Chapter 2 Sold to the Enemy
Luna’s POV
A chilly stone beneath my cheek. The air in my lungs is damp. The environment is a whirl of iron bars and drab walls as I open my eyes.
I support myself with trembling elbows. The rejection mark still throbs like a new wound, burning my shoulder. My mouth tastes like ashes, and my throat is dry.
Outside the tiny cell, I can hear voices. The whisper of Elder Mireya. Elder Darius was another voice, piercing and ruthless. More than any of them, he has always detested me.
I drag myself to the chilly bars of the iron door and place my ear against them.
Darius declares, "She's awake." He approaches, his boots echoing. When his shadow obscures the dim light, I recoil.
He opens the door and enters. He is flanked by two guardians, large, lifeless wolves. They have an old blood and perspiration odor.
Darius treats me like I'm dirt on his boot as he looks down at me. "Damned girl. Finally awake.
I gently stand up and cover my trembling with an embrace. "Why am I here?" I mumble.
Though it never reaches his eyes, he smiles. "Because you embarrassed us all."
I wince. "I didn't inquire—"
"There was no need for you to inquire!" he yells. The stone walls reverberate with his words. "You embarrass us in front of the Council after the Moon wrongly marked you. Before the packets. Previous to the Nightfang Alpha
I take a deep breath. " I was rejected by Rowan—
I don't anticipate it when his hand cracks across my cheek so quickly. I jerk my head sideways. The pain in my chest is far worse than the burn from his slap.
With his teeth clenched, he declares, "You will never again mention his name."
My lip tastes like blood. I use my sleeve to wipe it off.
"Now what?" My bones already know the answer, so I ask.
I can see every crease in Darius's sneer as he takes a step closer. "Now? You now bear the consequences of your curse.
He looks at Elder Mireya, who is still and pale as she stands at the door. He gestures disgustingly at her. "Even you couldn't conceal her filth indefinitely."
Mireya looks into my eyes. They're depressed. Apologia. She doesn't talk.
Darius gives a finger snap. The guards approach and seize my arms. My skin is pricked by the metal handcuffs.
"Where are we going?" My voice is too low as I whisper.
With his breath as rancid as old wine, Darius leans forward. "Luna Belle, you're being sold. A nice exchange for peace.
"Sold?" The guards keep me upright while my knees give out.
A coerced bond. Arranged a partner. A fresh Alpha. He smiles ruthlessly and wolfishly. Ironfang Pack. Kael Thorne, Alpha
I give a headshake. "No. Please. Avoid—
Darius holds up his hand. Where he smacked me, the back of his knuckles touched my cheek. "Now stop crying. A new master will be fed by your curse. Perhaps he will kill you soon.
My face jerks away. "Elder Mireya, please—"
Mireya, however, simply lowers her look. I can't hear what she's saying, but her lips move.
"Take her," says Darius. "Take good care of her. No possibilities.
I am dragged out of the cell by the guards. The stone floor is scraped by my feet. In an attempt to catch a final glimpse of Mireya, I twist.
She speaks in a whisper that only I can hear. "Live on, Moonborn."
The chains are made of silver. Where they come into contact with my neck, ankles, and wrists, they cause burns. As the guards pull me through the pack grounds, I falter with each step.
Wolves congregate to observe, with warriors standing with their arms crossed and their look icy, and children peeking from behind their moms. When I pass, some people spit. I know that some people whisper blessings that they don't mean.
"The curse is gone."
"May she be buried by Ironfang."
"Goodbye."
The dismal, heavy sky above seems to want to grieve for me, but is unable to do so.
With their breath steaming in the morning cold, they pause at the edge of the forest clearing where horses wait. A guard is a line of warriors. On black cloaks, I see the Ironfang crest, which is a silver fang with a crimson slash across it.
A shadow shifts by a large oak tree.
Before I see him, I sense him. Rowan. Half-hidden by fog, half-hidden in the treeline.
We look at each other. I hold my breath.
He is present.
Hope grows in my chest for a minute. He arrived to put an end to this. He came to get me.
A hand on his arm, though, is what I notice next. Darius the Elder. Poisonous words rushed into Rowan's ear as his lips moved quickly. Rowan's eyes are searing into mine as his jaw tightens. He advances a step, then halts.
Darius says something more incisive. Rowan's look falls to the floor. He looks aside.
Once more, my heart breaks.
