CHAPTER 1: SELENA

~SELENA.

Smack!

The hard slap from Luna Helena sent me squarely to the ground. I held onto my stinging cheek, tears streaming down my face as I crawled away from her frightening figure.

“How dare you hurt my son, you little evil?" Her thunderous voice matched the flame of anger in her eyes.

“I swear on my life, Luna. Master Ryan tried taking advantage of me..." I began defending myself with the little strength I had, but she cut me off before I could say more. "Now I see you've grown wings to stand up for yourself, but don't worry, I'm going to break those tiny wings of yours today.”

I was being punished for standing up for myself again. It was nothing new, but at this moment, I couldn't bear to go through her punishment, more like torture.

Still in my pool of tears, I vehemently shook my head against her words, but before I could mutter an apology, her hands were already on my hair with a grip that felt like it could pull off my scalp.

She threw me against the wall, letting go of my hair. I collapsed to the ground, crying my eyes out as I felt a fracture in my ankle.

“Please, don't, I beg of you, Luna." I cried out more as she laid hands on the item I dreaded — a leather whip with double short silver chains at the end. The whip was the source of every slave’s trauma in the pack, except for those who were on good terms with the Luna, but unfortunately, I was not.

A menacing sneer took over her lips as she began walking towards me. With each step she took forward, I shuddered in fear. I badly wanted to escape this horrific reality, but my broken ankle kept me in place. I couldn't even move an inch from where I sat. All I could do was shield my face with my hands, bracing myself for the brutal pain.

It came!

Once!

Twice!

Thrice!

Unable to bear the excruciating pain, I pulled my hands away, only for the next lash to land squarely on my face. The pain felt like a hot iron was placed on my skin. It burned so hot, and for a while, I thought I had gone blind until I was able to open my eyes, only to see my blood splattered all over the floor.

I instantly felt dizzy. My life was hanging loosely in the balance as she raised her hand to deliver another lash, but she stopped when a knock came sounding on the door.

I sighed in relief as she threw the whip to a nearby table and headed to open the door.

“What took you so long?" I heard her say to the person at the door. I curiously raised my gaze to see who it was, only to meet a pair of dark eyes glaring at me. It was Alpha Herbert.

“I met up with Alpha Hunter. I see you've taught her a lesson already."

"Of course, yes,” she proudly replied. Returning her gaze to me, she disgustingly scoffed. “Can you believe this little trash dared to talk back at me?”

My hair stood on end as the Alpha's eyes darkened at his Luna's report. I knew better than to dare utter a word in my defense; I could only hope he would let it slide.

Why was I even hoping when he was just as merciless as his Luna?

I crawled back, shivers running down my spine as he inched closer while fixing me in a predatory gaze. “I have had enough of your bad luck; it's high time I got rid of you.”

My back came against the wall, signaling my dead-end. All I wanted was for the wall to open up and swallow me from his terrifying aura, but it never opened up. I had to keep my head low, bracing for his wrath as his figure came to a stop before me.

“Louis!" He suddenly yelled, and I flinched.

Louis, his beta, ran in almost immediately. The presence of his beta only meant one thing: I would be spending another night in the dungeon, but my speculation was wrong as he added, "Take her to the van; we are bringing her to Alpha Hunter.”

My eyes widened, and tears streamed down my face; the mere thought of facing Alpha Hunter terrified me. I sobbed more at the thought of cruel things he might do to me and felt the urge to beg for mercy.

“Plea-" My word was cut short as he fiercely crashed the heels of his shoes on my face.

“Don't you dare open that filthy mouth of yours to beg me!" He angrily yelled, throwing kicks squarely on my stomach.

I fell on my side, holding onto my stomach.

I should have known begging for his mercy was more like adding salt to my open wound. Alpha Herbert was so heartless; I wonder if he is not the devil himself, if he is not the devil, then he and the Luna deserve a special place in hell.

“Bring her to the van,” he ordered and turned on his heels, walking out of the room while Beta Louis marched towards me. He harshly pulled me up and dragged me out since I couldn't walk properly.

