The temporary relief from the harsh reality broke sooner than I would have preferred. I woke up to the feeling of soft fabric against my skin and opened my eyes to see that my bed mate was long gone. I closed my eyes again, feeling a dull pain in my head. I drew the cover further up until I could snuggle back and turned to the other side when I felt the twinging pain in my lower half and slowly I felt the soreness and stiffness all over my body.
Astrid whimpered in my mind and it was then that I finally let the reality sink in, it was then that I finally realised that last night hadn’t been a nightmare; it had very much happened. I lay on the bed, staring at the ornately designed ceiling, stared until my vision blurred and I had to blink, stared until I felt my eyes burn and tears fall.
“Come to bed so that we can bond. So that I can make you mine. You are here for that, aren’t you? The sacrifice for the sake of peace. Fulfil that role then.” Those words had me sobbing once again. How could such a beautiful man and such a graceful wolf be so cruel? Shame and disgust and remorse wrapped my head and heart like an ivy, choking me from inside out.
“Luna? May we enter?” A voice followed by a knock brought me back to the present.
“Give me a moment,” I answered, forcing my voice to remain calm. I attempted to sit up, wincing at the discomfort. With effort, I got off the bed and limped to the washroom. I inhaled sharply as I looked at my reflection. Blue and purple bruises dotted my skin, the scent gland sported a huge bruise which would eventually form the mark. Involuntarily, tears started rolling down my cheeks as my gaze drifted from one bruise to another. I limped into the shower stall and turned on the hot shower.
My tears mixed with the cascading water as I scrubbed my skin raw, especially the mess between my thighs. My skin had become red and yet I couldn’t help but feel dirty, feel used and feel cheated. The loofah fell on the tiled floor and I…I let myself collapse on the floor as well.
Why did I not protest? Why did my father not stop the Elders from taking such a decision? Was I such a burden that they wanted to get rid of me? My body heaved with each breath my chest tightened, black dots formed in the corner of my eyes and my vision turned blurry. What is that ringing noise? Why does my head feel lighter…
~~~~~
I am met with the anxious faces of almost strangers when my eyes open for the second time in the day. “What happened?” My voice was hoarse as I tried to sit up, but a gentle hand stopped me. “You should be careful of your health, luna.” The lady from yesterday, the one who had shown me to this room. Maybe my expression had given away something which made her bow her head. “Luna, this one is Margaret. I apologize for not having introduced myself earlier. But I request you to please take care of yourself.”
The show of respect made me squirm, almost. I acknowledged with a value nod then turned to look at the other two girls who hovered at the foot of the bed. “What happened to me?” Both of them hesitated.
“You fell unconscious in the shower, Luna. Clarissa heard a thump and dared to enter the room without your permission.” She looked at the taller of the two. “We also were so audacious as to dress you. We only acted in your best interest,” Margaret explained. I stifled a sigh, and my annoyance at being referred to as the luna when I was a mere piece of sacrifice, nothing but a vessel for the alpha’s pleasure.
“Thank you,” I murmured before lying back down, silently dismissing them. Margaret rose, graceful as ever and bowed once again. “We will take your leave, luna. Call any of us if you need to.” The three of them scuttled out of the room.
A bitter huff of laughter escaped my lips at the ridiculousness of the situation and how ironic was my status in this pack. They had already assumed me as their luna, probably knowing that this girl had nowhere to go. I didn’t miss the way Margaret’s eyes frequently zoned on my bitten scent gland. I sat up once again and leaned against the headboard. My fingers grazed the mark brushing against the exact spot as if my body knows where it should be. The bruise had developed scabs now.
I eyed the closed door before looking at the window, the curtains swaying from the mellow wind. “Why didn’t you protest, Astrid? Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you show your full power? Why?” I yelled to my wolf. I could feel her presence, she had grown stronger since last night. She remained quiet, stubborn as ever. I exhaled through my nose, clenching the blanket tightly. She wasn’t telling me something, and this hurt even more than my father’s betrayal.
~~~~~~
I spent most of the day holed up in the room, doing absolutely nothing. Meals were brought at right intervals and even though Clarissa and her companion lingered just in case, I dismissed them flippantly. At the end of lunch, Margaret suddenly entered. “Luna, beta Marcus would like to meet you. Would you like to meet him in this room or at the office?” I pondered on the case. I couldn’t possibly remain here and stay hidden. I won’t stay confined as I did in my old pack. I got off the bed. “I will meet him at the office.” I wanted answers, I wanted to know where my mate was, wanted to know what deal had been cracked between my father and this pack, why he had not stayed. I took a deep breath as I changed into a fresh set of clothes. As I stepped out of the room, I forced myself to not appear jittery.
