• Chapter One - The Lynching

• Serena's POV •

I watched calmly as they dragged a seventeen-year-old girl through the mud towards her death. She clawed helplessly, begged, sobbed, fought but to no avail. She scraped her fingernails across the puddle of her own blood. Her chances of survival, almost nothing.

I couldn't even detect a speck of compassion as my father ruthlessly dragged around a girl my age. He didn't even flinch, he didn't stop no matter what she did. I watched my father's fingers getting entangled in her hair mercilessly as he yanked her above the ground. Her weak legs dangling in the air. Another wolf tied her arms behind her back. She was too weak, too little, too fragile for a middle-aged beta wolf. My father could snap her in half like a twig.

The thought made me smile a little. How would her body look torn in half? The blood spilled out? Her guts, out in the open for the birds and other animals to eat. What sound would her bones make? Crunching sound? Like when you step on crusty leaves?

The girl's father dropped to his knees, begging for mercy. The poor man looked miserable and powerless. He kissed on our Alpha's feet asking for forgiveness.

His daughter still dangling in the air. My father held her in a vice grip. She tried to kick my father, a very brave but incredibly stupid move by her. I'd prefer if she'd just give up, she was only making things difficult for herself. I didn't even feel an ounce of sympathy for her, she brought it upon herself. All of her father's pleadings were in vain.

The Alpha has ordered her execution.

Her fault?

Adultery...

I wonder if she is regretting those ten minutes of pleasure?

She was caught red-handed in the act of fornication with someone who isn't her mate.

Such a foolish girl!

More howls and roars filled my ears as my attention snapped towards the executioner. Beside him was the man with whom she committed the act.

His hands tied to his fronts, head bowed down in respect, kneeling on the ground as the blood poured down his body. He looked almost lifeless, weak, dead. Once a warrior wolf, now he was nothing but a malefactor. A disgraced, dishonorable, lowlife wolf.

Why? Why did they feel the need to love someone who isn't made for them? Why would they risk it all for some temporary pleasure? They should have considered themselves blessed. They had a choice. A choice to be with their destined half. A chance to love someone the moon goddess chose for them herself. They deserved to be executed and humiliated.

I looked to my side and saw Blaze...

My chosen mate... Chosen by the Alpha himself... From the day I was born I was betrothed to Alpha's son Blaze Ashford. He glanced back at me and a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Don't flinch, he'll know" I whispered

He dragged his hand under the table and held my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Keep holding my hand" he whispered back. "And I won't"

I smiled as we turned our attention back towards the execution. The disgraced warrior was now ready to be executed. My father forced opened the girl's eyes as they made her look at what they were doing to her lover.

The frightened, weak werewolf looked at his lover. "I LOVE YOU, MARY!" he screamed on top of his lung as he cried hard.

With a single swing of the executioner's sword, his neck fell off his body. His severed head rolled down on the ground until my father put his shining shoe on it. The rest of his body collapsed to the floor like a sack of potatoes with blood gushing out of it. 

The girl wailed harder than before. Tears rained down her dirty, mud-filled face.

Her sharp screams filled the area. "NOOO! JOHN!"

I could feel Blaze's grip tightening around my hand.

Holding the girl in one hand and picking up the severed head from the other, he showed it to the crowd. The wolves howled in appreciation causing a massive uproar.

Now, it was time for the girl. My father threw her in the crowd of warrior wolves. Within a few seconds, it was like she was never there. The hungry wolves ripped apart her body. All of her limbs were torn off one by one. They cut off her head as well before delivering it to my father.

He then took both of their severed pale heads and presented them to the Alpha. Placing them before his feet. My father turned towards the crowd and raised his fist and in an instant, the whole coliseum turned silent. All we could hear was the sound of light breathing. The crowd’s faces were a blur of countless expressions.

"THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE WHO DISOBEYS THE ALPHA'S COMMANDMENTS" my father's voice boomed throughout the coliseum.

The crowds jumped to their feet screeching with satisfaction. The applause from the mob was deafening. I scanned the area and saw no one, not even a single person that sympathized with the girl's father. They shouted curses at him, called him names, threw different objects in his direction. How dare he ask for mercy for his dirty, whore of a daughter.

