***Tiana**
Good news! I'm 55% blind now! Isn't that just lovely?
I woke up to blurry visions, my eyes aching badly. I had only laughed it off and smiled at Giselle who was worried and hugged hazel who cried her eyes out. I could still see a little, make out images and faces if they were near. So eventually, it had been nine days since I went half blind; nine days of torture and hell, nine days of starvation – not that I care – and nine days of absolute horror and crying. So far they had made my life so miserable I felt like breaking my vow. Every single wolf tormented me, bullied and beat me up.
Day one: I got hit in the face again – though I protected my eyes – and I was thrown down a long staircase. Still alive.
Day two: I was sent to get rid of seven bee hatches, my body suffered for it. Then the geisha of a person forced me to bathe with pepper dipped water.
Day three: all the maids were asked to sit back while I did all the chores. Since I couldn't do it all before nightfall, I got tied to a cow and dragged over thorn filled grass.
Day four: I had my left shoulder dislocated when three teenage wolves suddenly grabbed me and used me to play football, live human football. At least that is what hazel called it. Don't know what that foot thing is.
Day five: I met the future Luna and something strange happened. I had never felt jealousy before but just seeing her made me have the strong desire to end a life. She called me over and insisted I kissed her feet which I bluntly refused... A little flashback to that magnificent day.
»»»»»»»»»» Flashback ««««««««««
I could barely see, my face was starting to swell from the damage I had received. I knew I would snap soon, honestly dying was such a tempting offer but I couldn't. I was carrying a heavy whatever it was, one I knew not even a grown up werewolfess could carry. I wouldn't have cared if they didn't make me carry it on my spine and crawl on my bare knees to the storeroom. My spine was threatening to snap, knees bleeding out the small blood I had left. Like usual, I never cried in front of them, only when I was alone with Giselle and hazel.
Many wolves scorned at me, threw things and even added nails on the ground to make me suffer more.
All in good times.
So, as I was saying. My hands were starting to shake, my legs giving up to the trembling. I held on, struggling but hanging. 'Who is she and why is she being punished that way?' I heard a voice say imperturbably. I didn't pay attention much, even though I heard it.
'That's the barbarian Alpha Lucian brought back, we've been trying to kill her but she won't...'
'Get that thing off her back and bring her here!' The voice shouted. I felt relieved, the pain in my back needed to stop. The thing was carried out of my back and me dragged to the person and thrown at her feet. I looked at her shoes first, ugly. I raised my head, trailing it up her legs until it got to her face. Her beautiful blonde hair fell down in a curtain, covering her beautiful face which had a sardonic smile on. 'What are you living for? You have been beaten up beyond redemption.' I didn't reply.
'She's dumb Luna, she can't speak.' The wolf at her back said with respect. Like that, the heat in my chest increased, my head swelling and chest rising and falling. I clenched my fists in anger, not being able to pinpoint why.
Lucian is sleeping with her, that's why!... The voice in my head yelled furiously. 'How dare she share a bed with him! He belongs to us!
Us? Us? Since when was there a us? I can never be with the man that killed my father!... I yelled back.
'Slave, kiss my feet,' she commanded. All I wanted to do was bend her neck and break it. I didn't want to hurt her kind but she was exceptional and I was yet to figure out why.
Because she's sleeping with what belongs to us.
Okay, are you mad?
We are both mad.
'I said kiss it!' She roared. I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I wasn't going to listen to her. 'I'm talking to you!!!' She roared again. She moved her foot to kick me but I held it, pinning it to the ground. She hissed and easily yanked her foot away. 'How dare you touch me! How dare you?!'
'She must be punished for disrespecting the Luna!' That small witch at her back shouted.
'Bring her,' the Luna wannabe ordered. And so I was dragged to a room, a fire was set and she dragged me forward to burn my hand. I chuckled as she put my hand into the fire, the wolves around all grinning and waiting for my pain. I watched them, a look of defiant on my face. 'How is she not feeling pain?!'
'She's like that,' one huffed. 'Never feels pain.'
'That's not possible!' She yelled. I smirked at her, taunting her with my eyes. They all looked at me unbelievably, wandering how I could bear so much pain. She let go of my hand, pulling it out of the fire. 'Not even a scratch! She's a witch!'
'If she was a witch, she would have used her powers,' just conclude that all the wolves here were talking.
'Maybe her kind are immune to fire,'
'Oh, I see. I'll have to find a better way to kill you, huh?' I shrugged nonchalantly. 'She isn't even afraid to die.' Raising my head up high, I kept my face blank, showing them all that I wasn't afraid of a thing.
After a few punches and kicks here and there, I was carried back to my room, bleeding but alive.
Day 6; not the prettiest day. I was outside with gissele raking the ground. Carina was assigned window washing duty. I was wondering where Lucian was. According to Rina, he left the pack immediately after he returned from killing my people. No one knew where he ran to, but the beta who was always busy was in charge. I asked after Riley and her children and I was told that she wasn't around. Her baby was having serious issues so she, the chief warrior – who is her husband – and her children travelled to meet a great healer at Lucian's command.
You see? All my hope were away.
Somewhere deep inside of me, I was very much convinced that Lucian wouldn't hurt me, that no matter what happened, he would spare me. I wanted to see him, I wanted him to see what his wolves had done to my face and body. I wanted him to protect me, to show them all that I was important. The desire to be in the comfort of his arms was killing me both emotionally, mentally, and physically. I didn't understand why I was feeling so attached and drawn to him, but I was feeling it. At night I went to sleep in tears, thinking about my dead family and wishing that Lucian was there to comfort me.
