Chapter Three

The forest gave way to the towering shadows of Bloodclaw pack territories. My body stiffened, and my blood ran cold. The sun was already setting. The air was different here; it was warmer, charged with energy, breathing order, and discipline, unlike what we had back home.

I sighed deeply, unable to believe I now referred to the rogue base as home. You wouldn't blame me; I spent the greater part of my life there.

As we made our way closer to the pack territory, I couldn't help but think that I was an intruder, carried in under the disguise of a curse named fate.

For some reason, I knew this might be the end of me.

I trailed behind him, my fated mate, like a prisoner heading to her cells. His back was square and straight, with purpose, like he hadn't just met his other half a few minutes ago.

He hasn't spoken a word after he ordered me to come, not sparing me a glance.

The two warriors walking behind me said nothing too, but I could feel their gaze on me and the tension in their movement. Each time they looked at me, their facial expressions turned to contempt.

I recognized the look very well; it was the same look I had been used to for the past ten years.

I didn't feel bothered about it; how could I when, at the last moment, even my father looked at me with disgust?

Once we were out of the woods, the high wall of Bloodclaw Pack towered before us. It was carved with iron and stone; it looked ancient and luxurious.

Two men stood guard at the gate, their eyes narrowed the moment they saw me walking toward them, behind the Alpha.

One of them had golden hair, was wolfishly muscled in the right places, and was wearing a button-up shirt. With a scar across his nose, he frowned at me.

"How dare you, a rogue, come this far to the pack gate? You must have a death wish," he spat out, heading towards me with disgust written all over him.

"Rogue filth," the other murmured.

In the blink of an eye, he was standing right in front of me. I made a dodge, but he was too fast.

He grabbed my neck, lifting me off the ground, his eyes red with anger.

He was choking the life out of me. I hit him a couple of times on his hand while my face turned pale, my eyes popping out of their sockets.

Tears escaped my eyes as I thought this was truly the end for me, but in an instant, a strong force knocked him off, and I fell on my knee, coughing hard, clutching my neck, wide-eyed and in shock.

I heard a loud thud on the floor, and I turned to see the golden-haired guy on the floor. I turned, and I was shocked to see the angry look on his face.

"No one lays a finger on her; she is mine!" he growled.

His once icy gray eyes had turned pitch dark; a shiver ran down my spine. I knew his wolf was in control now.

But he quickly snapped out of it in a matter of minutes and glanced at me.

"Get up," he ordered, without any emotions, cold as ever. And I quickly scurried off the floor immediately.

The last thing I want is to anger this wolf; I wouldn't survive it, at least not in this state.

He turned, walking towards the gate. The guard on the floor, whimpering in pain, got off the floor, and both, shaking in fear, bowed their heads in submission.

We passed through the gates into the world I had long forsaken and had no place in.

I swallowed hard as a lump formed in my throat. The inside of the pack was breathtaking, with grand structures built from dark stones and timbers towering around a massive courtyard.

Everything was neat and orderly, and unlike the rogue base, there were houses for each family.

The warriors were sparring at what seemed to be the training ground, close to an auditorium. We walked past some elders sharing tea under a canopy.

While the woman was busy drying some herbs. They were all chatting amongst themselves until they saw me.

They stopped abruptly, heads turned, and mouths parted in silent gasps. I could hear their whispers even when I didn't want to.

"Is that...?" I heard one whisper.

"No, it can't be...." The others shunned her immediately; it felt like the mere mention of my name would bring bad luck to them.

"Eliana Paw?" I heard another call, and they all gasped, turning and staring at me in shock. I guess they are the remnants of Shadow Pack the day Damon conquered it, killing my father.

"She's still alive?"

My body stifled, my head on the ground, I continued following my executioner. They sneered and laughed at me, while some stared at me with venomous eyes.

"She is the one that killed her sister." Then came the very word I have been running away from all this while. I felt my whole world crash again, but I knew better than to make a sound.

"You mean the Alpha's daughter that ran away after drowning her sister?"

