Veil.

The scent of antiseptic hit my nose.

I'm dreaming...

It has to be.

My eyes twitch, fluttering open and pinning on the white ceiling above me. My body aches terribly.

Am I in the other realm? I can't help but wonder.

However, the distorting sound of machines in the background and the pain I feel crush the theory forming in my mind.

I flit my eyes nervously around me, and everything makes sense.

I'm not on the other side, but rather in the infirmary. The place that has become my home for the past few years.

But how did I end up here this time?

I struggle to rise up, but to my shock, my right hand is shackled to the bed with a handcuff. Dread pools through me.

What's going on?

I wrack my brain for answers, and slowly, the memories flood back into my mind.

Ryder's betrayal, the rejection. His open affairs with his omegas. The pain he caused me.

My wolf, goddess.

I reach inside me for the bond I've with my wolf, but it's not there. She's gone.

Tears sting the back of my eyes, the loss weighing heavily on me.

How is it possible that I'm still alive if my wolf is gone?

This doesn't make sense, and the more awake I become, the more tears pelt down my face.

I've suffered many losses just because I cherish my bond with Ryder because I want to remain with my fated mate.

It was during my first pregnancy that Ryder started showing his true colors. He'd whoop me before the pack until I passed out. He called it his 'evening drill,' and his pack members would pay and gather around to watch the show.

They'd ridicule me and encourage what Ryder's doing.

I had my first miscarriage then.

I had hoped things would change if he found out I was with his child, but it was lame of me to think that.

Ryder didn't change; he got worse.

He used me to make money despite everything I've done for him. I handed over my properties to him, the ones I inherited after my mother married Alpha Moon of the Moonbloom pack.

All that and yet, he remained a beast to me, feeding off me until there's nothing left.

I don't even know why I'm alive. I'd rather be dead than be here for these things to continue.

It already has, given the way he has imprisoned me in this hospital bed.

I huff, wringing my hand shackled to the bed just to see if I can free myself, but that doesn't work.

The door creaks open, and I look, hopeful for some intervention, but instead, Ryder comes in along with the doctor.

A dark smile lit up his face upon seeing me awake.

"Ahh, finally. It took you seventy-two hours to wake up. What a bad behavior!" He clicks his tongue, appearing displeased.

My hope thins, morphing into fear. A powerful one.

Ryder inches further to the bed, his hand tucked into his pocket as he examines me.

"Lunas are meant to be powerful, Veil. But you? You're a far cry from a powerful Luna..."

Anger bubbles inside me. I writhe my shackled hand more as I watch him. "You already rejected me." I grit out through the sweat gathering on my pores.

His eyes roll. "Yeah, my best decision ever. I don't even know why it took me so long to do that."

"Then let me go!" I hiss, my heart galloping just as my breath.

A crease forms between his brows. He inclines his head toward me. "Let you go? No way. You're still very useful to me. In fact, more useful to me than anyone else in this pack."

What is he talking about?

He notices the confusion on my face and barks a laugh. "Oh, you possibly don't know what you are, do you?"

My face reddens. I don't care what he's talking about. I just want him to let me go.

I want freedom.

"You're not going to get anything from me, Ryder. I won't give you anything again!"

That earns me a snort.

"Ah, I expected that." He waves aimlessly at me. "Regardless, I'll take all I need from you, Veil. That's why Diego here is preparing something special that will keep you tied in this pack forever..."

I swallow thickly, unsure of what he's talking about.

What does he mean he's going to keep me here forever?

He cuts through my thoughts, adding proudly. "And you won't be in your right senses."

"No...you can't do that." I let out, my eyes darting to Diego. "He's joking, right?" He can feel the desperation bleeding through my voice, and Ryder feeds off it.

"I wish I were, Veil. Diego and his team developed a new compound that drives wolves feral. Guess what? You'll be our first prototype. After that, you'll remain in this pack forever, serving your purpose."

I squirm on the bed, not just from fear but from frustration.

No!

I can't let him do this to me.

I need to run.

Ryder notices and drops his next words like a bomb. "You can't escape, Veil. I've made sure of it."

He pulls away and faces Diego, looking down at his umber-toned face. "Finish up with the compound, Diego. We'll experiment with her by Sunrise."

"Yes, alpha." Diego bows respectfully to him and leaves.

Tension weaves inside me as Ryder looks back at me. "Enjoy the rest of your night, Veil. It's the last moment you'll ever be in your right mind. By morning..." a sinister smile appears on his face. "You'll become feral. A mad woman."

