LYDIA
“Alpha Alexios is demanding another set of fifty tributes, Luna Alaska.” An elder informed my mother. The distress in his tone was very much there so much so that even my dull brain could read the room. “What should we do?” The elder asked. “If we do so much as step on his toes, the rose pack will render us out of existence.”“Give me time.” My mother pleaded with the elder speaking. “I will come up with something.”The room grew tense from my mother’s statement. I could see it in the eyes of elders that sat on the round table. None of them supported us. The only reason they were here being rational was simply because the matter of the tributes ensured their survival. No soul in the room tried to hide the scowl on their faces. Those cowards! They had never put this much energy into any despicable thing my father, the late Alpha of the nightshade pack did. Now that he was gone, we had lost the respect of our pack. They saw us as the source of their misery and there was no hiding it at this dire moment.“Except time is something we do not currently have!” Another elder screamed. “We either send the tribute out tonight or prepare for a war we will lose.”“Then war it is!” My mother returned with an energy just as vile. “It is not like we can give the Rose pack a literal child.”An elder scoffed at my mother’s statement. Cracking his fingers, he proceeded to speak. “I find it funny that you have not placed your daughter in that equation. We have sacrificed many daughters of this pack because of your husband’s sins. It is only fair that the daughter suffers for the sins of the father.”“How dare you?” My mother slammed the table. “Lydia is the future Luna of the nightshade. Don’t you forget that!”“And who will she lead when we all bite the dust?” That same elder retorted with a snarky laugh. Others around us seemed to agree with him. “We all know what Alpha Alexios wants.”“Me?” I chipped in.“Alexios wants your entire family. It is what this is, little Luna. He is picking us out until the inevitable happens. An excuse to destroy both you and our pack.” The elder cornflower blue eyes sparkled with contempt. “But as an elder of this pack, these dire times have reminded me that my loyalties are not with the Alpha or Luna of this pack but the pack itself, and when push does come to shove little Luna, we will choose the pack.” I spared a look at my mother. My people were beginning to frighten me. The glass of crimson red wine in front of me seemed to be my only solace. My fingers clasped around the glass as I slowly tipped the edge towards my mouth. My senses were stimulated by the cold sweet-sour taste. My mother did the same thing. She was strong. She refused to buy into their tactics. In my mother’s eyes, our people were speaking out of fear. I knew what fear did to people. Alpha Alexios had ravaged my pack out of fear. My father had been a tyrant prior to his defeat. Alexios did not just pick our pack out of random chance. My late father had stormed the Rose pack a few years back and committed mass genocide. One that lead to the brutal murder of Alexios’s father. It was merely generational trauma. Alexios was probably doing this to destabilize us so we could not retaliate. I barely knew the man but I dare say he was a calculative bastard.Luna Alaska dropped her glass on the table and looked at the spiteful elder with easy eyes. “It should not come to that. We should not give the Rose pack what they want. We are nothing without blind loyalty and complete trust in ourselves. I promise you tonight as Luna of the Nightshade, we will survive this.”That creepy elder smiled. One would think I would relate his smile to the inspiring speech my mother just gave but there was something unnerving about his mood shift. It made me think of horrible things. It was a gut feeling. A chill that my wolf sent my way and my wolf was never wrong. My fear spiked and my gaze traveled across the room. The elder was the only individual with such a look on his face. The rest looked crestfallen. They had their faces down. Like children who had committed a nefarious act and felt guilty afterward. The elder’s eyes flicked back and forth. He seemed to enjoy the perturbed look he saw on my face. “Trust me Alaska,” He began. “We don’t need any of your empty promises to know that we will survive this.” He didn’t refer to my mother’s title. I was not the brightest but that subtle omission spoke volumes. I turned to my mother. She kept all her attention on the elder who could at that moment be staging a coup. Her face remained stoic but as my eyes wandered around her body. I observed her hands squeezed at her gown aggressively. Mother was afraid. “What is that supposed to mean?” Mother demanded, trying her hardest to remain relatively calm.