I fell heavily on my stomach as Beta Louis threw me into the van trunk and shut the door against my face, leaving me in the dark. I remained numb on the spot, my chest heavy with pain, and my eyes drained of tears.

I was brought into the pack with no knowledge of who my parents were, and every day of my life in the pack was a nightmare.

I thought my kind were supposed to protect me, but I was dead wrong. They were heartless, hated my existence, denied me warmth, they left me with nothing but nightmares and scars.

I don't think anyone's life is more miserable than mine because every minute of my life has brought me nothing but pain. I didn't know what being loved and happy felt like.

Am I cursed? I guess yes, since my existence was useless to my kind, and they all saw me as a jinx.

Will I die tonight? Definitely yes because no one goes into Alpha Hunter's den and comes out alive, especially for a weak omega like me.

I shuddered in fear as I imagined my fate in the hands of the most feared alpha in the city who is known for nothing good.

There were rumors that he goes insane every full moon and kills whatever crosses his path, but no one has been able to prove it, so I believe it was all just baseless rumors still I was scared of him because all Alphas kill without mercy and derive joy from people's pain but unlike Alpha Herbert, he was in another level of wickedness.

Since Alpha Hunter attacked our pack and later dominated it, he gave Alpha Herbert just one rule: He was to bring anyone guilty of murder or felony to his pack for punishment, and people who broke this rule were sent to him. I guess he killed them because none ever came back.

I never committed any of these crimes; I was only trying to protect myself from Ryan's sexual assault, but no one cares to hear me out, they all think I tried killing the Alpha's son for a reason they all couldn't even prove. Nevertheless, It's a normal judgment in the pack since omegas like us were seen as nothing but a total waste of space.

The van jerked followed by the engine sound dying down, and I easily guessed we had reached our destination, more like my hell.

I let out a whimper as Beta Louis roughly pulled me out of the trunk. His grip around my arm constricted my blood flow as we headed for the entrance. A few steps into the building, we came across a man, probably in his mid-twenties.

“Punctual as always," he said with a smile only on his lips while his face remained stern.

“Of course. I will never wait for me to be told," Alpha Herbert replied and then beckoned for Louis to bring me forward.

“She looks innocent,” the man said, scanning me from head to toe.

Alpha Herbert replied with a sneer. "Her look is just a facade. She's been proved guilty of murder twice.” I remained silent at his accusation.

“Oh, I see. The Alpha would be more pleased to shred the skin of a murderer," the man replied, chuckling, and my face turned pale. Beta Louis handed me over to the man. I shuddered as he grasped my arm and pulled me along with him.

I became lightheaded and could barely keep up with his pace as my mind rampantly flashed the horrifying situation I would finally be in the next minute. We stopped before a door, and he pulled me inside.

The moment we entered, the stench of blood hit my nostrils. I felt chills and at the same time fought the urge to puke.

In my subconscious state, I noticed the room was dark and covered in deafening silence, making me wonder if there was anyone in here other than us until the man spoke up. “Here she is, Alpha.”

"Good, you can leave,” a deep baritone voice replied from the darkness. I heard the door close, and I was now left with the devil himself.

“I'm innocent,” I weakly mumbled, hoping he did hear me out. “I was only def-”

“I don't give chances for criminals to explain their actions,” he coldly cut in, accompanied by the thud sounds of his heavy footsteps approaching my direction. As his threatening aura neared, the shiver in my spine doubled, leaving me numb and battling for consciousness.

Within a blink of an eye, he was right before me, and as he crouched down to me, my gaze fell on a dagger in his grasp. “Guilty or not, no one goes out of my den alive,” he muttered, his tone oozing danger.

Panic crept into my subconsciousness as he began trailing the shiny blade of his dagger along my jawline. He slowly raised my chin with the tip of his dagger, and I was forced to look up. The moment my gaze met his hard blue eyes, I felt a spark from my wolf.

“Mate!"