The image of him killing my mother was still there, taunted me every morning before I opened my eyes, but I was still fighting the hate. A strong reasonable part of me wanted to despise him, wanted him dead and ninety feet below the ground. But the other unreasonable side wanted him close, wanted his nose in my hair as those powerful muscles he called arms stayed around my waist. It wanted my head on his hard chest, my fingers trailing the wonder of his abs, exploring through every corner. I had shamed my people and myself with such immoral thoughts, especially of he who wiped their existence.
We are helpless... That voice again. You can't do anything but to love him.
Don't you ever mention that word! I will never love the man that slayed my mother before my very eyes!... I shouted mentally.
Good thing he is not a man but a werewolf then.
I snarled at the ridiculous thought. Loving someone after seeing him just once? That's impossible! Tiana can never bow before a male, she is a woman for herself. 'Makawee,' Giselle called. I looked at her. 'Are you alright? You look angry.'
'I'm fine Giselle, just thinking about my mother.'
'Oh,' she mouthed. 'I'm sure you hate them all for killing your people,'
'Not all, just Alpha Lucian.'
'Why? Because he led the attack?'
'Because he killed the only person that understood me, he killed my mother.' My grip around the rake tighten.
'I'm so sorry,'
'I don't blame anyone but my people, for starting it all. I however feel bitter about my mother's death. She never ate a wolf, neither did I. She shouldn't have died... No, I shouldn't have saved Riley.' I said regretfully.
'Don't be like that, you saved her and her unborn child, well, she has the baby now but same thing.'
'If I didn't save them, these wolves wouldn't have found our island yet.'
'Yet?'
'They would have found it a year from now,' I said sadly. 'Mother and I would have been gone by then. Neither of us deserve what was and is still being served. I can fight but I choose not to because I know they too have suffered because of us. I can't hate them but accept my punishment.'
'You are too good tina, it would get you killed.' She said pitifully.
'Don't pity me, I wish to die. Now, tell me more about Alpha Lucian, the one you know.'
'What is there? Alpha Lucian became the Alpha at such a young age, his alpha command was as powerful as a normal grown up alpha then. He singlehandedly took care of the pack, provided for them, protected them. He spent his entire life training in anger, bitterness and hatred; determination to kill your people. That was one of his goals, the highest one on the list. Alpha Lucian was the only alpha that formed a battle team, warriors specially trained to protect all werecreatures from your kind and others who would hurt them. The organization was a hit, different types of werecreatures in it and branches at every forest, jungle, cities. Alpha Lucian is a hero to all.
He also have large animal and crop farms, to help with endless supplies of food. That was pretty smart. He has the farms scattered allover the nation, including human towns. Most were used for sales and products for other wolves and humans, to earn the money he needed to care for his massive pack. He also have a wood supply company. He supplies different kinds of woods to humans, they aren't aware of his breed. He has three of this company; one here in USE, one in USA, one in Australia and one in Asia...wait, that's four then. His farms also provide dairy product, one of the best products to humans and finally, he owns some kind of greenhouse where he supplies rare plants, fetch them and also write about all kinds of plants humans aren't aware of.
So you see? He has a lot of money.'
'Yeah,' I didn't understand a word she said. 'What about that mate of his?'
'That one,' she snorted. 'Not the Luna yet.'
'Who has the highest authority here? Aside from Lucian?'
'The beta male and female, the female is somehow related to Alpha Lucian and that is why he treasures her. Somehow. The next is the gamma who is very clingy to Rina and the Delta who happens to be the chief warrior's wife, the one you saved.'
'There's delta?'
'In this pack and few, yes. They are mostly females.'
'Okay, and geisha?'
'One of the oldest she-wolf here and the governess; second governess.'
'Do they eat human flesh? Some ate my people.' I said shakily, images of mother getting devoured coming back.
'Only hounds and rogues, all worked together that day to attack.'
'Okay, where do you think Lucian ran to?' She shrugged. I sighed and dropped the rake, I was done. 'What if Lucian finds his mate now, what would happen to the Luna wannabe?'
'Kimberly would be discarded, she's useless to him anyways. According to what some of the older wolves are saying,' she suddenly whispered. 'The moon goddess will harden the heart of Lucian's mate and make her reject him for insulting her by performing the choice mate ritual.'
'Isn't it selfish to keep the alpha waiting?'
'The ritual is only permitted to wolves above a hundred year without a mate, not just in their late twenties or was it early thirties? Whatever, I pray he gets rejected so he would suffer until the day he dies.'
'Suffer?' I was strangely interested in that.
'When a wolf is rejected by his or her mate, the rejected one suffers a greater deal than the one who rejects. Most times, the wolf loses their powers and their lifespan is shorten. Most times, they die during the first stage of pain or run mad. I want him to suffer or die.' I felt awfully weird hearing it from her, wanted to snap at her for wanting Lucian dead but the feeling was almost mutual.
Giselle was stolen from her parents and sold as human slave at thirteen, she had been here since. Alpha Lucian bought her, forgot about her. She really hated him for bringing her to a place where she was sexually abused but she had no choice. Same thing goes to Carina but Rina was kidnapped at ten by another alpha and offered to Lucian during a peace treaty.
Our lives were perfect. Note the sarcasm.
'You, Luna Kim needs you!' I knew it was me. It was always me. I looked at Giselle.
'Go, I'll handle the rest of the raking.'
'Thank you,' I muttered and walked off.