Prologue >> Zebulun’s POV

•Zebulun's POV•

    Thirteen years old.

    

    It was dark. So dark that I could barely see. No, not that I could see, I could not see even if there was light. I was bathed in the deep darkness that could only be found with the absence of light. The light that I have never seen and will perhaps not see till the day I die.

    

    I scrambled up to sit and leaned against the wall of the deep dungeon of my father’s or rather the Alpha King’s pack. A puff of air was only that escape from my parted lips as a hint of trying to groan.

    

    I have been here for days or rather months. I don't know. I was kept hidden because I was not worthy of being close with my father.

    

    Does it hurt? No, it doesn’t.

    

    After my mother who did all her best to protect me died, or rather burned in the fire that was said to be litted by me, my father’s aversion for me heightened and he took his anger out on me for killing his mate and Queen. Every day. When he felt like.

    

    What could I say? A dumb person like me.

    

    What could I use to defend myself? A blind person like me.

    

    The one who promised to show me the goodness of the world even though the darkness gripped me by the neck was killed by me. The thought of it haunting me in my black and deep dreams. I tried so much to tune out the cries of my mother's voice as she begged to help her. As she called out to someone to save her.

    

    I struggled. I did. To get to her. To help her.

    

    But before I could even get to her, an invisible force dragged me back and I scraped my hands in the process.

    

    Since then, all my father would do to me was curse and blame the moon goddess for giving him a son like me.

    

    I don't know what my father looked like, or else I would have known to what extent he hated a young soul like me.

    

    My butt was hard against the broken floor of the deep dungeon. Saliva dried from my tongue as my stomach grumbled in distaste.

    

    When last was I given good food to eat?

    

    Just bread crumbs and sour soup.

    

    My ears straightened as steps pounded off the hall, coming towards the dungeon.

    

    "Is he dead?" I heard the voice I knew all too well- my father's - asked.

    

    "No, I think he passed out from the beating." The person that I noticed that was always close to him answered.

    

    A sigh reverberated through the quiet hall and the door to the dungeon clanged noisily as it made a screeching voice. The steps stopped before me and I felt a breath on my face, hands trailing on the injury on my arms, pressing deep into it and drawing blood out. If I could wince out and scream, I would have done that already. I would have screamed my lungs out and fought against the agony.

    

    "Speak. Cry out. Scream. Yell." The voice spat with raw venom as I began to thrash around to move away from his hurtful finger. But he instead slapped me across the face and I let a bubble of air as if to tell him that stung a lot. Tears glistened in my eyes as I tried to force my vocal cords to say something. Maybe if I speak, he would let me go. But I could not.

    

    Is this how he will keep punishing me? Till I die?

    

    "Tell me my mate gave birth to someone worthy of my position as the Alpha King. Tell me that pup I had been happily waiting for can talk even if he can't see? Tell me!" He snapped with desperation and I tried to cry out.

    

    "Tell me you did not kill my mate because you wanted to show me you hated me. Tell me that they are lying." He yelled, a whip lashing on my tender and torn skin. A scream ripped through my head and I writhed out, my teeth gnashing against each other as pain roiled through me.

    

    "Alpha King, you need to relax."

    

    "Relax?" He mused, laughing out humorlessly.

    

    "He... He killed my mate and Luna. I should relax? No, I am going to show him why he should have chosen death instead of giving life's first cry when he realized that he was disabled." He sneered and I could barely hear anything as he moved to and fro, slowly selecting his means of torture to use on me, his son.

    

    Then suddenly, I felt something like liquid poured around me. "Alpha, you can't -"

    

    "Shut up and get out." He growled at him.

    

    Something warm was suddenly on and before I could think of anything, everywhere became hot. The smoke filled everywhere and I could hardly breath. I could not even cough out. I was suffocating here and knew I would die no sooner.

    

    No, fire. It was the fire. Just like that day. When I was told to visit my mother...

