Chapter 1: The Alpha Cruelty

Nyla’s POV

The smell of roasted meat and blazing wood filled the air. For me, the Moon Festival was a nightmare, even though it was supposed to be a night of joy. Unaware—or perhaps indifferent—that I was kneeling in the mud, terrified under their Alpha's ruthless stare, the Silver Dawn Pack applauded, laughed, and danced around the huge bonfire.

Alpha Killian echoed across the gathering, "Look at her." "This pitiful, useless slave dared to think she was on par with me."

Whispers and vile laughter reverberated about me as I shuddered and lowered my head. I wasn't shocked. I had been treated like dirt beneath their feet, a slave in this pack since birth.

However, this? I had never experienced anything worse than this.

Killian stepped forward, his strong body looming over me, his icy blue eyes brimming with contempt. The identical eyes that ought to have given me a loving gaze.

I ventured to look up. "Killian, please"

I fell to the ground after taking a hard slap across my face. There were gasps and then more laughs.

Killian snarled, "You don't get to say my name, slave." "You are not worthy of me." beneath all of us.

I fought back tears as I balled my fists on the ground. This was the day I would finally meet my destined partner, the moment I had dreamed about. It wasn't a dream, though.

It was a bad dream.

Killian took hold of my arm and violently pulled me to my feet. As they awaited the last blow, the audience applauded him.

Then his voice came out, lifeless and icy.

"You are rejected as my mate, Nyla, by me, Alpha Killian of the Silver Dawn Pack."

The world seemed to have ceased to revolve.

My heart stopped. My chest gave way. The connection between us was tearing apart like a sword cutting through my soul while my inner wolf howled in pain.

Laughter swept through the audience. With mocking delight on their features, the she-wolves said to one another.

"A miserable little slave."

"Did she believe she would be desired by an Alpha?"

"She is a complete embarrassment."

One voice stood out above the others in the fog of my suffering. A harsh, derisive voice.

Astrid stepped forward and said, "Killian, darling." Smirking at me as though I were a bit of dirt under her shoe, she stroked her fingers over his chest. "I believe it's time to get rid of her. She tarnishes our pack.

My breathing became labored.

Killian's face softened as he turned to face Astrid. He whispered, kissing her forehead, "You're right."

My stomach twisted.

She was not your typical she-wolf. She was his partner of choice.

Killian gave me another look, his frigid gaze icier than before.

"Nyla, you mean nothing to me."

He then gave his troops a nod.

My arms were seized by two fighters, whose claw-like fingers dug into my flesh.

"No," I exclaimed, fighting them. "Please! Don’t do this, Killian!

But he was already looking the other way.

The initial blow struck the ribs. My body erupted in pain, and I had to let out a piercing yell. However, nobody gave a damn. Nobody intervened to stop them.

Blow after blow. Fists. Kicks. Claws. My bones cracked and my flesh tore, but I didn't want to scream again.

They wouldn't get the satisfaction from me.

Spitting blood onto the ground, I attempted to stand. I said, "You can beat me, but you'll never break me."

A warrior grabbed my hair and pulled me up till my face was just inches from his. "Oh, I see. Let's investigate that.

I was thrown to the ground when his punch struck my jaw.

As darkness edged closer to my field of vision, I lay there, too weak to move.

The last sound I heard before everything went dark was Killian's voice.

Go to the dungeon with her. Allow her to decay.

I woke up in the dark, my nose flooded with the wet smell of stone and blood.

Everything was painful.

My arms. My legs. My ribs. Even my spirit.

Chains bit into my wrists as I attempted to move, sending chills down my spine.

It was this. I was going to die like this.

Unnoticed and silent, tears streamed down my cheeks. I said, "Moon Goddess," into nothingness. "What caused you to curse me with this destiny? Why did you allow me to be born just so I might suffer?

For nothingness, I waited. For ease.

However, instead of

My veins began to feel oddly warm.

I felt a tingle in my fingers. It scorched my flesh. My heart was racing.

Then a voice said quietly within my head, ancient and strong, but not mine.

"Get up, my little. Your tale is far from over.

My body shone, a golden, throbbing light filling the darkness as I gasped, gasping for air. My wounds started to close together, and my pain gave way to something more powerful, sinister, and inexorable.

Even when my wolf stirred, it wasn't the same. She was more powerful. Wilder. Not the same.

Around my wrists, the chains broke.

I was no longer feeble. It wasn't damaged. I had a new birth.