I recoiled as a sharp sting struck my face, my eyes widening in horror as I looked up at my dad. Never before had I seen him look at me with such intensity and such pure hatred in his eyes as he struck my face, leaving it throbbing with pain. His fists were clenched, trembling with anger.
'D-Daddy? You hurt me...' I whimpered, tears streaming down my cheeks, my trembling hand gingerly touching my swollen cheek.
My dad seized me by the hair, his grip cruel and unyielding, and began to drag me back towards our house. 'Daddy, Daddy, what are you doing? Why are you hurting me?' I cried out, my voice filled with fear and desperation.
'It's your fault she's dead! It's your fault the wolf killed her! If you had listened to her, obeyed her, and stayed still, she would still be alive!' he screamed in my face, his rage uncontainable.
'Daddy, please! I didn't mean to kill her! Please! I didn't mean to!' I pleaded desperately.
I was forcibly dragged up the stairs to my room and ruthlessly thrown against the wall. My dad slammed my bedroom door shut, and for the first time, I heard the ominous sound of a key locking the door, sealing me inside.
'Mother!' I scream, bolting upright in bed, my body drenched in sweat. Panic courses through me as I frantically look around, letting my eyes adjust to the dim surroundings. My breathing is heavy, and my heart races with familiar, paralyzing fear. It was the same dream, the recurring nightmare that haunts me—the day my mother died because of me.
Huddling into the corner of the squalid cell, I cry into my knees, my body trembling from the vividness of the dream. My eyes are red and puffy from crying, and weariness weighs heavily beneath the surface of my exhaustion.
Suddenly, I sense another presence nearby. I jerk my head up, the remnants of tears glistening on my cheeks. 'Who is there?' I ask, my voice quivering.
Footsteps draw closer, echoing in the oppressive silence. I squint through the dim light to see Alpha Zenith approaching, a sinister grin on his face.
I glare at him, my voice laced with defiance. 'What do you want?' I yell, my fear giving way to anger.
'You know very well what I want,' he says, his tone sharp and demanding.
'I am not letting James mark me, and I sure as hell won't become his mate!' I retort fiercely.
His grin shifts into a malicious glare. 'You were screaming out for your mother in your sleep,' he says, a hint of cockiness in his voice.
I look away from him, my eyes brimming with tears.
'What happened to her?' He asks.
'None of your damn business!' I shout, my voice breaking with emotion.
'What if I told you I already knew?' He says, his grin returning, his eyes filled with intrigue.
I look at him with confusion. 'I don't believe you. There's no way you would have known my mother,' I assert adamantly.
'I'm going to tell you a story, Astrid, and you are going to listen to every single word,' he says, his voice cutting through the stale air of the cell. I glare up at him, my defiance clear, but I know deep down that he will make me listen, one way or another. So, I willingly hear him out.
Alpha Zenith’s P.O.V
‘Twenty-two years ago, Moonstone Crest held the prestigious title of being the strongest pack in the world. Each year, they hosted an extravagant ceremony, inviting packs from all corners of the globe in hopes of finding their destined mates. Surprisingly, my pack, Shady Crest, received an invitation despite my father's strained relationship with Alpha Bane, the leader of Moonstone Crest at the time. My father, driven by the prospect of me finding my mate and subsequently taking over as Alpha, set aside his enmity for that one night.
We attended the grand ceremony. Soon after our arrival, I caught an alluring scent like vanilla and honey combined. I followed the enchanting aroma, but it kept leading me to dead ends. I couldn't fathom why Astrid’s scent kept vanishing, as surely she could smell my scent too, which should have drawn her to me.
Bewildered, I approached my father and explained that I could smell my mate's scent but couldn't locate her. We spent most of the night in search of her. Finally, the scent led me to the front of the Moonstone Crest pack house. As I gazed up, I saw the most stunning she-wolf, her eyes filled with fear as she observed me from a window.
'Please! Wait!' I called out as she backed away.
Slowly, she approached the window, and our eyes locked instantly. The entire world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of us, and nothing else mattered. 'Mate,' we both whispered simultaneously. Our eyes briefly turned black before returning to their human state.
'Please come down so we can properly meet,' I smiled, my heart soaring.
She shook her head, her sweet voice filled with sorrow. 'I'm sorry, I can't,' she replied.
Confused, I gave her an inquisitive look. 'But we are mates! Surely you can come down so we can talk and maybe even share a dance at the ceremony?' I suggested, a smile tugging at my lips.
As we gazed into each other's eyes, her long, brown hair flowing gently in the wind, she spoke, her voice trembling. 'You don't understand... mate bond or not, my father would never allow me to be with the future Alpha of Shady Crest,' she confessed, tears welling in her beautiful green eyes.
I couldn't fathom her words. 'What's wrong with being the future Luna of Shady Crest?' I asked, the hurt evident in my voice.
She explained, 'Your father has tarnished the pack's name with his wicked ways of treating his pack, and his penchant for kidnapping and hunting humans as a sport only worsens our reputation.'