Talia's POV.

No one spared me a glance tonight, and I was grateful for it.

The people were excited; the festival would begin in mere minutes. Guests had been trooping in since the day before. The atmosphere was filled with joy, and the night sky with fireworks.

I might have appreciated the beauty if I wasn't in chains. I might have appreciated the colors if I did not hate my own body.

All my senses were now torture to me; my eyes could no longer see color from all the crying, and my ears would not stop hearing Jade's vile voice: "I heard you let Jared do it with you on the prison floors." The stench of Jared's smell would not leave my nose, and it was reliving the moment over and over. I wanted to tear my skin off because I could still feel his hands on me.

Today might be my last day, and I could not be more grateful. I thought I did not want to die, but now there was nothing I wanted more than to leave this world.

"Talia." The voice was gentle. It was a voice I had begged to hear, one I had pleaded to listen to me.

"Alpha Kael!" I breathed. I fell on my face out of habit.

"It's alright. You can look me in the eye this last time." He spoke gently. "I could not let today pass without doing this. I want to apologize to you. You have lived in my household and eaten my food-"

"I did not steal the amulet. I swear. I can never betray you." I pleaded.

"I know. I know you did not do it. Jade did. I know. They made a few mistakes while trying to cover up their tracks. I would not be Alpha if I could not see through such tricks."

I opened my mouth, but no words would escape. I tried to make meaning of the words he had spoken. "Why am I still in chains?" I wanted to say more. Why was I on open display to be mocked by all who came for the festival? Why was the knife being sharpened for my execution?

"I cannot sentence my daughter to death, Talia. I cannot do that to Selene." The Alpha was pleased.

I watched as people passed by without acknowledging the Alpha, and I figured that he had masked himself in their eyes. Power was mind-blowing. "So I have to die in her place?" I thought I was broken; now I felt myself shatter.

"Maybe this is why you came here; maybe this is destiny's plan. What if this is your fate?"

My fate was to die in place of someone else, to save a marriage, to die unjustly?

Fuck Fate.

"Accept your fate, Talia. Maybe it'll be good to you in your next life." And then he was gone with the wind.

My whole body was numb. I fell to the ground and closed my eyes. I welcomed the death that was already on its way.

Music and dance came before death. It was hard to keep my eyes closed.

The villagers danced around the tree I was tied to and even beyond; it had been very long since a party this big was thrown. Many people stared at me as they passed, and I could tell they were visitors. My life was old news to the indigene; my story had lost its savor.

I must have been the last to see them.

What I noticed first was how people parted like they had been blown by the wind; I heard the horses even before I saw them. Majestic, like nothing I had seen before. From their mane to their tail spoke of power. Horsepower. But nothing spoke majesty better than the two men that rode the horses.

It was hard to see them from the floor where I lay, but their bodies filled their clothes like they were made for them, and they rode like they were one with the horses. I would have thought them to be brothers because of their similar build, but something told me they were not.

I could not observe more of them because one turned to me, and I looked away before our eyes could meet. Then both passed my spot without giving me a second glance. They must have heard of my treason.

I closed my eyes again. This time, I let my senses travel away from my current location.

My consciousness came back when I felt my chain being pulled. My eyes fluttered open to see a crowd had gathered around me.

"Moonfang has always been a pack known to be kind and helpful. We take care of each other and assist neighboring tribes when we can; we host parties and invite all from far and near." It was Alpha Kael that spoke; his voice echoed throughout the village, and he needed no amplifier. "But some have thought us to be weak and lazy. Then they think they can get away with something as heavy as treason." His voice was filled with bile and hate; this was the ruthless Alpha. Fear ran away from me; I could not wait to take my last breath. "The clan wants to set this as an example to all. Call the Whipper!"

I knew the Whipper. He was a big man; he assisted the Alpha in delivering all kinds of punishments, down to executions. The Alpha killed with the Whipper's hands.

"Why do you need such a big man to whip such a tiny girl?" The voice echoed disgust. It came from within the crowd. Again, the people parted to reveal the men. It was the one with the hair of the sunset that spoke.

"I don't think punishing a little girl will pass the message you're trying to convey." The one with hair as dark as midnight spoke.

"Do not be deceived by her stature. The girl has committed treason, something greater men dare not do." The Alpha tried to explain.

