Chapter 3

Serenity

The flickering light illuminated the dark cell. The walls had brown cobwebs and dust bunnies laid over the floor. I was probably the first prisoner since the Dark Ages. I thought to myself. I curled up on the cold concrete floor, still wearing my undergarments. Alpha Kevin sat across, glaring. His arms were folded over his broad chest, and he was tapping his foot. His aura was suffocating.

“Why were your eyes gold and not black? Have you been practicing witchcraft?” He barked.

I glanced at him, “They were contact lenses. No, I haven't been practicing witchcraft. Debbie is always causing trouble, and yet once again, I'm in trouble for something she made up," I huffed.

“This is not about Debbie; this is about you having gold eyes, Serenity.” He retorted.

"Well, Alpha, I just told you why my eyes were gold. If you don't believe me, then have my parents bring them to you. This pack has been biased towards me since I can remember."

“Enough with the attitude. We have treated you equally since your family was initiated into this pack. This is the final time I'm going to ask you. Who are you, and are you practicing witchcraft?”

I whimpered and balled up in the corner; my body radiated with pain as Alpha Kevin forced out all of his aura to get me to submit to his false accusations.

“ANSWER ME!!” he yelled.

I steadied my breathing, cleared my mind, placed my back up against the wall, and brought my knees to my chest. “I'm a werewolf without a wolf, which makes me a freak, the best combat warrior you have, and the biggest rival of Debbie. No, I do not practice witchcraft, Alpha SIR!"

My body poured with sweat as he released his command. He stood up, unlocked the cell door, and motioned for me to leave. Steadily, I pushed up against the wall and stood on my wobbling legs. Leaning on the wall to get my balance before sauntering out of the basement, hugging myself.

My parents were waiting in the living room with Dr. Nun, who was here to prove that I’m indeed a werewolf.

My mom embraced me and smoothed my hair back into place. My dad rubbed my shoulders and draped a fluffy blanket over me. Alpha Kevin demanded that we remain in the pack house under guard, and Dr. Nun had until noon to deliver my lab reports.

Dr. Nun took blood and hair samples. Beta Rich escorted Dr. Nun back to the hospital, where he will oversee the entire cycle. The guards led us to one of the many guest rooms in the house.

My mom and I slept in the king-size bed, and my dad slept on the pull-out couch. We already knew the outcome of my test results. Dr. Nun has been testing my blood regularly since I was 13, so we had nothing to worry about.

That night, I dreamt of ways I would make Debbie's life a living hell. No matter how many times we fought, the number of competitions I won against her, or how I was overall better than her in everything, she has never learned her lesson.

My favorite dream was setting her beloved car on fire the day I left for college. She had just come back from the car wash. Her white Mini Cooper was shining. The moment she went into the pack house, I poured gasoline all over her car. I placed a gasoline-infused rag inside of her gas tank and lit it on fire. The blast was magnificent.

A knock on the door brought me back to reality. I stretched across the huge bed and glanced up at Beta Rich. He had this ridiculous grin on his face.

“The Moon family, your presence is requested in the Alpha office. You have 15 minutes to get ready.” He handed us a bag with clothes and personal items.

All of us freshen up, just in time for Beta Rich to arrive again.

Inside the Alpha office sat Alpha Kevin, Beta Rich, some old dude with a hooded cloak, and Dr. Nun.

“This is Elder Jalen from River Valley.” Beta Rich announced.

Alpha Kevin completed the introduction, and my body went stiff at the mention of Elder. The man nodded his head at all of us. He looks mysterious and dangerous at the same time, scooting closer to my parents.

Elder Jalen's dark green eyes sent shivers up my spine, and goosebumps rose along my arms. His eyes never left mine. It was something about him I didn't trust. The warning bells were going off in my head.

“After reading over your reports, you have beta blood and something else we could not decipher. Elder Jalen advised us to banish you from the pack. Due to this unknown chromosome,” Alpha Kevin informed us.

We all gasped.

“Beta Blood,” I mumble to myself.

My mom suddenly kneeled down.

"No, Alpha, please do not banish her. She has no wolves. Her fighting skills will only take her so far.” She clutched her heart and begged.

“She can find a place amongst humans. She has a better chance of surviving there than here. Her not having a wolf is a liability. I know she is your child. You can leave with her and return when she is stable.” Alpha Kevin instructed.

My father lifted my mother off the hardwood floor and tucked her away in his embrace.

“I, Alpha Kevin Jameson of Slasher Pack, hereby banish you, Serenity Moon. You have 24 hours to leave the pack starting now."

Tears streamed down my cheeks. I felt my binding cord snap and a migraine settle in its place. The person who swore to protect me kicked me out because I was different.

It all made sense why Beta Rich was biased toward me. His raggy-ass daughter was in line for the beta position, and I was in the way.

On my way out the door, Elder Jalen blocked my path. “I'll be watching you.” I clenched my fists and brushed past him.

Standing in the hallway, smirking, was Debbie. “I'm glad. Alpha is getting rid of the trash."

I was unable to control my anger any longer. My vision turned red, I felt the heat flowing through my veins. It was a matter of time before my fire power spewed out of control. I grabbed her by the throat and squeezed as hard as I could, making her eyes budge. She clawed at my face and arms; swinging wildly.

Growing weaker the longer I held her. Her skin turned pale, and her face turned blue. I slung her down the stairs. She crawled on the floor, wheezing, and trying to catch her breath. I was stalking my prey when I felt two arms wrap around me in a bear hug from behind.

I heard Beta Rich say, “Fuck” running past us and screaming at Debbie, “You just couldn't resist, could you? You got what you wanted; why would you antagonize her more? When will you learn?”

This was the worst birthday ever.

My parents hauled me away from the pack house. I had 24 hours to say my goodbyes, 24 hours to pack my prized possessions and clothes, and 24 hours away from being a human.