"Exactly!"

"She is nothing but rogue filth now. Why is she here? I hope she isn't back."

Every word was a dagger to my heart, the stares another reminder of who I was and who I would always be to them: a killer.

I kept walking behind him like every step didn't burn. I walked with aloofness like I wasn't affected by their words. I wasn't going to run, not this time.

I could hear my wolf snarl inside, growling and fighting to take control and gut their heart out, but I hushed her.

It was the fate thrown at me by the moon goddess, a punishment befitting the crime. How could I dare complain? I deserved everything I got.

The alpha led me to the stone steps of the main pack house, a place I had dreamed countless times would be my home, alongside my fated mate. But now it felt like a gibbet.

He paused abruptly at the top of the stairs and turned to look at me for the first time.

Our eyes met, and cold shivers ran down my spine. His eyes were still unreadable, like frozen silver.

"You will stay at the west wing." I had no say in the matter, so I didn't bother to say a thing.

"She is to be alone; no one is allowed to speak to her without my permission," he ordered the guards who had been walking with us the entire time.

"Yes, Alpha," they both bowed their heads in submission.

He took one final disdainful look at me and whispered.

"Don't get any ideas while you are here, and don't get your hopes high either; you are merely here because fate allows it. Don't mistake that for acceptance." Tears welled up in my eyes, but I held it in; I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction he craved.

He waited around to get a response and walked away, leaving me standing at the stairs with two wolves who wished me dead.

The heavy mahogany door of the packhouse creaked open, and the two guards gestured for me to enter, and I willingly followed them—no welcome, no words, just silence.

The door shut behind me with a final thud the moment I entered. Once inside, it felt warm, scented faintly of oak and something darker, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

Every single thing in here glowed, and, grand, the floor looked shiny. I looked up to see picture frames of the pack's triumphs hanging on the wall, like some trophy.

The footsteps of the guard leading me to my prison echoed in front of me, with a permanent frown etched between his brows like a tattoo.

I watched as the hallway swallowed his lean body and slowly walked behind him. His pace was too fast, and he didn't bother to check if I was catching up with him.

The deeper we ventured into the pack house, the more elaborate it became; the walls of the hallway were decorated with pictures of the past Alpha. Each stared at me like judgment. I paused the moment I saw Dad's portrait but quickly walked away.

The guard took another turn, and a chilly air hit me. The farther we walked, the more silent it became, the voices of the pack members fading behind us.

When we reached a corridor lined with cracked sconces and faded wallpaper, he stopped in front of the door.

"Here, this is where you will be staying," he announced briskly.

I swallowed hard; he pulled the door, and it creaked open; a cold shiver ran down my spine.

He stepped aside and gestured for me to enter. I walked through the door, and the state of the room made my heart race.

"It hasn't been used for years now; don't expect any comfort," he said. I sighed.

The room was dark and dusty, with a spring bed with one sagging leg in the corner. With no linen, A cracked mirror hanging above a dresser,

This wasn't a room; it was a tomb. Without saying a word, I understood perfectly what he wished for me.

"Someone will bring you food later," he said with a tone of finality before he walked away. Shutting the door behind him.

I stood at the center of the tomb, bewildered.

"This is where the alpha of the strongest pack sent his fated mate."

"Not a guest room or servants' quarters, but a place fit only for ghosts.

I could feel my wolf whimper, but I pushed it down; there was no comfort tonight.

I sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the mess of a room, when memories of that day hit me. I groaned, plunging my hands into my ears to stop Karen's screams as she drowned. I was gasping for air, then I heard it, a creak. Not from the hallway but inside the room.

I stopped and lifted my head; that was when I noticed the mirror had shifted. Just slightly, but enough to tell the difference.

I moved closer to see a crack in the wall just behind the mirror. I reached out a hand, trembling and heart throbbing, and I pulled the mirror aside.

To see a narrow opening in the wall, barely wide enough for a person. But in the darkness beyond, a door, hidden, locked, forgotten, but it was there, not like my imagination was playing tricks on me.

