Chapter 5 Dead Moon I

Selene's POV

The evening arrived faster than I wished. Even with every bone in my body aching painfully, I had finished all my chores in record time, scrubbing every inch of the house to make sure it was spotless. Father was more of a traditionalist so he wouldn't stand even seeing a speck of dust since the Dead Moon was supposed to be a period of cleansing.

As I packed the food into tupperware, ready to be eaten at the ceremony just in case, my thoughts kept going back to warm brown eyes and strong hands sculpted by the gods.

He said his name was Apollo. I mouthed his name and it sounded like a sweet song, like a soft hymn against my lips. A rush of warmth filled up in me at the thought, followed by a twinge of sadness. I had always daydreamed of my mate being a prince charming that would rescue me from this pain and suffering and we'd ride off into the sunset together. It still hurt, being rejected in front of the entire pack like that. I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts. He was no longer mine, I should concentrate on my plan to leave here and get over it.

But could I really go? Mother and Father forbade it, they'd skin me alive if they knew I even harboured the slightest thought of sneaking out to attend the Dead Moon ceremony.

Just then, a door slammed shut bringing me back to reality with a loud bang.

It was Ashley and her clique of wannabes; she didn't usually bring them back home since they preferred not to bump into a 'wolfless misfit', for fear they might catch the curse. Maybe she forgot something in her room and came home to get it.

"Awww, your mutt still lives under the same roof with you guys?" said one of her friends, a young man I recognized as James Riley, son of one of the village elders.

Her other friend, Elisa, perched on the sofa, dumping her dirty boots on the rug I'd just cleaned, "Y'all are really lenient, you know, if it was my dad he would have taken care of this mess a long time ago." She said, snickering.

"Did you guys hear about what happened at the town square today?" Ashley said.

"Yeah I heard some poor girl was rejected by her mate," Elisa replied, "That must suck, really hope my mate likes me back."

"Wellll, that poor girl was her."

"Oh my gosh no way!" Riley gasped.

"It's true! And you'll never guess who her mate was...the King of Rogues!"

Elisa burst out laughing, "Wait are you serious? The Moon must've been drunk when she paired them as mates."

"That's what I said, how can some hopeless wolfless runt be mated to the King of Rogues himself, a Bloodhound too! She even had the guts to show her face to him." Ashley said, shrieking with laughter.

"That's insane!"

They all laughed while I stood there, with no choice but to accept their insults in silence knowing that there were consequences worse than Father's punches and Mother's whips. I blinked rapidly, trying to fight the sting behind my eyes, holding back tears that threatened to spill with the next breath. Ashley came to stand in front of me, her lips curled up in a sneer, like she enjoyed watching me squirm.

"Why don't you do all of us a favor and stop existing, Selene?" she said, a cruel lilt in her voice, "Why do you try so hard to survive?"

I said nothing in response, what would I say anyway? That I survive because I have to? I had no answer for that.

"You'll never belong here, Selene," Ashley continued relentlessly, "Even the Moon herself has rejected you, yet you're still here. Pathetic."

Ashley left with her friends in a flurry of laughter, leaving me standing there, trembling with a deep sadness lodged in my throat, squeezing and squeezing until I could barely breathe. Desperately, I clutched at my chest, trying to breathe as my vision blurred. With shaky limbs, I stumbled into the kitchen, splashing water on my face.

I hated it. I hated feeling like this, powerless and weak. Despised by my own family for something I couldn't control. Scorned by my pack for not being like everyone else.

Apollo's harsh words echoed through my head. No one asks to be weak. But some of us fight not to be and you're not one of them.

As my breathing calmed and the tightening in my chest faded, I stared at my reflection in the mirror and made my decision.

One night of freedom was worth more than any punishment.

I was going to attend the Dead Moon ceremony.

***

I had it all planned out and it was going smoothly. The house was spotless, no dirty dish or dusty rug in sight. The food was neatly packed and placed in a basket for Mother to take with her. Father had left hours ago to help prepare the venue with other Alphas. Even Ashley was AWOL since morning.

