Episode 2

 Dina's POV

With every fresh lash descending on my bare back, I could not only but think about that Alpha from my nightmare. 

Where have… I met him? Just there… right? Though my thoughts were clouded, I tried to rack my head at that crucial moment. What exactly does he mean by 'his mate' and 'his Luna'? This isn't a movie or something.

"Now I see that you've mastered this. Get up, Dina!"

Slipping back into reality, I came face to face with my family. They were wearing contorted faces, styled with rage. 

Straightening my back, I winced when the gathered pain struck. My hand found its way to my back; I could feel the swelling. Taking my hand to meet my eyes, the blood stain glistening on my fingers, drew tears out of my eyes.

"You don't recognize your sister because she woke you up from that back door you think you have?"

"Father, I–"

"Shut your mouth and go to the storage room, right now! Take out the baskets and head to the farm after the woods!"

All eyes fell on my father as he showed me the way to no return. They had always had that hatred for me, but to send me down that farm… my heavy heart almost gave up.

"Are you perhaps talking about the forbidden woods?" My mother gently blew those words into my father's ear, and she retreated when she saw how hot he reacted.

"She's a forbidden child, and a disease to my family!" He shoved my mother off as if spotting a bee off his face.

A forbidden child.

That was always the ringtone in that home that I called mine. But sadly, I was not strong enough to help myself out of that predicament pulling me down like a heavy current swirling the deep sea.

"As she dare pretend not to know her sister, she must be punished according to her dark blood!"

Clutching her children against her body, my mother whose lips were now sealed, dropped her gaze. The fear in her eyes were pronounced.

"Go get those baskets, Dina!"

"Yes, Father."

As I nervously dashed into the storage room, his booming voice hit me again, "The biggest of them!"

Sweeping the flowing tears off my cheeks, my shaky eyes picked the thickest baskets staring at me. When I got a hold of them, I rushed out.

"Those baskets must be filled with the berries that have shimmering stones dangling from its base like raindrops."

"Yes, Father."

Like one who was going on an exile, my blurry eyes glanced over my shoulder as I shuffled through the dirty path, holding the baskets on either side. The many holes scattered around it was like tiny mirrors before my heavy bleeding heart.

After a few moments, still under that blazing sun, my draggy breath felt too shallow for me as I forced my legs further through that lonely path, with only but the singing birds as a reminder that I'm still alive. So I sat on a fallen trunk, just at the mouth of the forest, sucking the stolen breath back into my lungs.

"When I look at my heart and I see my pain, I could only but stop to scrape it off. The harsh scrubbing and scrubbing has darkened a spot, but I tend to hide it off. Under the rain, I feel the wet pain sliding back in… and in the sun, my chest burns, renewing the pain..." That was one of the songs that calmed my nerves.

As the sun rays softened a bit, I squinted my eyes towards it.

"I should leave now. It's best to meet my doom at day than at nightfall." Sighing deeply, I wearily rose, but winced when I felt that harsh sting on the wounds at my back.

I hummed all the way, deep into the forest, swallowing hard, then halted as things that I suspect to be branches, began to snap. The rustling leaves caught the attention of my ears and my eyes sharply shifted from one spot to the other.

Every single bad thing which I've heard about that forest, came clashing on me.

"Why would Father send me here? Why does he hate me this much?" My voice trembled.

In a blink, that husky voice erupted from within, "Do not be afraid, my Luna. Follow that smooth path by your left, and come to me. Your Alpha awaits your presence, human."

Obviously wearing that confused and nervous look as I ran my eyes over my body, two naked humans burst out of the the thick bush from behind, pinning me down. As if my tongue was cut off, I just watched with horror as their beastly faces protruded out, and their human flesh, replaced by a familiar furry wolf.

Just then…

"Stand down, my children. Honor your Luna!"

Still shaky enough to understand how the Alpha could be speaking within me, the wolves ears drooped and they wagged their tails as they followed the path that was shown to me.

"Why are… why–"

"Just follow them to get your berries, then come to me when you're done."

"You know the berries?"

"They are mine and mine alone. But I'm giving them to you because it's necessary. So go.. follow them…."

So I trailed behind the two wolves heavily matching forward. With slack-jawed, my wide eyes scanned the frozen path with a wide shimmering canopy stretched down. Little blooming flowers with sweet smell covered both sides like the walls of a hallway. My astonishment knew no bound.

"Ow!" When I touched it, I got pricked. "Bad flower!"

My frown and tone was hard on the flower as my voice dripped on the bubbly footsteps.

"You don't touch them." The Alpha's voice came, but this time through the flowers. "They are very sensitive."

"I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. Just watch but never touch them, even for a–"

"A what?"

"Look down at the drops of your blood."

When I looked down, pretty flowers had sprouted where it dripped. As I crouched down and looked into it, flashes of many dark memories I had forgotten, rushed back in, and when a drop of tears fell on it, quickly, I straightened.

"How…" My tongue felt tied.

"Your songs are quite sad, if I'm listening correctly."

"It is sad indeed. My life is just as dark as darkness right now."

As I squeezed my eyes shut, I could feel the rush of tears down my cheeks, and as I kept flowing, the volume of the singing flowers rose… feeling the connection getting stronger…

"You should get moving, Dina "

My eyes snapped open.

"Go get your berries before the sun is dragged down."

"Okay, Alpha…"

Hesitatingly, I turned around and went along with the two werewolves further down, but kept glancing back after every step.

Moments later, we were out, and into this… this beautiful landscape that was completely covered with shimmering berries. The beauty casted on their delicate skin as the sun hits on them, blew my mind.

"Those are the berries you seek, my Luna."

"So these are real and not a dream like the last time you almost killed me?"

A soft chuckle scattered around. "They are real, Dina Drop your baskets, they will be filled before you're done with me."

"Done with you?" Letting the baskets sit on the ground, my eyes rolled around searchingly. "I don't–"

"Frat?"

"Alpha!"

Shifting my gaze to the werewolves that have shifted back to their human form, the one called Frat, straightened and bowed his head deeply.

"Open the gate for my Luna. Take her straight to my chamber, then seal the gate."

"Yes, Alpha."

As the voice dissolved, Frat glanced at me and took a step backwards. "Please come with me, Luna. I shall take you now to go meet Alpha Whadh."