Chapter Two

I sat in the rattling prison cell that reeked of damp stones, stale sweat, and death. The walls were made of scorching silver bars. This wasn't a place to just hold werewolves; it was made to break one.

The only sound was the faint drip of water somewhere in the darkness, with only a faint light flickering along the creepy walls.

The cell door was left wide open, my hands unrestrained—an attempt from the guards to showcase how weak and a mutt they knew I was. Yet I was still being accused of killing a fully trained Luna.

I could barely fight an infant with my inability to shift. I had no werewolf side to possess the strength that they had. I would have doubted my genes if my foster parents and the Luna hadn't assured me numerous times that I smelled like a werewolf and therefore had to be one.

I hugged my hands around myself as I felt my red eyes beneath the green lenses I always wore glowing in the dark. I dug my nails into my palms tightly, forcing them to stop, afraid of myself.

This always happened whenever I was upset or overwhelmed about something. There were moments when I really did believe I was a monster.

I tried to concentrate and recall what had transpired in the last twenty-four hours, searching desperately for anything to prove myself innocent.

~~~~~~~~

I sat there on the floor, cold and starving for days. I stopped counting after the fourth day, my human mind dulling from weakness.

The creeping sound of descending shoes filled my ears, and I stiffened. I knew who it was before he spoke.

“Valerie.” His deep voice called, but I did not move. I refused to cling to any hope from him.

“Why come at all?” I croaked out. Speaking was painful.

“I wanted to come see how you were faring myself,” Lucas informed me, and my back straightened anxiously.

“What do you think?” I whispered, turning to face the man who was once my world.

“Your eye has stopped swelling, at least,” he said with a casual shrug, and I felt a strong need claw at my chest.

I took a good look at this Lucas that I failed to see, and what was left of the Lucas I grew up knowing.

“You knew I didn't do it,” I stated, my own words startling me from my observation.

“Of course, my dear Valerie.” He chuckled softly, playing with his fingertips. “You're a dimwit. You can barely do anything right, no less kill my mother.” Lucas said, and my stomach churned. I felt sick.

“Why?” I whispered, my fingers trembling and my mind reeling, unease settling deep within me. “You said you were my mate. You said you felt it.” I stumbled over my words from the sickening feeling in my chest.

A look of annoyance crossed Lucas's face, and then he hissed. “This is why you're a dimwit, Valeriana. I did it because I could. You made it so easy. I had fun.” He threw his head back in laughter like my world wasn't being uprooted from underneath me.

“Your mother is dead,” I breathed out, feeling bile rise up my throat.

I had no idea anything Lucas still had to say would be able to knock the breath out of me any more than it already had, but his next words had my blood freezing.

“I know. I killed her.” A wild glint of satisfaction passed through his eyes.

“What?” My heart was racing so hard, my voice lodged up in my chest like a stone. He wouldn't. My palm grew slick with sweat.

“See, she was being a nuisance. I was trained all my life to do only one thing, and that's to be the next Alpha. I worked really hard—you know. And they were about to take it all away from me, steal my birthright, replace me with him.” Lucas suddenly snarled, and I moved back in fear, my wide eyes staring back at him.

“Replace you with who?” I whispered again, speaking to him like the madman he was acting like.

“That dirty offspring in her belly.” I felt my heart squeeze in pain for the Luna. “All of a sudden, I was no longer good enough to be Alpha. I had to eliminate them.” Lucas recounted, his lips curling into a devilish trophy smile—looking out of his mind.

“They were your parents.” I screamed out, mortified sobs rippling through my chest, in pain for the Alpha and Luna’s suffering. The Alpha immediately lost his mind and went rogue after his mate's death—that his own son was responsible for.

“They betrayed me.” Lucas barked, slamming his hands angrily against the bars, and the next second my face whipped to the side, thick blood pooling at my lips.

Both our fueled panting filled the damp cell.

“Your execution will be carried out tonight. Do not cause a scene and just cooperate. We have important guests present,” Lucas snarled before storming out of the cell.

I clutched my aching face. I could almost feel how pale my face was.

I was only a plaything to him—a means to an end. A scapegoat that he would use to exercise his authority and secure his Alpha seat before the Alpha King.

A cold shiver ran down my spine at the thought of the deadliest man in the Kingdom being present to watch my execution.

I realized now what the need clawing at my chest earlier was—it surely was the great desire to tear Lucas into pieces for his deceit, lies, betrayal, and for how much of a show he was making my death.

At the sight of the midnight sky, the guards dragged me across the floor roughly, pulling me to my imminent death.

My pulsing heart only seemed to increase the moment we got to the open pack grounds decorated just for big gatherings.

The entire ground went dead silent. I could feel their hateful eyes boring into every inch of my skin, causing my knees to grow weak in fear.

The bonfire in the middle of the field sparkled brightly under the night sky as the guards tied me against a pole as if preparing me for a sacrifice.

My chest heaved with heavy breaths. I didn't want to die a coward, but I could not curb my trembling body. I was certain they could all smell my thick fear, and they were all pleased to see me miserable.

“Welcome to the Ravenwood pack Annual Festival ceremony.” I heard Lucas's voice boom from behind me, but I couldn't see him.

Something was wrong.

I could feel it. Something didn't feel right with me.

My skin grew hotter by the second until it began to burn, and it felt like something needed out. My nails dug painfully into my palm, I wanted my hands freed so I could claw at my chest to let it out.

Something was so wrong, and it paralyzed me with fear.

Unease crept into the atmosphere like a fog. I had no werewolf ability, but even I could smell the lingering doom of the aura that now filled the pack grounds. It was unstable and unsettling, and I could feel every living werewolf's growing fear around me.

“M-my K-King, what is the m-matter?” I heard Lucas's apprehensive voice stutter, and my breath hitched.

I didn't know what pulled me out of my despair—until I felt it, a pulse in my chest that didn't belong to me.

Before my widened eyes could decipher what it was, the most terrifying voice any of us had probably ever heard thundered.

“UNTIE HER.”