I gasped, my heart racing, and I backed away slowly.

"What is this place?" I whispered to myself. What secrets does this cursed tomb hold?

And why, out of all the rooms, did he send me here?

I slowly dropped the cracked mirror on the dresser. With my gaze still fixed on the hole in the wall, I took one final look at the hole, and my curiosity wouldn't let me stay still.

The hole was narrow, and my shoulders could barely pass through it, but the draft was to confirm that there was something ahead.

I slid in, but the passage was tighter than expected, the air thick with dust and ancient furniture.

The deeper I went, the colder it got; my heart was pounding and my wolf growled in distress.

There were no lights, no sound, just my bare feet padding against the stone floor and my heart racing.

A few steps further and I reached it, the metallic door I had seen, but up close it was a rusty iron door, framed with stones.

I hesitated for a second, scared of what lay beyond the closed door. When I couldn't wait anymore, I touched the handle, giving it a little push, and it slowly creaked open.

Moaning on the hinges like a growling beast, long undisturbed, immediately the door faced away, and a scent hit my nose, something damp, like old books or dried herbs or something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was.

Inside the chamber was a small round room, the walls covered in faded writings and symbols. I couldn't make head or tail of what it was talking about.

There were stacked books on the floor, and at the center was a table with an object wrapped in a faded red cloth.

Curious, I moved closer, holding the tip of the cloth to see what lay behind it. I heard my wolf whimper.

"Don't touch it," I heard her purring into my ears, but it was already too late.

It felt like I was hypnotized, pulling the clothes before I had even realized it.

My eyes lit open at the crescent moon-shaped silver locket, with some ancient runes etched around its edges.

As soon as I lifted it, I felt a wave run through me, quick and weird. Like a wave of recognition, I shouldn't have.

I staggered back, clutching the locket, and flashes of memories hit me.

A fire, distant screams, and crying, Karen reaching for something glowing in the water.

Before I could realize it, the images were gone.

"No," I cried out, clutching the pendant tightly.

The memory came and went like a spark of lightning.

"What is this place?" I asked myself the moment it dawned on me that whatever it was I saw was because I was in there.

"Curious? Good, I heard a voice behind me. I turned instantly, heart racing and scared out of my guts.

But there was no one behind me. The chamber was empty with only me standing in it.

"Who... are... you?" I asked, stuttering in fear.

"Not all graves are marked with tombstones," the voice came again.

I fell to the ground. This could only mean one thing: I wasn't alone in here. Someone or something knew I found the chamber.

Breathing heavily, with my fingers clenching the pendant, I didn't dare move; I froze on the floor, begging the moon goddess to save me.

But then I heard it; the sound was unmistakable: footsteps. But when I peered into the darkness, I saw no one.

But still, I felt it, an undeniable presence.

The pendant pulsed in my hand, warm now, as if it was responding to something. My wolf stirred within me, alert and silent.

"Who's there?" I asked again, my voice barely audible.

There was nothing but silence, and then a flicker—a shadow moved across the chamber walls.

"Someone is here," I whispered. I got off the floor immediately and backed away from the door, moving towards the table. My heart racing, I scanned the room for a weapon, and my eyes rested on the iron rod in the corner.

I grabbed it tightly, waiting to launch an attack on whoever it was.

I heard the footsteps again, but they were slower this time and stopped abruptly.

Then came the voice again, male, but it was also low this time.

"You shouldn't be here," gripping the rod and frantically looking around and trembling in fear.

"Show yourself," I spat out.

Immediately a figure appeared from the shadow, hooded, cloaked in a faded brown, his face obscure in the shadows, although veiled, but I could feel the weight of his eyes.

I couldn't sense his wolf, and that terrified me more than anything.

He stepped closer but not threateningly, his gaze buried at the pendant I was clutching in my hand.

"You touched it," he said, looking shocked. I looked from him to the locket, and I didn't say a thing.