Margaret led me to the beta’s office which was apparently on the ground floor of this residence. The place remained as usual silent. Not a single pack member could be seen. When we arrived at the office, Margaret took her leave. I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
[Warning: Body dysphoria and self-hatred]Marcus was a tall and stout looking brunet. He sat in his office chair working on the laptop and the moment he saw me, he stood up and bowed respectfully. “Good morning, luna. Thank you for agreeing to this meeting.” I felt nodded awkwardly, not used to such a show of respect and also feeling ridiculous at the show of such high regard.“Please have a seat.” He gestured to a standard looking black office chair. But his gaze frequently flickered to the mark that sat glaringly and was on full display because of the round-necked t-shirt.“Firstly, I apologize for not being able to welcome you-”“W
My pity party ended with a hesitant knock from one of the maids. Having asked them to wait, I shrugged on a t-shirt and joggers. The clothes dragged me into another bout of nostalgia. Clarissa had come alone to collect the food tray which had remained untouched. “But you must eat something,” she said anxiously. I shook my head. “I will ask for something if I’m hungry. Hope the food will be available even after lunch hours?” I aimed it to be teasing, attempting to mask my bitterness with the fake smile, but Clarissa’s eyes widened. Clearly, she thought I was being sarcastic. “Ye-yes, of course, luna.” “Good.” She ambled towards the coffee table to collect the tray but before leaving she said. “Uh…the pack doctor wants to…um, make an appointment with you.” She didn’t meet my eyes while saying this and thi
I couldn’t fathom her words for a few moments before I dumbly repeated, “Enigma?” Georgia nodded. Her gaze shifted to the door, then she lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anyone I told you this, please. But since you are the new luna and I regularly do clinical check-ups of Alpha, I thought you should know.”I vaguely nodded. My mind was preoccupied with the new revelation. After I bid goodbye to the doctor and came out of the chamber, I walked slowly towards the Alpha’s residence. Some pack members hurried from one part of the courtyard to the other and I could hear the hustle and bustle of daily life, outside where everyone else lived. My gaze was fixed on the wall that was built high and sturdy around the residence and I couldn’t help but wonder if this was for the Alpha’s protection or the pack members.
“I wanted an explanation.” I don’t elaborate my answer, however, I make sure my gaze remains unwavering. His golden eyes narrow slightly. He does move from where he stands in front of the door. I notice his jaw clench, his nostrils flare slightly. I can’t help but admire his sharp features and how it rivals his rough nature, his angry personality. I tilt up my chin slightly, not one to back down or cower. I’m an alpha, even if I am slightly less powerful, but I am not useless. I cross my arms to hide my sweaty palms and lean against the casement, the cold air hits my nape, creating goosebumps on my skin. “So you harass him? It was your father who struck the deal,” he gritted through his clenched teeth as he strode forward, prowled towards me like a predator. I actually felt like the prey. I could only hope that it did
I watched the doors close behind him with a heavy thud, a sound that sent a jolt to my chest. I stared at the closed doors for how long I had no idea, maybe not until I felt an itchiness of dried cum on my inner thighs or the distinct ache in between my legs. I half-sat , my mind going blank for a moment. Shame had already spread across my body like a wet blanket. I sat up completely, naked and shivering. I refused to cry, but the tears didn’t listen, they rolled down my cheeks. I sniffled as I got off the bed. The wind blew in from the still open window caressing my skin, making me shudder. I cast a glance across the pristine white satin bedsheet, which was now ruined by cum and drops of blood. It’s strange how when he first invaded me and took my virginity, no blood was spilled, whereas today, it was the opposite. The dark red splotches reminded me, glared at me and taunted me of the loss of my virginity, a hollow concept created by soci
I didn’t know how to react to this. The woman, however, knew exactly what to say. She was stoic like her son, her gaze fiery and hostile. “I am the late Alpha’s true mate, but he didn’t want me to be the luna.” The bitterness was evident in her tone. I nodded, trying to make out some sense of this fact. “You must be the girl whom he chose,” she said after scrutinizing me. I managed to not squirm under the weight of her gaze. The girl he chose, huh? I also tried my best to not cringe at this. Her eyes narrowed, razor-sharp as if waiting for me to slip up.“Try not to disappoint him,” she said when I hadn’t replied verbally. I blinked while her face remained impassive. I wanted to say, “Who the hell does your son think he is, that I won’t dare to disappoint him? He is already disappointed, I think.” But none of
Astrid yipped as we zoomed our way through the forest, weaving through the trees and occasionally rolling on the forest ground. We were happy, more so because this was the first time in a long while that we got so much freedom. There were no lakes or clearing in this forest or there was, just not accessible. We looked around and found a semi-clear spot, devoid of dirt and looking pretty cosy with the spread of fallen leaves. We trotted to the spot and plopped on it. The leaves crinkled and tickled but we made ourselves comfortable. ‘Astrid?’ I began, because after all this time, I finally felt that we could speak to each other freely, connect and share our thoughts. Astrid, unlike me, didn’t like to stretch things or talk about heavy stuff. She never dwelled on anything, which is why now as we sat on the forest floor,
[Trigger warning: Suicidal thoughts, self-hatred] I had never transformed so fast, never ran so fast. My hind legs were burning and aching when I came to a halt at the edge of the forest. I somehow transformed back into my human form. The moment I did, the wooden door opened with a creak and a harried-looking Marcus emerged. “I told you not to go to the Southern part of the forest, didn’t I?” He looked mad, but that didn’t make me flinch, not even a bit. I stood up, brushed my pants as much as I could salvage before raising my head. I ignored the furious burning at the corner of my eyes. “Why? So that you could hide you alpha having an affair, or should I say keeping a side chick and fucking h