Elena POV

I entered Luna Sophia's room quietly, making sure to keep my head down. I'd been whipped for seven days straight the last time I dared to meet her gaze. The scars were still visible on my back.

Every time I bathed, they reminded me that I was no longer an ordinary omega from the Windborne pack; I was now a slave. To be treated and punished as they liked.

"Thank you for bringing her, Rhea. You may leave." Luna Sophia said softly to the maid.

She walked towards me, and I lowered my head even further, but she lifted my chin with her hand, tilting it upwards until I was forced to look her in the eyes.

I tried not to blink.

"Poor Elena. You used to be so beautiful, with the brightest blond hair and green eyes, but look at you now. So dirty and smelly. Have you even had a bath this week?" She asked, laughing softly.

"No, Luna," I answered truthfully; there was no point in lying to her when she could easily find out the truth.

Or when lying could earn me another whipping.

"Good girl." She stroked my hair softly, pleased by my attitude. "You know how much we've done for you, right? Everything we've sacrificed?"

"Yes, Luna," I answered mechanically. "Any other pack would have immediately killed off a murderer like me, but you allowed me to atone for my sins.

Thank you for your mercy, Luna." I've repeated these words so much that I could repeat them in my sleep now without missing a single word.

"Yes. I gave you an opportunity." She said, wiping her hand with the handkerchief she'd snatched from the table. My hair was probably filthy.

She smiled again at me once she was done wiping. "I was the one who asked Alpha Carter to spare your life, you know? Our mate bond allows us to communicate with each other using our minds. He only took pity on you because of me."

She was lying. I knew she was lying.

I was Alpha Carter's mate, not her, but I knew that was what she wanted me to say. She wanted me to react so she would have an excuse to punish me, but I wasn't going to give her one.

I kept my face blank to hide my thoughts; Luna Sophia had a way of finding out exactly what I was thinking.

She continued, her voice hardening. "That's why, Elena, I was so unhappy when I found out about you trying to seduce Alpha Carter. How could you betray me like that, hmm?

After everything I've done for you."

My eyes widened at the accusation, and I quickly spoke to defend myself, "I didn't seduce the alpha; someone must be trying to frame me."

If anything, it was Alpha Carter trying to make moves on me. I had caught him watching me several times with lust-filled eyes, but I knew saying that would not help my case in any way, so I kept silent.

She glared fiercely at me. "Are you calling your Luna a liar, Elena? I saw you with my own eyes."

I stiffened. I should have known. No matter what I say or how I try to avoid it, I always end up getting punished.

Luna Sophia didn't want or need a reason to punish me; she could make up a reason all on her own, and no one would bat an eye.

No one would care about a slave.

She crouched on the floor next to me. "Know your place, slave. Alpha Carter will never want you. The next time I catch you trying to seduce him, I'll destroy your face."

She leaned in closer, her voice cold and threatening, "No one will believe you anyway, but if you dare say a word to anyone about this, I'll forget we were once cousins. Now get out, you're stinking up my room."

I got up, ready to leave, when she continued, "Oh, and you're assigned to bathroom duty for the rest of the week."

I stumbled on my feet for a moment but quickly righted myself, not forgetting to say "Thank you, Luna," before stumbling out of the room.

*********

The pack restroom was a mess. I spent a lot of time cleaning it up, but every time I finished, another drunk pack member entered, and I had to start all over again.

I was beginning to understand why she had assigned me here. She wanted to keep me out of the sight of anyone who might wonder what had happened to me.

She had a reputation as a kind Luna. I'm sure she wouldn't want people to see how she really treats me in private.

I entered the bathroom again to start cleaning. I was absorbed in my task when I heard the door open. I raised my head only to see Alpha Carter walk in.

I quickly made my way to the door and mumbled my apologies. As I moved past him, he suddenly grabbed me and pushed me back, pinning me to the sink. I froze for a while, but when he started pawing me, my fight or flight instinct was instantly activated, and I began to struggle.

"Stay." Alpha Carter slurred as he slapped me fiercely across the face, right on the eye that was injured. The slap stunned me for a few seconds before I started panicking.

He was drunk. Even if I screamed, and someone came, there was no guarantee that I wouldn't end up getting punished for it. They would say I tried to seduce Alpha Carter while he was drunk.

He undid his belt while holding me in place with the other. His hand clutched my neck fiercely. I could see black spots at the corners of my eyes as my air circulation was cut off.

A part of me wanted to give up and just let him have his way; at least I'd be alive by the end of it. But then my eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of an open bottle of bleach, just slightly out of my reach.

Elena POV

I instantly relaxed my body to make him think I'd given up on struggling. The moment he let down his guard, I would strike.

He smiled, the smell of alcohol oozing from his breath as he said: "Good girl, I knew you'd come to your senses." He immediately began lifting my dress up, fumbling and letting it slip out of his hands a few times.

Good girl. Good girl. Good girl.

Just another word for doormat. They knew I would take whatever they did to me. I would accept it without a word because I was too scared to try to defy them.

I grabbed the bottle of bleach and splashed it on his face. Then I pushed him off me and took to my heels. I could hear his screams and curses as I ran out of the bathroom.