The Whipper wasn't interested in the conversations; he tried to pull me so he could tie me to the tree.

It was then fear returned. I tried to flee his grip, but his hands had caught my shirt. I heard it rip. Totally. From behind.

I was bare. I wore nothing underneath.

Talia's POV.

I held the weak material against my front. My face was red with humiliation.

I turned away from the crowd, trying to hide my face from them, but a gasp made me turn back.

The man with dark hair was walking towards me. His eyes were like a bottomless sea. Blue. It reminded me of mine, but mine could never be that dark.

"What's wrong?" I heard the Alpha stutter; he was talking to the man who had come forward. "Alpha Rhys, you shouldn't touch the criminal."

I said nothing; all my limbs were sore from being tied down for days. I could not remember the last time I ate something; my skin had been scorched by the sun and beaten by rain. I looked a mess, but all I heard was him refer to the other man as Alpha. I should have guessed; the man radiated so much power.

"Turn." He said to me. His voice was dark; power coursed through his accent. I was too weak to argue. I turned my back to him.

I felt his finger trail something at the middle of my back. It might be a burn or something, not like I knew what my back looked like.

"That mark?" Alpha Kael tried to explain. "It's just a tag of slavery."

I frowned; I did not know there was a tag of slavery on my back.

Now the crowd was silent; everyone wanted to hear what was being said, and no one wanted to miss a drop of this gist. That was what my life had been reduced to. Entertainment.

"You call this a tag, Kael?" Alpha Rhys growled. I gasped. He had called the Alpha by name. "I did not know you to be so stupid."

Now it was the turn of the crowd to gasp. Their Alpha had been called stupid by a young man, another Alpha nevertheless.

A guard drew a sword, and another lifted a rifle at Alpha Rhys, but Alpha Kael raised a hand to stop them. He cleared his throat. "Does the mark resemble something familiar? I can assure you that it's not it."

I wanted to see the mark, but I knew I would look like a dying worm if I tried to look at my back right now.

"Resemble?" Alpha Rhys scoffed; I saw his eyes get darker with every second that passed.

Surprising everyone, he began to remove his own shirt. I heard girls gasp and swoon. I wouldn't blame them; if I were healthy and free, I would swoon too.

All I could do now was stare at him like he was a meal. But I couldn't because he came and stood beside me, his back as bare as mine.

What was he trying to do?

"Hey." He muttered to me alone as he stood beside me. "I'm sorry for coming late."

It was when he turned back to the crowd that I saw the mark on his back.

It was a nightmare come to life. I screamed, lost my balance, and fell.

He caught me.

I must have missed something of great importance because when I opened my eyes, all of the Moonfang clan were on their knees.

"How dare you?" Alpha Rhys was close to exploding. "You invited the whole of the west pack and half of the south, and you wanted to openly slaughter the only daughter of Luna Amira Rosetta? My sister? Do you have a death wish?"

My brain must have frozen. Nothing seemed to make sense beyond the feeling of the chains leaving my legs and wrists. My body was a patch of colors and burns.

I held tightly to Alpha Rhys as he carried me into the guest house. I could tell this was the apartment they had been given; it was the grandest house in this village, and it was my first time in it.

I gave a squeal of protest when he dropped me on the bed and tried to leave me.

"Shhh. You'll be fine; they'll clean you up."

"Don't leave. Please." I was yet to make meaning of who he was to me; my brain was slow to interpret the words I had heard, but I knew this man was my savior, and with him beside me, no one would dare hurt me.

"Don't leave. Please." I pleaded.

I felt soft hands take me, but I did not feel his presence leave.

I could not be put into a tub because of the wounds and bruises on my skin, so they cleaned me with a warm, wet cloth, and then they gave me a free gown to cover my body.

"You can turn now." I whispered. He heard me. "Did you lie? Did you lie to free me?" I asked.

"Why would I do that?" He was looking at me very weirdly.

"I've lived here for over ten years; why come now?" I asked. It did not make sense. The words my brain was interpreting made no sense.

"We thought you were dead. But that's not what you're asking." He angled his head. Now I could look deeper into his eyes; I had been right, they were so much like mine, only deeper and darker. "We have our mom's eyes." He said the words like he could read my mind.

I felt my eyes close.

"You're tired. Sleep, sister."