"Ryder!! Nooo!! Please, don't do this to me!!" I yelp through dreadful tears.

He ignores me, striding to the door.

"Ciao, Veil." He winks, waves his fingers at me, and walks through the door, slamming it shut; it rattles my veins.

A sudden gloomy wave hit me.

What have I done to myself?

I should've listened to my mother. I shouldn't have chosen my mate over Alpha Moon's family.

But it's too late.

Love blinded me, and now I'm paying a huge price for it.

Regardless, I pull harder on the handcuff, the movement hurting my wrist. I'm going to run mad by dawn, and no one is coming to save me.

The situation on the ground robs me of sleep.

I'm wide awake, watching the clock ticking like a time bomb on the nightstand.

It's twelve a.m., completely dark outside. My head slumps between my shoulders as I sob, feeling wounded. Broken.

Several hours passed, my face soaked, my dress soiled.

However, by four in the morning, the door flutters open. My body trembles, already certain it's them.

I try to scream, but someone clamps a hand over my mouth, muffling the sound trying to escape from me.

"It's me, Luna."

My eyes flutter at that familiar voice.

Gabe, Ryder's younger brother and gamma.

"Don't talk."

I do as he says, holding in my breath while he removes his hand from my mouth.

Gabe rounds the bed until he's facing me.

He pulls out a bunch of keys, selects one in particular, and begins to work it into the handcuff.

"Gabe?" I whisper, a surge of warmth in my chest.

Gabe and I were never really on talking terms since I came to this pack. He's always distant and focused on his duties. So, I'm surprised he's helping me.

"You need to leave before Ryder wakes up." He whispers, pulling the shackle away from my hand. I rub at the ache in my wrist, watching him. "This is your only chance at escape, or else you'll become a victim of his...madness."

Adrenaline courses through me at his words, and I lunge to my feet, eyes on him.

Wordlessly, Gabe checks the hallway, and when he notices it's clear, he beckons me forward.

Together, we make it out of the hospital discreetly, diving into the darkness outside as it provides me the cover I need to escape from the Ghostriver pack.

There's only one place in my mind- the Moonbloom pack. The place that was once my home until I chose to turn my back on them in the name of love.

Maybe they'll take me back if they see me, or maybe not. I just have to try. Whatever the outcome, I'll face it.

Hence, I head south as the pounding of paws and howls of Ryder's men resonate in the air.

He has found out that I've escaped.

Tbc.

Veil.

I cross the borders of the Moonbloom pack at the first peek of the sun and draw to a halt, bending to my knees.

Exhaustion pulls through me from hours of running from Ryder's men, and I gulp in a breath.

I made it, thank goddess.

A beat later, I rise back up, flitting my gaze around the pack that was once my home several years ago.

I left thinking I was walking into the promise land Ryder promised me, but it all turned out to be lies.

I was only his bait.

It was during the night of Quin's coronation, the son of Alpha's Moon's first Luna, that I eloped with Ryder. A very crucial night in the pack.

Quin was my biggest bully right from high school. However, his bullying worsened when my mother agreed to marry Alpha Moon as his last wife.

Alpha Moon was impotent; however, his desire to strengthen his lineage of alpha blood made him marry widows with alpha blood, my mother included.

I never liked Quin because he made my life a living hell.

The rest of the alpha's stepsons, Rio and Hunter, completely ignored my existence in the pack house. I guess it was only fair I disappeared rather than watch them treat me like I was nothing.

But now, I'm back here to the polygamous family, full of the stepbrothers I hated. Ryder has proven to me that I don't have a choice.

I take a step, focusing on getting to the pack house where my fate will be decided, when I feel someone cock a gun behind me.

"Halt!"

My heart flips.

That voice. It isn't the first I was expecting to hear.

A thick lump gathers in my throat, and my hands raise above my head as he commanded.

I close my eyes as his footsteps begin to echo behind me, making my pulse race erratically.

He stands before me, and I raise my head and meet his smoky green eyes.

Hunter.

The son of Alpha Moon's third Luna. The strong warrior and biker who handles the pack's security affairs.

His smoky blonde hair and olive skin shimmer under the morning sun. He looks...more handsome and dangerous than I remember.

He wields his gun tightly like he's facing his enemy.

As I expected, his gaze narrows when he realizes it's me, the look scorching my body.

"Veil." He drawls, scanning me with something akin to hatred and shock in his eyes.

