Chapter 62 The Transformation

(Alexander POV)

"Hope, my love?" I asked her tentatively. I didn't know what to expect after she had put on the ring.

She suddenly waved her hands in the air. The clouds parted and the sun came shining through the clouds. "Is that better, Alexander? Are you guys cold from the rain? I'm so sorry for that." She smiled meekly at me, but in her eyes, I could see her sadness.

"We need to go, Hope. They might retaliate. Plus, they are in an alliance with the Black Shadow Pack," I said, taking her hand.

"Sure, but wait. I need to keep this pack and the two other packs safe from The Rogue Lord." She blew a kiss upward into the sky and all of a sudden I saw the green light of protection. Then she clapped her hands and the dead she-rogues sank into the ground. "There. That's better," she said.

"Do you want me to carry you? You don't have any shoes?" I pointed to her bare feet.

"What am I wearing?" She asked, looking down at her clothes.

"A pretty gown just like you." I lifted her from the ground and carried her to the limousine where Mark and Grace were waiting beside its open door. I gently placed her inside beside Mirasol who immediately hugged her, grateful she was okay. "Yuri, Alarick, get into that car." I mind linked them." I popped my head inside the limousine. "Hope, can you cast a spell so they have clothes when they shift back?" She nodded.

She blew a kiss in their direction. "It's done...for all wolves in the vicinity."

"You guys can shift back. You'll have clothes on," I told them through mind link.

Yuri and Alarick shifted back into two of the biggest, burliest men on the planet. They looked down at themselves and saw they were fully clothed all the way down to their feet.

"Now that's more like it." Alarick gave a booming laugh. "Let's go before the Black Shadow Pack and The Rogue Lord gets wind and decides to send in reinforcements." The two giants squeezed themselves in the SUV I had told them to ride in.

"Alpha, let's go," Mark said. I nodded my head.

"Mark, is the plane ready?" I asked him.

"Refuelled and ready to fly, Alpha. Good thing we didn't bring the luggage from the plane."

I looked at Grace and noticed she was wounded. "Grace ride with us. I don't think you'd fit with Yuri and Alarick inside the car." I gestured my head towards the SUV where Alarick and Yuri were in. Grace laughed and gingerly climbed into the limousine.

"Mark, pick up Ava. We'll see you at the airport." Mark nodded and walked to the SUV where Alarick was struggling to get comfortable. I entered the limousine beside Hope and closed the door behind me.

"Where is Lucas? I need to go to his territory to cast a protection charm," Hope asked me through mind link. I opened the window and pointed at his direction.

"Lucas, Hope needs to see your territory." I mind linked Lucas who was already in his car waiting for us to leave.

"No problem. You were in a part of it a while ago. It starts at the resort," he mind linked me back. I waved at him in acknowledgement and closed the window.

"Lucas's territory starts at the resort. Are you ok?" I asked Hope, scrutinizing her. "Your hair is pure white." I gave her a kiss on her forehead. Something had changed... like she had become much older than her eighteen years.

"I feel sad, but the whole world shouldn't feel my sadness." She looked out through the window. "One day, I will come back to this place and right the wrongs my family has done." I saw her eyes move toward Grace and she suddenly gasped, noticing Grace's injury. "Grace, give me your arm. I notice you have a wound."

"It's ok, Alpha. It'll heal in a couple of hours," Grace told her. Grace was able to kill a rogue. Not bad for her first fight.

"Why wait when it can heal now. Give me your arm." Hope covered the wound with her hand. A blue light flickered from underneath. When she lifted her hand, the gash was gone.

"Anyone else hurt?" Hope asked all of us in the limousine.

"Nope," I replied. "We'll check the men when we get to neutral territory. As for now, let's get out of here. Pass by the resort before we go to the airport," I told the driver. He nodded. The driver was one of my men.

"Wait!" A woman's voice screamed at us in front of the limousine. When I opened the window to take a look, she was wearing a blue gown that matched Hope's.

_________________

(Maria POV)

After Hope told me they were going to see her grandmother, I was confused. It was known among the remaining packs of the north an alliance was made between my former pack and her grandmother's pack.

During Davis's visit to the four packs, the Black Shadow Pack was still seen as an outcast. The Great Shadow of Ula was a shadow of a man and although I was ordained his apprentice, I rebelled against the use of dark magic, influenced by my friendship with Adella. Because of my close friendship with Adella, her mother thought it wise to anoint me as a Priestess of the Ring to create an unspoken alliance with my pack. This was frowned upon by the two other packs, the Aurora Sky and Moon Stone packs, knowing the Black Shadow Pack has always been seen as a traitor. Adella's mother explained, "With a Priestess from Black Shadow on our side, it will be difficult for them to betray all three."

Julia was also anointed as she was the most gifted aside from Adella. Adella, on the other hand, used Julia's good energy to reinforce her own without the knowledge of her mother. Julia was pure of heart, she could never hurt anyone, thus, it manifested in her gift. To Adella's mother, Adella was the strongest. To Adella, she knew Julia was stronger and exploited this knowledge, sucking up Julia's essence. How she did this...she learned it from The Great Shadow of Ula himself.

Adella would always accompany me to see The Great Shadow. He had a collection of spells her mother could and would never teach her. The one she was most interested in was "the draining of essence", sucking up the light force from another. She knew she was not as strong as the others believed, for in her heart was anger, due to a birthright she never wanted and the heavy burden of the expectations a daughter of Lupa is required of.

