THE CONFRONTATION

CHAPTER TWO

Serena's POV

"Look what the cat dragged in," she let out an evil chuckle, completely amused by my physical state.

I stared right back at her. I refuse to cower in shame even though my soaked clothes clung to me like a second skin.

“Move Tyra, I’m not in the mood for your dramatics.”

Her smirk faltered for a while. She didn’t expect me to lash back immediately.

Tyra had been my best friend during our childhood. She was the only child of our pack’s former beta. We were inseparable until it was time for our wolf transformation.

Tyra was graced with a beautiful wolf with auburn fur matching the colour of her long, flowy hair.

She was beyond excited because it was huge and majestic. However, things took a drastic turn when my wolf wouldn't emerge. We all thought it was a glitch at first and decided to give it a little time.

As time progressed, it became clear that I wasn't blessed with one. I quickly became the pack's outcast which didn't sit well with a purist like Tyra.

Our relationship regressed. She joined the rest of the pack to make life unbearable for me.

“You run your mouth too much for a woman who just lost everything,” She gritted out, blocking the path.

“You were never meant to be Luna. I tried my best to warn the pack when you emerged as Alpha Trent’s mate, but they didn't listen,” she continued. “Such a shame that it took them five years to realize that.”

“And I performed my duty by casting you out to the omega house for inciting the pack,” I countered, my voice cold. “You were a threat to the stability of the pack you boldly claim to love. Your time here clearly didn't teach you anything about loyalty.”

“I am loyal to the wolf not the human, especially a pathetic one like yourself,” she snapped back harshly.

“Things are different here. We have no room for you ‘Luna’. You would have to camp with the rats in the kitchen,” she said, leaning too close for comfort. “Within these four walls, I am Queen”

I scoffed at her laughable attempts to subdue me. Queen? In your dreams.

I side-stepped her, brushing shoulders with her intentionally. I refuse to answer her call for a fight. She trailed behind me as I headed straight to the dorms. I quickly scanned all the doors in the hallway.

I stopped by a dusty wooden door on the right side. The room was clearly unoccupied. I looked back at Tyra, silently daring her to stop me as I opened the door to enter the room.

She folded her arms, fuming at me for disobeying her ‘orders’. She didn't utter a word as I stepped into the room with my shoulders held high. Tyra is all bark and no bite.

I shut the door behind me, taking in the sight of the room. It was not as bad as I expected. It was sparsely furnished and the bed looked tiny compared to what I was used to at the pack house.

I shook the slight dust out of the light brown beddings and made the bed. Let me get some sleep for now. Tomorrow is another day.

I lay on the bed, folding my hands under my head like a make-shift pillow. Within a few minutes, I was out like light.

*THE NEXT MORNING*

I woke up before the crack of dawn. I ignored the slight ache in my back as I slipped out of the omega house, heading straight to the pack’s clinic.

Mira, the pack’s healer and my only friend, was already there. She stood behind a long wooden table filled with different herbs. She held up a dried mugwort herb, examining it.

Her gaze moved to the door as I entered. Her eyes softened with pity when she saw me. It seems like she heard the news.

“Serena….”

“Don’t. Please don't.” I said, heading straight to the sink at the corner to wash my hands. “I refuse to feel sorry for myself. My self-worth has never been tied to Trent.”

“That mugwort looks very potent. Pass it to me so I can grind it. I plan to visit some of the wounded warriors later today.” She quietly obeyed.

We worked in silence. I kept thinking about my escape plan. I would need information, but who do I ask?

Only a few people get to leave the pack freely. Trent, his beta, his gamma, and…..

Mira.

Yessss. How could I forget? Mira goes out of the pack sometimes to render her services to other packs.

“Mira,” I said quietly, gently stirring the potion in the small bowl I was holding. “What lies beyond the pack borders?”

She paused, staring at me suspiciously. I have never asked her that before so her reaction was understandable.

“I’m just curious. I have never left the pack and sometimes I wonder what the other side looks like.” I continued.

“Utter chaos, Serena. Death, and a lot of ruthless rogues who would leap at the opportunity to tear you apart.” You could feel the fear oozing from her as she spoke. “There are also rumors of the mad lycan king lurking beneath the cliff, looking for his prey. But, why do you ask?”

“Mira, this pack is a cage,” I murmured silently. “I want to….”

Leo, Trent’s son, barged in, interrupting me. He was followed closely by Tyra. He knocked down a tray of used knives as he made his way inside.

“I want those fruits now!” Leo shouted. He pointed at the highly potent red berries used in hallucination on top of the high cupboard.

“Those fruits are very dangerous, Leo. You can't have them,” I said firmly.

“She’s lying. She wants to have all the goodies to herself. You are the future Alpha. You can take anything you want,” Tyra said as she stepped up behind the child, clearly goading him.

Leo’s face tightened with rage. He charged towards the cupboard in an attempt to get to the berries himself. His small palms hit the cupboard, tipping the glass bowl containing hot-brewed wolfsbane and willow bark at the top of the cupboard.

“Noooo!” I shouted. That mixture could scar him for life.

I pushed him away from the cupboard in a frenzy. He stumbled and fell, hitting his head hard on the edge of the wooden table.

He screamed in pain, alerting the guards outside.

Everyone paused, clearly in shock at what just happened.

The guards stormed, scanning the environment to root out the danger.

“She attacked the future Alpha,” Tyra yelled, her voice ringing out in my ears. “That bitch tried to kill him.”

I looked down at the wailing child. I didn't hurt him but the entire situation pointed fingers at me. Fear clutched my heart.

“I-I-I did not mean to hurt him. He…..”

The door flung open, nearly ripped from its hinges. Trent stormed in like a raging bull. One of the guards must have mind-linked him.

He saw his crying son and my shaking hands. He was furious.

“How dare you raise your hand against my child?” He growled, his deep voice promising doom.

“I tried to save him from burning——”

“Liar!” Tyra cried out. “She attacked him as soon as he came in. Everyone saw it.”

“ That's not how it happened. She tried to——” Mira whispered in her attempt to defend me.

“Quiet!” Trent roared at her. He moved closer to me, sneering in my face.

“You will be punished for this you have done.”

I swallowed as fear crawled down my spine.

"Take off her shirt and drag her outside!" Panic rose in my chest as I was grabbed by the guards.

They kept dragging me until I was pushed to the ground in the pack's open field. My shirt was torn and my breasts were exposed for all to see.

I was overcome with shame. Everyone assembled to watch the 'evil Luna' whipped by her own mate.

Some of the pack warriors tied my hands and my legs as they held me flat against the floor to receive my punishment.

"You have raised your hands against my own. You will be whipped 30 times as punishment. This will serve as an example to anyone who thinks they can hurt my son. He is my true heir and nothing can change that."

The first hit was brutal. Pain exploded in my back as I felt my skin tear.

I didn't scream. I refuse to give them the satisfaction of hearing my cries. He continued hitting me while everyone watched. My entire back was on fire. I bit my tongue so hard until I tasted blood.

I prayed to the moon goddess to save me from this pain.

The belt landed on my back in quick succession. The punishment lasted forever.

I was slowly fading into unconsciousness. The hits finally stopped coming but the pain was endless. My back was raw and bruised. I couldn't even lift a finger. My eyes finally closed to the light of the world.

Is this to be my end? I wondered as everywhere went silent.