“It means no longer will the Nightshade suffer for the sins of your husband. Alexios Rose will let our pack be if your family seizes to exist so we will be doing Alexios’s dirty work for him.”A tear cascaded down my mother’s cheek. At the sardonic twist of her lips, she spoke. “You poisoned us. Didn’t you?”I let out a startled gasp and looked farther to my mother’s side. My mother’s wine taster had a white handkerchief to her mouth the whole time. The white cloth was stained crimson. I looked back at the circle of Elders and immediately caught something that had completely slipped by me. The elders. All of them barely touched their glass. Imagine the horror that washed over my soul when I looked down at my glass and realized it was near empty. We were about to die.“We are not monsters Alaska. We know how dangerous a mother’s love can be. That is why we poisoned you but be rest assured that Lydia will live. All we spiked her drink with sleeping pills.”My mother turned in my direction. Her nose bled as she tried to speak. “Lydia , Run!” I listened. I dropped everything and ran. Behind me, I heard the elders order the sentinels around to go after me. They gave me a chase but I pushed harder. I darted to the side across the corner but I was not quick enough. Sentinels were trained soldiers, it took absolutely nothing for one’s beefy arm to whisk around my waist.“Gotcha!” He said with victory intoned in his voice.“Let me go!” I shrieked. Panic flooded my spirit and like a wolf with its tail beneath its legs, I clawed at the man. He did not even budge. With each attack, I felt heat build up within me. My eyes lost focus, blurring the world in front of me and my head sunk as if it were heavy. There and then, I realize I had lost. I was gone and soon enough, all that remained was pitch black darkness.LYDIA They say he is a monster. Wicked to the core and devoted only to only his pack known as the Rose. They say with eyes like blood, the Alpha of the Rose-the onset of the conclusion to those that defy him— travels from territory to territory, wiping out enemy packs in a single battle. Drawn to war, he slew even the smallest resistance with misery and bloodshed.To see him, they say, is to look death right in the eye.They claim he has no moral compass and that he killed without mercy, stole without qualm, and obliterated without guilt, all to receive serenity: Assurance in knowing his pack would never have to suffer the fate they did in time past to rival packs. In two excruciating nights, I had gotten to know all the horrible things Alexios Rose stood for. The cell was cold and I was utterly alone. It had been two good days but I still refused to admit to myself that a cruel lot had been tossed my way. Two days ago, I had been werewolf royalty. Now...now I was about to be sold
LYDIA I stood rooted in the spot, the lights shining onto the stage made it hard to see who was bidding for me. I was terrified. Lined before me were other girls like me. I watched as the chains on their legs rattled. I watched as the bidding got hot before coming to a halt. The horror was barely over as cheers erupted from below the stage. A tribute had been bought. A girl who must have had a seemingly normal life before this had become someone's property. I looked helplessly as my cover was given away. The stage light circled around me, implying I was next.The atmosphere in the room was terrible. Most, if not all of these men bidding were doing it for the opportunity to fuck a virgin because that was what would most likely happen. Men dominated the room and I was not blind to the look scribbled on their faces. Brash lust. These men wanted a young petite enemy werewolf to break literally. The auctioneer sauntered over to my direction and smirked. His beefy arms coiled around my n
ALEXIOS EARLIER... "I am ready." Fiona Blossom waltzed towards me and proceeded to plant a kiss on my cheek. "How is the fit by the way?"She was dressed in green. Her favorite. The color of earth. Something she associated with her spirituality. Witches could be the oddest. It was beautiful. It cupped her breast in all the right places and the slit that stopped at her thigh made my wolf go feral. But I was Alpha and an Alpha never renounced control."Beautiful as always but I do need to go remind you we are going to pick out a slave girl for your needs and not the red carpet." I teased.Fiona sent me a look that made the sky crack in half. It might have been a coincidence but with witches, It was always wise to think otherwise. It was what I loved about them. Their unpredictable nature. Among the supernatural community, they were widely avoided because of the bad reputation that came with the power and title but Fiona was different. She was empathic. The one woman who had managed to
