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Chapter 2 Sacrifice

  • My heart pounded in my chest as the manor or rather the foreboding castle came into view. It’s huge iron gates opened with a whine, as if a monster was opening its mouth, ready to devour its prey. There was nothing beautiful about this castle. Even the trees looked dull and grey, contributing to the general eerie atmosphere. Despite the sun shining in its full glory, the castle seemed to ward off that brightness or warmth.
  • My heart lurched as the car came to a stop in front of the wide stone staircase leading to the huge entrance of the castle.
  • “Can I have a moment with you, Father?” I asked quietly before my father could wrench the door open and get out of the car. I saw his sombre expression turn sour. He nodded tightly. The driver glanced at us through the rearview mirror before saying, “Alright. 10 minutes.” Then he and the other man in the passenger seat got out of the car.
  • “What now?” my father asked immediately, impatiently.
  • I inhaled a shaky breath and balled my fists. “I…” I choked on my words. I wanted to scream and I wanted to beg him to take me back and somewhere in the back of my mind I still hoped that I would get a glimpse of my old father, whom I called dad and he would somehow rescue me from this nightmare like he always did back when things were simpler. I looked away, feeling the telltale burning of my eyes. “You stay in the car. Please don’t escort me inside,” I said instead and without waiting for his reply I unlocked the car and got out, my legs protested after sitting for so long.The men stared at me, poker-faced. I smoothed down the creases on my dress, wanting to prolong the dreaded meeting as long as I could. I brought down the veil to cover my face. I didn’t want any of them to see my face.
  • Hitching the gown slightly, I started climbing the stone steps. I didn’t wait to see if the others followed.
  • “Mr. Black?” One of them reluctantly questioned me when I started climbing the stairs. I looked over my shoulder. “He won’t accompany me. I made that request.” No matter what injustice was being done to me, my wolf and I still felt a shred of loyalty towards our Alpha and pack. Even though it stung when my father actually considered my request. I just gave him an easy way out. The thought settled heavily in my chest, making it hard for me to breathe.
  • I felt as if the closer I came to the entrance, the more my chest tightened and I started breathing through my mouth. Would dying be better than this? Maybe. I blinked back the tears, trying to clear my vision. When the huge entrance finally towered over me, I couldn’t help but have the urge to turn back and run. I halted at the threshold.
  • I tipped my head up to look at the huge wooden doors, closed but looking threatening nonetheless. Once I enter through these doors, and they close behind me, I might never be able to leave. I will live a life worse than that of a prisoner. Will I be able to let Astrid out?
  • “Miss. Black?” I was brought out of my reverie by one of the men. I lowered my gaze and composed myself. “I…”
  • But they didn’t wait for me. Instead, the tall one among them came to stand beside me and then knocked on the door in a pattern which I didn’t pay heed to, all the while trying to calm my drumming heart.
  • I bit back a yelp when the doors opened, whining and creaking, but I couldn’t help but let my mouth hang open when I saw what lay in front of me. A carpet had been rolled out and people were standing on either side, their expressions ranging from nervous to happy to curious. I hoped my veil wasn’t translucent enough to hide my nervousness.
  • “Welcome,” the shorter of the two men said. I nodded jerkily because I wouldn’t be able to speak without choking. They flanked me on either side as I stepped in. “Welcome, Luna!” Everyone cheered in unison as if it was a joyous occasion. Maybe it was for them because this would mean none of their daughters would have to be sacrificed. This would mean they wouldn’t have to unnecessarily bear the brunt of being a member of the strongest pack in this world.
  • Despite being the one who was sacrificed, I didn’t make my steps falter or my hands tremble. No, I was Kathryn Black, the eldest daughter of the Alpha, a rare wolf in our world and I would not be daunted by this. Astrid, who usually snarks at this statement, remained quiet.
  • Once we had crossed the courtyard, I distinctly heard murmurs as the pack members began to disperse and go about their day. Some expressed their pity while some said, “she must have done something awful for her father to just…” The rest was implied and I had to swallow the lump forming in my throat.
  • The journey was more like a funeral match than escorting a new bride to her new abode. I had never met Alpha Isaac, only heard the bone-chilling tales of his conquers and how ruthless he was. He had earned the notorious title, ‘Beast’. The corridor left into another small courtyard. “This is Alpha’s residence,” the black-haired, tall guy informed. I saw the lavish structure in front of me. Two guards stood on either side of the door. When they saw us approaching, they bowed deeply and opened the door. A small path leads to another flight of steps leading to what I presume was Alpha Isaac’s residence.
  • “We shall be escorting you till here. There are maids and servants whom you can ask for anything you need.” I stood at the entrance, stunned as the two men bowed curtly and left without even waiting for my reply. My nerves were frazzled as is.
  • “Luna,” I heard someone call. It took some time for me to register that it was what I would be called from now on. I turn around to see a middle-aged woman standing on the topmost step, looking at me stoically. I gulp, her gaze making my skin prickle.
  • “Please follow me,” she says and turns around. I vaguely feel the guards’ stares as I ascend the stairs and my heart thuds in my chest when I hear the door slowly close behind me. My fingers clenched around the bunched fabric before I reluctantly let go, the hem once again brushing the floor. I ducked my chin as the woman kept walking, leading the way to what I assume as the alpha Isaac’s room. The tight bun and her light blue midi reminded me of Ms. Hannah, our housekeeper. A whirlwind of emotions was swirling inside my chest, a thousand questions circling my mind. But I did not dare to voice them. Astrid lay dormant, as she had been for the past couple of days. The woman walked gracefully, and I wondered if he was in charge of the other house helps.