I slept.

Talia's POV.

"We can't take her along. She'll slow us down. We have a lot to do. She's weak. I cannot feel her wolf." I heard a voice bite out with disapproval.

"I cannot leave my sister here. Mother would kill me." I heard my brother argue. "I do not trust these people either. Look at what they did to her. I do not for a second believe that these people do not know who she is. Something is off about this village."

"Something is off about every village you have been to, and that's because they're nothing like the city you're used to." The other man snorted. I could guess it was his friend, the other man my brother had come with. "Look, they know who she is now; they would not dare hurt her. No one wants to be your enemy. We have a mission; let's not get carried away."

"It's easy for you to say, Ryker." My brother said quietly.

"Very, considering the fact that I do not know what family means because I have never had one." The other man snorted.

"You know that wasn't what I meant." My brother tried to pacify his friend, but I heard the door slam, signifying the exit of Ryker.

The door opened again, and I thought he had returned, but when the smell of fresh soup hit my nose, I knew it was food that had come.

I faked that I was just waking up and gave an unnecessary yawn.

"How do you feel?" Alpha Rhys asked me.

I stretched my hands and legs, then moved my neck before I answered, "Better." I wanted to say starving, but there was no need since food was already here.

My brother watched me eat; the moment was weird. "Is my mother alive?" I was curious.

"Yes." One-word answer.

Luna Amira. "Wait. Luna Amira?!" The word just made meaning in my head. Oh my fucking goodness. She was old now, but tales of Amira travelled from the north even to the south and beyond. She was a queen. Powerful. A warrior. My mother? "How did she lose me?" How could someone so powerful lose her child?

"She doesn't talk about it." Was all he said. His voice gave no room for questions.

"Will you take me to her?" I asked.

"We can't, not yet."

"You want to leave me here?" I cried. "If you could not save me, you should have let them kill me yesterday. If I remain here, death would be a better option for me." Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes.

"Please. Please, I beg you, don't cry. I have very little experience with crying women." He pleaded.

I should have guessed; the women in my family were strong and brave. I was a wolfless, crying girl. I cleaned my tears. Fast. "Please don't leave me here."

"We have a mission, a dangerous one. Taking you along could mean your death too." My brother sighed. He was obviously in a pickle.

"You might think keeping me here is what's best for me, but it's not." I pleaded. I had stopped eating; the food had lost its savor. I was full too.

A knock on the door kept him from answering me.

Alpha Kael and Jared came in.

I found myself trying to sink deeper into the bed.

"Your Beta told me you would be leaving with Talia soon." Alpha Kael went straight to the point.

I found myself nodding.

"Ryker is my friend, not my beta." Rhys corrected. I wondered what kind of relationship the two men had. Lovers? Well, they were both extremely attractive. "Yes, I'll be leaving with my sister."

"I don't think you should, considering that she's now my woman." It was Jared.

"What?" I said in shock. These people had come up with a plan.

My brother looked at me, and I shook my head.

"You were going to watch them hang your woman." Rhys asked him.

"She had committed treason. I could not be biased." Jared said the words with pseudo-honor.

"Well, from this moment, she's no longer your woman." Rhys replied simply.

"Not when she could be carrying his baby." Alpha Kael spoke up.

For the first time, my brother was at a loss for words. I saw disappointment in his eyes as he stared at me. "Is this true?"

I wanted to die. Maybe we could go back in time and I'd be hung on that tree. "Yes." But I could not tell him the details of it. Shame would not let me.

"Instead of leaving as enemies, we could be family. My son has finally expressed his affection for Talia, and I must say that I had no knowledge of this; else, I might have been a bit forgiving on the subject of her act of treason." Alpha Kael explained.

I shook my head. No. "What if I don't want that?" I asked, but no one seemed to hear me.

Alpha Kael had left when my brother finally turned to me. "You no longer have a say. You made a decision when you let him put a baby in you." He could not hide the irritation in his voice.

"What if I am not pregnant?" I asked.

"That'll be your only saving grace. Let's hope you're not." Rhys hoped. I prayed.

Ryker could not hide his anger any time he saw me. I knew he hated me. Now they could not leave until it was confirmed whether I was pregnant or not.

The physician said ten days; they would wait for ten days to confirm it.

I prayed to every deity that existed.