I was tied to a pole in the main ground of the pack, Luna Glenda took a wicked stance, staring at me. One of the pack members brought forth a whip. It was thick and rough with thorny-like stuff littered all over it. I was hugging the pole tightly. I closed my eyes. I know my skin will suffer. Niamh dropped down. We are both going to suffer the torture. She was possibly weeping alongside me. Luna Glenda took the whip. My heart thumbs up to my throat. Harley stood a few distance away. She will never intervene, the same blood flows through their veins. Cruel souls.
“Ouch…!” I screamed when the first lash tore through my tender skin. My tears flowed down more like a waterfall.“Do you know what you did?” Luna Glenda grunted, she tugged at my hair, pinning my face against the pole. I nodded. She freed my hair and lashed me once again. “You dare lie against my son!” she yelled, tearing my skin apart. I felt my blood dripping down under my dress. My body was on fire. I have never received such lashings before. “Say after me!” she ordered. I nodded my head against the pole.“Mmm!” I breathe out. She lashed me once more.“I will never lie against Lucian.”“I…I…will…never lie against Lucian,” I stuttered in tears with a broken voice. My bones were cracking, my skin was bleeding, my heart was pounding. Each breath I took choked me, moving my back up and down, causing me more pain.“I will obey his every word,” she continued ordering.“I…w…will…o…obey his every word,” I cried. She lashed me again, the hottest of all the lashes. It felt like bleach coursed through my skin.“Aaaaaaa!” I screamed out my lungs. She stopped whipping me. She dumped the whip on the floor and dashed off. Harley moved closer to me. She yanks at my hair, bending my head backward, making me face up. My breathing hitched, and it became more difficult. She was contrasting my breathing and my lungs. That was how I felt the pain.“Next time,” she groaned, “choose wisely before lying.” She freed my hair and walked away.I stood there, hugging the pole, no one was going to release me. I continued crying, hoping for someone to come to my aid. I was weak, my arms loosened from the pole, and my head dropped backward, I managed to raise it and place it against the pole. My breathing crashed with the pole. I felt frail. No food, no water. I was thirsty. My lips cracked. Everything went blank. I drifted into darkness.I woke up, blinking severally to clear my vision. I was laid down on my belly. My brain was banging like a drum, blaring out in my head. The bed was comfortable. It was large and spacious. I fully opened my eyes and rolled them in disbelief. I forced myself to sit up. The pain of the lashings shot across my back like a hot rocket.“Ow…!” I winced at the pain. I tried to touch it, but I couldn’t, it’s going to hurt even more. I stared across the room. Whose room was it? I held my head, trying to soothe the pain as my eyes darted around the room. Then I saw Alpha Desmond’s paintings across the room walls. No. I can’t be in the Alpha’s room. No one except Luna Glenda, and other higher rank wolves enter his room. My stomach growled. Niamh was silent. Why wasn’t she talking? Did she leave me alone now? The door creaked open and my heart took a successful flight away from my chest then shot back in like an arrow. The person came along. Alpha Desmond. He was smiling at me. I looked down immediately. No one dares to look him in the eyes. Though he was loving and generous, we got to respect him for who he was. He moved closer and sat down on the edge of the bed beside me. I clung my hands to each other. I was shuddering. He placed his hand on my shoulder.“How do you feel now, dear?” he asked tenderly. His voice soothed my pain just like my father would have. A tear dropped from my eye and fell onto my hand. “It’s okay, dear. I should have stopped her, but then I couldn’t. Everyone knows how she is. She is still the Luna and can make decisions on her own. I’m sorry. Your wound will heal soon, one of the pack nurses applied ointment to it,” the Alpha said with his hand still on my shoulder. I looked at him quickly and threw my eyes back to my hands. I sighed. He had done more for me, and I love him. He is my second father now.“Thank you, Alpha,” I mumbled to myself than him.“You need to eat,” he said, standing up. He went to bring a served dish on the table. He came back to me. He put the tray of food on the bed. “Let me feed you,” he offered.I looked at him abruptly. I have never heard that before. The Alpha feeding an Omega. That would be a dream. He cut the omelet with his hand and raised his hand to my mouth. I stared at his hand as my heart kept on pit-a-patting.“Come on,” he urged, staring deeply into my eyes. I found the courage to look back into his eyes. Tears built up in my eyes as they began glowing. I was going to cry. I took a bite of the omelet and my tears fell onto his hand.“I’m sorry,” I quickly uttered.