CHAPTER 2 : Descending Cassiopeia

Matthias walked toward me slowly, while I watched the pack put my father’s coffin under the grave. It feels like my heart stopped beating, knowing that I won’t be able to see the person I’ve been relying to since, ever again. The only person who accepts me, the only person who make me believe that I’m beautiful.

Father…

"Cassiopeia, Alpha Magnus is dead," Matthias whispered as soon as I he reached me. But does he have to tell me that bluntly when I could see the situation clearly? Is he insensitive or what?

"You have to accept..."

"No..." I cut him off before he could finish his sentence.

Shaking my head in disbelief. This is not acceptable and will never be. I want my father back.

"She is the reason why Alpha Magnus died."

"The Alpha is completely dismayed because the future Luna can't shift. That caused him a heart attack."

Closing my eyes as gossips and whispers started to rose. They were probably right. I am the reason why my father died, I was such a disappointment.

"She is cursed."

Turning my back, their eyes lingering at me has been removed, and they were acting like they weren’t talking behind my back when I could clearly hear them.

I was about to leave. I don't want to hear anything more from them, the pain is too unbearable. And I can’t do anything but blame myself. This is all my fault. 

"Cassiopeia..." Calypso greeted me from a distance. Her eyes were grieving, and I know she’s the only shoulder to cry on among the pack.

Before any words followed next, I ran towards her, and hug her tightly. When I thought my tears were already drained, I was wrong. There is more hiding inside like it was just looking for the perfect timing to burst out. I was too weak; I can’t do anything but to cry. I’m a f*cking useless, and it’s more tormenting that he’ll leave me, and never come back.

"Everything will be okay; I know it's hard. I know there are no words to soothe or at least ease the pain inside but trust me Cassiopeia. Things happens for a reason. " She tries to calm me by patting my back, but I think this suffering was eating me alive, no words can heal the pain like what she just mentioned.

"What should I do now?" My father, my savior, was gone. What did I do to deserve this punishment? This is too much to bear. I can accept if I’m just a pure human, a werewolf who doesn’t have a wolf. If that’s my fate, then be it.

But my father…

That’s a different kind of story.

“You have to be strong, Cassiopeia. Sooner or later, you’ll be able to shift and be the Luna of the pack. That’s what Alpha Magnus wants, and he’ll be happy if that happens.”

A smile of embitterment escapes my lips.

“That’s impossible, Calypso. I’m just a human.”

“There's one more chance, Cassiopeia, the forbidden mountain.” She whispered.

An idea pops into my head as soon as I hear it. No, it’s forbidden, and one of the strict rules that our pack obeys includes that no one is allowed to go to the forbidden mountain.

However ,on the second thought,  Calypso is right. Instead of doing nothing, I should take risks at least. But I won’t ask for my wolf, I’ll ask for my father’s life. By the bless of the God of the moon, nothing is impossible.

“I must go. Thank you.” I shot back and ran straight to the forest. It was getting dark, but I don’t give a damn, for now, all I want is my father. What’s the sense of living if my father is already gone?

Along with the wind that’s blocking my way, the grass was slashing my skin, I knew it would leave cuts on it. But enduring this temporary wound is better than experience the pain of losing him in my entire life, blaming myself forever.

I was chasing my breath until I reached the mountain, the forbidden one. The moon is too close to it, and every pack was prohibited from climbing there as we believe that it was a holy mountain where the God of the moon lives. Our pack was one of the pioneering packs in obeying such rule.

But this is the only chance I had left. I kneeled in front of it. Tears continue to follow.

“Please, turn back my father’s life,” I begged, refraining any sobs to escape my lips. I closed my eyes trying to communicate with it. According to legend, the moon grants every werewolf's wish at its brightest color.

“I’ve never asked for anything else, God of the Moon. Just this one please, I’m begging you to bring back Alpha Magnus's life!” I cried, I beseeched. But still...