"Get back here!" He yelled, his rage bouncing off the bathroom walls.

I ran faster.

My eyes were blurry as I ran, and I touched my cheeks. Wet. I hadn't even been aware that I was crying.

I wiped my eyes furiously. None of them deserved my tears. They had killed the only family I had left, stolen my position, and framed me with their crimes.

For ten years, I'd suffered in silence, hoping that one day the moon goddess would come to my rescue and help me prove my innocence.

I had prayed countless times, begged even for just a chance. But the moon goddess had kept silent and left me to rot.

I stopped running.

I was in the pack house now. I must have been a sight with my bruises and torn clothes.

As I moved, I heard whispers of 'murderer' and what's she doing?' But I ignored them, moving straight to the center where everyone would see me.

One pair of golden eyes remained on me with intensity from the moment I entered. Alpha Draven.

I hadn't seen him before, but I knew he was the only alpha king with golden eyes. He was dressed simply in black, but the way he looked menacing just sitting there made up for it.

His black hair fell in thick waves to his broad shoulders, framing high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and lips that looked like they rarely softened into anything resembling a smile.

I bowed my head to him, seeking his permission. He nodded once, and the guards who had been stealthily approaching me instantly melted away.

Everyone was paying attention now; they all wanted to know what the pack slave had to say.

I cleared my throat and began speaking, my voice steady and strong.

"Ten years ago, my mother was murdered, and I was framed as the murderer."

I looked straight at Sophia. "Since then, I have been forced to pay for a crime I did not commit.

Every single one of you here turned your backs on me at the moment I needed you most. I wasn't even allowed to mourn for her.

So today I renounce myself as a member of Windborne Pack. From now on, I owe you nothing."

They started laughing, a few pack members even threw in words like 'good riddance to bad rubbish', and 'no one wants you here anyway.'

Luna Sophia watched everything with a smile, not bothering to counter my words. This must have been what she wanted all along; she couldn't kill me herself, but if she could force me to leave, her goal would be accomplished anyway.

I breathed in deeply and continued in a louder voice, " Today, with the moon goddess bearing me witness and under the eyes of everyone here, I hereby reject Alpha Carter as my mate."

The hall went silent, pack members turning to each other in confusion. Luna Sophia was on her feet, glaring fiercely at me. But I wasn't paying attention to her. The moment I'd renounced the mate bond, it felt as if something that had been tightly bound inside me had loosened. I could finally breathe a little easier.

I turned to Alpha Draven to thank him when he suddenly got up to his feet and started walking towards me. He's a very tall man, at least 6'2, towering over my 5 feet.

As he got closer, the scent of sandalwood and cold pine flooded my nostrils. It washed over me and soothed my injuries. I inhaled deeply, longing to breathe in more of that scent.

Suddenly, a voice that had long been silent within me, the voice of my wolf Lara, roared back to life.

...Mine.

Alpha Draven reached out to touch my face, his voice soft with surprise as he said, "Mate."

"Where is she! Someone, drag her out for me!" Alpha Carter yelled as he walked into the hall with red eyes. A large part of his black shirt had turned brown because of the bleach, and it had even gotten torn in several places.

His eyes roamed the hall searching for me. Once he caught sight of me, he immediately stalked towards me and stretched out his hand to drag me away from Alpha King Draven. I flinched, but by the time I looked at him again, his hand was caught in the grip of Alpha King Draven, and he was squeezing fiercely.

Alpha Carter's face flushed, and I could swear I heard a few bones pop. He opened his mouth to speak, gritting his teeth.

"You're the Alpha King, but surely you wouldn't interfere in the resolution of pack disputes between an Alpha and his pack members? This is a private matter between my pack member and me, Alpha." He sneered.

Alpha King Draven replied slowly, as if tasting his words, "No, I won't interfere in your pack matters."

Alpha Carter shot me a triumphant look, ready to grab me again, when Alpha King Draven continued, "But I will interfere when my mate is being threatened."

"Mate?" Alpha Carter choked, his eyes bulging."How could she be your mate? She's obviously..." He cut himself off, realizing he had been about to expose himself.

His eyes flashed to me, and I saw anger within them. He sneered. "So that's what that pain was."

Luna Sophia, seeing her husband at a disadvantage, finally came forward to try to ease the situation.

She bowed deeply to Alpha King Draven first before speaking, "My mate has offended you, Alpha King. I ask for your mercy.

He wasn't aware that she was your mate. You see, Elena here has been unable to find her mate for over a decade; we believe it's the moon goddess's punishment for the murder of her mother."

I knew what she was doing. She was acting as if she was easing the situation while secretly accusing me. She wanted Alpha Draven to reject me.

But I held back, I wanted to see how Alpha King Draven would respond.

Draven POV

As the son of a pack leader, I didn't have the luxury of spending my teenage years playing with friends or sneaking out to go to parties.

Every moment of free time was spent on rigorous training to build my body and my mind for the position I was bound to inherit.

Unlike others my age, I realized pretty quickly that having true strength was the only way to protect the things I cared about. Which were my pack, my home, my people.

