𝐀𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐑𝐀
Their growling reverberated in my chest, rattling my burning lungs. I raced through the woods, branches clawing at my face.
Please, where are you?
Another snarl ripped the stifled air. I faltered for a fraction of a second, and teeth snagged the back of my dress. The fabric shredded like paper. I forced my legs to pump faster, despite the burn, until I caught them—electric eyes in the clearing.
Reuben.
The giant wolf lunged to shield me. He ducked his massive gray head, growling low at the Alpha's three Gammas. They skidded to a halt, paws churning dirt. My fingers found purchase in his familiar fur as he prowled toward them, his growl splintering the air.
The Gammas whined and retreated, caught between the Alpha's command and the Beta's bared teeth. Reuben snapped at them, a lethal sound that sent them scattering into the undergrowth. They howled as they went—calling for reinforcements.
Reuben's muscles remained coiled, his chest heaving with a force that vibrated through my fingertips. He nudged his snout against my face, taking in my scent. I wanted to melt into him, but we had to go. Now.
He moved ahead of me, then suddenly caught my dress in his teeth and hoisted me upward. My stomach dropped as he pivoted mid-air to catch my weight on his back. I latched onto his withers as he launched into a dead sprint.
The acceleration was violent, snapping my head back. I buried my face in his scruff, the scent of pine and wet earth filling my senses. We just needed to reach the Mooncrest border, break the pack-bind, and be free.
The race felt like a lifetime before we broke into another clearing. In the distance sat our key to freedom—the Lunar Altar.
A cloaked Zeta was already waiting under the silver light. I nearly went faint with relief as we skidded to a stop before the sacred structure. I swung my leg over Reuben's back and slid to the ground in one smooth motion.
Reuben shifted back the moment I landed. He grabbed my hand, pulling me along as we jogged the last few yards to the Altar.
For a moment, guilt leaked through the exhilarating hope. I was abandoning the only home I'd ever known. But it had not been home since Alpha Darren disappeared and his son took his place.
Another calling howl shattered the air as I stood before the Zeta.
"Rory." My name on his lips steadied me. I met his blue eyes, and he urged me toward the Zeta. "This is the final step. Go first and break it."
I opened my mouth, but couldn't form words. Yet another thing the Alpha had stolen from me. It was all the push I needed. I let him guide me forward until I stood before the Zeta.
"Kneel, Rory," Reuben directed tenderly. "Offer your hand."
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and obliged. My spine stiffened as a heavy, oily scent of stale smoke and cloying musk hit me. Bile surged up my throat; his smell haunted me.
I forced back my horror and offered my hand to the waiting Zeta. The distant howling had stopped. The silence grew unnerving, but I smothered my dread and waited, my eyes fixed on the smooth marble of the Altar.
The Zeta took my wrist in her weathered hand. I prayed for the snap of the bond.
"Reuben. Come."
The voice didn't just carry through the air; it sliced through my soul. It was a command laced with dark, absolute power.
I turned, my heart stopping. Alpha Caspian stood at the edge of the clearing, his onyx eyes glinting with devilish amusement, flanked by his Gammas.
Beside me, Reuben froze. His hand slipped from mine, his fingers twitching as if fighting invisible wires. His face was a mask of pure horror, but his body was no longer his own. Slowly, mechanically, he began to turn away from the altar away from me and toward the monster in the shadows.
Horror clawed its way up my throat, yet I could not scream. I stood, twisting my hand to break the Zeta's grip, but I failed. She held on fast.
I watched the Alpha-order force him toward Caspian. Despite how hard I yanked, I could not wrench my hand free. Tears stung my eyes as the distance between Reuben and Caspian lessened with every step, until Reuben stood before the Alpha he had betrayed, writhing against the compulsion.
My itching throat tightened as Caspian spoke. "Hide and seek? Thought we were too old for that, sister."
Cold sweat beaded my skin, dark spots dancing in my vision.
"Cat got your tongue?" he mocked.
I shook my head, falling to my knees again despite the Zeta's iron grip. I begged the only way I knew how—with my eyes.
"No need for that," he dismissed with a flick of his wrist. His face darkened. "You know exactly what I want from you."
My stomach sank.
Noticing my hesitance, he finally faced his struggling Beta. "Reuben," his voice was a lethal whisper that landed like a blow. "Claw your throat out."
My breath hitched—a silent, jagged sob. I threw myself toward Caspian, my free hand reaching out in a frantic, wordless plea. I pointed to my chest, then to him, nodding with a desperation that made my vision swim.
Stop. I'll do it. I'll stay.
Caspian let out a sharp, barking laugh. "Ready to be a good girl, then?"
He tilted his head, watching Reuben's hand jerk toward his own neck. Reuben's claws extended, trembling against the invisible force of the command.
"Are you ready to marry him?" Caspian's grin widened.
I choked on my terror, the bile rising, but I nodded. I bobbed my head frantically. Yes. Anything. Just let him live.
"Good," Caspian purred, his onyx eyes dancing with malice. "A wedding it is. No sense in waiting since we're already at the altar." He looked at Reuben, who was gasping for air, sweat pouring down his pale face. "Look at that, Reuben. You saved her just in time for her big day."
I turned my tear-filled eyes toward the cloaked figure, expecting the Zeta to begin the ritual. But the "Zeta" didn't move. Instead, the grip on my arm tightened—bone-crushing and cruel.
"Then let's see the groom," Caspian mocked.
The figure reached up with a gnarled hand and threw back the hood. My heart withered.
It was Zeta Gavrin.
His weathered skin was mapped with broken veins, and his hungry eyes crawled over me like a physical stain. He licked his lips, yellowed teeth baring in a sickeningly triumphant snarl.
"She's even more beautiful when she's crying," Gavrin wheezed.
He pulled me to him before I could register the trap. I recoiled, pushing against his strength, glaring at Caspian through wet eyes. Let him go first!
"Oh, of course. My end of the deal," Caspian grinned.
Suddenly, Reuben went slack. The command relented, and he doubled over with wracking coughs. Every sound was a claw to my chest as the agony receded into confusion.
Then, the coughs morphed.
Laughter bubbled from Reuben. I blinked, my mind refusing to comprehend the cackling. He rose, his face flushed not with pain, but with amusement. His eyes sparked with mirth.
I froze, watching him laugh as if this were all a nightmare. But then he spoke.
"You actually fell for that."