Chapter One

ROWENA

My mother had begun to grow irritated with my fidgeting. My nerves could barely allow me to sit in one place. I was afraid and anxious of what the night had in store for me. 

Since sunset my mother kept herself busy trying to prepare me for tonight. “Look at this green cloak, my dear,” she had said to me. “It really brings out your eyes.” Or “Look at this pure sapphire necklace. It has been in the family for generations,” She said gleefully as she put the jewelry around my neck. “Women in our lineage wore it on the day of their matings. Then they would pass it on to their daughters or daughters in law when they are getting mated.” She kissed my rosy cheek. 

“And now it is my turn,” I mumbled under my breath. 

My voice echoed my inner feelings. I was confused at how fast things are moving and I was afraid of the unknown. I was saddened by the realization that I had to kiss my family and my entire life goodbye to become the daughter in law of the coldest and most prominent family in our clan. The Varian family. 

A tear ran down my cheek. I had promised myself, and my mother, that I would not cry. But as I stared at my face in the mirror, I could no longer fight with reality anymore. The sadness overwhelmed my heart. My life was no longer mine. 

“Now, now my dear. This is not a day for tears. It is a day of happiness.” My Mother wiped the tear from my cheek with her finger and began to work on my hair. As she braided my wavy ginger hair into a crown, she adorned it with the most beautiful flowers from her garden. 

I knew how much she cherished those flowers more than anything in the world. But now they were in my hair because at the end of the day, I am worth more than any flower to her no matter how beautiful. Just then my father barged into the room.

My room was immediately filled with the pungent odor of ale mingled with sour wine. My mother could barely conceal the irritation and contempt she felt towards him. She had a way of speaking with her eyes, which weighed more on any soul than her words ever could. Through his reflection in the mirror, she glared at him with disdain. 

My father was a pudgy and stout middle aged man with black greasy hair, who never seemed to run out of coins to spend when it came to satisfying his love for a good gamble and alcohol. And because of his lack of prudence, my family was thrown into a heavy debt. 

A debt I had to pay.

“We must get going if we want to get to the ceremonial ground in time,” He said as he fiddled with the fraying hems of the oversized coat I had made for him last winter. “We can not keep the Varian family waiting.” His words slurred slightly and the foul odor of alcohol in the room intensified. 

I let out a deep sigh. He could not even keep sober to fully witness the consequences of his indulgences. 

He didn't dare look my mother in the eye for fear of what he may find there. Instead, his eyes moved to my face in the mirror. 

At that moment, I turned my eyes to meet my mother's eyes. In it, I could see what I perceived was pain and hopelessness. She did not have a say to this arranged marriage. When she was informed that her only child was to wed the notorious Alpha of our clan, in order to settle the debt her husband had incurred, she did not utter a word in protest.

What could she do? She was a woman and the inputs of women were never condoned in the clan. 

My father took our silence as an indication that his presence was unwelcomed. As he was about to leave the room, he put his heavy hand on my shoulder, which immediately made me flinch in my seat, and said “You are doing our family a great honor. You should be proud.”

As the door shut behind him, I could no longer hold my tears. I wailed and my mother held on to my shaking body so that I would not fall over. 

“What if I don't turn mother? What if they find out that I am unfit to be a Luna? What shall they do to me?” I asked in the midst of my sobbing and hiccups. “They will kill me for such deception and then they will come after you and father and...”

“Do not say such things dear. No harm shall come to you,” my mother reassured but I could hear the sorrow in her voice. “Look at me, my love,” she said, holding my face towards hers. “You are going to be the Sacria Lurian, the Luna of this entire clan. No one will ever need you to turn into a wolf. And no one will ever hurt you.” She wiped away my tears with her palm and smiled at me. “You are going to become the precious jewel of this land, so no harm will come to you.” 

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The ceremonial ground was already half full by the time we arrived. The elders of the clan sat in the front in their wolf form. Beside them were the noble families. My family was one of the poorest noble families in the clan so my parents sat at the edge of the nobles portion, next to the commoners. 

And there he was at the front of the crowd, wearing a red cloak and a black attire. 

Darius Varian.

He was tall and had broad shoulders with raven black hair. He had icy blue eyes with a face that could captivate anyone. 

As was our custom, the Alpha was to wait for his Luna to-be to arrive. Then she would walk to him in the full glare of everyone and before the full moon and say her vows. The alpha was to vow that he would protect his queen, while the Luna-to-be was to vow to love and submit to her Alpha. To be faithful to him, to care for him, respect him and to honor his name before the entire clan, to bear him as many children as he wished and to submit to his family as well. 

With a dagger both the Alpha and the Luna will cut their palms until blood gushes out. Then, they lock their bleeding palms and hold it to the moon to receive the moon goddess’ blessings. Then the Alpha would take his Luna to a special place prepared for their nuptial night deep within the forest, where he would mark her and consummate their union before the moon goddess and all the forces of nature.

I began to walk towards Darius steadily, trying to control my breath. His eyes were fixed on me or rather on my chest. I was quite endowed as my mother would say, but I never expected him to be looking at me so crudely before the entire clan.

As I stood in front of him, I could perceive the faint smell of ale around him. His eyes lingered at my chest before they came slowly to my face. His face held no emotion and he did not utter a word of greeting to me. But was that so unexpected? 

He said his vows half heartedly and hurriedly and I said mine, just as my mother had taught me. He picked up the dagger, which had been set on a smooth rock, and raised it to the moon. Then, in a swift motion, he slit his palm. Red liquid oozed from the wound. Then, while looking me dead in the eye, he licked the blade and handed it to me.

That singular act unnerved me. And in that moment, I feared what he would do to me when he took me into the forest. 

I took the blade from him but as I began to cut my palm, a heavy weight descended on my shoulders. I immediately felt light headed and dizzy. The dagger fell from my hand as I stumbled backwards. My vision blurred but I could hear the uproar my sudden nausea was causing.

“What is this insult?” someone shouted 

“She must be ill.” Another person said

“Or maybe she staged this stunt. She must be -” grumbled another.

But I could not hear anymore as my body hit the mossy ground and everywhere went black.