Selene's Point of View.
"Alpha my foot!" I spat out as I walked out.
I didn't run even as he called after me.
"Who the hell does he think he is?"
I rolled my eyes in disgust.
I walked deliberately with my head high, spine straight, as I left the Alpha's throne room and stepped through the massive palace doors. My boots struck the polished stone in a sharp, angry rhythm, echoing down the long, empty corridor.
No one followed me to stop me.
No guards, maids, not even a single whisper of footsteps behind me.
He didn't send anyone after me and that made me relax as I found my way down the hallway looking for an exit. I had no idea where I was going but with the maids everywhere, I walked further.
"Who is she?" I heard a maid whisper as I passed by.
I acted like I didn't hear their whisper, afterall they won't see me in this pack ever again, but something in me, it twisted.
Did I expect the Alpha to call me back? Apologize or maybe snarl that I wasn't allowed to walk away?
By the time I stepped past the outer gates of the Bloodmoon estate, the palace was shrinking behind me, swallowed by trees and moonlight. The air outside was colder than I remembered, sharp and still. I didn't look back.
He could keep his golden throne. He could keep his snarling guards and polished stone floors. Let him crown some other spineless she-wolf as his Luna.
I never wanted that title anyway.
Luna?
Please.
I was born to be an Alpha. Raised in the legacy of one. I'd trained for it, bled for it.
And I ran away from that, too.
So what makes anyone think I'd want to be his Luna?
I shoved a branch out of my way, walking deeper into the woods. The scent of pine and frost filled my lungs.
I was halfway to rogue territory when the voice inside me finally spoke.
"You shouldn't have left."
I clenched my jaw.
"You humiliated him."
"I was humiliated first," I snapped.
"You rejected our mate."
"I rejected a tyrant."
"You rejected fate."
"Fate's an excuse for people who don't have the spine to make their own choices."
My wolf snarled.
"He's powerful, and royal, he's everything we're supposed to be bonded to."
"And he's cruel," I spat. "Cold, arrogant. He looked at me like I was filth, do you want to be tied to that for life?"
"We already are, Selene. That's the bond."
"Then I want it gone." My fists clenched.
"You can't break it just because you hate him."
"I don't hate him," I muttered, voice low and tight. "I loathe him."
My wolf growled again, louder now, pacing like a caged beast inside me.
"And still, your heart pulled when you walked away."
"No," I hissed. "That wasn't my heart, that was you and that stupid mate bond!"
"You're lying to yourself, the moon doesn't make mistakes."
"Oh really?" I snapped. "Then why would she bind me to someone who'd rather drag me through mud than stand beside me?"
There was no answer, just silence.
I wiped my face, not realizing tears had crept to the edge of my lashes, tears of rage.
"Damn it." I cussed underneath my breath as I spat out.
Lucian was a royal Alpha, yes, but so was I once.
The only difference is he wore it like armor, while I wore mine like a scar.
No one knew who I truly was, not the rogues who worked beside me, or the guards who barked orders at me. I kept that part buried deep, I had to.
Being Alpha-born was no protection anymore.
Especially now, especially bonded to him.
I reached the edge of rogue territory at noon. The trees thinned, revealing the large clearing where the work tents were already being set up. I quickened my pace, maybe if I got to the farm shed fast enough, I could clean up before roll call.
But as I stepped onto the path, a guard blocked my way.
I paused. "Morning," I said carefully. "I'm late and I need to get back to the eastern shed."
He didn't move.
"Is there a problem?"
His eyes didn't meet mine. "You can't enter."
I blinked. "What?"
"You're not permitted inside the rogue territory anymore."
I forced a laugh. "Okay, Is this a joke?"
He didn't answer.
"Look, I know I was gone half of the day and I have missed some of my work for today but I had clearance, Kaya vouched for me." I lied.
"I said," he repeated flatly, "you're not permitted."
Something icy slithered into my spine.
Suddenly, more guards emerged behind him, at first they were four in number but two more guards joined them, not one of them looked at me.
My voice dropped. "What is this?"
Two stepped forward me with their hands out.
"Don't," I warned, stepping back. "Don't touch me, I haven't done anything wrong."
"You left the rogue assembly with the Bloodmoon soldiers," one said. "You entered royal territory, bonded to the Alpha and rejected him, that makes you unstable and we were given orders not to let you in."
I was blown apart.
"I rejected him!" I barked. "I didn't accept the bond, I walked away to show that I love my life as a rogue." I said as I tried to convince them.
"That makes you dangerous." one said Ns immediately, his hands grabbed my arms.
"Get off me!" I struggled, kicking, and twisting. "I haven't done anything!"
But they didn't stop, they knocked my legs from under me and I fell hard into the dirt.
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"You all watched me being dragged away!"
They didn't respond, instead, one took some chains from another guard.
My eyes widened.
"No, please, don't you dare…" but before I could complete my words, cold metal wrapped around my wrists. My ankles, heavy iron laced with wolfsbane.
"Argh!" I screamed as it burned.
Rogues passing by stopped and they all watched, some whispered to each other while the others just stared, not one dared to step in.
Humiliation flooded my chest, hotter than rage, sharper than fire.
"I'm one of you!" I shouted. "I worked beside you! I bled for this assembly!"
"Not anymore," one muttered.
I looked up as they dragged me through the center clearing, like some traitor, some feral beast.
No one spoke or helped, they threw me into the dungeon and the gate slammed shut.
"Let me go!" I screamed as I held the bar of the dungeon gate.
"Please." My voice cracked.
"Don't leave me here, I did nothing wrong."
I lay there on the cold floor, chains biting into my skin, the stink of mold and iron thick in my nose, and for the first time since I left Lucian's palace...
I wondered if I had made the right choice.
"Why did the Moon choose me?"