I could see the love he had for his daughter in his eyes. I couldn't understand why he'd cry for a daughter who humiliated him in the entire kingdom.

How can a parent love their child so much?

It was foreign to me... A father's love. It was foreign to me and Blaze.

Then again, our life was far from normal, so, it really didn't matter to us.

He was Blaze Ashford, the future Alpha of the Eclipse Pack and I was Serena Black, the future chosen Luna of the Eclipse pack.

We had a duty, responsibility, and commitment to our pack and our pack only. We were the most feared and the fiercest pack in the entire realm. No one handed us the title of the most vicious pack, we earned it.

While the other packs were scurrying towards the human-made technology, we practiced dark magic. Anything from the outside world was considered an abomination. Our pack was old-fashioned and we followed our traditions. We had the most powerful witches out of all the realm. We kept them as slaves. They were tortured for hours on end to teach our children their magic.

Someone squeezed my hand and I turned to see Blaze looking at me confusedly. I looked back towards the middle of the coliseum and saw their dead bodies being set on fire.

Blaze stood up and it was my cue to stand up as well. He was my Alpha, my chosen mate.

"Let's go, you seem tired" he mumbled to me.

I politely smiled and shook my head. I knew he wanted to get out of here because he didn't have the stomach to endure any more torture for the poor souls. I couldn't understand how someone like him was the son of the most feared Alpha in the realm. I actually couldn't wait for the day he'd become the Alpha. He plans on diminishing every single punishment from the face of our pack.

I don't agree with him. He was too nice for his own good. A weak Alpha like him would be dethroned in a matter of seconds, that is why he had me.

I was ruthless.

He was merciful.

I liked the sight of spilled blood.

His stomach churned at the mere mention of it.

I liked watching the fear in people's eyes.

He preferred admiration and affection.

He cared for all the people around him.

I only cared for myself and him.

We were the polar opposite. He knew that. He knew I was a monster beneath my soft, fragile exterior but he still loved me, all of me... He loved me enough to reject his fated mate for me. Although it was expected from him and me. He has found his mate and he refuses to disclose the name. He rejected her the second he saw her and he told me he doesn't regret it.

Sometimes, I don't believe him. 

Sometimes, I think he only loves me because he doesn't want what our parents have, a loveless stale marriage. I feel like he loves me out of compulsion. He loves me because he has no other option. Because why a sweet, gentle guy like Blaze would love a monster like me.

Once more, I peeked back at the burning dead bodies and how people were chanting around it happily. I turned back to him. "Do you want to leave?"

He gave me a blank look. "What do you think?"

I nodded as we both made our way towards the exit. We walked out with a ranging stride, even and quick-paced. People stood up as we walked by and bowed their heads.

We made our way into the Alpha's Castle. It was enormous. For a moment I stopped to admire the castle’s height. An eight-story stone structure lined on all corners by turreted columns reaching to the sky. In the center stood the tallest tower, its top shrouded in clouds. It was an imposing sight, tall and grand, overlooking the bay.

The inside of the castle was more magnificent. Cold, hard marble floors, each tile chosen with purpose. Elegant curtain walls seemed to hum with impish delight. A dining hall that seated one hundred. A dramatic stairway leads towards a romantic gallery. Paintings by famous human artists hung on the walls.

It was all so beautiful.

My parents and I have lived here my whole life. My father was not only the beta and the most loyal subject of our Alpha but he was also his best friend. They grew up together in this very mansion. They got married to their chosen mates, not fated but chosen. They weren't allowed to fall in love. I still don't understand why... I thought being with your fated mated made you stronger, it made you powerful. Maybe, they would have been happier and wouldn't have transformed into these vengeful, vicious beasts.

Blaze held my hand firmly and walked me to his room.

Hypocrites — is what we were.

We just saw a couple getting lynched by a mob for committing adultery in the name of love and here we were, walking to his room, so, we could find comfort in each other's arms.

My wolf, Ashlyn, scowled in my head. She never got used to it, Blaze and I. She'd always made me feel terrible every time I'd spend the night with Blaze. She wanted me to wait. She wanted me to save myself but she didn't understand that there was no use. I was going to reject him the moment I will see him. It was expected of me and I was going to follow it.