Nothing happened. I mean I should feel something, or maybe expecting my father to be brought by the light coming from the moon in front of me. It sounds absurd, but it’s not impossible.

“Stop wasting your time, what’s meant to happen will happen.”

My eyes slowly widened at the unfamiliar voice I heard just a few inches from me.

“W-Who are you?” I asked nervously. Despite being a human, I can feel his strong aura. He’s not Baron, does he? Because if someone from the pack got to know that I was here, then it would be over for me. I slowly faced him, my heart pounding so fast in anxiousness.

A different kind of relief embraced my being as soon as I saw his face. He’s not from the pack, but also stunned at the same time. I thought Baron was the most gorgeous werewolf, not until I got a glimpse of this immortal standing next to me. His golden eyes were shining under the bright moon. And his face was like a sculptured marbled face of a Greek God in perfection.

“Stop begging. Things will automatically happen that are already written in the prophecy. You are already written on the prophecy.”  His voice screams authority and dominance. Those were the only words I heard from him before he turned his back.

“H-Hey wait… W-what are you talking about?” I don’t know where my bravery came from despite trembling, for me to ask that.

“Who are you!?” I exclaimed once more, but he didn’t bother to face me or answer my questions and rather left me with a big puzzle. Was he the God of the Moon?

No, no one sees the God of the moon yet, according to the legend, he was like a wind and you could only feel his presence when he’s around.

I was just standing there for a couple of minutes, do not care if darkness was surrounding me. Not until I got to remember that I shouldn’t be here, and no one should see me here. Whoever that werewolf is, I hope he won’t speak with regards to this. I glanced once more at the moon slowly hiding beneath the clouds, before I decided to go back to the pack.

When I arrived, the pack was gathered at the proclamation hall. I got their attention, and I tightly held the thin cloth covering my face, before I could even hear murmurs from them regarding my appearance. I hope they could at least show a little sensitivity to what I am feeling right now, and spare me this moment of my grief.

“Now that the daughter of Alpha Magnus is here. We may start the ceremony.” Matthias announced as soon as his eyes landed on me.

What ceremony is he talking about?  In curiosity, I step forward to get Matthias attention. But…

“The audacity to show her face here.” I closed my eyes after hearing that, followed by more insulting words from the whole pack. I wanted to get inside the mansion and hide inside my room. But that wouldn’t do any good to me, hiding would only make me a coward dog in front of them, a pitiful one. Besides, I must be updated to what’s going on right now.

“Silence!” I wanted to thank Matthias for shutting them off. They were really putting all the blame on me for my father’s death.

“We are all shocked by Alpha Magnus’ sudden death.” He continued. A throbbing pain quickly emerged right onto my chest after hearing that.

“But we have to keep going, and proclaim a new Alpha that will lead the pack for us to remain strong, and not get taken advantage of by the other pack when they get the news about Alpha Magnus’ death. We have to avoid any unexpected attack to our pack while we don’t have an Alpha yet.”

My fist clenched. Aren’t they gonna let a week pass to empathize with my mourning and grieving? This is absurd and unacceptable. A week isn’t too much, how could they proclaim a new Alpha the same day that my father got buried?

“With the previous Alpha, Magnus’ power was given to me. I’ll proclaim that the new Alpha of this pack will be someone who can lead us, and strong enough to protect us. We believe that his tattoo on his back proves that he is a son of the moon and the strongest alpha that will be ever born. I now announce that the new Alpha of the Silver Moon pack is none other than Baron Romanov!”

The proclamation hall was filled with cheering screams and applause. So unlikely how we shed tears yesterday, weeping in deep sorrow at my father’s sudden death. I find it disrespectful to my father, with the years he has led the pack. In a blink of an eye, it’s like they have already moved on and ignored how my father serves us, with all his heart. Making this pack great and known until now.