    

    *Flashback*

    

    My mother had requested for my presence for the seventh time in the day. It was her birthday tomorrow and she was nervous about it. She and my father have busy trying to get her dress to be fitting. Why me? Well, I am my mother’s boy and have been busy with my presentation for her tomorrow. If was going to be a surprise for her. I approached her chambers and signaled to the maid to wait outside.

    

    “Zebulun.” Her sweet voice called out as I made my way to her.

    

    “Your father and I are finally done selecting my dress and I wish you could see it. It is so pretty and elegant for a Luna Queen.” She said. My lips curved into a smile as I could feel her happiness oozing out with each word she spoke. She went on talking about how the dress were made and all. A sudden clearing of throat made me turned my head to the entrance. I was yet to be good with my sense of awareness as I was yet to even meet my wolf.

    

    “I see both mother and son are busy. Should I come later?” My father joked as his approaching steps reached my mother who gave out a soft laughter. They spoke for a while and my father patted me on the shoulders before leaving.

    

    “Zebulun, I want to dance with you tomorrow. Will you help me practice today?” She asked and I gave her a nod. She picked me by my hand and we started swaying left and right to no music in particular. That was how carefree my mother was. As the Luna queen she sure was one of a kind.

    

    Then suddenly she stopped. I stopped too. I felt her hands shake against mine and my brows creased together. I opened my mouth to speak but nothing came. She took her hands from mine and ran. To which place, I don't know.

    

    Instantly, something hot was beginning to blow. I could feel it. I could smell it. The tearing of the curtain made loud sounds.

    

    The painful cries of my mother filled the air and I ran forward to help her but a hand or something shove me back that I fell on the floor and I rose up again but could not move as I felt the fire before me. It even burned my toe through my shoe.

    

    “Zebulun, run! Run!” She yelled at me. But I could not move from the spot.

    

    “Run, my son. Run.” She cried this time harder. And all I did as the disabled child that I was was stood and feel as my mother burned into ashes.

    

    Pounding of foots and screams filled the entire palace and the Bell of Call rang so loudly that I did not know what to do.

    

    “Zara!” My father’s agitated voice yelled out to my mother and suddenly I felt a hot slap on my cheek.

    

    “What did you do, bastard?!” he snapped at me. Bastard? He has never referred to me as that before.

    

    I wanted to speak and tell him that I was not the one who lit the fire. That I did not know how it came to be. That we were dancing and it happened so suddenly. That... But I could not say anything.

    

    “Take Zebulun to the dungeon. He is responsible for the death of the Luna Queen.”

    

    What? I wanted to yell that I did no such thing.

    

    But then I remembered I did not have a voice. Never had. And might never have.

    

    ***

    

    "Taste it. Taste it. Taste what it feels to burn on earth before burning in hell. Taste what you did to my Luna Queen!” He yelled over and his voice sounded far away. I sat there, curled up. Unable to see or know what I was dealing with, I just sat there. My heart hitting against the wall of my chest. My chest constricted together as I tried to force the breath out of my lips.

    

    The fire was no where close to me yet it felt so near.

    

    No, it was. Something hot slipped unto my toe, I withdrew it fast because I felt like I was burned there already. No, I will be burned alive. Just like my mother.

    

    It is better this way.

    

    "Zebulun!" A voice cried out from the hall and my head jerked up.

    

    "Oh my... Oh my... Oh my... What... Is.... This???... Get water...." The feminine voice shrieked out as steps began running up and down.

    

    Someone was here to rescue me. Really? I must have done somethinh good deserve it.

    

    Water splashed all around me and I tightened my eyes together as voices hushed around, pouring more water. And more water.

    

    I was really lucky. When it seemed like the fire was out even if it was not completely, the person ran towards me and grabbed me. By this time, my mind was already hazy and I could no longer hear voices anymore.

    

    "No... Stay with me, Zebulun." Was all I heard before I succumbed to the darkness that engulfed me. The last thing I heard before sleeping was my mother’s voice telling me to run.

    

    Run from what?