Chapter Five
~Mirella~
"Are you sure that's all you could remember? Listen, I think you could help me lift this curse; nobody has ever done this. No female has ever survived me in my beast form, but you and the fact that I didn't feed from your blood but marked you must mean something," Alpha Kaelan growled, and I blinked a couple of times.
He thought I could help him?
He thought a lowly omega he bought could help him; why?
"But... I really did nothing." You just marked me, and then I became unconscious." I asked, unable to breathe as I awaited his answer.
What was he going to do now that he knew I couldn't be of help to him?
Was he going to kill me?
Send me away?
"I know deep down that you are connected to this. I just have this gnawing feeling inside of me, and I trust my gut. But if I'm wrong, I won't do anything to you; you are free to walk around the pack as you like, even go back to your parents pack if need be", he simply said and got up to leave.
I was surprised that he didn't call his soldiers to offer me to the Moon Goddess, but hearing him talk about sending me back to my former pack ignited an anger within me. I balled my hands into a tight fist; I do not wish to go back to that place.
"What did you do to my wolf?", I suddenly blurted, making him stop in his tracks.
"I've been trying to communicate with her, but I can't. Gaius gave me some herbs to awaken her, but I still haven't felt my wolf. Wh... what if you've killed my wolf?" I raised my concern.
The thought of losing Lyra was scary!
My heart began racing as trepidation washed through me. I know I shouldn't be feeling this hopeless, but what if the price to make him normal when it wasn't the right time was my wolf?
He furrowed his brows, his gaze softening, "Your wolf..." he murmured thoughtfully, his eyes filled with genuine concern.
Tears strolled down my face as I moved closer to the bed and slumped on it. I am so scared, so scared I would lose my only friend in this world.
I felt him sit beside me; he pulled me closer, but he didn't say anything, but I knew he felt guilty. I do not want to add to his guilt, but I just can't help it.
"I'm not sure why that's happened, but I promise you, we'll find answers. Whatever is blocking you, whatever has affected you-if it's a consequence of this curse or something else-we'll face it together. And if it means going back into that darkness to find out, then I'll go with you. You won't have to face this alone."
His words settled over me like a balm, soothing some of the raw, jagged edges of my fears.
"Be my Luna, Mirella."
I shot a blank stare to be sure that it came from him.
I saw the seriousness in his face and I stared at him for a full minute, wondering where that was coming from.
"Wh... what?" I exclaimed. My eyes widened in shock, a flicker of disbelief crossing my face as I stared at him. "Your... Luna?"
He nodded his head in sincerity, filled with an intensity that made my heart race, "You heard me right, Mirella."
"I did something wrong to you, Mirella. I don't know if you would be able to get your wolf back, but we can wait for as long as you want to see if your thoughts are right or maybe your wolf is just resting like Gaius had said. I just want to tell you that I would do anything in my power to get your wolf back," he said.
I shook my head, "Why then do you ask me to be your Luna?"
Alpha Kaelan's gaze softened, and I'm sure he could feel the way I trembled. "That because my beast did a stupid thing, he marked you, and that's awful because no wolf can claim you as his mate, and I am unable to have a mate because of the curse; it affected the mate bond, making it impossible for me to know who is my mate, and so if you do not consider being a beast mate, then I do not mind," he proposed, but I was not having it.
What if this is one of his plans to keep me in the pack forever?
I closed my eyes; I was already a slave in his pack, and I can't even leave the pack like I wished.
He reached out, hesitant but determined, his fingers brushing my cheeks gently. "Listen to me. I know this can feel a little overwhelming, and it may seem like I'm insane. I just want to let you know that if you do not want to be my Luna, it's fine," he said and paused.
"However, I can assure you, Mirella, that you are safe here. As long as you are with me, nobody will touch you," he reassured me, his thumb tracing the faint mark on my neck that unlocked something within me. His words and his voice made me dizzy, giving me a sense of protection that I'd never felt in my life.
What I was feeling right now isn't something I should feel right now.
The mark felt warm and tingling, and my heart fluttered wildly, both in awe and fear. He wanted me to stand beside him, to be his Luna. To be bound to him not only by the mark on my neck but by something deeper, something that went beyond the simple magic of a mate bond.
"But I'm still a sacrifice; I was sold to you by my father," I reminded him, feeling so uncertain.
"You aren't a sacrifice any longer. I've told Gaius and everyone in my pack to treat you as my guest. As my woman. I would have prepared your room, but I did not know when you would be awake."
I could see how hard he was trying to make me feel at ease and reassure me. I wanted to believe him, to lean into the safety he was offering. The idea of being his Luna was something a lowly omega like me should grab without wasting any time. He was not only offering me a place but also a title, a role of purpose and respect.
"I'll give you time to think about it, but I meant every word that I just said, Mirella. I promise to keep you safe with me as long as you accept my proposal...", he gently tucked the frays of my hair behind my ear, and I saw his eyes admire me. "I promise you, Mirella."
He got up and walked out of the room without looking back, leaving me to wallow in my own thoughts.
Never in my life did I think that an Alpha would even consider me to be his Luna. I was expecting him to reject me after marking me by mistake, but this was just a shock.
The thought of being bonded to a beast made me shiver, but either this or I'd go back to my family and continue to face misery.
Plus, his human self seemed... awkwardly sweet.
"I don't have anything to lose...", I said to myself after hours of thinking. I got up from the bed and walked out of the room.
"Where's your... Alpha?", I asked a maid and she directed me to a closed door.
I walked to the door and was about to knock when I heard voices speak.
"Do you think she fell for it?"
"I'm very sure she did." I heard that familiar voice that melted my heart minutes ago. "No woman has resisted my charm before, and she won't be the first. It's only a matter of time before she accepts."
"So what's your plan?"
"The plan is to use her to get this darn curse off me. The fact that she made me shift means there's something in her that can give me back full control over myself. But for us to find that out, she has to be here first. Once we're done with her, we'll dispose of her."
"By dispose you mean... kill her?"
I heard a chilling silence for a moment. "If we have to, we will. But for now, let's worry about getting what we want out of her."
I felt my fragile heart beating too fast against my chest.
I... I couldn't believe this.
So he wanted me to be his Luna... just so he could use me?
Was I going to let myself be used as a lab rat by Kaelen until I was useless to him, only for him to kill me after I'd become useless to him?
A flood of emotions overwhelmed me, and I had a lot of questions that needed to be asked, but there was one thing that was sure.
I needed to run.
Before this evil beast of an Alpha would ruin my life, I needed to escape, and I needed to escape tonight...