"Hun...ter..." I manage, hoping that seeing me here, looking unkempt and homeless, will at least soften him up.

But his next words snap breaths from my lungs.

"The fugitive." He steps away from my space, a sinister smile tipping up his lips. "Bold of you to come here after what you did." He points his gun at me and whistles.

Men dressed in black fall out of the woods. The patrol warriors, and of course, members of his MC.

They have a contemptuous look on their faces as they stare at me, and I wonder what's going on.

"Hunter...look..." I start talking, ready to drop the drama for now, maybe when I've rested and regained strength, we'll continue, but Hunter's orders stop me.

"Arrest her!"

Two hefty warriors walk over to me and nab my arms. My body goes rigid, alert.

They begin to drag me away to goddess knows where. I whimper, looking over my shoulder at my stepbrother, who's glaring at me.

"Hunter. Please just let me go to the pack house...it's urgent."

I need to see my mom and Alpha Moon. They're the ones I'm looking to for mercy, not Hunter, not Rio, and especially not Quin.

Hunter doesn't budge. My pleas fall on deaf ears as the warriors drag me through the border woods until we reach their barracks.

They throw me into one of the cabins, and I land on the wooden floor, grunting at the searing impact.

The door slams behind me, and I tense. I surge to my feet and race to the door, banging on it.

"Hey!! Could you please let me out? I need to see my mother!" I plead, knocking on the door.

They don't respond.

I press my back against the door and sink to the floor in exhaustion.

Why would Hunter do that?

He just called me a fugitive, and I don't understand why.

I think he's nuts. That I eloped with Ryder doesn't make me a fugitive, and I wasn't banished either.

Well, I need to see my stepfather and explain things to him.

I wait for several minutes for Hunter's return, but he doesn't show up.

I feel abandoned.

Lonely.

I decide to look for something I can munch on in the cabin, which makes me ransack the room.

Turns out it's Hunter's cabin. The bed linens bear his sandalwood and leather scent. There are guns and bullets scattered on it, causing a hitch in my breath.

I check the mini fridge, and it only has a bottle of water and a leftover sandwich.

Seeing that, my stomach grumbles. I reach for the leftover and devour it hurriedly, polishing the plate in under a minute.

I take a drink of water and then resume looking through his things. The bunch of condoms on his nightstand leaves me speechless. Unthinkingly, I grab one. It's half used and smells of his warm skin, the rubber stretching in my hand.

Just like the rest of my stepbrothers, Hunter is promiscuous, always throwing parties and messing around with girls.

Good thing I hardly crossed paths with him back then because his lifestyle irritated me.

The door opens before I can drop the condom. I turn my head to the door, and there he is, looming over it in his 5'9 height.

He's strapped his gun over his chest, a hard grit to his jaw.

He steps in, slamming the door closed, brooding as he walks towards me.

I can feel it, the hammering of my heart as he narrows his gaze on the forbidden item in my hand.

My hand wobbles, fear mixed with something strange I can't put a name to swirling through me, and the condom drops before I know it. I peer up at him, swallowing hard.

"It's...not what you...think." I start, but his angry voice interrupts.

"Traitor." I blink rapidly, ogling him. I don't understand. "You think returning to the pack after six years will make us forget what you did, witch?"

What is he talking about?

My brows furrow. "Hunter, I don't understand..."

"You left the pack in ruins. Turned the goddess against us, and destroyed the lives of everyone. Now you walk in here pretending not to understand what I'm talking about?"

"Look, Hunter, I think there's a misunderstanding somewhere. I'm innocent. I didn't..."

The hollering voices outside the cabin and the banging on the door cut through my words. I look at the door, confused.

Why are they making noise?

"Bring her out!!"

"The thief!"

"Bring out the traitor!"

Nervous, I look between the door and Hunter.

"What's happening?" The terror rising inside me now leaks through my voice. "Hunter, what's going on?"

He doesn't respond; he only smirks.

"It's time for judgment, Veil. You were never going to escape it. Pay the price of your actions. You should've thought twice before you took what was never yours." He says. His smoky green eyes have flecks of gold, and I realize he's mind-linking someone.

My mind rattles. There has to be a misconception somewhere. I didn't take anything that wasn't mine at all.

I work up words to defend myself, but the door slams open and the warriors from before shove inside.

They grab me like I weigh nothing and pull me outside.

Then I see them, the angry mobs that are the pack members, calling me names and spitting curses at me.

