Chapter two- Out of breath

Even though I had never seen Thor, just the thought of how he looked made me nervous. It was even worse when I recalled the stories that I had heard over the years about him.

Feeling frightened, I dropped back on my bed, lying flat on my back as a groan escaped my lips.

"My Luna! Iris! Is everything okay?" Rona cried in a distressed tone. "Do you feel sick or tired? Is the grape not to your liking, my Luna?!"

"No. I just hate my reality right now, and wish to stay here until I join my uncle, ma, and pa on the other side." I cried out, feeling my tears escaping from the corners of my eyes.

"Please don't say such a thing, my Luna," Rona said as she looked at me worriedly. "The elders only want you to finally see Thor because he was your uncle's important prisoner and our pack leverage on the Storm Riders Pack."

Life is so miserable. It's been only a month, and I suddenly have all this pressure piling up on my duties as the pack leader.

The elders had been bugging me for a while now about hosting a party for all the eligible alphas to attend so that I could choose a mate, forcing me into attending meetings to discuss strategies to defend the pack, and now, they want me to visit Thor! When do I get a break?

Drawing a deep breath, I pushed aside my emotions, sat up, and ran my finger into my hair, pushing my loosened strings away from my face as I mumbled, "Is that the only reason the elders want me to meet him?"

"I'm not following, my Luna. Forgive me, but what are you asking?" Rona mumbled with a dumbfounded expression.

"There have been rumors that after my uncle's death, some rogues of the Storm Riders Pack have become bolder and have crossed the boundaries of our territories."

"Huh?"

"Is the Storm Rider pack becoming a threat to us again because of the new change in leadership… because of me?"

Although I already knew the answer, I wanted to hear it from Rona because the elders weren't trusting me with much information at this stage, and she has more freedom to the outside world than I do.

"It's true. The rogues have become more daring since your uncle died." Rona mumbled, her eyes giving away the fear that she felt.

Now, all that the elders have been dragging me through made perfect sense. The party and battle planning, everything was because the elder knew that the chance of war was a bit closer than far.

But is it a war that I want? For many years, my pack has undergone brutal battles and other packs have suffered too because of the constant wars among our kind, and although it is the way that it has always been, I didn't want to go down that path as my parents and family did.

If the rogues were becoming bold, that means they didn't fear me because I wasn't my uncle. But since that's the case, I could stop the bloodshed by other means, earning Thor's trust.

Even though it's a far stretch, an alliance is better than a bloody war that could take away someone's loved one, as it did to me and many others.

My fear of Thor was real, and yet my desire for peace outweighs that. So, I looked at Rona and said, "I'm ready to get dressed."

After taking a warm shower and getting clothed by Rona, I headed out of my chamber and left the mansion.

The White Fang pack territory was breathtaking and glorious with fortresses that were brought into existence by years of my ancestors' sweat and deaths. It would be a shame to allow it to lay in ruins because of war.

That's why, my mind is made up to make things right with Thor, no matter how scary he and the stories about him are.

After reaching the dungeon, I kept my chin held high for a while. But the smell of the place had me, covering my nose with my hand within a second.

"My, Luna. What are you doing down here?" A Beta said, his tone extremely humble.

"To see slave number one," I calmly uttered, still burying my nose in my palm.

"You shouldn't be in such a place. If you want to see him, we can chain him up and bring him to you."

"No. What I have to tell him, I would rather say it to his face."

When I reached Thor's cell, I looked ahead at the dark figure in the corner of the room and commanded, "Open the gate!"

"Yes, My Luna!" A guard hastily uttered as he rushed over to the gate.

Then he took the lock in his hand, unlocked it, and pushed the gate open before stepping aside.

A feeling of hesitation ceased me as I swallowed hard. Then I deeply inhaled and walked into the cell, stopping in front of Thor, shackled up in heavy chains on his wrist.

The dirt on his burly physique could not mask his refinement and the dominance of his scent. Even in such miserable conditions he still had a powerful presence.

His body had gashes marks on his skin, and knowing how quickly alpha heals, I could only imagine the amount of beating he must have gotten this morning for him to have cuts in his flesh so deep and fresh.

Staring down at Thor, I realized that he refused to look up at me and kept his head bent. But I felt curious to take a look at his eyes to see if the rumors were true about them being cold and dark.

So I squatted to the floor, leaned towards his face, placed my hand beneath his chin, and raised his head.

Staring into his eyes, I realized that the rumors were right. There was no soul behind them, and they were indifferent, filled with hate and coldness.

Yet I couldn't stop staring into his eyes as my lips pulled upward into a soft smile. Suddenly, Thor grabbed me by my neck, squeezing his fingers tightly as I struggle to breathe.