafe. We could sit and just talk. Everyone will be at the ceremony so you won’t feel choked up?” her eyes were full of sympathy or pity, I couldn’t tell at this point. How do people deal with this? I’ve never heard of someone being reborn, what do they do? How do they act like everything is okay? It’s been a day and a half and I am struggling with it. I need some advice.

I should visit the library!

“Thanks, Nancy. But you deserve to see how this pans out. I’ll just take the day off. See you tomorrow?”

She nodded. “Don’t forget to text me. I have some very sweet gossip that’ll make you say wah.” her grin and bubbly attitude were slightly infectious. I was able to smile before making it over to the locker room to collect my bag and change back into regular clothes.

I said goodbye to the committee, then I made my exit. The pack has a big library, and that’s probably where I can find some answers. They have books from everywhere, containing knowledge pertaining to people outside of wolves.

I crossed many people, and my sense of smell was growing because I was starting to notice that each person there had a personal scent. Some good, some bad, some.... some really distasteful. I stopped beside the large building to throw up on the side.

My body feels strange. Stranger than ever. It’s like my body is undergoing a change.

I waited, hunched over, for the wave of nausea to pass before grabbing a tissue from my bag to wipe my mouth. I entered the library and went straight to the receptionist.

“Oh hey, Adeline.” Everyone knows who I am. When you’re the only human in a pack of wolves, word travels fast. Especially when you start dating the chief alpha’s son. Then everyone will be talking about you.

“Hi..” I glanced at the tag on her shirt. “Matty. I’m looking for a book on rebirth and reincarnation.”

“That would be in aisle eight under the strange and conspiracy section on the fourth floor.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Strutting off in the direction of the book aisles, I took the stairs rather than the elevator. With how sick I’m feeling, I don’t want to risk throwing up in such a closed space. The stairs to the fourth floor weren’t easy. I felt like I’d exercised for a whole year by the time I arrived. Huffing, and puffing like a maniac.

I searched for aisle eight and almost shouted when I found it. I couldn’t walk for another minute. My fingers grazed the books. Aliens, demonic possession, werewolf mythology- grabbing that one- let’s see what else is there?

Dragons and do they actually shift from dragon to person or person to dragon- a ridiculously long title for a book.

Ah ha! Rebirth and reincarnation- is it a folktale or a reality?

There were three books by this author on it. I grabbed those books quickly and found a spot to sit and read.

Okay, the first book starts off with the difference between rebirth and reincarnation, then it leads into some talks about it and where this first originated from. In a small town in south Georgia, a woman claimed she was reborn. She said she knew everything that would happen, and words from the only survival and descendant of this woman, everything she said came true. Including the tsunami that whipped out the town and its residents.

The author believed the woman’s daughter could be lying, but.... hmm, what is this? I’ve never heard of something like this.

The author wrote that the woman had discovered witchcraft as she was human but capable of doing this that a human should not be able to do. The author said the type of things the woman’s daughter described should be possible for demons but not a human.

What confuses me is there’s no such thing as witchcraft. Humans are incapable of such things. That woman must have been crazy or her daughter is full of crap.

I continued to read.

‘She woke up one morning, with a strange tattoo on the side of her neck and started claiming that she was reborn. At first, I thought my mother had lost her freaking mind. But when she told the town that we would be hit by a storm so bad it would flood houses, we all thought she was nuts. Our town had never had a storm. Not once. Just light rain here and there. But she could guess exactly what day and time it would happen. And she wasn’t wrong. Not even by a second. Unless she made it happen herself, I was forced to believe that she was telling the truth. She was reborn.’

Author: And this continued until you left for college and the town perished?

‘Yes. She’d been so excited when I got accepted, she told me to leave early. Look, witchcraft, witches, humans reborn, it sounds like nonsense... but my mother was right about everything. You can’t guess right for twelve years. Surely you’re bound to be off about something?

Author: Right.

‘She missed nothing. She was always right.

Author: then why didn’t she warn the town?

‘She did. They said that was nonsense too. As a human in this world populated by shifters and demons, being able to tell the exact time certain things would happen was like a gift. Even though people doubted her. She talked of a one-winged angel. She told me so much.’

Author: Why didn’t she leave with you?

‘That’s the strange thing. She kept telling me I was her only reason to live. All my life. She called me her treasure. Like she was brought back to ensure I didn’t perish with the town. A second chance to change something, maybe?’

Author: Why is she the only one who has had this experience?

‘I don’t know. Perhaps she would have been a target. As far as I’m concerned my mother saved my life, and if she said she was reborn, then I believe her.’

A one-winged angel? God, it’s too much of a coincidence.

Someone who was wronged and given a second chance as a fallen? That being had said it. But that would mean that the woman was wronged. Did someone purposefully make sure her daughter was stranded in that town or something like that?

The author goes deep into the subject of humans being given a chance to do something against the people who are stronger. Which would mostly mean the shifters. They take up more than half the earth.

Still, this doesn’t give me the exact answers that I need. There are no more interviews besides that one. And the author says that the small town was wiped off forty years ago. That’s not that long when compared to most things.

I crossed my legs as I continued to read. It wasn’t an exact answer. I want to live, I want to stop Damien from killing me. But maybe, I can stop him from meeting Ava or... I don’t want to devote more energy to our relationship. Mates are important to shifters. I once thought we would be fine. That I wouldn't have to worry about him finding his mate because our connection was airtight.

I can never give him what she can. I know that.

So how can I guarantee that this ends well for me?

Rowan. That’s how. He can help. I don’t have to tell him my reasons, but if we get closer as friends... when things go down, I have to make sure he’ll take my side. That should be easier said than done. Because I also need to make sure that Damien doesn’t get suspicious. These next few months are gonna be hell.

The sound of screaming, and a mess being made outside grabs my attention from the books. It’s happening. Damien’s temper has always scared me. And if I remember correctly, he actually attacked his father and some elders today.

I need to go. Maybe I can prevent that disaster from happening.