Chapter One: Wooing Her Back

Emily's POV

"Without knowing the depth of this, you chose to believe I was the culprit. Isn't that cruel?” I cried, choked with sobs.

"Why, Jack? Why do you hate me so much?!" I screamed desperately, my heart hammering in my chest with my lips trembling as tears smeared on my pale cheeks.

“Because I don't know you or where you came from. You can't just badge into my life and be my mate. Accepting you as my mate will make history repeat itself. Only if you had left when I asked you to!” He snapped.

There he goes again, saying those words I can't seem to comprehend. But at this point, it seems like that was a facade he was wearing to cover up for his actions.

"You know what?” I stepped closer to him, “I’m tired. I've tried but I'm tired. Reject me if you want to. I don't give a damn anymore!" I ranted, turning on my heels and walked away, harshly wiping my tears.

"Guards!" His loud growl made me stopped involuntarily. I turned around and still found his eyes on me.

The guards came running and then he pointed at me.

"I will reject you. After the truth of this matter is solved. But before that-" he glanced at the guards.

"Bundle her to the dungeon," he ordered coldly, and my face shone in terror. Kiara, who stood beside him, also trembled in fear but later smirk in triumph. She was his mistress.

The guards hesitated, not expecting such orders from him. His mum jerked up from the chair, even though she doesn't like me really much. It will be a stain to his reputation as the Alpha King if the rumor of him throwing his mate, the Luna, into the dungeon gets caught within the pack.

“Stop this nonsense, Jack. Put her on house arrest instead. People won't take it slightly with you if they…..”

“What? Keep a traitor? She tries to murder me, Lady Elena!” He growled. She wasn't his biological mum, just a motherly figure within the pack. 

“I didn't!” I insisted, tears sprang out of my eyes, “I didn't d-do it,” I added with my voice trembling.

My heart stung when his emotionless eyes found mine. He was quick to look away, looking at the guards.

“If she tries to resist, don't hesitate to go violence on her,” he added authoritatively before he walked out of the dining room.

I didn't bother to stop him or cry out for mercy. The guards came to me, I sniffled my sobs with my aching heart. I took a step out of the dining room but I stopped. 

L

Then an Idea struck my head and I hastily ran out. The guards were quick to catch up with me but I didn't intend to run away. Jack wasn't far enough that my voice wouldn't stop him.

“What if I'm not a traitor?!” I shouted for him to hear me. He paused and turned around, smirking.

“If the moon goddess is so good to you, maybe that would be true. But if that happens to be the truth, you will be free and I won't reject you,” he stated and I shook my head.

“No. Let's have a deal,” I proposed, wiping my tears. He arched his eyebrows interestingly and I continued.

“Whatever the outcome is, you will reject me. Allow me leave this pack and you won't chase after me,” I stated and he kept looking at me interestingly.

“What do I get in return?”

“You won't have me to rile up just by seeing my face.” I responded and he shook his head.

“Nah. I must get something in return,” he said, crossing his arms and I arched my brows.

“I don't know what I would want yet. But when the time comes, I'll demand what I want. Does that suit your liking?” He asked casually.

We held gazes for a moment before I looked away and walked towards the dungeon. The guards followed after me and my tears wouldn't stop gushing out.

Even though I was trying to act tough and strong, my heart broke into a million pieces when the sound of the closing gates resonated around the four walls of the dungeon.

I sat on the cold floor with tears gushing out of my eyes. If loving someone was a crime, maybe in my next life, I'll never fall in love ever again. 

Right from the moment I woke up on that cold floor, miles away from here. I have no memories of my past life after my resurrection. Even as a seer, I still don't understand why a voice kept ringing in my head saying my mate needs me.

It took a great effort before I found Jackson. Within the pack, I was tagged as the pack orphan as no one knows where I came from or anyone related to me.

The moon goddess has blessed me with powers to see the visions and have glimpse of the future or past.

Maybe later in the future, Jack would be needing me but I never understood why he had always been rude and cruel to me. All I've ever done was to love and tried to protect and support him even though I knew he doesn't need any of those from me.

But now I am tired, I can't do this anymore. I laid on the cold cemented floor with my tears gushing out of my eyes. Without knowing it, I slept off while weeping my heart out.

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.

.

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“Clang-clang-clang,” the sound of the gate woke me up from my deep slumber. I rose up from the floor and watched as the guards opened the gates.

“Your attention is needed in the courtroom, your highness,” one of them said with respect, bowing before me. My heart skipped a beat when I heard him.

‘Is it my judgment day?’ I asked myself, gazing at the guards. They urged me with their gazes to step out, but my feet suddenly grew heavy.

I fought back my tears, accepting my fate already and walked in front of them to the courtroom. My heartbeat was pounding erratically in my chest when we arrived. I was close to my death and all sorts of emotions were running through my veins.

Jackson sat on his throne in his mighty glory, his usual smirk playing on his lips. I tore my eyes away from him and glanced around, everyone seemed to be holding their breath except Kiara.

