The Awakening

“Funny because I didn’t even want you as a mate. I asked for everyone but you.” I say it too quickly. It slips from my mouth before I can take it back and loud enough for everyone to hear.

His already darkened gaze darkened even deeper.

“What did you say?”

The whole hall is quiet, too quiet. I’ve loved quite places like this all my life, they hide me and keep me safe.

Not this one though, nothing about this silence puts my nerve to rest. To make matters worse, it crowns me as the center of attention. In the middle of people who want nothing, absolutely nothing to do with my existence.

“I asked you a question June.” Pressure radiates from him, so intense I almost fall to my knees.

“I do not want you Alpha Kai. Not every she wolf is crazy about you. I’d have every other werewolf as a mate but you. The feeling…, it’s quiet mutual.” I ignore the pain in my soul to give him a piece of my mind. Everything is breaking on my inside. A complete contrast to my perfect display.

“Come.” He uses the Alpha command.

I know that because my body is moving against my will no matter how hard I try.

“She’s trying to defy the Alpha’s command!”

The echo is followed with loud laughter. Laughter that rips me apart.

I clench my fists in fury.

“Look at you. A pathetic offspring with no root.” He stands right in front of me. His claws outstretched.

“You dare to even think you are worth enough to pick a mate? You? A mere piece of trash? And you go ahead to even attempt to make a decision?”

“You think you can even make a decision?”

“You know, I’ve heard these days, that Betas have become increasingly presumptuous. I never expected to find one with the kind of moral that you have. What’s even more,”

“I’m still wondering, how the moon goddess couldn’t give you parents yet gave you the destiny to parent a clan.” He steps closer to me in an extremely threatening way. I’m barely standing and he knows that.

I hate that he knows it. I hate how the Beta gets to feel more, what the Alpha didn’t want. I hate it.

“Apparently, she’s not an asshole as you are.”

“Get. Down.”

“No.” My tears mix with my blood and I have no idea which exact one is more acidic. The tears or the blood.

“Get. Down.” He strengthens his command. And my knees find their way to the ground. With a loud crack.

I suck in a huge bowl of air immediately. My stomach is in pain. All I want to do is fold and scream. But I wouldn’t do that. I would not give them the privilege to know that I was wounded. I would not give him the ability to let him know that he broke me. No.

“Look at you. Is this how you want to rule my clan? On your knees? A mere dog wants to man a werewolf territory.”

My hands scrape the palace tiles. I can’t fight him. I wouldn’t win. I’d be dead before I even try. There’s no use letting my wolf out.

“Look at me.” Another Alpha command.

I swallow bile down my throat as I feel my eyes staring into his.

“You are a pathetic vile creature. You are the embodiment of imperfection in a perfect world. You do not belong here. The moon goddess did a great favor putting life into your nostrils. If I were in her place, you wouldn’t be useful. Not even as a statue.”

“She would have let nature take you the exact time nature took your parent. But you’re here now. And there’s what I can use for.”

His tone is so sinister, goosebumps fill my skin.

“While you’re here, I might as well just make it known. I found a mate. A woman strong enough to shoulder the weight of this clan. One that has proven herself to me countless times unlike you.”

“What makes you think I care about this… mate of yours?” My hands are vibrating.

“Oh, I know very well, you’d care Lia. Because you didn’t expect it. The mate I have chosen for the clan is one you would have expected if you’d been wise enough to read the handwriting on the wall.”

“Lia.”

“Yes Alpha.” Lia stepped out, her eyes locked directly into mine. No iota of shame or remorse.

I can hear my heart drumming in my ears. Every breath suddenly felt like I was trying to inhale copper.

“Would you do the honors of telling her yourself or should I do the honors?” Kai asked, his hand reaching out to pull Lia to his side.

“I would prefer if you do the honors Kai.”

She used his name. No title. No formality. You could basically hear her affection for him just from the way she pronounced his name.

I bite on my lower lip hard enough to stifle the scream attempting to rip itself out of my throat. Apparently my nightmare was not the moon goddess giving me a darned beat as a mate.

It was Lia.

“Surprised, are you?”

I clamped my teeth refusing to say a word.

“Finally. The barking dog has finally finally gone mute. What a pleasure to see your rage bottled in silent pain. I can relive this day over and over and over again June.”

“But there’s more, much more.”

“Lia, my love, my mate and the one meant to led this clan, would you accept my unworthy self to be mated to you?”

“Can I ever say no to you?”

His fangs extend, fast. And he sinks them into Lia’s neck.

It feels as though a hot knife is passing through my throat and I know screaming would do absolutely nothing to quench the raging fire threatening to consume me.

“All hail the Luna of the Crescent Pack!”