As soon as Mother left, I waited nearly an hour to make sure no one was coming back home. Once the clock struck 7pm, I grabbed my cloak and rushed to the front door. It was locked.

Of course Mother locked me in. Anything to keep her cursed misfit of a daughter inside until they could sell me off to the highest bidder.

A sudden thought came to me and I rushed back upstairs to Ashley's room. Sure enough her window was unlocked, since she often snuck away in the dead of night to meet her boyfriend, some beta dude whose name I can't remember. There's no way Mother doesn't know about her nightly adventures, she just turned a blind eye since it involved her 'favorite daughter'.

Carefully, I climbed out the window and landed softly on the grass below. The moon shone in the cloudy sky, a dull, bloody orange that on any other night would've been disturbing, but tonight it was symbolic. I didn't know much about the Dead Moon; from the few whispers I've heard from townsfolk, it was a time when the Moon's energy was even stronger than usual resulting in heightened senses in any wolf that participated in the special ceremony. Some even rumored that the Dead Moon could awaken powers in any wolf whom the goddess deemed worthy enough.

It was interesting enough, not something that a useless mutt like me could participate in but I could at least have the privilege of witnessing it right?

The festival had already started when I arrived. I snuck in through a hidden path that leads directly to the large clearing in the forest; the elders usually hosted festivals and ceremonies here. I never had the privilege of attending any so I cleared a small path to hide behind trees and watch everyone have fun, or if the crowd was too rowdy and my chances of getting seen was too high, I would climb a tree and watch the fun safely hidden by tree leaves.

The clearing was alive with energy. Flames flickered from torches placed in a perfect circle, illuminating the crowd of wolves dressed in ceremonial robes-some already half-shifted, their claws and eyes betraying their primal forms. The drumming was loud, primal, syncing with the frantic rhythm of my heart. Some young wolves danced around the fire, singing folk songs and having fun.

I kept to the shadows, tugging the hood of my cloak lower over my face. My heart pounded from both excitement and fear. Just seeing it; the beauty, the wildness, the belonging, it was worth the risk. Even if I had to leave unnoticed and bruised, this moment was mine.

Then I saw him.

My mate. Ex-mate.

He was sitting next to Alpha Lennox, our pack leader, looking as handsome as ever with his long hair tied into a high bun. Other wolves and some elders sat with them, laughing and drinking alcohol.

A scantily dressed omega perched on his lap, rubbing his chest and stroking him suggestively.

At this point my heart didn't even break anymore, it was just completely numb from the constant hurt. What did I expect, that a handsome legible bachelor and powerful wolf like him would remain celibate after rejecting me?

I sunk deeper into the shadows, quietly watching the pack have fun and enjoy themselves.

My eyes strayed to my former mate again; this time he was passionately kissing the omega, his hands running over her curvy body. I swallowed down the pain in my heart and forced myself to watch. This was what I get for being born this way, I would do my best not to be born like this if I was ever reincarnated.

There was a dark haired man standing beside my former mate and his new omega. He was standing stiffly beside them, like a bodyguard or something. There was something so familiar about him but I couldn't put my finger on it. I stared at him from the safety of darkness for a while until he suddenly sniffed the air and focused his sharp green eyes on me.

I gasped and quickly hid behind the tree trunk.

He saw me, there was no way he didn't.

He'll tell the entire pack and they'll drag me out and kill me.

Oh my God, oh my God...

The sound of boots stomping on dried leaves and grass grew louder and by now I was hiding in my cloak, shivering in fear.

Please don't look for me, please, please...

"Miss?"

Shit.

"I know you're there."

"No you don't." I remained still under my cloak not knowing I had spoken out loud.

"Uh, I think I do. You were watching me, weren't you."

I dared to peek from underneath my hood and nearly screamed from how close he was to my face.

