Chapter 2

FIONA

“Nooooo! Never!”

“Over my dead body!”

His voice tore through the air like thunder.

Alpha Ryan’s eyes burned into me, “Have you seen yourself, Fiona? Who gave you the audacity to believe that you, a wolfless Omega, could ever be mated to me, the Alpha of this pack?”

The words struck harder than any physical blow.

My heart froze, my breath catching in my throat.

“Why would he be so cruel?” I whispered to myself, my voice trembling.

Ryan took a step closer, his face twisted in disgust.

“Listen to me,” he said, voice low but sharp as a blade. “I, Alpha Ryan of the Blue Moon Pack, will never desire you as a mate. You are nothing of value to me.”

He spat on me.

Gasps rippled through the gathered pack. My legs gave way, and I fell to the ground as his words echoed mercilessly around me.

“Did she really think Ryan would choose her?” someone jeered.

“How foolish!” another voice sneered.

Their laughter stung worse than fire. Tears blurred my sight as I stared at the man I had once loved…the man who had whispered promises in the dark, who had touched me like I was precious.

And then…Sabrina.

She walked toward him with a proud sway of her hips, brushing against me deliberately and kicking my leg out of the way as if I were dirt beneath her shoes.

Ryan turned to her, his expression softening.

He placed his arm over her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her neck. “Here she is,” he declared, his tone full of pride. “My one true mate. The Luna of this pack, Sabrina James.”

A heavy silence followed, broken only by the thundering of my heart.

He used me. Lied to me. Rejected me.

Tears streamed freely down my face.

“Does she have to remain here, my love?” Sabrina said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “She’s nothing but filth. She brings nothing good to the pack.”

Ryan didn’t even look at me. “You’re right,” he said coldly. “Take her away.”

Before I could speak, Beta Barbara stepped forward and slapped me so hard the sound cracked through the air. “How dare you speak to your Luna that way?” she snarled.

“Please…” I managed to say, my cheek burning.

“Take her out of here!” Ryan ordered.

The guards dragged me away as laughter followed. My dignity was left behind on that stage.

**

Later that night, I sat behind the kitchen, staring blankly at the mountain of dishes before me. My hands trembled as I reached for a pot, my eyes swollen from tears.

“Fiona,” a soft voice came from behind. I turned to see Kush, the only one who ever spoke kindly to me.

“He slept with you, didn’t he?” he asked quietly.

I froze.

He sighed. “He took advantage of you. Didn’t he?”

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t nod. The truth hung heavy between us.

“Fiona, you can trust me,” he whispered. “I won’t tell anyone, but you need to let this out.”

Before I could answer, Sabrina’s voice pierced the air.

“Hey, witch! Bring your sorry self out here!”

I was tense. Kush frowned. “Don’t go.”

But two guards stormed in before I could move. One shoved Kush to the floor, the other yanked me up by the hair.

“Aaahh!” I screamed in pain.

They threw me to the ground, kicking me in the ribs. Sabrina stood behind them, watching with a satisfied smile.

“You thought you could use your body to get my mate?” she sneered. “You think your witchcraft works on me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,please!” I cried, but another blow struck my face.

“Quiet, witch!” one of the guards shouted.

Through the haze of pain, I caught sight of Kush lying motionless nearby.

“Kush… help…” I whispered weakly.

The beating went on until a familiar, commanding voice cut through the chaos.

“What is happening here?”

It was Ryan.

Sabrina immediately ran toward him, tears already forming. “Oh, my love, you won’t believe what she did! She broke the Alpha’s finest dishes and tried to attack me. I barely escaped with my life!”

“What?” Ryan growled, his gaze snapping to me. “You did what?”

“I didn’t…” I tried to say, but his glare silenced me.

“You are nothing but a hypocrite!” he barked. “Take her to the dungeon! Let her rot there until I decide her fate!”

The guards seized me again.

“I… I didn’t do anything…” I stammered, but my voice was drowned out by laughter and contempt.

They dragged me through the pack house, through the darkness, through humiliation. Pain burned in every limb, and my tears blurred the path ahead.

By the time they threw me into the cold, damp dungeon, I could barely move.

Maybe death would be better than this.

And as my body grew weaker and the darkness swallowed me whole, the last thing I thought was…

Why did the moon goddess curse me to live this life?