I Am Not Your Ordinary Luna, I Am The Rebel Queen

"Undress her, quick!"

They undressed me like I'm a relic.

Not a woman. Not a bride.

"No! Get your hands off me! I'll do it myself after you all get out of the room!" I exclaimed, trying to push away the hands that were trying to remove my ceremonial gown.

We just finished one of the three rituals that I have to go through today. My parents and I made an offering to the goddess of the moon, the last offering that I will be doing as an unmarried shewolf.

"This is our job, Princess Sybil. Please let us do it, we don't want to be beheaded by the King..."

I stared at my attendants, pleading in front of me, almost in tears. I sighed before nodding, just because I didn't want to be the cause of their deaths. I stood still while strangers removed everything I was wearing as if preparing an offering.

I am not used to this. Standing fully naked in front of other women whom I just met a week ago.

I grew up caring for myself. Fought my own battles at school, at work, and the countless werewolves that my father had sent to take me back home, to the country inhabited by creatures that only exist in the textbooks of humans as myths or in fiction books.

In the country where I grew up, I was one of the top fighting instructors for a private military contractor and also one of the best female MMA fighters in the country.

Here, I am simply the Lycan Princess, the saviour of the kingdom.

"Relax, Princess Sybil," one of the ladies-in-waiting whispered when she noticed how my whole body was rigid.

They guide me toward the luxurious modern bathroom attached to my suite, scented with lavender and rose. The ambiance was very relaxing and calming, but it's doing the opposite to me.

The ladies washed me thoroughly, washing, rinsing, drying off, not a single inch of skin ignored. It isn't lewd. It isn't gentle either. It is methodical, ceremonial, clinical.

Then my attention was caught by the table they were preparing, and the sound of the wax beads being poured into the electric wax heater.

My pulse pounds so loudly I'm sure they can all hear it, even though they are hybrids. None of the women in this kingdom is a pureblood except for my mother, my sister, and me-something that they believe, and I have no plans of correcting their belief unless it's absolutely necessary.

"No! I am not doing that," I immediately protested, knowing very well what was about to happen.

The Mistress of Robes, a tall, sharp-eyed werewolf with streaks of silver in her dark hair, turned to me. "We have to do it. The queen wanted you presentable on your mating night."

"What the heck!? So all this humiliation and pain just to make my husbands happy tonight? How about my feelings? Does it even matter?" I barked, completely annoyed.

Then the Mistress spoke again, "Princess Sybil... are you untouched?"

I blinked. "What? The heck! That's a very personal question! Why all of a sudden?

A few of the younger women exchange glances, barely suppressing smiles.

Then she asked again, "I mean... are you a virgin?"

Heat crawled up my neck. This is really embarrassing. "Y-Yes," I said stiffly. "I am."

Soft giggles ripple through the room.

I frowned. "What's so funny? So what if I'm a virgin... Is that a bad thing?"

The Mistress's lips curved. "No, Princess. Not bad. Just... uncommon. Especially for someone raised where you were. You see, even if our country tries to be separated from the rest of the world, we still know what is going on outside of our borders."

I huffed out a breath. "Believe it or not, plenty of women outside this country choose to stay a virgin and single by choice. Men nowadays aren't exactly worth the trouble."

That earned me a startled look. One of the braver girls blurted, "But... weren't men pursuing you? You are already twenty-five, right? Here, once a woman comes of age, males compete fiercely for her first night. If she conceives, marriage follows immediately. Their families even receive gifts to seal the union."

I stared at her. "So pregnancy comes first?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

"That's... very different," I muttered.

Then another attendant, older, said softly, "Here, a woman's worth is tied to the future she can carry. Because even though we already been cross-breeding ever since the curse happened. A lot of hybrid women are still born barren. Only a few were blessed."

"And what about women who can't get pregnant? What happens to them?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"They serve," the Mistress answered gently, but without hesitation. "In whatever way the kingdom requires or however their families see fit. Some become mistresses, whores, some do hard labor, while unlucky ones are sold by their own family as slaves. Because the hard truth is, unfortunately for them, for us... No one wants to marry us.

Even if a werewolf marries a barren woman because of love, sooner or later, the same man who promised to love her forever will take home a pregnant woman who will replace her as his new wife. At the end of the day, love fades, and the continuation of the bloodline is more important."

So this is why all the female servants in the castle are unmarried. They are the barren ones...

Another girl tried to lighten the mood. "What is truly unusual, Your Highness, is not that you are untouched... but that you have more than one mate."

Another one beamed. "You are very fortunate. You have four Alphas to love and protect you. You don't have to share him with another woman. Such a blessing is only given to a pureblood Lycan. Just like what the ancient texts said."

"Men here are the ones who take multiple wives," someone adds. "Never the other way around. More wives means more children."

The Mistress nodded. "Tradition bends for power. And Lycan blood is power."

Then one of the ladies suddenly placed a stool in front of me. "Your Highness, please place hold on to the stool and bend over."

