Chapter 3

Chapter 3

~ELANA~

The clock ticked.

It was the pack's annual festival and also the last day of finding my mate.

Perfect timing for my shame.

Everyone stood in the large open field. Waiting for my shame and fate to be pronounced.

My godfather, Father Greyman was nowhere to be found among the multitude of pack members.

No one considered choosing me as a mate. Not even a fake one.

My knuckles folded when the Alpha mounted the podium.

My fate would be decided and it was all going to end in thirty minutes or so.

I glanced at the watch on my wrist. 11: 23 PM.

I shut my eyes. Running wasn't an option—Alpha Salvatore would find me.

If he didn't, Cassian Thorne would find me and I would be no good than dead meat.

“Still didn't get enough of my lecture on how to get yourself a mate?"

I didn't need to turn before I knew it was Melissa. She was dressed for this occasion—and to watch my shame.

Fighting back would be an indirect way to tell her I was ready to be scarred amidst all the shit I was pulling through.

I was no match for Melissa.

The "fate" coming was worse, if Vance was right.

"I can still flip the switch though.” She whispered from behind, into my ear. "You know all you have to do..”

That same topic she'd repeated over and over.

"What do I have to do?” I asked, clenching my jaws.

“You know what it is," Her chuckle was slow, and she paused almost immediately. Her eyes travelled down to the fang accessory on my neck.

“Meet me by the oak tree if you still don't"

She wolf-sped out of the field and i followed immediately, my heart racing against my ribcage.

***

"Took you too long, human kid” The moonlight shone on her skin, and I could see her smirk as she twirled the end of her hair.

She'd gotten there before me—any other wolf would have.

"You really want to be saved, don't you?”

I was playing clueless again, as if she hadn't confessed to me about wanting me to hand over the fang necklace on my neck.

"This,” She didn't touch it, else it'd spark and burn her.

She'd tried touching it once and her powers kept acting up for weeks.

“I can't. No.” I didn't hold back my refusal.

She drew back. I wouldn't say she was surprised because this wasn’t the first time I was refusing.

“Then you really want to be his breeder, don't you?" She smirked, crossing her arms against her chest.

My eye washed and my vision cleared like day as it registered.

Breeder.

“You obviously don't know about it, and I'm not willing to tell you either."

No way that was Salvatore's plan. There was no way he would let me become Cassian Thorne's breeder.

“Whose breeder, Melissa?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she stretched her palm.

"You cannot save me, Melissa.”

"Well, I know you want to trust me. Hand it over and I'll talk to my Father.”

I knew she was bluffing.

If Vance was really truthful, then Melissa could really do nothing about it.

"This necklace…" I paused and watched her body’s slight reaction to my voice. “I cannot take it off.” I said at once. Firm.

She snorted, pretending she was unbothered. "It's my late mother's, so I can't give it to you."

I turned, leaving her under the oak tree.

“What's the point? You'll only make babies for him, Elana. Give it, you don't need it."

She was partially right. I'd thought about giving out the necklace, a long time ago.

But the strange thing was, no one knew what the necklace meant.

Only my Mom had worn it all her life. According to her, she'd gotten it from her grandmother who died years before I was born.

It didn't have any usefulness to me before one day, it saved me from a stray wolf.

It saved me from being ripped into pieces, that day. Since then, I always made sure it was around me. All the time.

My guts just knew there was something special attached to it. Something I didn't know. Something mysterious.

I walked back. Ran, actually, to the field.

The Alpha was addressing the pack and when I glanced at my wristwatch again, it was 11:40.

The day had ended, and I was already preparing my mind for whatever was coming.

Cassian Thorne or not.

The breeder or not.

I knew I would somehow, survive and if not, I would take it as my destiny.

“We all know Elana, right?" The Alpha announced on top of his voice and the malice in his tone jerked me back to reality.

The pack made noises—whispers and mocking laughters followed.

I was standing alone in the area since no one would stand or even seat around me.

"She clocked twenty two years of age, last week and for four years, she's been unmated.” Another gut-wrenching laughter tore from the gathering.

"So today, I make my declaration…" Please, Selena.

Please, let Vance's report be untrue. I'd be fine if it turned out he made that story up.

I looked forward and among the elders, I spotted Vance. On his right, Melissa sat with a smirk.

“Tonight, I shall pronounce the fate of Elana Lancelot, daughter of Late Marie Lancelot." My chest pounded as his voice broke thought the haze in my brain.

My fate.

He declared “my fate". “She shall become Cassian Thorne's breeder."

A pang of fear shot through me. Breeder?

His declaration wasn't sudden, but… a part of me was still believing it'd be a lie.

Vance was gone from the elders, Melissa's smile was wide— as though she'd just accomplished her life's dream.

Father Greyman's grey eyes met mine… they were void of emotions.

"Alpha, please….”I threw myself to the ground, my voice tearing out of my throat.

"Have mercy, Alpha.”

The entire pack laughed. Their laughter overshadowed my pleas, and everything went silent again.

Then—

"Take her immediately!" The Alpha barked.

I turned and there were three hefty men.

From their scent, they were Lycans—an higher breed from regular werewolves.

Obviously, they were Cassian's men from their looks and the terrifying scars on their faces.

If the rumour of Cassian was true, then I was about to be marked.

Not the regular werewolf marking, but the physical type where his name would be carved or scarred into my skin.

I was no match for even one of them. They held me up, even as I struggled.

My wrists and ankles were trapped to a chair that looked like it was made from the heaviest wood in history.

“Please." My voice was weak and dry of energy. My throat could barely bring out words.

One of them lifted the knife, examining it with a slight demonic smile on his face.

Everywhere was quiet, except for the fast pump of my heart that echoed loudly in my ears and the sounds of me wriggling my wrists beneath the straps.

This was it.

I shut my eyes tight, tears pouring down as every muscle in me surrendered.

Even if I broke free, no one would save me.

They'd catch me.

I felt the blade on my stomach—sharp enough that the next slight movement would cut my skin open.

I bit down on my jaw, waiting for the next movement, but it never came.

Instead, it fell off my skin and the next thing I could hear was someone's knees buckling and hitting the ground with a loud thud.

A loud scream tore from everyone around. I opened my eyes and the man who held the knife was on the ground, and his head had been sliced off.

It was still rolling on the ground, blood spilling from his neck veins to my face.

How? What happ—

Then a man walked in, with a sword in his hand. From his physique and how the crowd drew back despite the long inches between them, he did it.

The air thickened with danger as he closed the distance.

One the Lycan men picked the knife, about to mark me but he threw his blade at the Lycan, with just enough precision to make the blade fall from his hand.

Then he growled “Back away from my mate now!"

Mate?

Was that me?