"Thief!"

"Traitor!"

"She deserves to die!"

But I didn't steal anything. I'm innocent.

Yet, the fear restricts me from talking as they drag me away, heading to the pack square.

Tbc.

Veil.

Six years away from the pack didn't prepare me for this moment. The pack square is crowded, murmurs rippling from every corner.

They spill curses at me as I'm forced to stand on the stage, facing the whole Moonbloom pack.

That word "traitor" is hurled from every side.

Some of them have placards raised in the air with things like;

"There's no place for thieves in our land."

"She's the reason Alpha Moon died, kill her."

"She stole our peace!"

"She brought the curse upon our land!!"

I gawk at them all, the rage on their faces unmistakable.

My stepfather is dead? What happened to him?

What curse are they talking about exactly?

Despite my efforts, no one provides a clear answer. I don't understand what they're accusing me of, so eager to kill me.

My eyes search for Quin. He was being crowned the pack's alpha the night I eloped with Ryder, so he should be here to explain things.

Yet there's no sign of him, just the elders.

Their mean faces mirror the angry mob as they examine me.

Before I can ask any questions, one of the elders speaks, addressing the crowd.

"Moonbloom, let us all be calm now that the fugitive has been caught." Hush settles over the pack square as the elder speaks. Regardless, I can feel the anger and eagerness pouring out from the people.

"Our prayers have been answered by the goddess; now it is time for us to recover our stolen treasure." The elder looks at me briefly before adding. "If we do not retrieve it as we've hoped, the crowd will decide the fate of the thief."

Murmurs rise again, slithering through charged air and blending with rising dread inside me.

They pull me forward into the town hall, my hands restrained like a prisoner as we walk in tow with the pack elders.

I was expecting a little bit of mockery and anger from my family once I returned, but not the rage of the whole pack, claiming I stole their treasure when I ran.

Can't they see that I'm innocent?

Nothing really makes sense now, and I hope to get clarifications soon.

The double oak doors of the hall groan as the warriors pull them open.

The scent of the mahogany chairs slithers through my nose as we enter the hall.

They push me down to my knees at the center, the elders taking their respective positions with scowls on their weathered faces.

Now that everywhere is quiet, no overlapping voices and curses being hurled at me, I find my voice.

"What did I do?" My voice is hoarse, broken. I've witnessed enough horrors these past few days; I can't stomach another. "You can't just arrest me for nothing. I'm innocent."

Currently, I don't know if being here is worse than being with Ryder.

"You'll be released once you return the treasure you stole from us, Veil." Elder James spits, glowering.

I whoosh out a breath in shock, shaking my head.

"What treasure are you talking about? I didn't steal anything." I bark, my voice ricocheting off the walls.

He sighs, leaning forward in his seat. "Are you trying to deny you didn't steal the Moonstone the night you fled from the pack six years ago?"

My face pales at his accusations. Fighting against the nerves wracking through me, I hiss. "I'm innocent. I don't know anything about the moonstone."

They cackle in contempt at me. Elder Rayna rises up, glaring hot daggers at me.

"Are you aware that your treachery is the reason the pack hasn't progressed in six years? Not to mention Alpha Quin, who has been stuck in his lycan form since the night you stole the moonstone."

I pause and look at them in disbelief.

Did she just say Quin has been stuck in his lycan form for the past six years?

If any wolf or lycan gets stuck in their beast form for long, there are chances they'll go feral, and given the way they whisper about it, the expressions on their faces, it can only mean one thing...

Quin has gone feral.

How come I never knew about any of this?

Great, Ryder cut off the only ties I have to my pack.

A giant knot forms in my belly as panic registers.

This is more dangerous than I thought.

They're already convinced that I stole the moonstone, the only treasure that binds the alpha between our world and the other realm.

The alpha heir is supposed to be in his other form during coronations until the ceremony is done, and that night, Quin was in his lycan form.

This means the moonstone was stolen during the ceremony, and I eloped during the ceremony.

How coincidental!

This is a big mess.

I shouldn't have returned if I knew this was what happened.

Someone stole the moonstone, and they're framing me for it.

Given their anger right now, they'll never believe I'm innocent.

I should run far away, but it's too late to run.

I've been captured, and they're going to kill me; that's one of the rules of the pack: never steal the royal property. If anyone does it, they'll be stoned to death.

My body trembles. "I'm telling you the truth, I didn't steal the moonstone. You've got to believe me." I beg because that's the only thing I can do now.