“As the new Alpha of the Silver Moon pack, I would like to take this opportunity and not waste any more time to announce the new Luna, who’ll be my mate forever and will be with me in leading the pack.”

A new Luna? That’s too soon.

However, different kind of hope embraced me. Maybe once I become the Luna of this pack, they’ll start respecting me. At the end of the day, I think I am the only one deserving of the throne because my father was the former Alpha. None of the pack members has a royal blood in them, and most like came from an Omega and Gamma family, that wouldn’t likely suit to be a Luna.

“According to the pack’s rules, the new Luna will be the daughter of the previous Alpha or someone powerful in the pack. But with the power given to me, let me change the rules of the pack.”

I froze at what I'd heard. Did I hear it right? He’ll change the rules? That’s impossible, we’ve been obeying our rules as we inherited it from our great ancestors. Everyone gasp at what they heard, probably they aren’t expecting it as well.

“My Luna should be the strongest and the most beautiful she-wolf in this pack. So that the other pack will be afraid of us and not see us as a clown and a laughingstock if we have a Luna who's weak and ugly.”

I bit my lip; this didn’t seem to be going well. As he mentioned the last three words in his sentence, I could feel their heavy stares towards me like I was the exact person that he was talking about.

“And Cassiopeia, according to the former Alpha, Magnus should be my Luna. However, she doesn’t possess any of the two characteristics I've mentioned. And she can’t even shift, she’s weak.”

“In addition to that, I believe that the scars on her face are a curse that caused her father, the previous Alpha, to die. And we don’t want any misfortune in the pack, right?”

Every word coming from his lips made my hope turn into ashes, and slowly vanished. While the whole pack agreed with him in chorus. I was a curse, a misfortune? That hurts coming from the strongest werewolf in this pack.

“It’s also clearly one of all the pack's rules that no one should climb the forbidden mountain. But Cassiopeia breaks that rule. Is that the right thing to do as the future Luna? You should obey the rules and be a good example to everyone, even if you’re the daughter of the previous Alpha, Cassiopeia, there should be no exemption. In that manner, you prove to us that you do not deserve the throne and be the Luna of this pack.”

W-What?

“How will you prove that Cassiopeia climbed the mountain? Did someone see her? False accusations should not be tolerated in the pack, especially that you’re accusing the former Alpha’s daughter.” One of the members of the pack speaks, finally someone had the courage to side with me, or at least with the truth at this moment.

“Yes, and our brave Calypso here saw everything.”

When I thought I was already broken, I was wrong again. Nothing shocks me more than this news tonight. Because right now, I was breaking into pieces more, as my world seemed to stop seeing my best friend walk onto the stage, right next to Alpha Baron.

Betrayal, that's the only word left in my mind. How could you do this to me, Calypso?

“With that being said, please bring Cassiopeia in front of me.” Alpha Baron ordered, and in just a blink of an eye, they were dragging me in front of him.

No, this can’t be happening right now, my father wants me to be the Luna of this pack. I can’t disappoint him, again this time. With all the courage left in me, I kneeled and met the Alpha in the eyes.

“P-Please Alpha Baron don’t d-decline me. I-I should be the n-next Luna in this pack.” I begged and cried for the second time. I should not let the following event in mind occur. I can’t put my father in huge dismay again. I could eat my pride and ego, just to save my father's name.

But he only threw me cold stares and shook his head. He roamed his eyes with the whole members of the pack, taking their attention all focus on him, making this night be remembered by everyone.

“As the new Alpha of Silver Moon pack, I now announce, in front of the pack, that I am declining Cassiopeia as my future Luna, and rejecting her as my mate if we’re fated to be in the future.”

Alpha Baron cold eyes bore into mine. No sign of regret or remorse from what he just said.

“While in the bravery she showed me and being the most beautiful she-wolf in the pack, I am choosing Calypso Cortesi daughter of the second strongest member of the pack, Matthias, to be my mate, declaring her as the new Luna of the Silver Moon pack.”