CHAPTER 1: The Beginning Of An End

***RENA***

“You look so beautiful,” Thalia, my best friend said, tears threatening to spill.

“Don't,” I begged with my eyes, “if you cry, I'll cry and we don't want our makeup getting ruined, so please don't,” I begged and she nodded with a smile, trying her best to push back the tears.

“I can't believe it, you know Rena?” Thalia uses her hands to fan her eyes.

“I can't either, I mean, this isn't fully all I've always wanted, but the moon goddess has granted a huge part of it,” I said, almost teary, I also began to fan my eyes with my hands.

“I would say she granted you all,” she said with a smile. I shot her a glare and she burst out laughing.

“Okay okay,” she raised her arms, surrendering, “Maybe you're right, but you're wolfless and still got to get married to the brother of the alpha, a beta?” she pointed out, “Now tell me if that isn't so perfect after all,” she added and I nodded, she was indeed right.

“Rena? Could you give me a moment?” she asked, “I don't mean to leave you alone, but I have some things to sort out,” she said, glancing at her phone.

“What? Who's texting you?” I said as I attempted to glance at her phone, but the weight of my wedding gown stopped me, not before I caught a glimpse.

“Ouuuuu! Who sent you ‘let's get married?’ is my best friend in some relationship I don't know of?” I teasingly asked and her face just turned white as though she'd seen a ghost.

“Oh no Rena, nothing of such,” she laughed weirdly, “Gotta go now, make sure they touch up your makeup before coming down the aisle with your dad,” she said as she hurried to grab her things, then came to hug me “Mwah,” she mouthed a kiss, and dashed out the door, leaving me to my thoughts.

I sat in my chair, patiently waiting for my father, my hand found its way to my stomach, and placing my palm on my belly, I smiled. I was going to tell Andrew tonight about it, about the baby that had been growing inside of me for the past month.

“Milady?” the young maid who had been helping me out with the dress and makeup called behind me, I turned to look at her and she looked horrified.

“You might want to see this milady,” she said, I raised an eyebrow at her and she swallowed hard.

“Spill, what will I want to see?” I demanded.

“Your father…” she began and my heart skipped a beat, with the horror on her face, and as her voice trembled, I knew it wasn't something good, I rose to my feet, “Your father, he…he…”

“SPILL!” I ordered.

She closed her eyes tightly, “He’s been captured and about to be executed outside,” she sadly said in a low tone, but I heard her quite alright, without waiting to hear the rest, I dashed past her and out of the room.

The maid ran to meet up with me and soon, we were running side by side, I got out to the balcony of the floor I was on, and truly, my father was being paraded and mishandled.

“What… what's happening??” I stuttered.

“Alpha Conry is dead,” the maid answered, the crowd cheered and murmured as my father was being paraded through the street, people spat at him, and threw rotten food.

“And what's that got to do with Father?” I asked, confused.

“Milady… It's been rumored that your father killed the alpha and his arrest was ordered,” she said.

My head quickly did the maths, if Alpha Conry was dead, then the only person the whole of Credence Wood would be answering to would be Andy, my husband-to-be today, Andrew.

“And who ordered my father's arrest knowing fully well I'm to be the new Luna?” I asked the maid and her face fell.

“Beta… I mean, Alpha Andrew himself ordered your father's arrest,” she said and without paying her any mind, I rushed out of the balcony and back into the building. Andy was somewhere here, I just had to find him and explain father's innocence to him. 

I ran as far as my legs could carry me, his room was at the other end of the castle, and soon, I reached his place, but the sound coming out of his room made me utterly forget why I was there.

I peeped through the door and was met with a horrific sight, my husband Andrew, and my best friend, Thalia, naked on the bed, in the act. 

“BITCHHHHHHH!!!!” I yelled lunging forward at Thalia who was riding Andrew’s cock hard and mercilessly. I threw her off his hard length and we entered a tussle, dragging at her hair and she dragging at mine. 

“One would think you're here for your father,” Andrew said in a bored tone as he sat up on the bed, my brain clicked and I remembered Dad. No, I wasn't here to fight Thalia but to save my dad. I immediately detangled from Thalia, got up, and ran to Andrew's side.

“Yes, yes you are right. My father, he needs your help, we need to save him, he's been wrongfully accused,” I rushed, begging him with my eyes, “I mean, he's said to have killed your brother, you know that's not true right? Father adores the alpha, it's impossible,” I added, falling to my knees.

“He should be dead by now,” Andrew said and looked at his wristwatch while Thalia just started laughing maniacally.

Then it hit me, he was talking about my father.

I rushed out in my wedding dress again, trying to find my way to the nearest balcony so I could take a look at what was going on outside. Then I saw it, the horrific sight before me. 

The executioner had driven out father's heart, he stood there, tied to the pole, limp, dead. I felt different emotions surge through me, my happiest day had turned into the saddest.

“And you will be hunted down next,” I heard Andrew hiss into my ear from behind. I flinched.

“Find his wolfless abomination,” the crowd yelled, followed by different people chorusing my name.

“There she is!” someone pointed at me from the balcony and my heart jumped out of my chest.

I turned behind me to look at Andrew, for some help, but nothing came.

Then with a wicked smile, Thalia said, “Run Rena, run, you are now being hunted.” 

And I did just that.

Passing through the back where the crowd wasn't coming through, I left the castle and rushed into the forest, which was the easiest route to lead to our neighboring pack.

“Get her!!!!!!!!!!” I heard war cries behind me. But I won't give up, not now that I have something to live for.

I galloped as far as my legs could carry me, but not as fast as the wolves behind me. They were closing in fast. The more I ran, the more my mind drifted to the tales my father talked about—what life looks like outside the kingdom. He always talked about four Alphas who committed unspeakable acts against a single woman.

I kept running, unable to stop. Not now that I have something to protect—an innocent life growing inside me.