CHAPTER FIVE | REVELATION FROM HELL.
AVA HAYES Everytime I say no to Sebastian, he stands Dante, doing more damage to his already battered body. I have begged and screamed for him to stop but the more I do, the worse Dante's punishment becomes. Sebastian wants one thing and one thing alone- he wants me to accept him as my mate and he wouldn't stop until I do so. Dante's life is at the palm of my hand and I had two choices, accept Sebastian or watch Dante transition to the moon goddess. “Please, stop. You are hurting him." I choke out, my voice shaky and horse from the amount of times I have screamed my lungs out. Sebastian chuckles like an evil man on crack, his eyes crinkling with mischievous evil and amusement. “I have told you, Ava. It's all up to you. I'll stop once you promise to accept me. By the way, I don't think he has more than a few seconds to live." Sebastian laughter echoes around the cell, the chest of the woman restricting me from helping Dante also vibrating in her own laughter. Sebastian laughs again as he stabs Dante for the tenth time, intentionally pushing the sword deeper because he knows I'm watching and I'm already close to the brink of breaking. Dante's pained cry goes straight to my heart and soul, shattering it into pieces and creating a deep unfixable hole in my soul. I don't think I would ever be able to live with the fact that the love of my life went through so much pain and trauma because of my stupid decisions. Dante turns over to me, clutching his heavily bleeding stomach tightly, tears flowing down his eyes like a stream, silently begging me to help him. One look into his eyes is all I needed to know that he can't take the torture anymore. One more strike and he will be gone for good. When Sebastian raises his hands for another stab, I don't hesitate to put an end to his heartless act. “Stop! You fucking bastard! Stop hurting him. I accept you. I…please, just let Dante go. You can have me. Just leave him out of this." I blurt out, my voice sounding like a frog's as my emotions overwhelm me. The female guard lets go of me the moment the words fall out of my mouth and I collapse, tired and afraid, sobs wrecking through my body. Sebastian smiles widely, drops the sword with a loud clank and rushes over to me. He pulls up and pulls me in for a kiss, completely ignoring the tears on my lips. When he pulls away from the kiss, he gives me a small smile, then turns to the guard still awkwardly standing there. “Prepare for the coronation, Lila. I just found a new queen." “Yes Alpha," she bows and walks out of the cell, leaving me Dante and the psychopath that is unfortunately my mate alone. There's a tense silence as my frantic mind battles between going to help Dante and staying with my mate. Going to Dante would most likely rekindle Sebastian's anger so I cancel the idea the moment it comes. Sebastian walks around me like a predator ready to attack its prey.“Ava Hayes. What a sweet little name for a sweet little girl." My grief, pain and sadness suddenly morphs into extreme anger and I want nothing more than to inflict Sebastian with more pain than he inflicted on Dante. “Who the hell are you?" I hiss, baring my canines at him in a threatening manner. “Sebastain Wolfe. And you, my dear, would become the Luna of Crescent Pack in less than twenty-four hours." The world stops as the name “crescent pack" is repeatedly chanted in my head like a mantra. My world crumbles like the wall of Jericho as the pack I'm in and the Alpha I'm mated to invades my head like a plague. I gag, almost retching up bile as memories of the things I've seen and the stories I've heard about Crescent Pack running through my head like a short movie on display. “I can't. No, I can't be mated to you. That's impossible. You're the devil himself." I stutter, creating distance between me and the heartless Alpha. He says nothing but just watches my movements, his previously joyful expression being replaced by a blank calculated look. “I don't want you, Sebastian. Even if Dante isn't in the picture, I can't want you. You're are a fucking monster. You killed…" He cuts me off, his evil eyes staring into my soul. “It is amusing that you think you have a choice, darling. I'll kill your pretty little boyfriend if you don't behave." “Kill him. Fucking kill him. When you are done, I'd love you to kill me too. I would rather watch you kill my man and kill me after than be with you." The bile I managed to keep down my throat forces itself out of my mouth the moment I remember how I let Sebastian kiss me a few seconds ago. I puke all the contents of my stomach, trying also to vomit the guilt, fear, and regret I felt. I can't be mated to Sebastian Wolfe. I can't be mated to the Alpha of Crescent Pack. What sick game is fate pulling on me? Is this the punishment I get for everything I said to my father? Is this a punishment for eloping with my lover? It can't be a punishment, can it? The moon goddess wouldn't possibly give me a punishment ten times worse than my crime, would she? Mating me to a man that cuts the fingers of his prisoners off and forcefully feeding it to them? Mating me to a man that kills any of his subjects that does as much as looking at him. Mating me to a man that killed his own wife? The moon goddess would be so cruel to do such a thing to me, would she? This must be a nightmare. It must! “Since you've clearly made up your mind, I'll gladly grant your request and make sure you and your lover have the most painful death in the history of deaths."Narrator POVThe cold wind howled softly outside, but inside the cave, everything was still. Quiet. Watching.Dove walked in with the grace of a queen, her floating, flowery white gown brushing lightly against the polished marble floor. The walls glittered with gold designs that shimmered under the dim lights hanging from the ceiling. The cave wasn’t just a hideout—it looked like a shrine. A place built for power.She smiled. That same wicked, confident smile that could break even the strongest men. Her heels tapped softly against the floor as she walked, every soul inside the cave falling to their knees.Not a word was spoken. They all bowed. Heads low. Eyes down.She loved it.At the center of the marble floor stood her throne. Tall. Dark. Carved from black stone and wrapped in golden vines. Above it, engraved in sharp letters, one word:“Witch.”Her rightful place.Dove’s smirk deepened as she climbed the steps to the throne. Her long, dark hair flowed behind her like silk, but as