"What are you doing?!" I whisper-yelled. The old folktales did warn to never trust a Rogue.

The dark haired man regarded me for a while through curious green eyes, then he muttered something, nodding as if he suddenly recognized me.

"Are you...Selene?" He asked.

I hesitated, then nodded. What else do I have to lose? My dignity? Gone. My peace? Never existed. My life? I prayed for that day to come, why run away now.

"I'm Kyrein." I didn't say anything, just stared at him. Surely this man knew what I was. The fact that he was still speaking with me here was confusing. "You enjoy sneaking around in the shadows don't you? Too afraid to come out?"

"Why are you talking to me?" I asked back hoarsely.

Kyrein sighed then sat beside me on the bare ground, "Let's just say...I know how it feels to find peace in the shadows."

We talked for a while about random things, just the two of us, hidden behind the shadows of willow trees. Kyrein was surprisingly easy to talk to, funny since I haven't spoken to so many people. While the festivities raved behind us, he told me about his pack, the Rogues.

"We're not exactly a pack, just a band of packless wolves that decided to come together under the command of our leader, the King of Rogues." he explained.

"Apollo."

"Yes, he's my best friend." He paused, "I'm sorry for um...the uh-"

"The rejection? It's fine, I'm over it."

"Are you really? It's okay to be angry."

"I have no right to be angry, Kyrein. Not when I'm like...this."

"Just because you're wolfless doesn't mean it's okay to be treated like trash, Selene." He said, his green eyes glinting truthfully in the dark, "I mean it."

I didn't say anything else in reply so he took the hint and stirred to another subject. The more we talked, the more I saw how kind and thoughtful Kyrein was. He made me laugh, even holding my hand in his as we whispered jokes in the dark. If only the Moon had given him to me as my mate, perhaps everything would be different by now.

For a while, it felt like maybe this night could end without consequences.

But of course, I should've known better.

The crack of a twig snapped through the silent forest like a gunshot.

"Who's there?" a sharp voice barked.

Kyrein instantly moved in front of me, shielding me with his body, but it was too late. The torchlight found us-me in my cloak, my face half-hidden, his hand in mine. The horrified faces of two men came to light.

"It's her!" someone yelled. "The wolfless girl! She cursed the ceremony!"

Chaos erupted in seconds. Three warriors lunged forward. Kyrein growled and tried to fight them off, but more came, grabbing him by the arms and wrestling him to the ground.

"No! Don't hurt him!" I cried out, but two strong arms seized me from behind, tearing the cloak off my shoulders.

I heard gasps and snarls as they dragged me into the clearing.

"She's been hiding in the woods like a rat," spat one of the elders. "Tonight of all nights!"

"She's wolfless," another said, voice trembling with superstition. "Her presence during the Dead Moon is a direct insult to the Goddess."

I fought, I screamed, but no one listened. Kyrein was still restrained, blood on his lower lip, fury in his eyes as they held him down. Beside him I could see Apollo, glaring at me with a wild look in his eyes.

"Why were you in the woods with her, Ky?" He asked his friend.

"It's nothing like that, Apollo, believe me!" Kyrein explained to him. He screamed to the elders, "Release her, she's done nothing wrong!"

But the elders ignored him.

"Restrain her," a familiar elder ordered. "She has defiled the sacred rites. We must atone."

"No-please-don't!" I begged, but it was useless.

They tied my wrists in silver-threaded rope, forcing me to my knees before the altar. Pain surged through me. I could barely breathe.

An Elder I recognized as Sir Mallor stepped forward, lifting a ceremonial dagger. "The Moon demands purity. A curse like hers... must be cleansed. If we do not sacrifice her, the Goddess will forsake our pack forever."

My world spun.

Sacrifice?

The word echoed in my mind like a death sentence. I met Apollo's eyes and for once he looked horrified.

"I'm sorry," I whispered to no one.

The knife came down with a loud swish and I closed my eyes.