I hesitated. "For what?"

The Mistress answered gently, like she was explaining something obvious to a child. "For the final preparation."

"Of what?" I asked again, confused. Something in her tone makes my chest tighten. It made me more nervous; she's not telling me everything.

The Mistress stepped closer. "Tonight, your mating bond with your four husbands must be completed. Your Highness, please. Put your hands here. We just need to clean you. This and the waxing are the last ones that we need to do before we dress you up. The Queen and the elders were very clear."

"I'm already clean," I said. "You just scrubbed me for an hour. Touched parts of my body, only I should touch. What else do you need to clean?"

She shook her head and looked frustrated at my defiance. "This is different. You... You have to bend over, so we can reach it and make sure you are prepared for your mating night!"

"Reach what? Why should I do that? You're not making any sense!" I protested in disbelief.

She studied me for a moment. "Your mother, the Queen, did not speak to you of Lycan mating preparation if the shewolf has two or more mates?"

"No," I snapped. "She didn't, I would remember a conversation like that for sure."

"We assumed you knew," the Mistress said. "Among Lycans, these teachings are passed down from mother to daughter."

"Well, mine didn't," I barked. "So maybe someone should start explaining."

The Mistress of the Robe continued, "There is little time left, Your Highness. The moon is already rising."

My hands curled into fists at my sides. "I want to speak to my mother."

"I'm afraid that is not possible. The ceremony has already begun in the Great Hall. The four Alphas are waiting. The elders are assembled. The whole kingdom awaits," her voice remained calm, but unyielding. "If we delay, it will be seen as a rejection of the bond."

"I don't want to do this!" My voice cracked from both anger and frustration. I was on the verge of tears.

"You have to consummate your marriage and let them all mark you tonight to complete the mating bond. How can it happen if you're not fully prepared to serve and satisfy each one of them tonight? It's the full moon, so expect them to be impatient, wild, and aggressive. There are four of them and one of you. Expect the unexpected, Princess," the Mistress warns softly. "Please do not make this harder than it must be."

Her words rang in my ears over and over. Serve? Satisfy them?

What the fuck! Why should I!?

"I said stop!" I yelled, and for a moment, the room froze.

Then she spoke again, quieter, but with steel beneath the words. "If we cannot complete the preparations because you are resisting, I'm sorry, but I will summon the royal guards. They will hold you down until we finish our job. That would be... far less comfortable for you. Unless you want them to see you naked, too."

The threat isn't shouted. Because just imagining those thug looking werewolves pinning me down like a spoiled toddler throwing a tantrum just for her attendants to finish cleaning her up was already terrifying.

My chest rose and fell in sharp breaths, and my eyes welled up. I could fight them; I am definitely way stronger than all of them combined.

But not without turning this entire night into violence. Not without proving to every watching elder that the Lycan princess whom they searched for years and tried so hard to convince to go back home is feral, unstable, and unfit to rule.

Trapped. That's what I am.

I bite down hard on the inside of my cheek, tasting iron, forcing the tears back.

I will not cry in front of them.

Slowly, I placed my hands on the wooden stool. I bent over stiffly, and I let them do what they needed to do.

I need to survive this night long enough to figure out what kind of cage they've locked me in... if that's what they believe they are doing.

The women move with solemn focus now, no more giggling, no more chatter. Only ritual. Only duty. Cleaning my behind. Preparing to wax my legs and what's between them.

The moment the cold fingers of one of the ladies touched my ass, I screamed, "Damnit! Nooo!!!"

"Hold her!" The Mistress of the Robes ordered, "Before she changes her mind again!"

For the first time since I returned to this kingdom...

I feel truly afraid, humiliated, and powerless. I am just a tool here that would ensure the continuation of their sacred bloodline that will eventually end the curse of this entire kingdom.

Do I regret coming here?

Absolutely not!

Because tonight, I will let them use me...

But tomorrow, every one of them will do what I command as I watch them bow before me as I reign this land.

Sybil's POV

The doors to the Great Hall opened.

Light flooded in, moonlight filtered through towering stained-glass windows with the silhouette of wolves, crowns, and ancient sigils. The sound hits me next. Thousands of voices fell into silence all at once as the traditional wedding march that they adopted after cross-breeding with the humans started playing.

So many eyes were looking at me. Judging eyes just because a lot of them don't know me.

I straightened instinctively, spine stiff as a blade, even though my body very much disagrees with this wedding.

I walked down the aisle between my parents like some obedient, porcelain bride. Parents whom I've known all my life but just met a week ago, after I impulsively decided I wanted revenge against the person who broke my trust and heart.

My wedding gown was white and ivory with touches of silver and rhinestones. A corset top fitted tight enough to remind me of every breath I take. A princess neckline that bares my neck and shoulders to the world, an A-line skirt flowing like a lie.

The light caught in the silver thread and rhinestones woven through the fabric, making me glow and sparkle. But I don't feel radiant. I feel like bait.

