The Unloved Luna

Trent sneers before knocking out the kind soul who tried to save me. It's as if the universe curses everyone who shows me mercy; the world would be much better without me.

Trent doesn't take long to throw me into a stone cellar. 'This is it,' I say to my wolf.

He'll use us and then get rid of us. He'll have the decency to put me out of my misery.

Metal chains bind me for the second time tonight. The only distinction is that these are made of silver. "What's fun without a little pain?" Trent laughs as silver burns my skin.

I'm still in wolf form, but I must change soon. "Let's get this party started, shall we?"

Trent grabs my face with one hand and squeezes so hard that another bruise forms. When he yanks on my fur, it's too much for my body to bear, and I revert to human form. "You have a lot of scars; what kind of whorehouse were you from?" he jokes.

Tears well up in my eyes as I realize my body is completely exposed and at his mercy. Even though this isn't the first time I've been in a situation like this, I'm fairly certain it will be the last thing I do before I die.

"Stop," I mumble helplessly as he pulls out a knife.

He drags the sharp blade down my arm, occasionally changing the pressure on my skin. I try bracing myself, but it doesn't help. You'd think this wouldn't be a problem after years of abuse.

I thought that was the end of it before he took me, but I was very wrong. This sadistic man unbuckles his belt, strikes me in the head with the metal portion, and then turns around to retrieve a real whip.

"Stop. Please stop!" I sob as it falls again on my back. I end up begging him to kill me right now.

A ferocious growl cuts off my tormentor's words, "Shut up, you-" I whimper and close my eyes in response to the loud noise. A growl like that can only come from someone with a lot of power; it can't be good for me.

The chains are broken a split second later, and powerful arms engulf me.

My rescuer growls, "Mate."

Xavier POV

When I'm alerted about a female rogue, I run alongside my Beta on the border of our territory. "I'll go down to the cells; you go, scout, where she was discovered," I tell Brad via mind link.

I'm about a mile from my destination when I notice an incredible smell. I don't hesitate to follow it, leading me to the cells.

'Come on! Please hurry!'My wolf orders cheerfully. I follow his instructions, but when I arrive at the source of the odor, I find one of my fighters torturing a girl.

In a rage, I let out a ferocious growl and snapped his neck. The beauty in front of me is bleeding profusely on the dirty floor. Did Trent do everything?

When I yank her chains off, blood splatters all over my hands. "Mate," I growl, clutching her naked body.

I don't even notice the scars on her body; all I can think about is keeping her alive.

She is still conscious but unaware of what is happening around her. As I sprint towards the pack hospital, her breath comes out of her short pants. "Sweetheart, keep your eyes open," I tell her.

The hospital is within walking distance.

When I storm through the doors, I order everyone to assist the poor girl in my arms. No one dares ask who she is or why I brought her here; they should know better. When I try to follow them into the operating room, a nurse tells me, "Alpha, you have to stay out here and wait."

"I need to be in there."

"Alpha, I'm sorry, but you'll slow the doctors down." That's all it takes for me to remain put.

**** (after a week)

Beep. Beep. Beep.

That's the only sound that lets me know she's still alive. My friend won't be able to walk alone with four broken ribs, a broken wrist, a fractured leg, and a broken ankle. Gauze wraps around her shoulders and back, where most of the bleeding occurred.

I haven't left her side since I brought her home. I've been sleeping in uncomfortable hospital chairs while holding her tiny hand; I want to be beside her when she wakes up today.

I haven't seen her eyes yet, but I'm sure they're as innocent as the rest of her. There's something strangely familiar about this girl that I can't place.

I learned that she had endured years of abuse because of her weight and scars, not all of which were Trent's fault.

The doctors said they didn't know my friend's age, but her weight was unhealthy. Seventy-six pounds isn't even half of my weight.

A sniffle jolts me out of my reverie. I look at my friend's face and watch her baby-blue eyes slowly open. "You're awake," I try to say, but only grumble.

She doesn't open her mouth to speak; instead, she looks at me with fear. "I-I'm sorry for g-going i-into your t-territory," she stammers, the heart monitor beeping louder in the background.

"Just kill me already," she begs, bracing herself for a punch.

"Why would I do that?" I ask, puzzled and hurt. I'm unsure what makes her think I'd hurt one of my friends.

"Everyone wants to. P-please make it quick."

"I brought you here, and you're my mate." I lean forward to caress her cheek as a caring gesture, but she flinches away before I can touch her.

As my friend begins to panic, the heart monitor beeps faster and faster. A nurse rushes into the room and begins speaking to her. "Take some deep breaths; your body won't be able to handle any more injections."

It takes her ten minutes to calm down completely. Holding her hand would have helped, but it had the opposite effect. "I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart," I say quietly, keeping my voice from becoming too loud. It's bad enough that she's afraid of me; I must be careful not to scare her further.

"You're going to reject me, they said," she says quietly.

"I would never reject you. I just found you," I say, "and who told you that?"

My question is one to which she will wait to respond. "What's your name?" I inquire, shifting the subject.

"Char-Charisse Belle."

I recognize her.

"My name is Xavier Ryan," I say, almost reaching to take her hand. I extend my hand, expecting her to shake it, but she never does. She stares at my hand as if it were a trap.

"R-Ryan? You're an Alpha." Charisse grips the bedsheets by the sides.

With a nod, I confirm, "Of the Moon Shadow Pack."

I sit next to the hospital bed and gaze down at her. "Don't be afraid of me; I won't hurt you," I say quietly.

After a few seconds of shamelessly inspecting her facial features, I've been straining her neck by forcing her to lie flat on the bed. I frown as I press a button to allow Charisse to sit up, seeing her terrified expression. "Why am I here?" she muffles.

"Because you're hurt."

"But why did you take me here?" she asks innocently, peering up at me.

"Why wouldn't I? As your mate, it's my job to protect you."

"No one's ever been nice to me."

My frown deepens as she responds.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"My old pack, even the Omegas, despised me; they hit and starved me," Charisse explains. I immediately regret my growl when she flinches and shields herself with her arms.

I move my hands up to her forearms and gently guide them away from her face, holding her elbows. Her eyes are closed tight until I place light kisses on each of her knuckles. "Where are the sparks coming from?" she asks, her eyes welling up.

"You feel sparks because we're mates; that's why it's good when I do this," I say as I lean in and kiss Charisse's baby-soft lips. My actions take her aback, but instead of resisting or freaking out, she kisses back just a little.