LYDIAWhat was the moon goddess thinking? I asked myself as the auctioneer yelled out loud that Alexios Rose had won the bid considering that no one else dared to toss a contender."Sold for five million." The auctioneer sounded overjoyed. I could hear the slaver scream from behind the curtains. A contract was immediately brought over and Alexios signed, solidifying my fate. Enjoy your purchase." The auctioneer told Alexios as he slammed the paperwork close. "Have a great evening." A woman. Dark-haired. Pale skin and onyx orbs ran to Alexios's side. She had a worried look on her face. She pulled Alexios by the arm and pulled him close like he wasn't a killer. It was crystal clear that she didn't get him. I dared to say that she looked furious. I just couldn't wrap my fingers as to why. No matter though. Life had kicked me hard enough. I was going to die just like I had manifested in the four cold walls of the cell. I knew I should be afraid. I needed to be. But I wasn't. The man inch
ALEXIOS Fiona wouldn't look at me all through the drive. Let alone have a word with me. She was far too busy making sure the daughter of that bastard was doing alright. I bet she would feel differently if I told her what had happened. The Nightshade girl hadn't brought it up so I felt no need to talk about it. The last thing I needed was to have this girl believe we had some sort of hold over me. "Kiss her," That pestering voice had the back of my head rattled. "You know you want to." It was enticing. Her lips were the most inviting pink I had ever laid my eyes on and so could barely stop thinking about it. God, It was slowly happening. The madness of the bond. I looked into the rear mirror. It was easier to spy from there without gathering suspicions. Fiona had given her scarf to the Nightshade girl. In Fiona's eyes, I could see the look of disdain. Her lips were pouted and at the base of her throat, a bobbing vein threatened to explode. Lydia on the other hand looked disturbed. I
ALEXIOS Fiona's kisses got deeper. Her fingers caressed my body, stopping at my hip. Her fingers slid into my pants with ease as she reached for my belt. As she undid the clasp, I felt my wolf overpower me. If I hadn't managed to rein it in as quickly as I did, the animalistic impulse within me told me I would have really hurt Fiona. Fiona must have noticed my hesitation because she immediately broke off the kiss. "Are you alright?" She asked. I pondered on whether it was right to tell her. I could hardly believe this madness myself but I was reasonable enough to know that such a piece of information would wreak havoc on Fiona's mental state because that wasn't the plan. Was the goddess blind? I had to wonder. I had never needed her permission to love and live. At the tender age of ten, I had ascertained that Selene, the alleged mother of all had her favorites and Alexios Rose was not one of them. Everything I was, I had built on my own accord. What right did Selene have to jump ba
UNKNOWN POV Hot air escaped from my lips as I tugged my sweater close. Wentworth was cold this time of the air. My feet wobbled as they tried to stay afloat on the frozen floor. It was times like this I wished I was back at Havenbourne; the city of Roses. I entered an alleyway that served as a shortcut to my apartment. My phone buzzed and as I fished into my pocket to retrieve it, I saw something move behind me. Instinctively turning back, I surveyed the area. Wentworth wasn't particularly dangerous but one could never be too careful with dark alleyways. "Who is there?" I demanded. My sense of smell was keen and so was my divine gift. "I know there is someone there and if you don't step out of the shadows, I will kill you."My threat seemed to work nicely. My stalker stepped into the moonlight. The first thing I caught was the color of their eyes. They were the darkest blues implying this was a Nightshade werewolf and that vital piece of information caused me to immediately take a b
LYDIA When morning came, the guards came to my cell just as Alpha Alexios had promised. I took a deep breath as their heavy metal keys singled into the keyhole and the door clicked open. "She is beautiful," I heard one of them mutter. "It is such a shame that we can't have her. I can think of a few things I want to do to her."I was repulsed. My eyes were still closed when one of them's brash fingers went for my throat. I felt his nails break the surface of my skin and as the sting surged through my body, I opened my eyes to see the guard's disapproving glare. "The Alpha demands your presence and you have the guts to sleep." Having said his piece, He lifted me off the floor and threw me against the metal bar at my left. A cracking sound exploded from my spine as I hit the bar and dropped limply to the floor. I wanted to fight. I knew I could. I barely had any training in combat but the one thing my dad had taught me was how to kill a man. The sentinel in front of me was weak. I coul