Exhaling slowly, he pulled back the hood. I gaped, staring at the ghost standing in front of me.

I swear I had seen a portrait with this face hanging somewhere in the pack house while the guard led me to this tomb.

He was the Alpha I saw with his portrait turned upside down, dead for decades.

"Orin Stormwolf," I whispered internally, the name I saw written under his portrait.

"You shouldn't be alive," I whispered, staring at him confused.

"And yet here I stand," he gave a wicked smile. Scaring me even more.

"Who are you?"

"I was once the alpha of this pack before I was betrayed and buried in its secrets." My blood turned to ice.

"Now, I merely guard what remains of the truth," eyes narrowing.

"This place had remained shrouded for decades, but you found it, which can only mean one thing."

I swallowed hard. "It means what?"

"The pendant chose you." I looked down at the pendant glowing faintly in my hand.

"What is it?" I asked him, looking at the pendant.

"Something that should have been long forgotten, like you."

He tilted his head slightly to the side, looking at me like some puzzle.

"You aren't just a rogue girl with guilt in her heart; you are the thread that pulls everything loose."

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I trembled.

Before I could even say another word, he began walking back into the shadow.

"Wait," I yelled out, and he paused.

"What do I do with it?"

"Keep it hidden, for the sake of your life; tell no one, especially her," he said and vanished into the darkness.

"Who?" I yelled briskly.

"You will know," I heard his voice in the air, and then silence.

I stood at the center of the room, confused, staring at the locket in my arm when a knock jolted me back to reality.

"Shit!" I screamed and hurriedly ran out of the chamber.

I maneuvered my way out of the passage, and the minute I was out of the hole, I placed the back mirror where it belonged, stuffing the locket in my pocket.

"Come in," I said, sighing in relief.

A maid bearing a platter of food pulled open the door; the look of terror etched on her face was disturbing.

Without being told, I could tell she was scared of the room.

"I... I brought dinner," she stuttered. I didn't say a word but just watched as she placed the platter on the dresser. I noticed she had clean bedsheets.

She dropped them all and vanished out of the room, leaving the door open as she walked away, but I heard her stop abruptly just outside the door. She lingered for a couple of minutes before she continued walking.

I sighed, grateful that I wasn't caught.

"Don't get any stupid ideas." His words played in my head. I went over to the dresser, picked up the sheets, and began making my bed.

When I was done, I packed the dirty old ones at the corner and was admiring my work when a voice startled me from behind.

"I like what you have done with the place." I turned to his gray eyes glowing in the dark hallway.

Of course, he came to see how broken I had become; he sent me to this side, a forgotten part of the pack house, to crash and burn; he couldn't stay away till he got the satisfaction he craved.

But I would rather die than give him the satisfaction of seeing me crash.

"Would have invited you in, but there is only room for one."

My wolf growled within me as the mate bond kept tugging at me.

The glowing gray emerged from the darkness but stopped at the door, just close enough to see him well in the light.

He chuckled wickedly. "Brace yourself, little wolf; it gets crazier at night."

I froze when I heard him say that but quickly masked my fear; I wasn't going to let him know that I was scared.

"Thank you for the heads-up." I cleared my throat, hoping he didn't catch on yet.

"Good, enjoy," he smirked, whistling as he walked away.

"He is just messing with me," I reassured myself and shut the door. I turned around to see a cat sitting on the window. I froze. It ran to the death trap of a window and disappeared.

It has been one week since I came to the pack house. I almost went insane in the first few days, staying locked up in here, but was surprised when a guard knocked on the door, with a maid standing behind him.

They handed me some clothes and essentials before disappearing, and the guard waited outside when I was done bathing, although I was still surprised the shower still worked.

I quickly dressed up, took one look in the mirror, and followed the guard out excitedly.

I had no idea where he was taking me, but the thought of taking some fresh air made me happy.

The guard stopped and turned to me. "You can join them if you wish," he said, pointing at a group of women knitting.

"Really?"

