His Broken Luna(Revised Version)

I pushed the door open with my leg before making my way through, weighed down by a heavy sack on my back. I barely managed to make it into the small, dimly lit storeroom before letting the sack fall to the ground, and just as I turned to leave, I heard the door slam shut, plunging the room into darkness.

“Who’s there?” I cried, hurrying towards the door. My leg struck the load on the floor, slamming my body into the floor— intense pain shot through me when my body made contact with the hard cement. I let out a sharp cry.

Crawling my way through the dark, I discovered the door and began to slam my hands on it.

“Please open up,” I begged whoever was out there, although I had a faint idea of their identity, and it was confirmed when I heard girlish giggles from the other side of the door.

The small room soon began to feel smaller, as though the walls were closing in on me. Sweat beads formed on my head, streaming down my neck. I was severely claustrophobic, and they knew it.

“Elena, come on, I can’t breathe,” I pleaded, hitting the door harder.

“Well, I hope you die!” her voice replied before another fit of giggles exploded.

I sank to the floor, a heavy feeling in my chest as I began to gasp, trying my best to take in as much air as I could, but nothing was working, and more tears poured down my face. A nauseous feeling enveloped me. My chest rose and fell with each unsteady breath I took. I shut my eyes, “What are you doing?” I heard a male voice bark.

Seconds later, the door opened, and he walked in.

“Sophia,” he called. Strong arms immediately wrapped around me and lifted me from the floor. I was led out of the room, and instantly, my breathing became better.

He walked towards his own room, still carrying me in his arms, pushing the door open with his shoulder. He stepped into it and proceeded to set me on the bed gently.

I sat up immediately and stared at him with my eyes wide open in fear. “Thank you,” I said, scrambling to get up from the bed.

“Sit back down!” His voice came out harshly, leaving no room for defiance. It wasn’t as though I could defy if I wanted — he owned me, after all — and so, slowly, I sat back down on the bed, its soft weight enveloping me. I couldn’t remember ever sitting on anything this comfortable.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you,” I apologized, bowing my head. He liked it when I apologized for even things that weren't within my control; especially things that weren't within my control.

A wicked smile formed on his face as he looked at me. He was handsome, devilishly so, but equally the cruelest person to have ever existed, and he took pride in that being common knowledge among members of his pack.

He stood up and walked closer to me. His hands shot out and grabbed me by the chin, forcing me to stare back into his cold blue eyes. There was an emptiness to them, nothing that showed this person felt anything human towards another.

“Remember what I said, Sophia?” he asked with a brow cocked.

I nodded immediately.

“What did I say?”

I swallowed. “Only you have the right to punish me,” I said, a tear threatening to fall down my face, but I forced it back. I wasn't going to cry, not now nor ever! It was a rule I had long ago forced upon myself, no matter the treatment he meted out to me. The day I cried in front of him was the day I finally lost to him, and trust me, he had tried to make me, but my resilience was the only thing I had, the only thing keeping me sane.

Fourteen years ago, the Alpha of the Mystic Hollow Pack, my father, willingly gave me up to the Dark Wood Pack during a treaty. I was the third daughter amongst five others and obviously, the least loved because even though I was eight, I could remember the lack of hesitation in my father right before he'd chosen me as the one to go with the Dark Wood Pack as a slave.

Alexander had been twelve, and it had been said that I was to serve his pack until I found my mate. If by the age of twenty-three I hadn't found him, I was to serve Alexander for the rest of my life as his Luna, but to me, it was the same as being his prisoner.

I was a few months away from my twenty-third birthday.

“That’s right,” he said, patting my head with his hand as though I was a loyal dog. I felt disgusted by his touch. “That’s a good girl.”

I said nothing and simply stared at the floor until he walked away, settling himself on the large couch in the middle of the room. Alexander hadn't bothered with finding his mate; in his eyes, I was his already, and now he waited for the treaty condition before making it formal.

The thought of it made my skin crawl—of having this man touch me, of being by his side forever. I hated him. I detested him with every breath of my existence.

“May I leave now?” I asked in a polite tone, attempting to stand up.

“When is your birthday again?” he asked, his eyes twinkling.

My eyes instinctively went up to the calendar in the middle of his room, the one that had each day of it marked with a black marker, a countdown he’d probably been marking since I was nine.

“In a few months,” I said.

“Come over here,” he said, indicating for me with his fingers.

I took in a deep breath to steady my fast-beating heart. He was the most unpredictable person I’d ever met. I stood up and went to him, standing in front of him.

“Get down,” he commanded, his eyes alive with humor. He was enjoying this.

I knelt in front of him, and he brought his face closer to mine. His warm breath fanned my face, causing my nervousness to heighten. His eyes glanced at my lips.

A finger trailed from my neck down my collarbone. “A few months left now, darling,” he said, his hand moving lower. My breath hitched in my throat.

“Please, don't,” I said. If there was anything I held dear, it was my dignity, and I wasn't ready to lose it to him. Even if I was eventually going to have to, I wanted it done while I was in a deeply unconscious state.

His expression contorted into one of ugly rage. “You belong to me, and I shall do with you as I please!” he barked before grabbing me by the back of my head and forcing my lips against his, kissing me harshly.

Sheer disgust coursed through me, and I felt a new wave of nausea hit me. I pulled away, roughly shoving him off me by his chest.

“How dare you?” he demanded and swung his hand to strike me. With quick reflexes, I grabbed it midair, halting the assault, the shock on his face fueling my fury.

“I do not belong to you!” I yelled, and just as I released his hand, I raised mine and brought it down across his face viciously, leaving an ugly red print on his cheek.

My heart pounded furiously against my chest at what I’d done. I knew I was done for in every way a person could be, but still, I wasn't regretful. When my eyes met Alexander’s, I was shocked by what I saw.