Ashlyn could care less about being a Luna of this pack but I, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to be in power. It was the only thing that made me feel alive. I was a power-hungry bitch and I have accepted it instead of playing a good, naive little girl. I was born wicked and I owned it.

But still, Ashlyn is stubborn. She is a free spirit. She wants to go out in the world and look for our mate that the moon goddess chose for us. She wanted to be free. She had no desire to be a luna. She wanted to explore things, she wanted to explore the human world. Be something, be someone, she wanted us to have our own personality, she wanted me to find myself instead of turning into our parents.

My thoughts were interrupted by a gentle, hot kiss on the back of my neck. I closed my eyes as I savored his touch. He pulled the straps of my dress from behind one by one making it fall off my shoulders.

I opened my eyes and saw the reflection of my completely bare body in his bedroom mirror. As his large frame stood behind me, his face buried in my neck. He ran his large hands up and down my arms before they reached to my front and settled on my breasts.

With his skillful fingers, he tugged and twisted my nipples gently sending delicious tingles down my spine. One of his hands trailed down from between my breast and settled between my thigh, his long steepled fingers softly exploring.

It was us, just us... Blaze and Serena... Our wolves locked themselves deep into our minds completely giving up control of our human bodies.

He turned me swiftly towards himself immediately latching his lips on mine. I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders as he yanked me up in his arms. I encircled my legs around his waist. My heated core made contact with his erected clothed manhood and we moaned into each other's mouths. His hand squeezed my ass cheeks as he walked to his bed.

He gently laid me upon the white sheets and keeping his gaze locked with mine he undressed. My eyes admired his beautiful sculpted body. Standing beside the bed, he opened my legs and pulled me towards him. My body scooted closer to him, my upper body resting on the bed while my legs were loosely hanging over the edge. His large hand reached between my legs as I opened them wider for him. His thumb gently circled my clit and he pushed himself in.

I gasped as my face twisted. He tried to make it as comfortable for me as possible. He was a huge black alpha wolf, he was a beast, it was difficult to adjust to his size.

"Are you comfortable?" He questioned and I nodded before he moved into me a little more.

He moaned and clasped both of my thighs before moving into me more and more. He went on ramming into me in that position for a few minutes before I propped up on my elbows and told him to stop. His movement ceased immediately.

I reached for his shoulder and turned our positions, making him lay flat on the bed before I straddled him. I put my fingers into his mouth and he sucked on them impatiently. I slowly slid onto his length and started to roll my hips.

I liked being the one in power.

I pulled out my fingers from his mouth and ran my hands down his body. I scratched my nails all over his chest. He winced slightly but it got masked under his moans.

I leaned over him and gripped his face as I looked into his eyes. He squeezed them shut and threw his head back into the bed. I pick up the pace and I knew he was getting closer to his orgasm as I was close to. Within the next few minutes, I came hard and rode him through my orgasm.

He was close, too close... Veins popped out of his neck, I smirked as I pulled him out of me. His eyes snapped open and he looked at me with a frowned look. I took his girth and slowly moved my hand up and down. He moaned and threw his head back again.  I moved my hand up and down swiftly and when I saw him getting close again, I stopped. Denying him his orgasm once again. 

I got up from the bed and patted his face. "It was fun," I said as I walked towards the restroom.

"Oh, no, you didn't" I heard him getting up and whisper behind me.

He grabbed me from behind and pushed me into a wall. He positioned himself between my legs and entered me with one hard thrust.

My face was flat against the hard surface, my nails clawing the wall to find something to hold on to. His fingers gripped my pelvis as he pulled my ass onto his length. He groaned and pulled himself out before finishing on my back.

"I hate you" he whispered in my ear.

I smiled and then heard him chuckle as well. We then took a long hot bath together. He dried my hair and I dried his. He kissed me in between multiple times.

After our eventful evening, I lay in his bed, in his warm embrace. He wrapped both of his strong arms around me. It was funny how tiny I felt in his big, strong arms but everyone knew that I was the stronger one. He might be muscular but I had more power than him

He rested his head above mine. Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "Is it always gonna be like this, Serena?" His voice was tired, sad, referring to the couple that got beheaded and burnt earlier.

I glanced at his face and he looked down at me. I cupped his face and smiled. "I can't wait for the day you and I will rule this kingdom"

He smiled back. "Me too..."

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