5

CHAPTER FIVE

ANDREA'S POV 

The dungeon's walls sent chills straight to my core. The cold air braced my flesh, locking me in an embrace that drove air out of my lungs. My nostrils flared as I glanced around the room. The only thing that kept me warm was the heat of their gazes.

The peering group of prisoners and the rogues standing across the clearing all stared at me longingly. 

“Why are you here, Luna?!”

A voice beamed.

I shivered. The chills lodging into my chest doubled, making me run hand into my hair to fix the messy strands. My face paled. My fingers shook. 

My nostrils flared. I sniffed. 

If mischief had a scent, it was that.

The voice that had just spoken bounced off the walls, echoing repeatedly. 

I knew better than to respond to it.

The dungeon was filled with wolves of shady nature. They all stared at me with cold dark eyes that scared me out of my wits. The scrutiny in their gazes plunged at my sides.

Ignoring the words shot at me, I made my way atop shaky legs to a corner in the dungeon, and sat on the ground there hoping and praying to the moon goddess that none of them would trouble me during my stay here. 

That didn't work.

“Why are you here, shiny pearls?”

A voice mocked.

I quivered, clutching a handful of my dress's linen. “What do you want?”

“What do I want?”

The eyes of the lady standing in front of me darkened. She paused, glanced back at the terrifying pack of ladies behind her. An intense fog of silence canopied the air.

My heart raced. I let out a shaky breath, hoping I hadn't asked a question that'd have me killed before I got out of the dungeon. Clutching a handful of my dresses, I waited for them to say something.

Anything.

Nothing came. 

I swallowed. Hard. 

When they finally made a sound, it was a thick ripple of laughter. Mocking laughter.

She turned back to face me and I caught the bright gleams of malice in her eyes. “I want you to speak up, that's what I want.” 

Her eyes pinned mine. I dragged my bum against the hard floor while scooching away from her. She placed purposeful steps towards me and paused just before me.

“It seems you aren't going to speak, ugh?”

Her hand grabbed my hair before I could react. I felt her grip on it tighten as she swirled it around her fists before yanking. I moved to my feet, trying to get up and defend myself when I heard a voice.

“I heard the dungeon keeper gossiping when they brought her in. She killed the alpha's unborn pup. Such a monster.”

Mumbling ensued. Gasps floated in the air. 

I met the cold hard gaze of the lady whose hand gripped my hair. “T-that is a lie.” I muttered with a shaky lip. “The… They framed me, I swear.”

My stammers didn't get any emotion out of her. Her emotionless eyes gleamed brighter as she clenched her fists and flashed them at me. I let out a shaky breath, hovering backwards when all of a sudden, I heard a voice.

“Hey, Scarlett. Get away from her!”

The other inmates gasped and turned towards the direction the voice came from. I did too. The lady standing across the room looked bold. Tall. Strong. Beautiful.

She had long raven black hair like mine. She strolled towards us and paused a few steps away from Scarlet who let out a growl. I could feel her wolf steering on the surface. It was obvious she’d let it take control.

However, the lady standing in front of me didn't seem fazed. Her expression hardened and I watched her hover closer to Scarlet staring deep at her eyes with her sharp jarring ones. I noticed soft changes in Scarlet's expression, it softened within seconds— almost as if she wasn't just growling a second ago. 

It all felt surreal. 

“Get away.”

I expected another growl to tear through Scarlet's lips but she didn't utter a single word. Only a nod. With that, she turned to leave and strutted off the next minute.

I was confused, surprised and amazed by the sight. The rage bubbling in my chest left no room for me to digest my emotions before the lady walked towards me and beamed, “Follow me.”

I asked, “To where?”

“Somewhere safe from Scarlett and her group of ruthless mutts.”

She led me to a deep corner of the dungeon. I followed. Once we got there, I glanced around. Scarlett and her group were out of eyeshot. 

“About that, how did you get Scarlet to go? I saw what you did. The tricks you pulled are unclear.”

She sat on the floor, tapping on the side close to her in a signal for me to do the same. “I don't really use my powers often b—”

I cut her short midway, “Powers?”

She rolled her eyes. “If you did know, I'm a lycan.”

I gasped. Lycans and werewolves were sworn enemies. I expected my wolf to react to her confession but for some reason, she didn't react. Didn't squirm. Didn't howl. Just stayed silent.

Snapping back into reality, I listened close to the rest of her words. “There's something called a Lycan command. It's an ability Lycans possess. It's used over everyone but their mates. The moon goddess gifted us with it. I'm Rosa, one of the..”

She hesitated, glancing around. “I’m the Lycan king, Darius's informant. We have our territory which is hidden from the naked eye. He’s decided to take back some of the territories that the werewolves had stolen from his father. As a child, his father fell to the ground by an arrow from the werewolves. They took all of his territories, made their packs and now, he’s ready to take back all that belongs to him and sadly, this pack is among them.”

My lips cracked into a smile— one I sure as hell didn't feel guilty of. I warned Micheal about the possibility of the attack. Like he always did, he'd thrown my contribution under the rug.

I blinked at her. “I'm guessing that's the east border. That's the weakest link.”

