Fated to Burn, Destine to Rise

“This is my world,” he muttered in my ear as he opened the glass door.

Everything here seemed magically dark. When I woke up in an unfamiliar bed with my son beside me, I didn’t know if everything had really happened. I thought it was some sort of bad dream. But instead of my husband, it was this magnificent man who greeted me.

A powerful man—Ronin Specter, the alpha of a wolf pack.

My father said beings exist beyond ordinary sight. As a powerful witch, I thought I'd seen it all—until he and his kind proved me wrong.

Now, as I stepped out of what seemed like a palace, I was met with the sight of what looked like a kingdom.

“I don’t know what to say…” I uttered helplessly.

As much as I was amazed to know there were many of them, a shiver ran down my spine at the thought that what he was, so were the others surrounding me.

Yes, they were living beings, but… Ronin had killed and eaten my babies before. That meant he could do it again, and his people could do the same.

“What’s bothering your mind?” he asked.

I faced him and heaved a sigh.

“You know what happened to me,” I said.

“I do—”

“And was that enough to tell us and the sect that you’re losing your mind, Ronin?” Someone interrupted our conversation.

We both turned to see who it was. I faced the woman, clad in bright red clothing with a tobacco in her hand.

Her eyes flew to my son in my arms.

“And here I thought you were insane for bringing a human here. Instead, you took her baggage too!”

“Matilde, leave us alone,” he dismissed the woman.

She gave a sly smirk.

“You know what it means to bring a woman here. If she’s oblivious to it, we don’t care. The sect wants to see you.” Then she turned her back on us.

Ronin cursed under his breath, running a hand through his hair as if he was exhausted and had no choice.

“What is it? Are they killing us?” I asked, my heart pounding for my son.

He looked at me coldly.

He took a step forward, making me tremble slightly.

“Remember what you told me?”

“Yes…” I swallowed hard.

“You wanted revenge. Your power was lost. You gave your town to me.”

“As I should,” I gritted out.

He nodded, a glint of a murderous smirk crossing his lips.

“Now that you’re here, all you have to do is agree. If not…” he trailed off, his eyes landing on my baby. “You and he will die here.”

The truth was, I didn’t know why he had to threaten me with those words. I was already risking everything by being here with my son. That meant I had accepted everything.

Or so I thought. Because this was an entirely different matter, standing before men who were clearly powerful and held high positions.

“That woman will endanger us if you don’t make her do the unbreakable vow,” said a bearded man.

“The unbreakable vow, and what is he supposed to bring us here instead of her?”

I looked at Ronin, who merely twirled a pen between his fingers, staring at it as if this entire discussion was beneath him. Yet I was the one on trial here.

“My town people offered me to him, which means I’m offered to you as well. And please don’t act as if being here is a crime when you… all killed my children every damn time I gave birth to them!”

Silence fell over the room. They exchanged glances. Even Ronin looked at me.

“What the hell is she saying? She’s out of her mind. You think we’re some bad people here?” the woman from earlier spat.

She stood up and approached me slowly.

Her eyes were stone cold. She pointed her finger at me.

“Your people killed our ancestors! They killed my parents, my sister! They betrayed us! Now, we didn’t do anything to you nor your people because having you as slaves is what we dreamed of.”

“Liar!” I spat, my eyes brimming with tears as I remembered my babies. “You all killed my baby. He…” I pointed at Ronin. “...ate my babies!”

That’s when he looked at me with anger. “I am no monster! Stop with your accusations. Remember that I saved you.”

“Really?” I cackled, a sarcastic laugh escaping me.

“Why would you bring me here if I hadn’t begged you for my life? For my son’s life? If I didn’t offer a deal, huh? You’d kill me!” I hurled at him.

I was about to approach him when he signaled the woman, and she immediately took hold of me.

“Wrong,” Ronin said. “I have other plans.”

“Please tell me it’s not the original plan. This woman is not fit,” Matilde, the woman beside me, spoke up.

Ronin turned to the sect members. They spoke in hushed tones, their words indecipherable to me. The woman let go of me and ran toward Ronin.

“Please, enough with this,” she begged.

Ronin looked at me. They all did, except for Matilde, whose eyes were now filled with tears.

“I, the alpha of Zaas, officially present to you the woman I will marry.”

My lips parted in shock. I was confused.

“What?”

Ronin smiled, void of emotion.

“The Luna, Kathleen.”

But I’m married! How could he?!