I can't let them kill me for a crime I didn't commit.

Tears stain my cheeks, my lips wobbling as I gush more words of plea.

"I only eloped with my mate, I swear I didn't take the moonstone."

"We expected you to deny it, Veil. But the truth is clear, you betrayed our pack, and you shall pay the price."

Elder James hits the gavel over the mallet, signaling their final decision.

"For your treachery to the pack, Veil Nightsaw, I, hereby sentence you to..."

"Objection, elder James." A loud voice echoes in the hall, halting elder James' words.

Everyone is tense, and silence descends as the doors of the hall are pushed open.

There, the person I least expected will stand up for me, the person I've never set my eyes on for the past six years, strides into the hall.

His presence ripples with power and commands attention. He walks like God himself as he roams his eyes around the hall until they settle on me and darken.

Rio.

My stepbrother and the son of Alpha Moon's second Luna.

His large frame towers over me, a strange glint in his eyes.

Is he here to help me?

Does he know that I'm innocent?

"A-alpha...we weren't...expecting you here." James stutters, looking at Rio like a scared cat.

"I came as soon as I heard the news." He drawls, walking past me to where James is seated. "I wouldn't like to pass up an opportunity like this."

There's a strange depth to his voice as he looks at me intently. I try to keep my body from cowering under his gaze, but it's difficult.

Rio's gaze sets my body ablaze, tingles shooting through my veins.

"Don't you think sentencing Veil to death saves her from the real punishment of her crimes?"

The breath stalls in my lungs immediately upon hearing his words.

He isn't here to help me. Rio's here to convict me just like the others.

I thought as much. He's always hated me, and there's no way he'll go from being the bane of my existence to my savior.

James looks from him to me, asking. "If I may ask, alpha, what do you think serves as a better punishment for her crime?"

Rio responds just as quickly. "The full moon is tonight, which means tonight is Alpha Quin's rut. None of the females in the past could serve him during his rut, which has led to the deaths of how many...?" He looks around for answers, and another elder supplies.

"Ten."

"Great. Ten lives." His eyes roam back to me. "It's only fitting that the woman who left Quin in that position suffer a cruel fate at his hands before death claims her."

"Noo...please. Don't do this. I didn't steal the moonstone." I plead, feeling my chest constricting from the cruel fate that awaits me.

"As you've said it, alpha, so shall it be." James echoes with resolve, hitting the gavel one last time. "Take her away." He orders the warriors.

"Rio," I taste his name on my lips for the first time, and I notice the way he flinches and swallows, pinning his hazel eyes on me. "I didn't do anything, you've got to believe."

His expression deadpans, hands crossed over his groin as he watches me being dragged away from the hall.

This time, they're taking me to my greatest enemy, Quin.

Hot tears pour down, and tremors overwhelm me.

They take me to the pack house, where they spend hours preparing me for disaster.

At the first appearance of the moon, the warriors led me to the cellar.

I descend the stairs to the old cellar with my heart in my throat, blood pounding through me in waves. I nearly bolt, but the guards surrounding me make it impossible.

I watch them pry the locks open, metal doors rattling like a curse in the night as they give way. Then they gesture for me to move inside.

I do.

The scent of iron and salt hangs thick in the air, flooding my nostrils. I can hardly breathe past it.

And I see it, the imposing lycan growling with sexual lust in his eyes as he prowls back and forth in the cellar.

He's so large I've to crane my head up to his gaze and the minute his cold, beastly eyes connect with mine, my jaw drops open.

Quin.

He's danger personified.

Slimy saliva dribbles from his maw as he snarls into my face, sending chills down my spine.

My gaze trails past his face to his chest and pectorals down to his V-line, where I glimpse his impossibly large shaft gleaming red at the tip. Heat flares through my body, hitching my heartbeat.

"Oh, goodness!" I scream at the sheer size of it.

No, I can't do this.

I backtrack a step and then bolt for the door, but the beast beats me to it.

His paw-hand encircles my waist, hauling me into his solid chest with possessive force. His silent alpha command floods through me, my knees buckling until they meet the floor.

I succumb to his will. To his power, panting hard as his claws rip my dress away from me.

A primal growl tears from him at the sight of my bare skin. Before I can brace myself, he claims me, surging into my warmth in one brutal thrust that crushes my breath.

"Oh!!" I moan, overwhelmed by the fullness of him, my body shaking uncontrollably.

Tbc.