Rosa's eyes lit up, “Yes. You're almost too smart to be Luna to a dickhead like Micheal.”

I shrugged, “I barely hold that position anymore. His new partner, my handmaiden and best friend, has it.”

Just then, I heard the sound of the pack’s trumpet. It was loud, signifying an urgent meeting. I didn't need to think twice to know what it was about.

Micheal had probably just been told Madeline lost the ‘baby’ and now, he wanted to deal with me.

I was called out of the dungeon shortly and was led in metal head cuffs to the pack hall. The air was heavy when I got there. 

“Kneel!”

Michael's voice beamed with rage. I could barely see the color in his eyes. They were hooded. “You killed my heir. How dare you?! I'm going to make you pay.”

“I didn't do that—” 

I tried to explain when I heard his voice beamed. “Guards. Hold her.”

All of a sudden, several hands gripped me. “Let go of me. Why are you holding me?”

I kicked and screamed before staring up at him. “I didn't do it. I promise.”

The look on his face told me he'd rather believe a liar over me. I didn't bother trying. 

Michael's scent filled my nostrils and from the little sight I got, I noticed his dark shoes walking towards me. He paused just before me, “Hand me the whip.”

His voice was cold.

“For killing my son, I'm going to have you whipped ten times with the thorn whip. I hope the scars each whip embed into your flesh serve as a warning to never touch what's mine. Also, your position as Luna will be given to Madeline and you'd be banished as soon as the sun rises.”

I gasped. “I can't believe you’d do this to me, Michael. I love—” I paused then corrected myself. “Loved you.”

I didn't allow him to speak, so I went on. “I did everything as Luna. I even did your duties as alpha. I did everything I could. I obeyed your rules, served you for years and this is how you betray me?”

He didn't respond. Instead, he tightened his grip on the thorned whip even more. The last person the whip was used on didn't make it. Was this what he wanted for me?

“But you know I might not make it.”

A cruel laugh rolled out of his lips. “That's the point, Andrea.”

He struck the first whip. A correct latch against my back. I screamed. Before I could recover, I felt the second. Then the third. Fourth. Fifth. Sixth. Seventh. Eight.

My vision became hazy at this point, I struggled to think straight. I felt all energy fade from my veins.

I was barely holding up. Blood dripped from the spots the whip had left. I felt sick to the stomach. If I received one more whip, I was sure I'd pass out again and this time, die almost immediately.

I glanced up at Micheal. “Please help me, Micheal.”

He glanced up at me and eyed me with an icy glare. I heard Madeline's voice in the background. “Won't she die already?”

Following it, I saw the whip soar into the heir about to strike when all of a sudden, I felt the world come to a halt. Everything except for me froze. The whip hung in the hair. Unmoving. So did Micheal. And Madeline. And all the pack members. 

All except for him.

That man.

A tall, towering figure strolled into the scene with dark hazel eyes, striking silver hair falling down his back and a muscled build. He strolled casually into the scene with a pack of warriors.

It wasn’t until he got close enough that I noticed something. They weren't werewolves. Lycans.

“They are lycans.”

Akasha’s voice startled me as she growled. I felt her stir in my veins and this time, I did allow her to ask for permission to take control before I gave it to her. I heard her howl while I stayed in my body, watching the sight of the tall, towering dangerous man in front me.

My back straightened under Akasha's control. My fists clenched. I positioned them in the air while growing at him.

He didn't look fazed. He had a calm to him that reminded me of something. I've seen that calm somewhere. I tried to remember but failed to pin it on a particular memory.

He continued walking towards me. I wanted to cover backwards. Hey didn't allow it. Before I could catch my breath, he gripped me, turned me on my back and pushed me against the nearest wall.

“How are you resisting my powers?”

“It just doesn't work on me.” I struggled to speak as I felt the heat of his body radiate over me. I felt 

He flipped me back, “Omega, ugh? I want you to confess this instant or I'll—”

I was listening closely to his words for a second and then the next, I lodged it of all connections to reality the instant his scent hit me. I felt my skin heat up as I felt my nipples pebbled.

“What's going on?” I tried to send a message through the mind link but it didn't work. She was going in heat for him. This monster.

I stared into his eyes and noticed they were also softening. The world around us was slowly going back to how it was like his freezing powers were wearing off. He was distracted.

Just before the beam of a voice cut through the air, I heard it. “Mate.” His voice was heavy.

My heart raced. No. No. This can't be happening.

“Your powers are wearing off, master Darius.”

The sound of his name jerked me out of thoughts. I choked on a breath, “Darius?”

He was the same man Rosa spoke of. The lycan king. 

He whipped his head backwards and I noticed Rosa was standing beside him. “Start the attack immediately!”

Rosa nodded and sprung into action. He turned to me, gripping my neck. “As much as I want to kill you, a part of me wants to keep you. You have the option of picking between being my concubine or staying here.”

He gestured to the chaos. 

I swallowed. “Concub-—”

Akasha stopped me. “We don't have time. Pick.”

I thought hard about it before speaking. “I accept!”

I’ve had to leave through many regrets. I just hoped he wasn't one of them.