Episode 2

☾☾SASKIA☽☽

“I shall pretend I did not hear that, brídeach.” His tone is jovial, nearly trivial, but when he stares at me, the deathly flames of a furnace rage and lick at my skin. I tamp down the shiver rearing its head up. “You must be tired; thus, the gibberish, mo ghrá. Perhaps, you’ve gone insane because you’ve had no sedation yet. As so, I shall forgive you for your sin.”

His warning should make me clamp my teeth on my tongue, but I reason that there’s no benefit when I’ve already started digging my grave. The most he can do is kill me. And who cares if he does? It’d be his mercy to me. I’d finally die, and, by the goddess’s grace, maybe I’d be lucky enough to be with Mikael in the afterlife.

“I am not insane, Alpha. I’m perfectly in control of my senses when I say that I can’t marry you.”

Cillian rises, cloak wiping the floor as he sutures the gap between us. “So, your senses aren’t lost when ye stand against me before officials of my pack, woman?”

I summon up my courage to confirm his hypothesis. “No, Alpha, they are not. My senses are, in fact, right and in proper order.”

My eyes close as his enormous palm strikes my face. At contact, my head whips right at breakneck speed. I see stars—bright shots of light that dot my blackened vision. My temple pounds like a hammering piston’s been fixed against my skull. I can’t discern either object or werewolf as my dull gaze struggles to keep up.

Cillian beams at the sight before him. I know he’s only too happy to be a witness to my agony, to watch as my chin wobbles and quavers while I fight to keep my dignity and not let a single tear droplet be found on my face.

It’s tough to restrain my emotions from overriding and running high when I remember that Cillian can only do this because Mikael is dead. Because in his hurry, my husband left me behind. All alone.

“Now that you’ve tasted a little pain to reorganise your thoughts, I’ll again announce to the elders of my pack what will transpire tonight at my grand ball.

“This night is one to be recorded in history. Under the goddess Selene’s watch, I shall marry my bride, Princess Saskia of Westardum.”

Head lowered only slightly, I make my plea again, adding more vigour to my vehemence. “I am sorry, Alpha Cillian, but I cannot marry you.”

His fist finds its target on my cheek again, and I taste blood, the metallic sharpness staining my tongue. This makes me smile as I open my eyes to welcome the world in my hazy vision. It’s nice to feel something for once.

“Leave me!” He growls at the elders, and they scramble out of the room, wolves running from an Alpha’s rage. I know better than to leave with them.

He’s not done with me yet. I still have to wait for the rest of my punishment. His anger broke my jaw the other day. I might have ended up with a deformed jaw or at least one set crookedly if not for our new pack’s witch’s magic and Kite’s expertise as a doctor. He might do worse today.

“Brídeach, I fear I’ve been hearing nonsense.”

I beam brightly, an innocent candidate in this play. “What nonsense have you heard, Alpha?”

He pushes himself into his throne, which, for all records, is decorated by skulls and bones of wolves. “Come to me, mo ghrá. I believe you must know something.”

I toddle a vast two inches nearer to him, fully aware that he could do the worst of slicing my head off with his claws if it pleases him. Unfortunately for him, he needs me. He’s the one who forced me to stay alive. He’d do me a favour by killing me off. At least then, I wouldn’t have to die with the guilt that I abandoned Mikael’s people. My people.

The days that followed after I downed those pills were slow and dreary. They dragged by like the passing of eons. I spent every second of it before Cillian, under his watch. It’s no surprise that he was beyond furious.

He alternated between insulting and ridiculing me for being a coward and guilt-tripping me, so I saw why I should live and stay by his side as his bride. For all his efforts, I did not give a single shit. That is until he pointed out that I’d deserted my place as Luna and thrown away my people by making such a selfish decision. My sphere of apathy had popped at that moment.

Cillian had been right. I abandoned my people without a second thought, allowing them to suffer under his rule. I couldn’t imagine betraying Mikael in a worse way. Since then, it became my mission to protect the pack Mikael cared for while he was their Alpha.

They probably don’t believe I help them. On the outside, Cillian pretends to be the loving and caring Alpha, parading around Guttenbrieg with me on his arm. Thus, everything he does is seen as a reflection of myself.

Though he is contented to keep up a front of being merciful and gracious, every now and then, when I make too grave of a mistake for him to forgive, he lashes out, and a pack member suffers. I have no doubt that many of them blame me for not doing anything about his iron-fisted rule.

When the female wolves see me pretending to be content in my role as acting Luna to the current Alpha, I wish I could tell them the truth. That I have no power next to Cillian. That I have no sway over his decisions. That I have never been this miserable in the entire history of my life.

“So, tell me, brídeach, what nonsense do you think I talk about?” His claws tap on the arms of his chair, a clicking sound that never fails to jar me. It’s one of his intimidation tactics, and I’d be lying if I didn’t say it worked. It geared on my nerves, leaving me on edge.

“I’m not so sure, Alpha.”

“Perhaps you’d like me to jog your memory?” The suggestion is all the makings of an undue punishment for me, no matter what I do or say. My only option is to keep shut and let him do what he wants. “Are you now mum, mo ghrá?”

I shake my head. “No, Alpha. I am merely thinking of the best way to answer your query.”

His knuckles crack in the most agitating manner. “You should think faster, love.”

I nearly roll my eyes. “I’m trying my best.”

Cillian’s nostrils flare as he extends his threat. I don’t think anyone can be surprised. “You will marry me! You must marry me, Saskia, or your people will perish. One by one. Do you heed me?”