AVA POV“Hello,” I say brightly to Jatina as she sets the breakfast tray. She glances up, softness in her old eyes. “I’m fine, Luna.” Her calm reply makes me smile. She’s the only consistent thing in this mansion these days. I take a slow sip of tea…strong, just how I like it. Jatina moves quietly around the table, placing fresh fruit and warm rolls before me. The morning light streams in through the curtains, soft and golden. Suddenly, she stops. “There’s a message from the Queen’s chamber,” she says, offering me a sealed envelope. My heart hammers. I freeze, finger hovering over the letter. “Visit by noon,” I read aloud, the words stamped bold across the front. She nods politely. “I noticed the writing is large… maybe she wants to make sure you don’t miss it.” I swallow. Noon isn’t far off. Thoughts swirl in my head. What does the queen want from me now? I finish breakfast on autopilot, every bite stuck in my throat. Jatina watches quietly. *********By noon, the driver is
SEBASTIAN I stood there, frozen.I didn’t even know what to do. My hands hung useless by my sides, my chest rising and falling with tight, shallow breaths.Was she scared?Did I scare her away?I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to storm up those stairs and pull her back down and ask her what's wrong. But I didn’t. Not because I didn’t want to—but because I figured maybe… maybe she needed space.Alone time.Hell, maybe I needed it too.I pulled out my phone and dialed Marcus. He picked on the first ring.“Alpha?”“Double the guards around the mansion,” I ordered, my voice low. “No one goes in or out.”There was a pause. “You want it locked down again?”“Yes,” I snapped. “Don’t ask questions. Just do it.”“Understood.”I hung up and pocketed my phone.I ran a hand down my face, the frustration simmering like hot oil beneath my skin. Every inch of me itched to kick something, break something…but instead, I grabbed my keys and walked out.I needed to get out of here.The silence of
AvaI drove back to the mansion, only the crickets of the birds could be heard.I'm worried about my father... Dante told me he's getting tired already.My father is a strong man, for him to get tired in that way... that means the attacks have taken a strong toll on him.I miss him. I miss my mom too.A tear slipped out of my eyes as I made a turn towards the mansion.I need to do something...But what can I do? How do I send support to my father when I'm locked in a cage called a mansion?The gates automatically opened when I got to the place I can't even call home...The guards were still not on guard, everywhere was strangely quiet...I knew Seb knows about my whereabouts, he always does. Always.I parked the car and took a shaky step outside. I stared at the building and wondered if I would be a fool to return back inside.Can I just run away?Can I just fly?If I should run right now, no one would know, even if I would eventually be found later.This is Sebastian's territory.I p
AVABy midnight, the mansion was too quiet.Unnaturally quiet.I peeked through the blinds for the third time, expecting the usual silhouettes of guards pacing around the perimeter. But no one was there.Nothing but moonlight and the trees swaying like they were whispering secrets.The silence unnerved me. The air felt still…like it was holding its breath.Something was wrong. Or right. I couldn’t tell.Jatina had fallen asleep hours ago on the couch with a book still open across her chest. The soft hum of her breathing filled the room, steady and unaware.And then it clicked.The guards were gone. The doors weren’t locked. The cars in the garage?Wide open.The keys?Still hanging from the wall, untouched.It was like... an invitation.Sebastian knew.He knew what I was planning…and he didn’t stop me.That realization hit hard. A twist in my stomach. He wasn’t just letting me go… he was stepping back entirely. Letting me walk into the arms of the man he’d sworn to keep away from me.
SEBASTIAN “Your little wifey is meeting with her ex today. —From Dove.”I stared at the paper, rereading the words that punched me straight in the gut. My jaw clenched. My hands balled so tight the damn letter crumbled inside my palm.I grabbed my phone. “Marcus,” I snapped.“Alpha?”“Find out what Ava is up to. Now.”“Understood.”I hung up before he could say anything else. I didn’t want to hear it. I didn’t want to *think* it.Ava wouldn’t…No.But why did this feel so damn real?I have warned and threatened Dante never to show his face again.Why would Ava want to see him?An hour passed.Every tick of the clock stretched my nerves thinner.Then the call came.“Alpha,” Marcus said quietly, “Jatina noticed movement.”“What kind of movement?” I asked, my voice dangerously calm.“She said Ava’s been pacing… checking her window. And earlier, she caught her staring at her phone for too long. There’s a strong chance she’s planning to sneak out.”Silence.I didn’t respond right away.“A