His hand slowly went up to the spot on his cheek I had hit before a small smile formed on his lips. He suddenly grabbed me by the neck and brought my face closer to his. “That’s right, Sophia,” he said. “Fight back with all you've got. To be honest, it was a little boring to see you had given up so easily.”

And he slapped me hard across the cheek, the force of it sending me crashing to the floor. My head hit the ground hard, leaving me momentarily blind, and I simply lay still, steadying my breath.

“Don’t be a bore. Come on,” he said, and from the corner of my eye, I watched him approach me. I knew no one would be coming to save me.

Just as he reached me, there was a small knock on the door, interrupting us. Even if it was temporary, I could catch my breath.

“Come in,” Alex said in a harsh tone.

The door opened, and one of the pack’s servants walked in, her hands placed in front of her and her eyes focused on her feet. “The elders request a meeting,” she said in a shaky voice.

He rolled up his sleeves and sent a glance my way before marching out of the room. As soon as he did, Leah, the servant, rushed to me and helped me up.

“Are you okay? Oh no, you're bleeding,” she said, her hand gently touching the side of my face.

“It’s fine,” I said, standing up. He had done worse. My head immediately felt dizzy as soon as I got up, and I held Leah’s arm to steady myself.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the physician,” she said.

“No, really, I’m fine. Just help me clean it up.”

She nodded, and we made our way back to the servants' quarters, where I had a room next to hers.

I clenched my teeth when Leah pressed an alcohol-soaked rag to my forehead to stop the bleeding.

“You should run away,” she said in a low voice, avoiding my eyes. “You can't be resigned to living like this for the rest of your life.”

Leah was brought in as a servant shortly after me. She had also been a child, and during our time together, we had formed a friendship, but unlike me, she was overlooked by Alex and everyone else.

“Go where? Back to my family?” I asked with slight sarcasm in my tone.

She shrugged. “That’d certainly be better than here.”

“That would be breaking the treaty, Leah. A war would break out, and lives would be lost all because of me. I could never do that.”

“What about your life?” she asked angrily. “Do you not matter?”

“Not more than the hundreds and thousands more that will be affected if the two packs clash again. I would never forgive myself.”

She looked at me with pity in her eyes. “I fear for you, Sophia. The goodness in your heart should be a blessing to you, but then—”

“Sophiaaaaaa,” I heard my name in a sing-song voice from outside. “Where are you?” It was Elena, Alexander's younger sister, the one who had locked me in the storeroom earlier.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down, and a few seconds later, the door to my room opened, and she walked in.

Elena was a beauty like her brother; their dirty-blonde hair and blue eyes did wonders for their physical appearance. It was just a pity that they both were absolutely rotten inside.

Her face switched to worry as soon as she saw me. “Oh no, Sophia, what happened to you?” she asked, her hand on my head as she inspected the wound.

I saw Leah send her glares, and I could barely stop myself from smiling at the sight.

“I’m fine. It's nothing,” I said, slightly moving away from her.

“Did my brother do this? That's a pity. He shouldn't treat you like this, Sophia, even if you belong to him.” And she laughed heartily as though she’d said the funniest thing ever. “Anyways, come on. I need you to fix my hair,” she said, pulling me by the hand. I stumbled after her.

We made our way upstairs, and she led me up to her room where two other girls were, Elena’s best friends, Hannah and Amaya. They were both the Beta’s daughters and were currently trying on outfits. The room was in complete disarray, with clothes strewn about and shoes scattered.

Hannah scrunched up her nose at me. “When last did you have a bath, Sophia?”

I smiled at her. “A bath? What is that?”

“I can't believe you let her come into your room, Elena,” Amaya said, rolling her eyes at me.

'And I can't believe you walk around with a face like that,' Gold, my wolf, said inside my head with a snarky tone.

I smiled to myself as I turned to Elena, who had settled herself in front of the mirror.

“Now, let's see,” Elena said, looking at her reflection. “I want you to do something that will accentuate my face.”

“I understand,” I said, moving closer to her.

“What are you doing?” she shrieked, surprising me. “Go on, go wash your hands downstairs!”

I walked out of the room and took the flight of stairs to the washroom downstairs before climbing back up. I paused in front of the door to catch my breath, and from my position, I could hear the conversation inside the room.

“The Black Tide Pack,” Amaya said. “I feel a shiver at just the name.”

Instantly, I remembered. I’d heard whispers weeks ago from the other servants about us having visitors, but I hadn't even been bothered by it. I had thought it mere gossip, but it really was true, and it was not just any visitors, but ones from Black Tide.

They were the most powerful pack in all of our species and were equally feared and admired by everyone. The strength of its ordinary members was rumored to be incredible, and just their Beta’s ability surpassed a lot of packs' Alphas.

“I wonder what he'll be like, Alpha Callan. Oh my! I'm so excited. I can't breathe properly anymore,” Hannah said, laughing nervously.

“I don't care if any of his members coming with him turn out to be my mate or not; I am so going with them,” Amaya said.

“I already know he's mine,” Elena said in a calm and confident tone. “What better union than ours? I, the daughter of the former Alpha of the second most powerful pack, and he, the Alpha of the most powerful pack. I can only imagine what our reign would be like.”

I felt excitement surge through me. This was my last chance at finding a mate; from what they were saying, other members of the Black Tide were coming, and with the Goddess’s blessings, I could finally find my own mate.

For years, Alexander had kept me locked up in the four walls of his home for fear of me eventually going out and stumbling upon my mate, but now, this was my chance.

“Please, dear Goddess, let this be it,” I begged her softly with tears in my eyes. The thought of living with Alexander for the rest of my life displeased me more than the recent thoughts of me killing myself.