I shouldn't have had to become a pack leader before I even turned eighteen. But after a rogue attack snatched my mother from us, my father became a shadow of himself.

It was hard to see him that way. The strongest warrior I knew was slowly wasting away. The name of his dead mate never leaves his lips.

But I didn't have it for too long. Within a few months of her death, he followed her, and teenage me had to step up to the responsibility of ensuring my pack's survival.

Luckily, I soon discovered I had been blessed with an ability that helped me conquer all the packs that had tried to take over after my father's death.

Not only did I kill those Alphas and pack leaders who'd lusted after my home, but I replaced them all with new people who would be loyal to me.

Finally, I could rest. Or so I thought.

Then the whispers started. Little comments from pack leaders who tried to recommend their daughters to me at every turn.

Servants slipping into my room at night or somehow falling into my arms while walking, even when there was nothing to trip them.

After months of relentless nagging from my advisors, I finally agreed to have a mate, but on one condition.

I would only accept the one given to me by the goddess. I would search for her in all the packs under my rule, and if I failed to find her, then they would give up and never mention the matter again.

Despite knowing the chances were slim, they'd agreed. So I was now on my way to yet another pack, to search for a mate that I didn't need or want.

Goddess helping me, I wouldn't find her on this trip.

************

When we arrived at Windborne, Carter greeted me with a wide smile. "It's an honor to have you here, Alpha Draven."

My lack of a response didn't dampen his smile one bit.

"Alpha Draven, Carter called, gesturing to the highest table in his pack hall. "Please sit and allow us to entertain you for a while. The maidens will be called out shortly."

So I sat down and waited. First, the warriors came in and had sparring matches. I watched at first, but soon lost interest when I realized they were repeating the same few moves over and over again.

In a real battlefield, they would have been wiped out already.

When the unmated females were lined up before me, a few stared at me while making little movements with their bodies as if they could somehow seduce me into picking them.

I snorted with cold laughter, and they immediately withdrew their gazes and bowed their heads.

That was more like it.

I moved from one maiden to another, self-satisfaction blooming in the pit of my stomach as I confirmed my mate was not among them.

Seems like the goddess still favors me after all.

I turned to Carter and shook my head, trying to appear regretful. "None of them are my mate."

His eyes, which had been wide with hope, dimmed instantly.

I sneered inside and got up to start leaving, but he stopped me. "Alpha Draven, you may not have found your mate, but I still wish for you to enjoy your time fully here.

Wind Borne pack is known for our hospitality. How could we just let you leave so soon, just because we weren't blessed with the honor of being tied to your pack by marriage?"

I paused for a moment. He's a smooth talker, but he was right. If I left, rumors would likely spread saying I was so disappointed at not finding my mate that I immediately left angrily.

**********************

Carter had excused himself for a while when a woman suddenly burst into the hall. She was bruised in several places, but none of the pack members batted an eye.

I raised an eyebrow. It looks like the Wind Borne pack is worse than I thought.

She bowed to me, and I nodded, permitting her to speak. Her words surprised me. She was a small woman, but she stood boldly in the center of her pack and renounced them, despite knowing they would probably attack her for it the moment I turned my back.

Or perhaps, that's what she had been banking on. My presence here was the perfect opportunity for her to escape the pack without fear for her life. I watched her with a quiet appreciation. This one had the heart of a warrior.

However, her next words shocked me and everyone in the hall.

No, not everyone. I could see the anger instead of surprise on Sophia's face.

I looked to the woman again, when suddenly a sweet scent assaulted my nostrils. It was a blend of cinnamon, vanilla, and honey, and it was coming from her.

My wolf, Ash, was already urging me to go forward quickly and investigate.

I walked towards her, and he was smaller than I had expected. She barely reached my chest, but to her credit, she didn't step back even as I moved closer to her.

I cradled her face in my hand, surprise coloring my voice as I said, "Mate."

Carter burst into the hall and tried to attack my mate. My wolf Ash bristled, ready to attack, but I held him down as I faced Carter and pushed my mate behind my back.

Sophia soon came forward to try to resolve the situation, but her words had Ash bristling even more.

He spoke to me 'Don't tell me you won't punish this woman for speaking badly about our mate?'

I released Carter's hand and asked him. "What exactly happened?"

He shifted uneasily on his feet for a while before explaining the situation to me.

I frowned. "Do you mean, no investigations were conducted, and my mate was punished just because she came out of the room?"

He tried to defend himself, "That's not all, Alpha Draven. When she came out, her hands were deeply covered in blood. She was obviously the murderer."

I stared down at him in silence. Was he stupid or just pretending to be?

"What child, upon seeing their mother lying in a pool of blood, would not try to touch her?

Are you taking me for a fool, Carter?" I finished lowly, a growl slipping out of my lips.

A low moan of discomfort came from behind me, and I turned, only to see my mate fainting.

I immediately stretched out my arms to catch her and pulled her closer to my chest as I said, "This isn't over, Carter. I'll be expecting a proper explanation."

I nodded to my beta, Lucas, who had stood silent beside me all the while. "Let's go."