Chapter One

Valentine jerked up and gasped. It was a dream. It was all a dream. Had her life been so miserable than she'd started dreaming of death?

She didn't want to die. At least not by hanging. Her eyes scanned her environment. The same old cell. The dark stinking place that reminded her of every wrong decision she took in life.

She looked just the way her mother had in the dream. Battered and dirty. She stood weakly and the chains dangled after her. Tears built up in her eyes. This wasn't the life she choose for herself.

It wasn't the life she was supposed to have. She hurt him. She ruined him. She made him sink deeper into his darkness. She had a choice and she choose the world over him. She destroyed the pieces of him she managed to gather.

'I, Valentine Fernando, hereby reject you as mate'. She remembered the words clearly.

'What makes you think I'd choose you over them? Who chooses insanity over sanity?'. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her defiant voice screamed in her head.

'I'm not yours, Eric. Tell your moon goddess she made a terrible mistake'.

She regretted it all. She regretted everything. She let her stubbornness ruin her. Now he was gone and she wasn't sure he was coming back. Earlier when fate turned her back on him, he'd retreated into the towers to hide his pain from the world. Now she'd hurt him, he had probably left for good.

"Please Eric...forgive me. Give me another chance to make things right" She sobbed holding to the bars. There was no one. Not a single soul outside her cell. She was hungry and weak. She couldn't even remember how she ended up there.

All she could think was how perfect her life would have been. How happy she was ten months ago. Then she heard heavy footsteps. All she could make out from the dark was the tall built figure advancing towards her cell.

As he got closer, her heart pounded. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. Those fierce amber eyes that she once fell in love with. He stared at her while she trembled.

"E...Eric?" She stuttered but he kept staring with the same emotionless face he had when she first met him. Emotions and memories flashing between them as they stared at each other.

TEN MONTHS AGO

Valentine ran through the local market bumping and apologising to people. She knew exactly what she was doing. A grin settled on her lips as she made it home.

She emptied her pockets and clothes. Rings, bracelets, money, earrings and much more. This was going to make a big day for her tomorrow. The jewelries alone could cover her rent.

She checked the time and sighed. Her mother was yet to be back. She left by dawn and now it was almost dusk. Where the hell was she?

"I'm so hungry. She should have been back to make dinner. That woman, I wonder what mischief she's up to this time" She sighed.

She made it to the kitchen and prepared dinner. After setting the table, her mother was still yet to be back. She began to panic. This was highly unusual. Her mother would never stay out this late no matter how busy she was.

Grabbing her coat, she stepped out of the house to go in search of her. She didn't have to look far cause her mother came running to her.

"Mom?" Valentine called in surprise.

"Run, Val. Run!" Her mother yelled running towards her.

Run? Why did she have to run? Who was chasing them? That was when Valentin saw the fierce blue eyes. It wasn't one or two or three. Whatever was chasing them was huge. She took to her heels with her mother behind her.

Soon, she heard only her footsteps. She looked back but sure enough, her mother wasn't behind her. She stopped immediately.

"Mom?" She called but a growl responded behind her. She turned and nearly lost balance. It was a wolf. A huge one with scary blue eyes. She dashed further into the words with a pounding heart. She could hear it panting behind her.

She swerved to the right hoping to loose it but she was dead wrong. Another jump on her from the side, pinning her underneath it. She struggled to get it off but it wouldn't budge. She was scared. Very scared. Especially when it revealed it's teeth.

She heard more growls and in a flash, they were surrounded. The wolf got off her and she nearly peed in her pants.

"Seize her" It spoke and she almost passed out. It spoke! A wolf just spoke! This couldn't be happening. This wasn't the time for stupid hallucinations. She hadn't even seen its mouth move! Until one of them transformed and she fainted.

She woke up in a really dark place. It smelt pretty bad too. She tried standing but the dangling of chains drew her attention to where she was. She couldn't move her hands freely either.

"Val?" Her mother called and she quickly looked around. She could barely see a thing.

"Mom? Where are you?" Valentine asked. She felt a hand on her shoulder and quickly turned.

"Mom!" Valentine gasped and hugged her as tightly as the chains could permit her.

"I thought I lost you. Where are we? Why is it so dark here? And how did we get here?" She asked.

"The wolves brought us here. It's my fault, Val. I shouldn't have. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this" the woman sobbed but Valentine was yet to assimilate her words. Wolves? The talking ones? She thought she just was having another bad dream.

"Who are they? And why are we in chains?" Valentine asked.

"Werewolves" She replied.

"Were what? I thought they were myths? No, this is not happening. How did you even end up with them? What did you do mom?" She asked trying to make sense of everything.

"I kinda stole from their....Alpha".

Valentine couldn't believe her ears. Her mother did what?! How did she even meet their Alpha?

Her head was hurting already. She had to many questions.

"How? Who's their Alpha? How am I involved in this?".

Her mother was about to reply when the door opened. Before Valentine could blink, she was thrown over someone's shoulders and carried out of the cell.

"Let me go. Who are you? Let go of me" She yelled hitting him but he didn't budge. Outside, she realised she was the only one the took. Her mother was still in there. He pushed open a set of double doors and threw her in.

"Fuck you" Valentine spat as he shut the doors. Her whole body hurt. Her eyes scanned the room but it was empty. It was just a very big hall with lots of seats. She felt eyes on her but she couldn't tell whose. She didn't even see anyone.

"Hello?" She called and her voice echoed. No reply came. If they were going to keep her here, they should at least take off the chains. There were lots of goodies she could pocket. Like the gold statues lined on the high tables. Maybe even some of the big statues too.

Her hands itched to pick something but she couldn't shake off the feeling someone was watching her. Then her mother was thrown in as well. She was glad she wasn't facing it alone.

"Why are we here?" She asked.

"Shhhhh! He's here" Her mother whispered. She rolled her eyes.

"So what if he's here. I won't be punished for a crime, I know nothing about. He can hear all he wants" Valentine scoffed.

"Quiet, Val. We don't want to anger him."

"Then I'm angered as well. Those bunch of animals attacked me. They took me against ,y will. Isn't that punishable by their stupid law?" She raised her voice.

"Valentine!" Her mother scolded.

"No, mom. They're the ones to be in chains not me. I'm not the one who turns wild and attack people. Even the gold we steal in the local markets is worth more than whatever you might have stolen yet they don't keep us chained like dogs. Right, how could I have forgotten? We're in the midst of savages" She snorted.

"Enough!" A voice thundered and they shivered. Valentine knew there and then she had gone a little too far. Whatever punishment they deserved was double now.