Selene's POV
"How dare a filthy rogue like you claim the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack as your mate?" One of the guards let out a deep scowl, snapping me out of my dazed state.
My eyes widened in disbelief. "An.. an Alpha?" I stuttered in fear. "Alpha Wolfe?"
Who among the werewolf race didn't know about the terrifying Alpha who slayed anyone who crossed his path without mercy?
Alpha Killian Wolfe of the Shadowfang Pack. The psychopathic Alpha with no mate. I knew the story quite well. For some reason, my mum kept bringing him up in our mother to daughter conversation. Her description of him had instilled a sense of apprehension into my heart.
I had always cringed at the mention of his name. I wasn't sure, but if that was exactly what my mother's intentions were, she succeeded.
My life had always been full of ups and down. Firstly, I'd already accepted my fate as an outcast among the rogues. I'd thought I was about to breath my last when I got cornered by strange guards, only to be met with a shocking revelation - My mate.
I didn't understand why, but I hated him at first sight. The proud smirk on his lips fueled my anger.
Being mated to a monster? Never!!!
"Alpha Wolfe of the Shadowfang Pack?" I snarled, spitting out blood. "I can't be mated to a monster. Reject me!"
"What?!" The guards spat in unison.
"Who the hell does she think she is?" One of them scowled.
"She doesn't deserve the live" Another guard added. "We should behead her!'
"Enough!" The man standing behind the Alpha commanded, his face hardened.
I was more concerned about the man standing in front of me. He didn't seem to care about the voices around him. His golden eyes were quite distant.
The man behind him moved closer, and tapped his shoulder, snapping him out of his dazed state. His eyes came back to life and his face morphed into a frown.
"Why is she still alive?" He blurted out, and everyone pouted in confusion.
I took offense and snorted in annoyance. "I beg your pardon? Weren't you the one who couldn't stop staring at me for a second? No threats would make me accept to be bound to you."
His frown deepened. "Ronan, there should be an explanation for this."
"Huh..." Words got stuck in my throat. What exactly was wrong with him? We definitely weren't discussing the same thing.
The man standing behind him sighed. "I'm also confused, Lord Wolfe. I think we should keep her."
My ears twiched. "Keep who?" I blurted out. "I'd rather die than submit to you."
"Shut the hell up, you stinky rogue" A guard fired, his voice laced with disdain. "How dare you speak to our Alpha like that?"
"You should be grateful our lord is considering keeping you" Another chipped in, his voice laced with contempt. "Be happier if you end up being a slave instead of a dog."
"You...." Words got stuck in my throat as the room temperature dropped instantly.
Something was looming over me; something dark and stormy like a dark cloud pregnant with misery. I was crippled by fear, sweat beads trickling down my face.
My eyeballs scanned the area, only to be stunned. I wasn't the only facing my predicament, the guards weren't exempted.
"Lord Wolfe, take it easy" The man behind the Alpha pleaded, his tone laced with a hint of desperation. "We can't afford to go through that again."
Go through what again?
Suddenly, the heavy weight was lifted. My clothes were drenched in sweat, but I could move my body. I hadn't been that scared before in my life.
For the first time, I had experienced the terrific power of the Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack.
The guards all had their heads bowed in apology.
"Take her to the inner court. She'll be better off there" I heard Lord Wolfe declare, and my head snap to him.
"Don't lock me up" I stated flatly. "I believe I have the right to choose too. I have no intention of having a mate, let alone you!"
Lord Wolfe smirked. "Your opinion doesn't matter. Besides, what makes you think I want a weakling like you as my mate? You've became my captive the moment you stepped foot into my territory. I'm pretty sure you'll be of good use, so working as my slave should be a good start."
"What?!" I exclaimed in shock. I was so used to freedom that the word *Slavery* sounded alien to my ears.
"I can't be your slave!" I added, yelling at the top of my lungs.
Infact, I was ready to fight till my last breath. I watched Lord Wolfe approach me, and my heart raced.
Without warning, a strong hand grabbed my chin tightly, and I found myself staring right into those golden eyes full of dark secrets.
"Listen to me, young lady. In this place, I make the decisions" He proclaimed icily.
His words were a bit distant as I tried to comprehend the slight ripple in my heart.
Why did he feel so familiar? I was damn sure I hadn't met him since I could remember.
Who was he?
"Guards, take her" He ordered.
Two of them positioned themselves on each side. The one on my right pull the chain forcefully, sending a painful holt through my bones.
"Ahhh!" I screamed in pain, and in the next moment, I felt warm liquid on my face.
My eyes widened in horror as I stared at the headless guard on my right.
My hand trembled as I touched the liquid on my face - it was blood.
The head of the dead guard was lying on the ground, but his body remained standing on the same spot, blood gushing out like spring water.
"My slave shouldn't be treated with such disrespect by anyone except me" A familiar dreadful voice echoed, breaking the eerie silence in the court.
I shifted my gaze to whom I believed owned the voice. Blood was dripping from his sharp claws as he stared coldly at me.
"Take her to the dungeon first!" He ordered, but the guards were a bit reluctant.
"The...." I was short of words. Why did he suddenly change his mind?
What happened to taking me to the inner court?
Soon enough, two or them escorted me to God knows where. My thoughts had travelled far away as the only image in my head was that of the headless guard.
Wait.. did he actually kill that guard for me?
"Get in" A thick voice jolted me out of my thoughts.
I finally realized I was standing in front of a cell. It was quite clean compared to what I had imagined.
"Go in" The guard repeated, and I dragged my feet into the cell.
"Aren't you going to remove the chains?" I questioned in anticipation.
The guards effortlessly ignored me, locked the cell, and disappeared into the darkness.
