MARINA'S POV

I walked through the living room, my eyes on my pack as they all smiled at me, others waving politely in greeting making me send them warm, grateful smiles.

The memory of what Celine had previously done was imprinted in my mind and whenever I close my eyes, I could see her own clearly.

Her lifeless, dead brown orbs that had drifted into a dull, crimson color — draining her of any evidence of a living soul, made my heart clench.

It made me feel sick to think that Dustin may have been the cause of this, his hatred and anger, caused her fear — caused her undeniable anger, only strengthening the spirit that is trying to take over.

I looked at the large staircase in the middle of the large hallway, I took a sniff of the air and felt my stomach drop, a sent of something dark lingered in the unseen air making my legs pick up the speed and run towards the waiting stairs.

I quickly ran up each step, my eyes wide as I looked at each hallway, managing my way to where the scent was strongest  — which was the unused guest room, at the end of the last hall; the room we had placed Celine in when she fainted.

My heart dropped at the recall and I felt myself run more anxiously, towards the room that held something dark, something so close to taking over — something we all fear.

My hands trembled as I neared the open the door, at the dead end of the hall, my eyes remained plastered on Dustin's unmoving back because I feared to look down.

The scent was indeed the strongest here, at this end — the scent of loss and take over, a scent only the strongest breed could make out; a hybrid, like myself.

I gasped and placed a hand over my lips, my eyes slowly yet hesitantly trailing down Dustin's unmoving form to only land on the sight of a purple-faced Celine, who laid on the wooden floor unmoving, her eyes shut and her hands on her neck as she faced Dustin's legs.

My pacing heartbeat echoed in my ears as I took slow steps closer to them, every time my feet collided with the floor, I could hear it echo in my ears loudly, shaking me to the core.

"D-Dustin?" My voice was hoarse and croaky, I could barely speak as my eyes remained plastered on Celine's lifeless form, my chest aching.

Slowly, Dustin turned around, his body moving in a torturous pace making beads of sweat form on my temples — until his eyes met my own and I felt my heart stop.

His eyes were bloodshot, as if he had been crying but he had no tears rolling down his face, his hands were spread in front of him, as if showing me what he used to possibly kill Celine and his shoulders trembled as every second passed.

"Y-you-" I couldn't continue as a broken, sob erupted from my lips, my stomach dropped at the sight of my brother who has evidently attempted to kill an innocent female who also happens to be his Mate.

I felt bile rise up my throat and anger ran through me, my blood boiled as I snapped my glare up to look at Dustin once again.

"How could you?!" I asked fearfully, my bottom lip trembled and my gaze went from Celine to Dustin and back, too scared to approach Celine's unmoving body.

"How could you?!" I asked again, my words were followed by a loud howl while my heart ripped apart as I gazed at my brother in disgust and hatred, my hands shook rapidly as my nerves grew.

He shook his head, his eyes were wide, and as I looked closer they were still bloodshot with tiny red veins crawling towards his dull orbs.

"You need to leave! You need to leave and get help! But most importantly you need to leave!" I all but whispered that sentence, my words were so loud that I knew the pack members heard me downstairs, my yell seemed to snap Dustin back into reality because his jaw clenched tightly and he quickly walked past me, and stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with a girl who should've never been brought to the BloodLine pack.

The pack that has been cursed for eternity, the pack where the Alpha males are blessed but the woman are not — the pack where my father killed his own Mate and gave Dustin my rightful title.

I gulped as I neared Celine's unmoving body, she looked so frail and cold, making me fear what was going to happen for her.

Slowly, yet warily I was on my knees beside her, my hands placed on her own as I pulled them away from her neck. Once the skin was revealed, I choked on my saliva and felt my eyes grow wide once more.

The skin wasn't pale like expected, it was bruised purple with bright red handprints; showing how Celine was possibly killed.

She was strangled, by her own Mate.

I placed my hand on the cool skin, and trailed it softly against her red, and purple flesh, my heart was in my stomach and I felt tears finally trail down my cheeks.

"You don't deserve this." I whispered genuinely, my eyes closing as I let out deep breaths, my chest felt tight as I struggled inhaling air for my lungs.

"T-this wasn't how it was supposed to be." My words were inaudible, even to myself as I whispered them to her while shaking my head, I couldn't grasp the concept that Celine could possibly be dead.

I opened my eyes slowly, my heart slowing to a steady beat but my tears pooled out of my eyes quickly — as if they couldn't resist being held back any longer.

"To sóma sou, to myaló sou kai i psychí sou eínai dikí mou." It came out of her lips, she said it and yet like always it wasn't her voice, she held an angelic voice — almost whisper like as she spoke, but this tone of voice was dark and deep as it spoke.

My heart skipped a beat as I gazed at her curiously, not knowing how to react through the shock that remained in me.

Is she dead? Or not?

Suddenly, the sound of loud pacing footsteps behind me made me shake myself back into reality, my hands pulling away from Celine but my eyes remained plastered on her lips — which previously moved to speak, but her eyes had not once opened.

I shuddered as a creepy shiver crawled up and down my spine.

"She needs help!" Everything around me was loud, yet inaudible as I continued watching Celine through my glossy eyes, I sensed more people in the room but I couldn't move away from her.

"Marina, please move. Come with me." Someone said before placing their hands on my shoulders, sparks flew everyone as the familiar touch landed on me and I let out a sigh before moving, my eyes not once averting from Celine — not even when I stood up and allowed Luke to pull me out of her room.

Leaving behind Dustin and the Pack doctor.

"Luke?" I called out to him softly, my hand holding his tightly as we walked away from the room that held a possibly killed Princess.

He hummed in response, allowing me to continue.

"What does 'To sóma sou, to myaló sou kai i psychí sou eínai dikí mou' mean?" I asked him, trying my hardest to rephrase what I heard before in the language foreign to my ears, Luke stopped moving and sent me a hard look.

"Why?" He asked sternly, his hands going over my shoulders to hold me in place as his eyes roamed my face, my eyebrows furrowed.

"Because I heard it from Celine while she was unconscious but it wasn't her voice." I tried explaining without making myself seem crazy, he took in a harsh breath and allowed his head to hang making my heart skip a beat.

"It means — your soul, your mind and your body is mine."