Sacrifices

**Emily’s POV**

A large bucket of water was thrown over me, which brought me out of my reverie. 

At first, I wasn’t quite sure why anyone would pour water over me until I opened my eyes and observed my surroundings. 

My pack members- or whatever was left of them- stood side by side in a semicircle, looking as though their worlds were coming to an end. While my mom was made to kneel in front of Beta Marcus who stood at an alter-like structure addressing the crowd as he had already made himself Alpha.

“Mom!” I called through our mind link but no reply came forth; it was like she had shut off everything, including me, her daughter.

I wouldn't blame her for doing so after everything she passed through last night. My eyes strayed to her chest and I noticed the bleeding had stopped.

It should bring some sort of relief to me, but it made me even more frightened. No treatment was given to her and the wound might get infected which would lead to her death.

The thought of my mom dying wasn't what I wanted to imagine but I didn't think I could do anything about it not happening.

At the moment, I could only pray to the moon goddess to save her, everyone left in my pack and me.

Fighting off tears that threatened to spill, I forced myself to pay attention to what Beta Marcus had to say because it was beginning to seem like he would be the one to decide my fate.

“…We all know how our past Alpha died a week before, right? He died fighting off wild bears!”

It was only a few people that knew what happened to my father. Hence the announcement he was making.

Regardless, I didn't think he was telling the truth.

It had to be something about the way he said it that got me thinking, or probably because of what my mother said to me at the tunnel. But I could tell he was lying. My father didn’t fight off wild bears because Beta Marcus was the fucking wild bear!

I believed that since the only evidence brought was his ripped clothes drenched in blood. I didn't think that was enough evidence.

“I almost died during the process too, but that’s not why we’re gathered here.” He went on.

“Mom!” I tried again, but no response came through, she wasn’t even moving at the spot at which she knelt.

“We’re here because I want to bring an end to the reign of Alpha Silver and his lineage! We are here because it’s time for a mightier being to rule the Silverstone pack! We’re here because it’s my turn to be your Alpha!” 

His voice thundered causing an uproar in the crowd. A lot of people from the crowd cheered him on while a few others booed.

“I see some of you have some things to say, and if you do speak up now!”

At first, I wasn’t expecting anyone to say a thing, seeing as most people in the crowd were already chanting Beta Marcus’s name; and I could safely say I was beyond stunned when a middle-aged man pushed through the semi-circle to come up front.

He shouted: “my family and I will rather die than serve you, Marcus!” His tone and his audacity baffled me. 

I could only watch silently as Marcus’s dark eyes darkened with contempt for the man. He tilted his neck, stared pointedly and smiled, an evil smile. “If you think the same way as this young man here, please step forward,” He commanded.

I wasn’t expecting anyone else to join in this madness. I didn’t even want anyone to. My initial shock was replaced with fear when more people started stepping out of the crowd; even my mother left her position to join them.

I didn't know how she got the strength to stand. But I was glad she was alive.

I shook my head and a scream threatened to spill out of my lips as more came out.

I believed they were out to support my mother. However, it was the stupidest thing I had ever seen.

But, I couldn't utter a word let alone try to warn them. I wasn’t sure what it was I inhaled earlier but it had succeeded in making it impossible for me to move or speak.

I was fúcking numb.

Alpha Marcus- like the crowd chanted- tsked loudly at the crowd of rebels standing before him. And with a dismissive wave of his hand, he ordered; “Behead them all!” 

No! I tried desperately to speak but no words would form. I was freaking paralyzed.

I could only watch helplessly as the crowd chants grew louder, they were becoming wilder with each passing minute.

“Behead them all now!” He barked, making the crowd erupt in a fit of wild frenzy. I couldn’t help it, tears poured down my eyes uncontrollably.

“Mom!” I tried again through our mind link but it came out dead. I was forced to watch each person who stood against Marcus have their head chopped off. When it was my mother’s turn, she finally looked in my direction, mouthed something seemingly like; ‘I love you’, smiled and knelt before the executioner.

I shuddered as anger and betrayal streamed through me. She couldn’t do this to me!

She shouldn't!

She was the only one I had, yet she had sacrificed herself freely.

"Please, no."

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

How the axe swooshed through the air and chopped off my mom’s neck while her gaze never wavered from mine, nor did her smile falters all through those 36 seconds of her murder.

I could not place the height of pain I felt as I watched her lifeless head roll on the floor continuously until it stopped at the bottom of Silverstone’s pack sculpture. Tears burned at my eyelids but refused to drop.

“Now that that’s been settled, we’ll move on to matters arising,” Marcus said.

He looked like he enjoyed every second of what just happened; and the crowd, which feared him more than they respected him, chanted on. “Should we kill the past princess or let her live?!” My heart skipped a beat when my name was mentioned.

Turning to look at the crowd, I noticed how a lot of them, especially the women, looked at me with pitiful eyes. The crowd chanted some indecipherable gibberish that sounded like wanting me to live, but I could only stare at them in fright.

I wasn’t sure of what I wanted. I just knew I didn’t want to be beheaded too.

“You all have nothing meaningful to say!” He yapped, “So I’ll do this my way, I say we sell her!”

I heard some bursts of laughter in the crowd at his statement, and I could swear I had never been this angry in my entire life. 

“Yes, we sell her and use the money generated for her parents' funeral!” The crowd cheered.

I watched as I noticed how our new Alpha walked up to two lanky bodyguards, pulled them close and whispered something into their ears.

At his command, the two bodyguards walked towards me, brandishing heavy chains in their hands. I still didn’t try to say a word as they pulled me up like a rag doll and forced me to stand before Marcus.

“Pray they sell me, Emily.” A voice whispered from beside me, it was Laurel.

She was my friend and also the daughter of my father’s Gamma who was killed; with nothing left to say to her, I ignored her cries and awaited my fate.

“Knock her out!” Marcus yelled. It was as if that bodyguard had been wanting to do that his entire life. For as soon as the command came, he raised his battlefield helmet high and plummeted it right at my face. My head reeled. 

Before everything went black before me, the last thing I saw in my subconscious before I slipped into unconsciousness was my mom’s lifeless head rolling towards me.