I quietly accepted my fate and walked further into the cell. I was hoping the bed was comfortable, but the moment I sat on it, I jumped up immediately.
It was actually made of iron. The sheet on it was so cold that sleeping on the bare floor was comfortable. At that point, I was beginning to believe that I was indeed cursed.
I sat down on the ground, gathering the chains to myself. I was still suffering from the injuries I had sustained during the chase, so I didn't have the strength to free myself. I was undeniably hopeless.
My wounds became sore, and my consciousness began to slip. I could barely see a thing.
Suddenly, the iron bars restricting my freedom made noise. My eyes widened as a figure appeared before me. I could see red nails drumming on the bars, and I could hear heels clicking on the ground.
It was undoubtedly a woman.
"Who's there?" I questioned, and the drumming stopped.
The stranger slowly removed her hoodie, revealing her face. Her long brown hair and amber eyes were so unfamiliar.
She smirked. "So you're another one of Killian's hopeless mate, huh?" She questioned, her voice full of obvious mockery.
"Why do you care?" I blurted out, wondering why I found her presence repulsive. It was probably because I was in the enemy's territory.
The lady chuckled, her fingers wrapped around the iron bars.
"Why do I care, huh?" She laughed mockingly. All of a sudden, she stopped, and her amber eyes became bloodshot.
"Why do I care?" She repeated, but this time with a cold eerie voice that made me break down in cold sweat.
"I don't plan on staying" I stated, hoping to avoid trouble.
She smiled. "Don't even think of changing that mindset of yours, or you'll be killed like the rest of them."
I frowned in confusion. "Rest of who?"
Her smile broadened. "Don't you know anything about the death of the Alpha's previous mates?"
"I don't understand" I replied, my frown deepening.
The lady chuckled amusingly, her eyes filled with scorn. "It's probably because you're a rogue. Only those close to the inner court of the Shadowfang Pack know about the Curse."
"A curse" I muttered, racking my brain for any memories of it. Surprisingly, it was something my mother never talked about.
"My dear, I really don't care if you know anything about the Alpha's curse. My advice to you is to stay far away from him. Don't even think of trying to claim him as your mate" She warned sternly, her voice laced with a hint of threat.
I scoffed, annoyed by her tone. "My decision to either stay or leave is my business, not yours. I don't even know who you are."
She shook her head. "Trust me. You don't want to know who I am. You're just a weakling who happens to be one of those unfortunate being who got mated to the Alpha."
What was this thing this woman kept mentioning about a curse? I needed to find out, but after putting her in her place. I despised disrespect and mockery. Who the hell was she anyway?
My lips slowly curved into a smirk as the mischievous side of me awakened. "What if I decide to stay with him? What are you going to do about it?"
She almost bit her lips in rage. "Don't test the waters, young lady. The Alpha is mine, and no weak mate can change that."
"Oh, I see" I smiled disdainfully. "So you're jealous? You really don't have to go through the stress of threatening me. If the Alpha was interested in you, he would have killed me on the spot. That's enough reason for you to know he doesn't even look at you. Who goes after someone you aren't mated to?"
"I don't need to be mated to him. I'm powerful enough to rule by his side" She argued, taking deep breaths.
Suddenly, a might breeze from nowhere blew into the cell. The amber eyes of the woman instantly turned red. I could see veins popping out of her cheek.
This wasn't the attribute of a werewolf; I was sure of it. The only thing I understood was her claws elongating. Every other thing was strangely new to me.
Gradually, her skin became pale. I could see her bones clearly. Instantly, fear creeped into my heart.
"Who are you?" I questioned sharply, trying to take a step backward. Surprisingly, I couldn't move.
My gaze settled on my feet, then I froze, my eyes widened in shock.
My very own shadow had its hand wrapped around my legs, stopping my movement. I reverted my gaze to the woman.
She extended her hands through the iron bars, and something disgusting happened - her joints elongated, and her hand became longer. Slowly, a reddish brown ball appeared on her right hand. The size increased at a fast rate; faster than my heartbeat.
Then, it finally dawned on me as I recalled one of the many stories my mother once told me. It was about spell casting, and only one race could do that - The Witches.
"You're a witch" I gasped in shock, and she smiled eerie.
"Took you long enough to realize that" She replied, her voice echoing like that of a hundred people speaking together.
"A wolf can't marry a witch" I stated flatly.
"Says who?" She snapped, and the ball on her hand expanded. "I'll be the only one who is fit for the position as his Luna. Anyone who tries to stand in my way will die!"
Yes, I knew their powers increased with their anger.
I broke down in cold sweat. "What do you want to do?"
"Silence you of course" She replied nonchalantly. "I'm sure Killian wouldn't mind me taking you down for him. He has no interest in the mate bond anyway."
My eyes darted around, looking for a means of escape.
"Don't stress yourself. The shadow binding spell is still working" She revealed, killing the tiny hope I had left in me. "Don't worry, your death will be a quick one."
"Don't...." I froze as an image flashed before my eyes. It was a red haired woman clothed in white.
What was that?
"Begone" I heard the witch say, and before I could think of anything, the ball suddenly shrinked into a small stone. She flicked it with her fingers, and it flew at a high speed.
I saw my life flashed before my very eyes. No... I wasn't ready to die.
Instantly, the ball disappeared, and I felt a sharp pain in my chest. Blood dripped out of my mouth as pain engulfed me.
"Tell your damned moon goddess I said hi. Also tell her that the next mate she sends would face a more horrifying death" The witch stated with a smile of triumph, and walked away.
I fell to the ground with a loud thud, my body basking in pain. Life slowly seeped out of me, my wolf howling in pain.
"I'm sorry" I muttered as darkness took over, wondering why I said that.