When Davis arrived and created a pact between all four packs, the other two packs were correct in assuming the Black Shadow Pack would betray the pact. I broke the pact out of love. Adella did not deserve the affection given to her by Davis. I deserved it because I truly loved him.

After she struck me with lightning, I decided to kill everyone and everything in my path before vanishing into the world unknown. As I look back into the past, I regret ever doing such things, but what is done is done. I can only try to right the wrong I have caused by helping the daughter of Adella.

I decided to leave Dark Moon and go to Vancouver even if I knew it would be days before Hope arrived. I created a temporary shelter near the airport to make sure I would be able to catch her scent when she arrived. I was still getting used to my new accommodations when I caught her scent in the breeze. I followed her scent and saw her come out of a private plane in one of the hangars of the airport before entering a limousine which was waiting for them. I saw Diane and another woman who looked like an older Cecilia also disembark from the plane. This older Cecilia was clearly irked they had arrive before schedule.

I followed them into Aurora Sky territory. The Alpha of Aurora Sky had done well for himself. He built a ski resort which had made him the richest among the packs here in the north. I saw him shake hands with Alexander, obviously they were friends. However when the Alpha of Autumn Moonlight arrived, he didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Evidently, they were not on good terms.

I followed them into Autumn Moonlight territory and perched on a tree was my former student. She was not well. Her injuries from the encounter at Dark Moon were not healing as fast as they should, a clear sign The Great Shadow was using her essence as well. When she saw the limousine and the entourage enter the territory, she tried casting a spell with the use of her good hand, but failed. She screamed in frustration and vanished from where she was perched. I believed she went back to the Black Shadow territory to alert them of Hope's arrival. Good. I will be easier helping Hope without anyone in my way.

They entered Adella's old house which used to be a magnificent manor. Sadly, it was now in ruins. As they spoke inside, I saw hundreds of wolves enter the forest, clearly from Aurora Sky and Dark Moon. They hid themselves among the trees, waiting for the command to strike.

All of a sudden, hundreds of rogues entered the forest from the sides. A battle started. I also saw a big bear barrel down on all the rogues with a gray wolf beside him, protecting the cars and three others in the middle. The rogues were caught unaware of the army Hope and Alexander brought with them. One by one they started to fall as the sky darkened, the wind sped up and lightning danced from all around.

I decided to cast a spell which would make the rogues' movement slower creating the opportunity for the wolf army to sink their fangs and break their necks. It was going well for all the wolves when lightning from the sky started to strike each rogue down. In a matter of minutes, all the rogues were toast. The remaining wolves shifted back to their human form, most of them already wearing clothes. Apparently, Hope had made a spell which would provide the wolves clothes once they shifted back. Ingenious!

I saw a flash of light and I saw Hope's body float in the air inside a ball of light. Suddenly, light started to surround me and I started to float in the air inside a ball of light just like Hope. "The first daughter of Lupa calls on your return. You are bestowed a second chance to right the sins of your past, however if you betray the Ring once again, you will die a gruesome death."

"This does not signify an absolution of your past betrayal; it is an opportunity for you to atone for your transgressions. The Moon Goddess has seen the remorse in your heart and has bestowed upon you this rare consideration."

"Remember, for the greater good, Priestess of The Ring of Lupa."

I felt the light radiate throughout my whole being and I saw my scars heal as the light spread throughout my body. The throbbing pain from my scars diminished until it was no more. I raised my hands to feel my face. The scars were gone. Then the light exploded around me. I floated to the ground. When I looked down, my rags were gone and a blue gown was wrapped around me instead.

I had to reach Hope. Priestesses together are stronger and the voice said I was called to return. I picked up the skirt of my gown and started to run. I had to reach them before they left.

The limousine was about to leave when I got to where it was parked. I stopped and stood in front of it and yelled, "Wait!"

Alexander's head popped out the window. He was shocked to see me and I am guessing the others inside as well. The door opened and out came Hope, arms outstretched, telling her to come to her. I ran into her arms and hugged her so tight. The tears began to fall and I couldn't stop them from falling. I have been given a second chance. Thank you Adella!

"Priestess Maria, you have returned," Hope said, rubbing my back.

"How do you know it is me?" I looked at Hope. She had a knowing smile. It seemed she was now much older than her true age.

"It seems the knowledge was imparted to me by my ancestors before me. You look well and seem to have not aged."

"I have not seen myself in a mirror for so long. The scars have made me avoid them," I told her. She chuckled at my answer.

"My mother asks for your forgiveness. You have forgiven her, yes?" Hope asked.

"Yes." I smiled. I searched the pain in my heart. It was no longer there.

"Come, we must leave. Our enemies are not, uhm, very happy." She beckoned me to enter the limousine. I went inside and sat next to Diane, my old friend. Once the door closed, the limousine started moving.

"Maria, is that you?" Diane asked. She couldn't believe it was me. "You have been here all these years?"

"Yes and no. I would come here every so often to help the families of the loved ones I slaughtered however, I would go in solitide most of the time on top a mountain at the Himalayas."

"Will you forgive me, Maria? It broke my heart to see our friendship end as it did. And now Cecilia has turned her back on us. I can not believe all she wanted was the ring." Diane began crying. I hugged her and lifted her chin to meet my eyes.

"I should be the one asking for your forgiveness. I had betrayed you, my sisters. Diane, please forgive me. I hope we can continue our friendship," I told her.

"Of course, Maria." Diane smiled and took a picture from her bag. "But look at you! You look like you were when we were all 18 years old!" She looked at the picture and she looked at me again. "Stunning!"