"Yes, Luna." I felt elated hearing someone call me Luna. I wanted to ask him if the alpha sent him to come to check up on me and get me out but decided not to. I should not push it.

I sat down for a couple of minutes with the women; I could tell I wasn't welcome amongst them. The stares they exchanged, the unspoken words that hung in the air.

After sitting for a while, I got tired and got up. The guard took me on a tour around the pack house. We were headed back inside when I saw a portrait of him. With his name written under it.

"Damon Blackclaw," I whispered to myself. "That is his name," I smiled, happily making my way into the west wing like I won a lottery.

This continued happening: a guard would come get me, take me on a tour around the pack house, and I would return to my tomb.

* * *

One rainy night, I heard a knock on my door. I was already in bed, waiting to drift off to dreamland when the knock came to the door. I jerked off the bed, confused. When the knock came again, I pulled open the door to see a guard standing outside.

My brows furrowed, waiting for an explanation as to why he was at my door this late at night.

"Follow me," the guard said with a tone of finality and turned around almost immediately.

"Wait, what?" I spat out watching him walk away.

These guards and their robot way of talking, picking up a blanket—I dashed out the door, following him. I was wondering if he expected me to walk in the rain when he suddenly pulled out an umbrella from God knows where.

"Here," he handed it to me and began walking.

But instead of taking our normal route outside the pack house, he ventured to the east wing. The wing was silent, unlike the rest. But even in the silence I could hear a faint heartbeat, and the beat increased as I got closer.

He stopped in front of a room and pulled open the door, gesturing me inside.

"Enter," he commanded. I stared from him to the door, confused, but his scent hit me, making my wolf excited. That was when I knew where I was.

I made my way into the room, and the door shut behind me.

"Come," I heard that familiar deep voice, and my wolf instantly became uncontrollable.

My heart races as he steps out of the darkness, bare-chested, wearing only a brief.

"This isn't going to end well," I whispered under my breath.

I wasn't going to give in to him. It's too bad that my wolf is already excited, but seeing him almost naked isn't helping at all. His eyes were pitch black, looking menacingly dangerous. His wolf was in control, and it was only a matter of time before I lost control.

Before I could say a word, he was already standing in front of me. I made to move away hastily but stumbled. I landed on something hard. I looked up only to realize that he caught me.

We both stared at each other for a few minutes. I tried to push him, but he was hard as a rock.

But I wasn't going to make things easy for him.

He leaned in to kiss me, but I rolled off his hand, falling on the hard floor. I jerked up immediately, running to the door, but he caught me after I took the third step.

I kicked him, but he dodged and took my lip in a kiss. I froze; our lips were fused. At first, I wanted to fight it, but my wolf took control before I could figure things out. Tearing at each other like some horny teenagers.

He was the sweetest thing I had ever tasted; the mixture of his scent and his lips was driving me insane.

Lifting me off the ground, he carried me to his bed in the corner of the room. The moment my back touched the bed, a scent hit me. It wasn't his, nor was it mine; it smelled just like the one I smelled in the woods the very first day I met him, but I quickly shoved it aside. I can't let that stupid scent ruin this moment for me.

We continued from where we stopped.

He slowly pulled off my nightgown, taking my nipples in his mouth one after another.

I groaned, my finger dug into his wide back while I pushed back.

I slid my fingers down till it came to a stop at his erect dick. I couldn't believe that he was the same man who brought me home a few weeks ago.

What changed? Did he decide to give in to the mate bond? Maybe he is now willing to accept me as I am. Rogue filth and all.

Well, whatever it is, I will always remember this moment. He pulled down his briefs, and his dick sprang free, hard, erect, and waiting for some action.

I leaned back to get a full look at it, and when I couldn't stand it anymore, I took it in my mouth. He grunted, holding my head as I wobbled my head on it.

Licking every inch of him, he swiftly turned me over, with my back on the bed.

Spreading my legs to his full glare, he inhaled my scent, howled, and soon buried his lips in pussy. I groaned, throwing my head in the air.