She has always been covering up her cunning cheap tricks with a fake docile expression. I wonder why everyone, together with Lady Elena, aren't seeing her fake side.

Suddenly, Jackson roared which got me startled as he rose up from his throne. Everyone bowed immediately except me. And his smile widened.

“Drag her before me,” he ordered and my eyes grew alert. I glanced around to see if the guards were going to drag me as he had commanded, but that wasn't the case.

A young lady, dressed in the maid's uniform was dragged inside the courtroom.

“Perhaps the moon goddess has finally answered our prayers, my love,” his voice boomed across the courtroom, before his eyes grew intent.

“SHE… is the culprit!” He clenched his words, pointing at the maid. I gazed at him as if I was seeing a joker. Does he really think a maid would be so daring to poison him knowing fully well the consequences?

“I know what must be going through your mind. And that is why the traitor will be questioned before everyone and you're free to give her whatever punishment you think she deserves,” he added again with his eyes on me, which made me tear my gaze from him and turned to the maid.

Within a flash, her body was suddenly covered with blood. My eyes widened in shock, realizing what that vision meant.

“Get a pigeon milk now!” I ordered urgently and immediately crouched before the maid, hitting her chest to cough out the poison. A few guards immediately ran out to carry out my orders.

“And why should we obey you?” Kiara questioned with arrogance.

“She's going to die. Get the milk right here!” I shouted, hitting the maid's chest.

“But nothing is wrong with the maid,” someone murmured behind me, making my hands paused. I looked at the maid, who was scared for her life.

“W-Who sent you?” I stuttered. The maid looks so scared and couldn't utter a word.

“You won't do the talking, the King will,” Kiara interrupted. I stood up and gazed at Jackson, whose gaze was intent on me.

“Start your questioning. She has a few minutes to live unless she's given pigeon milk. She's going to die.” I told him, stuttering a little. The guard came with the milk, out of nowhere, Kiara interfered and yanked the bottle of milk from the guard.

“Jackson, don't fall for this. Who knows, she might have the guard to poison the milk to kill the maid. You can't trust her traitor like her,” Kiara said which angered me even more.

“Can you just stop? We need to find the culprit.” I seethed.

In the middle of our banter, the maid retched before coughing out blood. I tried to get hold of the milk from Kiara to feed it to the poor maid, but she didn't release it and Jackson didn't give the order.

My heart felt crushed as life left the maid's body. Only if they had done what I asked them to do, the culprit would have been found.

“Court adjourned,” Jackson finally said and all the ministers matched out. I turned around to leave as well but his voice stopped me. Turning around, I was shocked that he was close to me already.

Trying to create distance between us, he grabbed my waist which further stunned me. His gaze was gentle, looking down at me as he tucked my hair behind my ear.

“You're free… my Queen,” he said tenderly. Frown lines formed on my forehead, wondering where that tone was coming.

“Leave us,” he commanded with our eyes locked together. For a second, my heartbeat jumped in joy. So these hazel eyes could really look at me with so much admiration in this lifetime?

“Let go of me,” I whispered.

“You're free, my Queen,” he repeated.

“We had a deal,”

“Yeah, I know,”

“I want to leave,”

“Accepted,” he responded almost immediately, “But I want you to stay. That's my request for allowing you to leave,” he added, and it took me some time before I could process his words.

Is he drunk?

I averted my gaze from his, taking a deep breath and tried to pry his hands away from my body. But he didn't let go and pulled me closer.

“What are you doing?” I gritted my teeth.

“Holding my Queen,” he said with a flirt. His intoxicating scent was making it hard for me to say those words. To reject him.

“I don't want you anymore,” I said. He let go of me to which I was grateful for.

“The maids are waiting for you. It's time for your coronation. To crown you as my Luna Queen,” he stated and I arched my brows in confusion.

“W-What changed?” I stammered, my heart and mind were having a great war. It was just yesterday he was accusing me of being a traitor.

“It's high time I start to embrace the fact that you're my mate. My soulmate. My other half the moon goddess has blessed me with, even though she has cursed me. You're my guardian angel, the one who is to protect me. I apologize for everything I've done. Let's become one,” he said with sincerity but he sounded so full of himself.

I pushed him so hard, veins popping out of my forehead to show how angry I was.

“I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN TO BECOME YOUR LUNA!” I roared loudly that I could feel my throat burning.

“Ten years!” I growled, “You've always treated me like a piece of shit and you think becoming the Queen will buy me? I'm not a commodity!” I raged furiously.

Softly, he said, “I know, I know. And that's why I'm going to woo you now,” the sound of the tone only fuels my anger.

“I, Emily Hall, reject you, Jackson Thomson, the Alpha King as my….” His hands clamped my mouth before I could finish. I violently tried to get freed from him, ignoring the emotions I felt with his hands on my mouth.

For the first time ever, I saw fear in his eyes flickering with other emotions I fail to fathom. The sound of his heartbeat was loud to my ears and that made me even more curious to know what happened. What changed?