Curse the Moon Goddess

Amani sat on the sill of the bay window inside her chambers, lost in a daze as she gazed out. She hadn't shed a single tear since she learned of the devastating news of her parents' and pack's demise. She felt completely numb, as if her emotions had been stripped away. Amani couldn't help but wonder if she was somehow broken, incapable of feeling anything at all. Pain, anger, and even hunger seemed foreign to her now. It was as if she was merely existing without truly being alive at all.

The window had become her refuge, a vantage point from which she sought solace. It offered a breathtaking view that overlooked the Blackclaw River, surrounded by lush green hills and large enchanting oak trees. The setting sun painted the sky in vibrant hues, casting a warm, golden glow over the landscape. Amani might have been awestruck by the captivating view before her, but her senses were dulled by the weight of her grief.

She heard the sound of someone unlocking her bedroom door - Maggie, most likely. The old woman would bring in yet another tray of food, which would sit on the table until it turned cold, only to be discarded like all the meals before it. The woman was determined, and Amani would give her that. However, their encounters would be no different than the last, as Amani was adamant about having nothing to do with any member of Blackclaw.

Suddenly, a loud noise startled Amani, causing her to jump out of her skin. The sound of the food tray being slammed onto the table shifted her gaze towards the source of the ruckus, and to her surprise, it wasn't Maggie.

With a fiery intensity in his eyes, Malakai gazed at Amani with a domineering expression. "Come here," he demanded, forcefully pulling out a chair at the table.

For the first time in days, Amani felt an emotion so intense build up inside of her: defiance.

"Now," he growled through his teeth.

Amani fought everything within her to resist his command, but his Alpha tone was very much alive and present in that room. Her body quickly sprung into action, propelling her towards the chair beside him.

He pointed down at the chair. "Sit," he ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument.

She did as she was told, and it infuriated her beyond measure. She wanted to scream at her body for betraying her and obeying this bastard's commands.

Malakai pulled out a chair and settled down next to her. "You're going to eat every last bite of this food, do you understand me?"

Amani nodded, her hand reaching for the utensils. Damn you, body! She seethed inwardly, feeling yet another act of betrayal.

"You're lucky I don't make you lick the plate clean when you're all through," he hissed.

Amani couldn't help but roll her eyes, but she quickly regretted it when she caught his glare.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" He growled

Amani quickly lowered her head to avoid his penetrating stare. She knew that if she had been anyone else, he would have immediately ordered ten strokes of the whip. She was bold to act this way towards the Prince, but a part of her didn't care. There was an overwhelming feeling inside of her that demanded her own respect and for him to submit to her. Was this her own Alpha nature asserting itself?

However, Amani was well aware that such a scenario would never happen, not in a million years. An Alpha, especially the future Alpha King, would never bow down before a she-wolf or anyone else, for that matter.

The weight of his displeasure hung in the air like a suffocating black cloud. Secretly, she wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole, right then and there. Damn, he was intense. Now, she understood that all the rumors about him were true. He was undeniably one intimidating son of a wolf.

Malakai then lifted the cloche from the plate, and the aroma instantly made Amani's mouth water. The food looked even more tantalizing than it smelled: roasted chicken that exuded a delectable fragrance of butter and herbs, asparagus generously covered in a creamy balsamic sauce, and a refreshing mango and avocado salad. Amani hadn't realized just how hungry she was; in fact, she was famished.

Without hesitation, she plunged right in and took a bite, and it was absolutely delicious. She closed her eyes and savored the explosion of flavors on her taste buds. If she had been alone, she would have surely moaned with pleasure. Bite after bite, she devoured the food in a ravenous manner, as if she had been deprived of sustenance this entire time.

She glanced up at the Prince and noticed his eyes fixed on her every move. She had been so caught up in her meal that she hadn't even noticed his ravenous stare.

And those eyes, those damn deep blues that entranced her every time. What kind of sorcery was this, she asked herself. She blushed beneath his gaze and shyly looked away. Goddess, he was handsome, she fully admitted to herself. As she continued to finish the rest of her dinner, she still felt his intense gaze on her, prompting her to delicately sweep her hair over her face, concealing the scarred side.

Malakai had the urge to gently smack her hand away and tuck her hair back behind her ear. Was she ashamed of the scars, he pondered? If he was truly honest with himself, the scars made her look like an absolute badass, and she truly was one. He witnessed the way she fearlessly stabbed his father's Beta in the eye with the wooden stake. The girl was a savage. His girl, Amani—Amani Savage. He liked the sound of that.

She certainly had no reason to feel insecure, he mused. After all, she was still so damn gorgeous... scars and all. The bond between them was intensifying by the second, urging him to rip off all her clothes and mate with her right there on that table.

But before that could happen, she needed to shift first. She had to rid herself of those scars that only served as a painful reminder of how he failed to protect his own mate.

"I'm finished," Amani said, carefully placing the utensils back onto the tray.

"Good," he replied. "I'll have Maggie draw you a bath, and then we’ll go for a run."

"A run?" She asked, her confusion evident.

"Yes, you need to shift and heal your body completely. Plus, it will do you well to get out of this room and get some fresh air."

"But I can't..." she objected, her voice trailing off.

"You can and you will," he cut her off dismissively, rising from the table and making his way towards the door.

"No, you don't understand..." Amani pressed the matter as she stood up to face him. "I can't shift. I never have."

Malakai furrowed his brows, giving her a puzzled look as if she had sprouted two heads. "What do you mean you never have? You're supposed to be an Alpha. Alphas always shift early in life," he stated matter-of-factly.

"I don't understand it either, but it's true," she replied.

"That night was your eighteenth birthday. Why didn't you shift?" He probed.

Amani's gaze turned incredulous, as if she couldn't believe the question. "I don't know. Perhaps, I was too busy fleeing for my life while my pack was being mercilessly slaughtered at the hands of your wretched father."

Malakai marched back towards her, rage burning in his eyes. She wanted to retreat, to escape through the window that she had been staring out of all these days, but she held her ground and glared right back at him.

"Don't you ever take that tone with me again. Do you understand?" He seethed.

He towered over her, his height reaching at least six and a half feet, if not more. She felt minuscule in comparison, like an ant in the presence of a giant. A surge of power welled within her, urging her to hold her stance, but she soon faltered under the weight of his Alpha aura and bowed her head in submission.

"Yes," she uttered, her voice laced with both compliance and rebellion.

"Yes, what?" He demanded, his authority covering every corner of the room.

"Yes, Your Royal Highness," she conceded, every word dripping with bitterness.

Like a raging tempest, he stormed out of the room, locking her inside. She exhaled, finally releasing a long-held breath, as if she had been holding it in the entire time he was there. She hated him and couldn’t help but curse the Moon Goddess for mating her to this Lycan. She would never love him, not ever.

"Over my dead body," she whispered vehemently under her breath.