He licked me, sucking up all my pussy juice. I grabbed the sheets, groaning in pleasure. The cold, chilly air was perfect. I squirmed as he continued sucking me.

He suddenly got up and took my lips in a kiss. The kiss lasted for a few seconds with the tip of his hard dick on my pussy. All it took was one push, and he slid inside me.

My lips parted, and I let out a groan. I wasn't a virgin, but this was the sweetest feeling ever. His pace was slow and steady, plunging and pulling it out until he came, groaning.

I have never felt so alive ever since I ran from home. We went on a couple more rounds, and when we were exhausted, I dozed off.

The memories of our short night together hit me, the way he moaned and thrust. I can't remember the last time I was this happy.

I tried thinking of what could have made him change, but I couldn't come up with anything.

Maybe the moon goddess finally took pity on me and spun the wheel of fate in my favor.

He was going to acknowledge me as his Luna; my days of spending those dreadful nights at that tomb were over.

But my thought was cut off when I heard whispers and heartbeats, and I frantically turned, my mouth fell open when I saw the people in the room. I couldn't help but notice the loathsome way they looked at me.

I quickly grabbed the sheets covering my naked body.

"She tried seducing the Alpha last night," one said.

"The witch that killed her sister," the other said.

I searched the room, and my eyes rested on Damon, who sat in the far corner of the room. The look on his face wasn't the same look I saw when we shared the bed last night.

"Leave us," he ordered them.

Confused, I was about to ask him what the fuck was going on when I heard the door open. I turned my gaze to the door. A lady walked in; she looked so familiar, but I couldn't place the face.

"Luna," I heard them all say, bowing their heads to her in submission. I prayed to the moon goddess that it wasn't what I was thinking. The door closed shut.

She shot me a look and moved closer to Damon, bowing her head to him in submission, then turned to me almost immediately.

"You didn't forget me, did you, sister?" she mind-linked me.

I gasped, pointing at her. My face was pale, like I saw a ghost. Where did she come out from?

"K... Karen!" I called out, my voice all shaky.

"Hello, Sister." Tears trickled down my cheeks while I stared at her, trying to understand how she was alive.

"How?" was all I could say, looking from her to Damon.

"You can leave now, Eliana; the woman I love is finally here." His voice brought me back.

Damon stood from the chair he was sitting on and moved closer to Karen, lifting her off the ground.

That was when her scent hit me, the one I had been perceiving around him for a while.

I cried bitterly. I have been so stupid, crowded by my loneliness, that I didn't realize the games he was playing.

"Karen, why? "You are supposed to be dead. Father mourned you. We...we buried your body," I cried out, shaken.

"You mourned me, and here I was thinking of new ways to make your life miserable," she smirked, laughing hard.

"Why? You're supposed to be my sister......"

"He was mine from the beginning, stepsister; I only claimed what was mine." She mind-linked me, smiling wickedly. I was taken aback when she called me her stepsister.

I was about to ask her what she meant when Damon ordered the guards to take me away.

Broken and battered, but I wasn't going to give up easily, I fought the guards while I screamed at Damon. He signaled the guards to stop.

Came closer and leaned in.

"I, Damon Blackclaw, the alpha of Blackclaw's Pack, reject you, Eliana Stormwolf, a rogue filth, as my Luna and mate," he said, smiling.

If he was going to reject me from the very beginning, why did he bring me here, and above all, why did he sleep with me last night passionately?

"Why?" I screamed in tears.

He leaned in and whispered into my ear.

"I was curious how it would feel to fuck my mate. It's a feeling every alpha would want to experience at least once in their life, and I will admit, you're the best I have had in a while, but no one will ever know," he chuckled cruelly. Signaling the guards to take me away.

My jaw clenched tightly as I was dragged off. I was in tears and broken.

Naked with only the sheets covering me. Once outside the packhouse, I ran, without looking back, headed into the woods, broken and shattered.

I came to a halt at the edge of the cliff again, but this time things were different. In tears, I swore to make every one of them experience the pain I'm feeling right now.