His grip on her hair loosened, providing her with a momentary relief. As she looked up, she met his gaze and noticed the confusion and uncertainty in his eyes. It seemed he wasn't even sure if he had truly loved her.
The realization hit her hard, she had been living a lie for the past three months, and everything between them was fake. Lucas had never truly loved her.
Her thoughts drifted to what could have been different if she had been a werewolf like him, instead of a human. Would she have foolishly fallen in love with him if she had only felt the mate spark?
Her biggest fear had always been not being loved by her mate. While her parents were both werewolves, she was born as a human. There had been rumors and speculation about her hair and being different, but her parents had always been there to comfort and support her, shielding her from the doubts. She had never dwelled on it too much.
"Did you accept me as your mate for your own benefit?" Regret surged within her as she wished she had asked these questions before entering the pack. Why hadn't she ever questioned her mate's loyalty? Perhaps it was because she had genuinely believed that he loved her.
"Would I reject my mate?" He retorted, his tone filled with bitterness.
Aurora scoffed and locked eyes with him, her voice filled with determination. "I have a request," she urged.
"If it is to spare your life, then don't bother," he replied nonchalantly.
"Bury my parents in our family cemetery. I may be the accused, but they are innocent," she pleaded. At the very least, her parents deserved to be properly buried, even if they couldn't receive the proper burial rites.
"Bury them? Your parents poisoned my mother to prevent her from revealing your infidelity," he declared, catching Aurora off guard. Her parents poisoning Lucas's mother was an accusation that seemed impossible to her.
"It's a lie! They would never do such a thing!" she yelled, struggling against the restraints of the chair.
"They confessed to their crimes themselves, and in exchange for keeping you alive, they begged for their own execution," he added, shocking Aurora even more.
Why would her parents poison Lucas's mother? She had been dragged to the wedding hall right after their deaths, leaving her unaware of what had caused their demise, only to be instantly accused of infidelity.
"Your mother is still alive, so I don't believe you!" she continued to yell, causing her thighs to bleed even more. Lucas signaled the guards, and they resumed torturing her.
"Sell her as a slave, and fulfill her parents' dying wish," Lucas's mate suggested in a sweet and gentle voice that almost deceived Aurora, if she hadn't known better.
Lucas nodded in agreement and said, "Sell her tonight." Then he left the cell with his mate, leaving Aurora behind.
A tear rolled down Aurora's cheek as she watched Lucas walk away with his mate. Inwardly, she begged her parents for forgiveness.
The guards were supposed to stop torturing her, but they seemed determined to inflict more pain, relishing in her vulnerable state. The torture continued until they were finally satisfied.
They untied her and left her to wither, as she awaited the arrival of those who would take her away as a slave. Everything was finally starting to make sense, Lucas's mother was behind it all.
Aurora cursed herself for being foolish enough to believe that they would accept her, knowing they were uncomfortable with her human origins. But how had she managed to create a bond, a spark, between Lucas and his new mate? If Lucas wasn't her true mate, what could possibly explain their connection?
As her head throbbed with pain, she was overwhelmed by a torrent of questions for which she had no answers. Thoughts of her parents consumed her, and she couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down her face. They had died for her, even though she was the one who hadn't listened to them.
Despite being labeled a traitor, she still held the rights to her parents' properties, but she knew they would likely be taken away from her now.
In the evening, a short man entered her cell accompanied by a guard.
She guessed he was the one who would take her as a slave. Despite the passage of time, slavery still prevailed among the wolves. She had planned to eradicate such practices within the pack if she had become the Luna, only to have that privilege snatched away from her in a day.
"Am I being asked to take in a half-dead slave by the Alpha? What use could she be to my business?" The short man exclaimed, disgust evident in his eyes as he scanned Aurora. He believed she would only ruin his business if he bought such a worthless slave.
"It's not like you have to pay for her. I can call in another potential slaver if you don't want our former Luna," the guard added, enticing the man. The tactic seemed to work. Aurora thought, 'Way to go.'
"Lu..lu.luna?" The short looking man asked in disbelief and moved closer to the woman laying on the floor to confirm the guards claim. He staggered back in surprise when he realized who she was.
"If you don't want…." Cutting the guard off, he declared.
"I... I will take her," the man quickly decided, dismissing the disadvantage. Who wouldn't want to buy a Luna slave? They held power equal to that of an Alpha, and despite not being a she-wolf, Aurora possessed a special aura that impressed everyone. With some cleaning up to deceive the public, she would fetch a high price.
Instantly, the man's lackeys entered the cell and began dragging Aurora away. The pain was excruciating, and she eventually lost consciousness as they forcefully moved her.
When Aurora woke up, she felt sore all over her body, but oddly refreshed. It seemed her body had been cleaned and she had been given new clothes. Wait, new clothes?
Opening her eyes, she tried to assess her surroundings but was abruptly pulled away. Where were they taking her, and what was all the commotion about?
Her eyes widened as she was brought to her knees in front of a crowd of onlookers. Looking around, she realized she was about to be sold. Men were shouting and pointing at her.
What she heard next shocked her to the core.
"She was a Luna, not yet used. Bidding starts at 1000 coins."