~Grace~
Ice-cold water touches my body, forcing me to turn toward the door. I hadn't realized that it was open and that a huge, heavily-built man was already cussing at me. The colour of his uniform tells me he's one of the guards in the Alpha's Wing of the pack house
"You know what today is, Runt? It's judgment day, baby. Say bye-bye to your little dungeon and get your ass moving; the whole pack is waiting for you outside." Considering the veins in his neck and the tight look on his face, it is obvious he is shouting and having fun while at it.
He marches toward me and yanks my arm to make me stand up. He sighs and quickly changes his mind. "Wait… Anita will handle you. I'm not doing any more insulting favors for today." He shoves me back to the floor and slams the door, not minding that I almost crack my skull.
I grit my teeth.
Today is finally my moon judgment day. The day I will be officially judged by the pack council and elders for the death of my sister, Emily. I've been locked up in the pack's prison for days with no food or water. My only sliver of hope for survival is my mate, Leo. He promised that the first favor he would ask as the new Alpha is for my life to be spared.
The door opens again, and this time an old, stern-looking lady walks in. She wrinkles her nose at the sight of me and mutters, "Follow me. I'll take you to freshen up."
I glance down at the mess my clothes are in. I obviously stink after days in the same clothes. My head spins when I stand up. Hunger or blood loss—I don't know—but the lady doesn't notice me swaying on my feet at all. She just wrinkles her nose at me and then turns on her heel to lead me out of the dungeon prison.
As we walk through the halls together, my skin pulls tight as I feel everyone's eyes on me. There is a lot of interest, and it is pretty obvious they have all already heard the story about who I am
The human born from purebred werewolves.
The girl who killed her younger sister because of jealousy.
The mute Omega.
I am led to the Alpha's wing of the pack house. As I pass the Beta's wing to get there, I bite my trembling lips at the good memories of my childhood. Taking a deep breath, I remind myself that I have no right to feel anything that isn't sadness and sorrow.
The bathroom is clean enough, and the shower is an actual stall. The woman shoves a bag at me—one I hadn't noticed her carrying because my eyes were focused on her face to catch any word.
"You better be quick. I'll drag you out naked if I have to."
I give her a dirty look and take the bag, stomping into the stall like a child. I strip off and scrub down, wincing at the state of myself. I am covered in bruises that refuse to heal. Unlike normal shifters, I don't even have the slightest ability to heal my wounds, so they are left to clot by themselves—to heal or rot and leave scars on my body.
My hair is a mess, so I wash it and dry it carefully. The clothes they left for me are an old gown that makes me look even more pitiful, but at least it is a clean change of clothes. The smell of cologne clinging to the fabric makes me want to hurl. I have always been sensitive to scents. I thump my chest repeatedly, trying to drive back the nausea.
I need to look decent. It is impossible to avoid running into Leo today, and I especially want to meet him before the trial, so I have to look my best—even if my "best" is barely enough.
"There's no time to try to pretty yourself up. I doubt you'd be able to do much anyway," the woman snaps.
I pretend not to know what she just uttered and stay planted in front of the mirror, brushing my hair slowly and meticulously until it is knot-free. I weave it into the most complicated braid I can manage with only one hair tie, just to spite her more. I have to focus to keep my hands from shaking at the sight of the silvery strands mixed into the blonde. I don't think I will ever get used to this color—and it just keeps spreading.
When she can't hold her patience any longer, she starts to drag me out until we are in a vast corridor. "You know the way better than me, brute. Go meet the pack warriors so they prepare you for the trial." She turns to me and say
I know she is hoping I haven't heard her so that I could get into trouble but my eyes has been on her mouth movements for a reason. . No one in the pack knows I can read lips only if I'm facing the person directly. This sometimes gives me a small advantage over their cruelty.
Once she leaves, I decide to pick up the courage and meet Leo first. My breath is quick when I finally get into his room, and I take a moment to catch it. When I finally turn, the sight that greets me is nothing like I have ever witnessed in my life.
The moon casts a bright light against the window of the room, glistening against the bare flesh of a woman with black hair. Her head drops back and forth. Strong arms are wrapped around her, a dark head moving along her chest with a feeling that makes me fascinated and… warm. All over. The man's lips are on her chest, sucking each pink bud into his mouth.
Have I entered the wrong room?
Something hot flares in my belly. I swallow, suddenly thirsty for something I cannot name. As if the moon wants to clarify something to me, it becomes brighter and shines on the face of the man with dark hair.
My breath hitches… It is really my Leo.
I look away because my mind is certainly taking in too much at once. My stomach is tied in knots, and my lungs protest the movement as I try to pull in air. The tiny spark in my life extinguishes, sending my mind into complete darkness as I try to process what I just saw.
This is one of those moments I wish I could speak.
When I look again, Leo's head lifts, meeting my tear-streaked face. With cruel, pointed awareness of my presence, his canines extend. He latches onto her neck, piercing through the skin to mark her, his eyes remaining locked on mine the entire time—staking his claim on her just to rip the heart out of me.
I shake my head as my hand covers my mouth. Not that I could scream if I wanted to.
Leo pulls back. He stands naked and walks toward me with a wicked grin. "You probably won't hear me, but I will spell it out to you anyway." His hands grab a towel when he notices my eye movements. "What you just witnessed is me marking my mate." His lips move slowly so I can read every hateful word.
I quiver. Again, I deserve every bit of pain I go through. No one forgets to remind me of that. Not my mother, and not even my father who left the pack because of me. It is stuck like a dagger in my heart. Emily died because of me. I killed her out of jealousy. She was a normal child everyone loved, after all. And I was the cursed one. Always sick, deaf, and even dumb.
I must have been foolish to have my hopes high or think a man would save me.
"I won't reject you, because I see a future with you," he sneers, stepping toward me. "But I want you to feel every second of the bond rotting while I love her. You have to understand." There are touches of humor around his mouth and his eyes, and I stand here trying to understand why he finds this funny.
"Meet my Luna." He turns back to the bed, gently embracing the woman who is now standing. My breath hitches as she turns her head, revealing her face.
It is boldly the face I haven't dared to forget over the past decade. Blood stops flowing in my body, and I hit the ground.
"Emily…?"