THE ALPHA'S LUNA

The walk back to mansion felt like forever. I stayed limp in Jaxson's arms, my face buried in the silk lining of his coat. I didn't want to see the trees, the dirt, or his face! I didn't want to be see anything that reminded me of the girl who had been free just an hour ago.

Finally I could see the mansion ahead. The guards at the entrance didn't even blink as their alpha carried a naked, trembling woman through the front doors. They simply bowed.

"I can walk now," I whispered as we reached the staircase. 

"No, you can't," Jaxson replied. His voice wasn't angry anymore, it was possessive. He held me tighter, his fingers digging into my hip through the heavy coat. "You've had your fun for the night, Ava. From now on, you stay exactly where I put you."

He didn't take me back to my room. He took me to his.

The door clicked shut, and I swallowed nothing. He set me down on the edge of his massive,cold bed. I clutched his coat around me, staring at the floor.

"Tomorrow morning, the stylists arrive at five," he said, already nbuttoning his shirt as if I weren't there. " Don't bother trying the window again. There will be two guards stationed directly outside."

He walked over, tilting my chin up so I had to look into those burning golden eyes.

"Sleep, little wolf. Tomorrow, you officially become a queen. Try to look the part."

I waited until I heard the shower running before I let out a sob I'd been choking back.

Liam was safe, but I was gone.

I didn’t sleep. I spent the night staring at the ceiling, wrapped in Jaxson’s coat because I couldn't bring myself to touch his sheets. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look of disgust on Liam's face.

​At exactly 5:00 AM, the heavy double doors of the suite swung open without a knock.

​"Wake up, Luna! We have a schedule to keep!"

​A woman with a tight bun and a voice like a sergeant in, followed by a small army of people. Tailors, hair stylists, and makeup artists swarmed the room, wheeling in racks of silk and lace that looked more like silver armor than a wedding dress.

​"Out of bed, now," the lead woman commanded, clapping her hands. Before I could even protest, two women were pulling the coat off my shoulders.

​"Don't touch me!" I snapped, scrambling back against the headboard. My blood was boiling. I had just ruined my entire life, and these people were acting like it was a spa day.

​"The Alpha gave strict instructions," the woman said, her eyes cold and unimpressed by my outburst. "You will be bathed, your hair will be treated, and you will be fitted. We have four hours to turn... this... into a bride." She looked at my jagged, self-cut hair with a sneer.

​I felt a surge of pure fury. "I am not a doll. Get out! All of you!"

​The room went silent for a heartbeat. Then, the door to the ensuite opened. Jaxson stepped out, fully dressed in a crisp black shirt which did justice to his chest and muscles. 

​"Is there a problem?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

​"The Luna is being... difficult," the head stylist said.

​Jaxson walked over to the bed. He didn't look at the stylists; he looked only at me. The heat from his gaze made my skin crawl. He leaned down, his face inches from mine, and whispered so only I could hear.

​"You played your part last night, Ava. Don't ruin it now. If you don't cooperate with them, I’ll have to help them myself. And I don't think you want me stripping you in front of a crowd."

​I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached. I wanted to spit in his face. I wanted to shift and tear the lace off those expensive dresses. But the image of Liam’s car driving away flashed in my mind.

​I had already paid the price. There was no point in fighting a battle I’d already lost.

​"Fine," I spat, throwing the covers off and standing up. I felt like a prisoner being dressed for her own execution. "Do whatever you want. It won't change the fact that I hate every single one of you."

​Jaxson just smirked, a dark, victorious glint in his eyes. "Good. Hate is much more fun than boredom. Carry on."

​As he walked out, the army moved in. For the next three hours, I was poked, prodded, and painted. They worked on my hair, using extensions to hide the jagged edges I’d cut in my moment of rebellion. They scrubbed the forest dirt from under my nails until my skin was raw.

​Finally, they brought out the dress.

​It was heavy, encrusted with diamonds, and had a high, stiff collar that felt like a chokehold. As they laced the corset tight, squeezing the air out of my lungs, I realized this wasn't a wedding dress.

​It was a cage in a dress form.

The stylists finally pulled back, leaving me standing on a small pedestal. I turned slowly toward the full-length mirror, and for a second, I didn't recognize the woman looking back.

​The jagged, rebellious hair I had cut was gone, hidden under sleek, dark extensions that cascaded down my back. The diamond-encrusted dress was so heavy it felt like it was pinning me to the earth. I looked like a Queen, but my eyes looked like those of a ghost.

​The door opened, and my parents walked in. My father was wearing a suit that probably cost more than our old house, and my mother was draped in furs, looking around the room with greedy satisfaction.

​"Look at you," my mother breathed, coming closer to touch the lace on my sleeve. "I knew this was the right choice. You finally look like you belong here."

​"I look like a prisoner," I said, my voice dead.

​"Oh, stop the drama," my father snapped, adjusting his cufflinks. "You’ve secured this family’s future for the next hundred years. You should be grateful. Honestly, if your sister, Ella, were still alive, she would have understood the responsibility. She would have walked down that aisle with her head held high—"

​"Don't you dare," I hissed, spinning around to face them. The rage in my chest felt like a physical heat, almost making my inner wolf growl. "Don't you ever mention her name in this house. You sold me to a monster to save your own skin. Don't act like this is about Ella."

​My mother flinched back, but my father just narrowed his eyes. "Ella is gone, Ava. And you’re all we have left. Don't ruin this."

​They left without another word, leaving the air in the room feeling cold and thin.