“It’s okay, dear, you will be fine,” he placated tenderly while cutting another piece of the omelet. He continued feeding me. I enjoyed every part of it. The pain the lashes caused me was subdued with the care of the Alpha.A few minutes on, a knock came at the door. Both our eyes turned to the door. The knock came up again. My heart banged my ribcage with each knock hit on the door. What if it was the Luna coming? She will simply bury me alive.“Come on in,” the Alpha’s voice sounded husky and the door creaked open. My heart flew out of me as a figure appeared at the door. A shadow led in before the person appeared fully. It’s Gamma Graves. He was the commander of the pack army. Every day, the pack army will line up in a vigilante stance in the middle of their training ground which was a large field next to the pack yard. He walked elegantly toward us with his royal-like robe trailing behind him. He had his arms crossed to his back as he walked with his shoulders high. His gold leaf, smooth, short wavy hair was left to cascade over his shoulders. He kept a straight face with a little to no warm smile as he walked to us.“Hello, Alpha,” he saluted, still standing straight like a soldier on guarding duty.“Hello, Graves,” the Alpha responded with as much of a straight face as the Gamma. “Has the arrangement been made for my journey?”“Yes, Alpha,” Gamma Graves said, taking a step back as the Alpha stood up. “The horses alongside the armies are all ready for your journey, Alpha.”My stomach twisted at the announcement. The Alpha will be traveling, leaving the Luna to rule. My life will take a worse turn before he returns. My eyes began glowing to tear up again. I looked down on my hands.“Okay,” the Alpha said and turned to me. “Muriel?” he called. I lifted my gaze to his. “I will be traveling to Crimson Moon Pack now. I will see you when I get back.”I nodded. “Um, o…okay, Alpha,” my voice broke down and I threw my face to a side as tears came rushing down my cheeks. He shifted my eyes back on him by holding my chin. He pecked me on the forehead and went away with the Gamma.“Huuuhhh…!” I puffed. I stood up, taking the tray of food from the bed.I headed to the door. I opened it, looked to my left, and looked to the right before sneaking out. If anyone sees me coming out of the Alpha’s room, I will be in more trouble. I walked down the left hallway that led to the kitchen. As I was focused taking a striding step to reach the kitchen fast, I stumbled upon my dress, falling back on my back. The tray flew off my hands, breaking into pieces on the floor. The shard of the plate strewed on the floor. A piece cut through my arm.“Ouch!” I exclaimed, trying to sit up as I held my bleeding arm. I saw a shadow of someone.“Oh, no!” I muffled. It was Luna Glenda and her handmaid. I shifted back on the floor. Her deep glaring eyes made me almost pee my pants. I shuddered as I forced myself up, looking down to the floor.“You filthy thing!” Luna Glenda groaned, striding forward and grabbing my bleeding arm tightly.“Ow!” I exclaimed. Tears fell from my eyes.“You dare break my plates!” she groaned again, her voice cutting through my face, sending shivers down my spine. “I won’t spare you!” she yelled and freed my hand, making me fall back to the floor. She turned to her handmaid. “Call Grey and make sure she gets no food for two days!” she commanded and went off. I hope death comes to me within those two days. Grey will never spare me. Grey was the chief guard, in charge of the dungeon in the deepest part of the pack. I have never been there, but everyone that has been sentenced there never comes out alive. What was my offense? What did I do wrong? The Luna simply has a special hatred for me in her heart
***I was already feeling sleepy. I have been yawning a million times now. I looked at Russell, he smiled at me. By this time, we were both lying face up. “I want to sleep,” I told him and yawned again. He propped up an elbow, looking at me.“I know,” he said. “Go on, close your eyes and I will watch you sleep.”I raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Don’t you sleep?” I queried.“Not when you’re awake,” he declared and I smiled. He kissed my forehead and I smiled, turning on my side. He lay down too, I crossed my arm over his chest and closed my eyes to sleep.~Russell~I watched Muriel sleep beautifully. She must really be a strong lady to have gone through all that. Her mother was right. Her eyes indeed attracted a demon, and luckily she turned out to be my mate. Henceforth, I won’t let her undergo such torture again. As for Lucian, having Muriel as his Luna is only a dream that will never come through. Muriel is mine and mine alone. With that, I closed my eyes. Since she came into my li
~Muriel~I returned to the bedroom after changing into my dress when suddenly someone hugged me from behind.“Uggggg!” I gasped as his hand snaked around my neck sending electric pulses through my skin. Then his sweet fragrance filled my nostrils.“It’s me, sweetheart,” he said. I sighed and turned around in his arms, facing him. He leaned against the wall with his arms still wrapped around my body.“You scared me,” I let out sadly.“I’m sorry,” he apologized softly. “What happened to you, why were you so angry?” he asked and I pulled away from him, walking back to the bed. “Did he hurt you?” he queried, walking behind me. I dropped on the bed, my shoulders deflated. He sat beside me and draped his hand across my shoulders.“Talk to me, sweetheart, what did he do to you?” Russell asked again.“It’s nothing. The Beta made me remember my past earlier. I don’t know what they think I am, all they want is to make me perform a
