Chapter 1:

ASTRID.

Is it day, is it night?

The room is dark, so dark. I can barely make out the shape of the room. There's a tiny window above the room. It’s shielded with curtains, cuffs by cuffs.

I have been here for long enough. I don’t even know how many years have passed, I don’t even count the days. I think five years have passed since I have last been here.

My life hasn’t always been like this. My father, the Alpha, and my mother, the Luna ruled our pack with much valor. I was seventeen then, almost a year to my eighteenth birthday when I would be handed the position, my father had started training me, my mother had been showing me the guideline for finding my true mate.

Then. It started. The war that destroyed my life, I could never forget that night, the fire, the wailing, we were running, my mother and I. My father had stayed behind for the war, he instructed us to keep running.

My mother had fainted on the cold grass while we were running, I crouched to my knees, my eyes welled with tears.

"Mom. Wake up!" I shook her. "Please."

"Astrid." She had whispered weakly over to me, I saw her fading, her eyes dimming.

"Keep running. Don’t let them catch you, else they will keep you captive." She had transferred her Luna powers to me, and wished me good luck, before closing her eyes.

I wailed beside her, before I got back on my legs, the full moon appeared in the sky, the bushes were thick. I fell over a log and limped my way through the forest.

I heard a gun cock. They were after me. My father’s enemies were after me, I didn’t look back. I ran, tiny sips of blood rushing from my toe. I had no time to wait and clean it up.

Finally, I fell again, I couldn’t move from my spot, my eyes were sore and foggy, I heard a brief short laughter from behind me. They caught me.

A hand roughly pushed me towards the ground and I wince in pain.

"You can’t escape. I have you at the tips of my fingers now, dear one." His hands ran along my jawline, dread washed over my pale skin. He was Alpha Lucien of the blue moon pack, our packs were enemies, constantly waging war against each other. Then, I dread to think that he had won.

"My father." I had said weakly, "What happened to my father?"

"I took care of him." His voice rang into my ear, and I shivered. I was still weak from the run, tears escaped out of my lids. My father, my mother. They were gone in just one night.

"And, I am sure to take care of you too." He shoved me roughly into the hands of one of the warriors. "Throw her in the dungeon."

And, that’s how I ended up here, all alone for years. In the morning, the guards bring me cold toast and jam, and in the night, they give me biscuits with half a cup of water.

I try to close my eyes and sleep, but sleep doesn’t come. My eyes are weak and tired. I stare up at the tiny window that stands in front of me, for years. I have tried to escape through that window, but the iron is too strong.

I just lay here in the dark and lonely dungeon of the pack-house, I know some things through the guard’s gossip here. Alpha Lucien had taken captive of my pack, he had set himself as Alpha, ruling over my father’s people- my people.

Anger bubbles over me, he has no right to take us under his rule, I wonder how everyone is doing after all these years. Is the pack house going to be different now? I think about my friends, mostly Isobel. I think about my lovely parents, I miss them so much.

I hear a whistle and the quickened hoofing of shoes. The guards are nearby, I know that, they come here to talk and gossip about the Alpha. Sometimes, I fall asleep, and sometimes. I listen to whatever they have to say, through their gossip, I accumulate what has been happening in my pack.

"Did you hear?" I hear the deepest of voices, a guard. I presume. "The Alpha died last month?"

A gasp escapes from my lips roughly, they keep quiet and listen to the source, I stay silent, resting my head on the wall. I can see their shadows from here, but they can’t see me.

"What?" The other guard gasps, I can almost picture the shock that’s running through both our faces. "Why isn’t anyone informed yet?" The other guard asks with a raised brow.

"His sons are in the final stage of the coronation, they are just waiting for who will become the Alpha. From what I heard and seen, both are much worse than their father!"

I keep quiet, my eyes widening at the newly discovered news. If Alpha Lucien is dead, and his son is the new Alpha. Should I be glad or terrified? What's going to happen to me?

"It’s Alpha Zeke now. Damn, he’s so huge and vicious, he could bring down ten wolves without any hassle!" The other guard exclaims.

My shoulders sage heavily. Does this mean something new for me? Could I finally get out of here? I say a silent prayer to the Goddess. Please let me get out of here.

I no longer hear the guard’s voices, they are gone now. I hear the heavy pounding of feet. It’s getting closer, I think.

A huge figure stands in front of me, another guard. My lips part apart to say something, but he frowns heavily at me.

He’s dangling a huge key, he thrusts the key into the hole, I hear the clanking sound as he pulls the metal bar. I stare dumbfounded at the sight that beholds me.

Then, his deep voice almost makes me faint. "The new Alpha, Alpha Zeke has ordered your release."