  • The corridor was long and seemed never-ending, lined with portraits adorning either side which I could see from the corner of my eyes, occasionally there were a few vases, large ones and albeit expensive or ancient. It had branched into different directions on the left, but I couldn’t see anyone in these hallways. The place, however, looked much brighter than I imagined. We crossed a small balcony and as I gazed out of it, I saw that it looked over to a garden. We turned a corner and crossed a few rooms which were all closed. I wondered why.
  • “We are here,” she suddenly announced when we reached the room at the end of this short hallway. She turned around, her small eyes looking straight at me, her petite face neutral. I swallowed thickly, only managing a short nod. She didn’t dawdle or wait for me to say anything else. Instead, she pushed open the heavy black door, ornately carved and polished. Even with my current predicament, I couldn’t help but admire the gigantic room, so well kept and clean.
  • “Your luggage has already been brought and a maid will be here shortly to dress you in proper clothes,” she intoned. However, the way she emphasized ‘proper’ made it sound as if this gown was anything but that. I bit my lower lip from retorting. I couldn’t possibly taint my pack’s...I ceased the thought there.
  • “If that’s all then I shall take your leave.” Before I could even open my mouth, she bowed and left the room. When the doors closed with a thud, I heaved out a weary sigh. I finally lifted my veil, feeling ridiculous at doing the task, a ritual that was usually reserved for the groom. My eyes burned at the patheticness of the situation. The huge room looked as if it hadn’t been used for a long time, there was no trace of personalization which seemed odd to me.
  • I padded to the bed positioned in the middle of the room, facing the door, and carefully placed my veil atop the neat beige blanket. My black clips came off next. I kept the bun intact and then sat down at the foot of the bed, waiting for whoever would come up and dress me up. A strange lethargy and numbness came over me. The strangeness and the seriousness of the situation suddenly sat heavily upon my shoulder.
  • Was my family even worried? Probably not. Would I keep living a life that is worse than death? Probably yes. A loud knock on the door jolted me out of my moroseness. “Come in.” I was thankful for the steadiness in my voice.
  • The doors opened and a girl about my age walked in with a small food trolley and was followed by another girl who carried what probably was my ‘proper’ attire. I stood up, while the petite one brought the trolley to a halt, the other woman, a black haired, average height woman laid the dress on the bed just beside my veil.
  • “We will help you with the dress and then you can have some food,” the black-haired woman murmured, averting her gaze. The petite one didn’t even utter a word, silently waiting behind the other one. I decided to not pay any heed to this. These people might have a hundred reasons to dislike me or be disappointed in me. However, the way the short girl stole glances as quickly lowered her gaze made me feel suspicious. She almost looked guilty.
  • “Alright,” I murmured, ready to get over with this. With a lot of difficulty, I had managed to come to terms with the fact that marrying alpha Isaac or being his bride would entail bonding, and bonding meant mating. When I laid my eyes on the dress, it solidified my thoughts. The dress was made of fine silk, purple in colour, spaghetti straps and a deep neckline that would hardly keep anything to the imagination. I was not surprised when I saw the lack of underwear. With reddened cheeks, I hurried to the ensuite washroom. The silk felt soft against my skin and I was grateful to have finally stepped out of the gaudy dress. When I came out of the washroom, the short girl was preparing a plate for me while the taller one was near the dresser. My veil and clips were probably moved to another place because they were no longer on the bed.
  • They must have sensed my arrival for they both looked up at me, their eyes wide. “You look beautiful,” the short girl exhaled before she quickly lowered her gaze. “Thank you?” It should have been a statement, but I was never really called beautiful back in...Once again I actively stopped myself from thinking. The taller one came up to me and took the gown from my hand.
  • I was guided to the dresser. The taller one, put some light make-up on me and styled my hair into a fishtail braid. Despite the praise, all I saw in the mirror was the reflection of a girl who had easily given up, one who was equivalent to a commodity to be bartered. They left me with a few parting words of waiting for the alpha to arrive in the evening and that I should eat.
  • I glanced at the food and nibbled on some fruit slices and biscuits before pushing the trolley to the farthest corner of the room, beside the dresser. I glanced at the huge wall clock on the far left of the room. I wouldn’t have to wait for long. I didn’t know whether to be relieved that the anticipation would be over or scared that I would meet someone whom the world has hardly seen in the past few years. I walked over to the window that overlooked the back of the palace, into another garden.
  • Was this alpha’s garden? Well, he wouldn’t have time for this, would he? My thoughts wandered to these people’s shifty behaviour and attitude. Some were welcoming while some were scared, why? There was not a single picture of the alpha in this room and not even on the internet. Even though there was news of him conquering territories, there was no photo. In fact, the last photo was taken three years ago when he was 21.
  • A gust of warmth caressed my face, bringing with it sweet scents of flowers and fruits. I kept the window open and walked back to the bed. My bone-deep tiredness suddenly made itself known and before long my eyes had drooped close.
  • ~~~~~~
  • The feeling of something wet touching my face and a distinct touch of muzzle startled me awake. A scream ripped out of my throat as I came face to face with a black wolf, his golden eyes staring at me.
  • “Mine.”