The bad news that hit me after a few days in the dungeon was worse than heartbreak. I overheard Grey telling one of the soldiers to take care of the dungeon while he went with other soldiers to Alpha Desmond’s funeral. It felt my heart was pulled out of me, flung to the floor and I was stabbed continuously. My legs failed me, I fell to the floor. I could neither speak nor cry, I just sat dumbstruck. I lost a father again. After my father died, I prayed I never lose anyone as dear to my heart as him. Then my mother followed and I felt my world shattering before me. Alpha Desmond took pity on me and made me stay with Harley, not knowing she would be my worst nightmare. And now, I lost him, I lost Alpha Desmond, the only man who showed me love even as an Omega. What will become of me then? Why won’t death just come and take me away? Why was it snatching my loved ones from me?“Nooooo!” I let out a deafening scream that shook the wall around me. Tears rushed down my cheeks and
It was a full moon today. My fifteenth birthday. I have been waiting anxiously for this day. I get constant pangs in my heart when I think about shifting for the first time. Omega Linda has been training me on how to control my wolf when I finally change. She also never forgot to tell me how painful it would be, that part disturbed me a lot. Now it’s my birthday. I paced up and down in the living room, Luna Glenda had sent for Omega Linda earlier. I wonder why she summoned her on such an agitated day. Jennifer hasn’t returned from the pack house yet. She always tells me about how she felt when she shifted for the first time.“It’s going to hurt, like really hurt. It burns like fire. You will feel your bones cracking, shooting out like a new plant forming branches. It will feel as if you are on fire and someone is cutting your skin with a knife, opening your system for the fire to consume you more. How does that sound?” Jennifer always intimidated me. Her words normally leav
***Russell left after I stopped my story there. In the morning, I was woken up by Jennifer. I sat up, yawning with my arms grazing the ceiling.“Good morning, my lady,” Jennifer smiled at me.“Ugh!” I grunted, frowning at her. “Stop calling me my lady, Jenny. You are even older than me,” I declared, feeling disgruntled.“I’m sorry,” she apologized, dropping her head. I stood up and moved to her, putting my hands on her shoulders.“Don’t apologize, Jenny. Okay, let’s do it this way, when we are together like this without Lucian, you can call my name. And if you deem it necessary to call me my lady in the presence of Lucian, then it's fine,” I stated and she smiled. I sat on the bed.“Thank you, Muriel. I came as early as possible to get you ready for today,” she said excitedly.“And what’s today?” I asked uninterested and she sat beside me.“Today is the day you are meant to meet all the soldiers and choose the
***“Hey!” a voice made me shudder and I opened my eyes. I sat up and looked behind me, seeing Gamma Graves. He moved to my side and sat beside me.“Why are you here?” I queried with a frown.“I came to talk to you, Muriel,” he said softly.“If it’s about Lucian and the so-called fighting contest for me to choose bodyguards, I will imply you not to waste your time,” I set forth and stood up, turning to leave the garden.“Wait!” Gamma Graves said, halting me in my tracks, and stood up. I looked at him, the frown of displeasure never wearing off. I folded my arms across my chest. “I know you are pained for all Lucian did to you, but can’t you forgive him? He is sorry, he loves you now. What do you want him to do to prove to you that he is truly sorry for everything?” Gamma Graves stated.“You won’t understand,” I declared and turned to go again.“Then make me understand, Muriel. Why can’t you forgive him?”“Becaus
After having lunch, I relaxed on the bed with Jennifer beside me. She was so eager to hear the story of how I encountered Russell. I sighed and began. “It all began on my birthday when I jumped into the river to commit suicide,” my voice trailed off as I did a flashback to the scene.***I regained consciousness in a room. Not seen anything like it before. My head was throbbing like two metals clacking each other. I held my head as I slowly sat up on the bed, a comfy royal-like or maybe, a royal bed. I slowly stood up from the bed, looking around the room. I was intrigued by its décor. A bedroom fit for a king or queen. The room was vast, with high ceilings that seemed to reach for the heavens, adorned with intricate moldings and decorative plasterwork, making the space feel even more regal. The color scheme exuded richness and grandeur, as deep hues of crimson and gold dominated the walls, drapes, and bedding, creating an atmosphere of opulence. In one corner of t