My chain is jerked by the guard. "Get moving, witch."
I'm pulled to the middle of the clearing. Warriors of the Ironfang move aside. A horse stomps on the chilly ground and snorts.
Then I spotted him.
Thorne, Kael.
His arms are clasped across his wide chest as he stands next to his horse. Eyes so blue they resemble ice shards, ash-blond hair pulled back. He's dressed in a black coat that resembles armour more than fabric.
His look meets mine. They slowly pass me by, as if they were weighing meat at a market.
He takes a step forward. I'm forced to my knees by the guards.
One foot away, Kael stops. He tilts his head and squats down. He smiles cruelly, but it doesn't reach his eyes.
He says, "So this is the curse they fear so much."
Despite my neck straining from the chain, I raise my chin. "I'm not doomed."
He studies my face while humming. His dark leather-gloved fingers clamp down on my chin. He shakes my head back and forth, examining my mark, eyes, and hair.
He remarks, "It's not bad to look at." "I feel sorry for the mouth."
My face jerks away. He tightens his hold till it becomes painful. "Girl, you are now mine. When you are spoken to, you will learn to speak.
I give him a stare, anger growing where fear once was. "I would rather die."
Kael's smile gets bigger. "You might still."
He looks at Darius as he stands. "The agreement is in effect. I own her.
Fake respect, Darius bows low. "Alpha Kael, all yours. May she be of use to you.
The icy sound of Kael's laughter makes the hair on my neck stand up. He looks back at me. Bring her.
The guards push me in the direction of his horse and bring me to my feet. I had to stutter along with him after he mounts first and yanks my chain.
I turn to see them leave for the forest.
Rowan has left.
It's a long ride. The greens and greys of the forest blend. The silver digs into my wrists, causing pain. Every heartbeat causes a throb in my shoulder.
My thoughts stray to the letter concealed under my garment, but I maintain my focus on the walk. Moonborn. What does it signify? Mireya called me about that, but why?
Kael never turns to face me as he rides ahead. Like wolves circling a wounded deer, his men stand on either side of me.
Hours go by. The temperature drops. The sky grows gloomy.
Then there was a shout.
I raise my head. Between the woods, a form of darts. One more. Then another. Around us, low growls reverberate.
“Rogues!” yells one fighter.
Kael's eyes sparkle as he spins abruptly in his saddle. "Rope around! Keep the cargo safe!
The warriors raise their swords and surround Kael and me in a ring, and I stagger. The outlaws, untamed wolves with crimson eyes and matted coats, howl. With their teeth cracking and their claws slashing, they dash from the trees.
Anarchy breaks out. Swords clash. Horses yell when they rear.
With one vicious swipe, Kael dispatches a rogue, dismounting and moving like a shadow. My face gets splashed with blood. The chain pulls me back when I flinch, but I am unable to flee.
The circle is broken by a rogue who lunges at me. To stop the claws, I lift my shackled hands, but instead—
My chest begins to heat up.
Everything slows down. In my ears, my heartbeat roars.
My eyes are burning. My vision turns to gold.
Eyes wide, the rogue freezes in mid-lunge. Then, like a leaf in the wind, he is flung back. I stood there looking at my hands while panting.
As he rotates, Kael notices the rogue dead, smashed against a tree. He looks at me abruptly.
"You did what?" he growls.
I'm not sure. I am unable to respond. The fire travels up my throat, into my arms, and through my legs.
The chains of silver clatter. Over them, sparks dance. Where the metal comes into contact with my skin, it hisses. Burning is what I smell.
"Stop!" Kael yells and moves ahead.
However, I am unable to. There's life in the heat. The chain breaks at my wrist with a crack. Like a storm erupting, the strength within me surges.
Kael takes hold of my arm. Now, instead of being harsh, his eyes are wide with fear. "Who are you?"
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Just light.
The chains break. A throb of energy erupts from my chest.
Kael collides with his horse after being flung backwards. The animal rears and yells. Warriors stagger off.
In the clearing, I stand by myself, my hair standing up around my face as if the wind were imprisoned inside of me. My eyes are not silver; they fire. Not grey.
Amber, untamed, and vibrant.
Kael, with blood on his lip, attempts to stand. He uses the back of his hand to wipe it and looks at me as if I were a monster or worse.
I move forward a step. There are fissures in the ground beneath my bare foot.
The noise of the forest drowns out Kael's whisper. "Moonborn."