Serena’s POV
The journey to Rykor Pack territory was a long and silent one. I sat in the carriage, staring blankly at the passing trees, not really paying attention to any of them. My mind was a battlefield of emotions that threatened to drive me insane.
“Are you alright there?” the lone survivor of the rogue massacre asked from the driver's seat.
*Yeah,* I answered blankly, recalling the events of the past few hours.
The bride was dead. The girl who had been sold to Alpha Kaidon, who had no choice but to face a cruel fate, was no more. Her lifeless body had been left behind in the clearing, along with other mangled corpses, and I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of guilt.
It should have been me. The rogues had come for me, and now all those people had paid the price. I couldn't let their sacrifice go in vain. Draven needed to pay for everything he had done.
I clenched my fists, strengthening my resolve. The path I had chosen for vengeance was an insane one, yet it was the only thing I could think of. Becoming Luna of Rykor Pack was my only chance. Yes, I knew it sounded insane, but if I had that power, I could exact my revenge. I could kill Draven and anyone who dared to stand in my way. I just needed Alpha Kaidon to accept me as his bride, and that would take a lot of convincing and manipulating if necessary.
I was aware of his nature to kill his brides, but my urge for vengeance had consumed my reasoning. If he killed me, then so be it. At least I would die trying.
After hours of travel, we finally arrived at the Black Moon Pack’s territory. The towering gates of their stronghold were an awesome sight to behold, flanked by guards who eyed us suspiciously as we passed through.
The man who brought me here walked up to them and explained my arrival, though I couldn't hear the details of their conversation. All I could think and feel at that moment was the ominous aura of the place. Everything about it seemed dark and gloomy, making me rethink whether this was even the right choice.
A guard guided us to the Alpha’s castle, and I forced myself not to think of anything apart from victory. I was already here, and it was highly unlikely that I would be able to escape if I wanted to, so I’d rather just get it over with and hope for the best.
The carriage stopped, and the man led me inside the castle, where we were greeted by several elders and pack members, all of whom treated me with disdain. I ignored them and held my head high, masking my fear with a cold expression. I couldn't show any sign of weakness.
One of the elders, an older woman, stopped us and began to scrutinize me like I was a piece of ware in the marketplace. “So, you’re the Alpha's latest toy.”
“Toy?” I caught myself before I could retort and took a deep breath. “I am Alpha Kaidon’s bride.”
The elder raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed. “And what makes you think you are worthy of such an exalted position? Do you have a powerful wolf? A bloodline that could strengthen the pack?”
I froze. A wolf? I didn’t even have a weak one, not to mention a powerful one. It was the one thing I had been denied all my life. I never realized that I would be questioned about my wolf when I got here.
“I... I—” I tried to respond, but a cold voice cut me off.
“She has no wolf.” The cold voice declared, and I turned around, my eyes widening. I had never seen Alpha Kaidon before, but somehow, my instincts told me that the man before me was indeed the infamous Alpha of legends. He was even more imposing than I had imagined, towering over me like a fortress. His long black hair was slicked back, and his unusual gray eyes stared at me, as if trying to pierce right through me.
The room fell silent as Kaidon approached. After a single glance, he walked away and sat on his throne, hands on his chin. “I have no use for her. Send her away,” he said in a flat tone.
“Huh?” I was panicking. This couldn’t be how it ended. I had come too far and suffered too much to be cast aside like this. “Wait! You can’t send me away. I’m here as your bride. I can help you, I can—”
“You are wolfless. What help could you possibly offer me?” he said bluntly.
His words cut deep into my heart like a hot knife through butter, and I realized the implication of his words. I was... useless.
“I... I may not have a wolf, but I can still be of use to you,” I said desperately. “I can learn, I can train, heck, I’m willing to be your sex slave. I will do whatever it takes to prove myself to you, Alpha.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. Kaidon stared at me for a while, as if contemplating my words, and just when I was sure he’d accept me, he stood up from his chair and, without a word, began to walk out of the room.
“No!” I screamed as loud as I could. “Please, I’ll do anything! Don’t send me away. Please… if... if you do, I’ll be killed.”
“That’s not my problem. You’re not my responsibility,” Kaidon replied coldly, without breaking stride or glancing back.
He paused his steps and turned to a guard. “Take her to one of the guest rooms for the night. She can stay until morning, but after that, she’s gone.”
And with that, he left the room, leaving me standing there, a broken mess.