After the Great War, they decided white was appropriate, because after this country had been cursed, all the shewolf that time became barren, which also extended to the neighboring countries, thousands of miles from its area of effect.

Men had no choice but to take in human brides just to have offspring, who took some of their traditions with them.

Some Alphas were lucky enough to either convince or buy shewolves from other unaffected areas of the region to marry them.

"Walk properly, dear," my mother, Queen Gisella von Rosen, whispered through a perfect smile. "People are watching."

I kept my smile, too. Barely.

"I could," I murmured back, teeth clenched, "if you had done your motherly duty and informed me that my attendants needed to... how shall I put this politely... invade every last shred of dignity of my behind before I walk down the aisle."

Her fingers tightened around my arm for half a second.

"But you didn't," I continued sweetly. "So kindly deal with my not-so-elegant, very traumatized walk, after the fingers of my attendants diligently made sure I was thoroughly clean back there."

She nodded to a row of elders, smiling unwaveringly.

"Lower your voice, and watch your mouth," she said calmly. "You are a Lycan princess, not some cheap girl in the red light district. It was necessary."

"Oh? Right..." I hissed. "Funny, because tonight I'm apparently marrying four men I've never even seen, so forgive me if I don't feel particularly royal right now. I feel like a whore being sold to shoot a gangbang movie."

I added, I can't help it, I agreed to getting married, but I was not informed that I needed to marry four men. "I mean, who does that? Who in their right mind marries four men at the same time?"

Her jaw tightened, and her smile became stiff. "You might have grown up with humans, but you're a Lycan. You're not like them; don't lower yourself to their level. This is a blessing from the Goddess of the Moon. Accept it with open arms."

"And why..." I added, bitterness bubbling up, " Why am I the only one being offered up like this? You're a Lycan. Sofia is a Lycan. Why am I the only sacrificial lamb?"

Her answer came without hesitation. "You know very well the goddess blessed you with four mates," she said. "I was not."

"How convenient," I said and rolled my eyes.

"As for your sister," she continued softly, "her future is uncertain. She is weak and always sick. She may not even live long enough to meet her fated mate."

That one landed hard. A little bit of guilt crawled up within me.

I swallowed. "So you're saying that I should be grateful?"

"Not all werewolves even find their mate in their lifetime. But you, you not only have one, but four. You are the future Queen of this kingdom, and they are the future Kings who will rule over our land. You are very lucky, and that luck will be extended to our people after you fulfill your duties. After you give birth to the future heir who will finally break the curse that we have been suffering from for hundreds of years. I'm saying it is destiny, it is your fate."

I snorted under my breath. "Or politics. Or a very well-dressed lie."

She didn't look at me. "Mind your thoughts."

"This is very sketchy. My wolf is caged," I whispered. "I can't even feel if that mate pull is real. These Alphas, my so-called fated mates, could be lying, you know. Who knows? They could be fooling you because they wanted to be Kings. They wanted to rule. The elders. The priests. Everyone. I heard from the servants that no one alive today witnessed something like this before: a lycan with multiple fated mates. What if the history books were fake or wrong?"

Before she could answer, my father's grip tightened on my other arm.

"Enough," my father, King Alfred von Rosen, muttered sharply, smile fixed, eyes forward. "Silence. Both of you."

He leaned in just enough for me to hear.

"Most of these guests may be hybrids," he said, "but some of them still have very sharp ears. And your conversation is bordering on vulgar."

I rolled my eyes but closed my mouth.

So does my mother.

We walked on. The aisle felt longer than it should. Red carpet beneath my feet. Ancient stone beneath that.

The Great Hall stretches endlessly, banners hanging from vaulted ceilings, each bearing the crest of a pack.

I forced my steps to steady, even as my body protested.

Damn it! I can still feel what those women did to me.

Every step was a reminder; it was worse than a colonoscopy.

So humiliating!

I focus straight ahead, refusing to let my expression crack.

At the far end of the hall stands the altar, an ancient slab of moonstone carved with runes older than the kingdom itself. Behind it, the High Elder waits, staff in hand, eyes glowing faintly with power.

But something is missing.

I scanned the space beside the altar.

Empty.

No grooms.

My pulse stuttered.

So they won't even let me see them before it's done? This is really infuriating...

As we reached the end of the aisle, the music faded. The murmurs rose again.

I can feel them measuring me.

The Lycan heir. The shewolf who dodged the curse and death...

My parents released my arms.

I stood alone.

The High Elder raised his staff, the runes flaring to life.

"On this night," he intones, "under the full moon, we gather to witness the binding of ancient blood and future rule-"

The doors slammed open behind me as I faced the altar.

The sound echoes through the hall like thunder.

Every head turns.

Including mine.

Four silhouettes stood framed in moonlight by the entrance.

Tall. Broad. Unmistakably male. Unmistakably powerful. All were wearing ceremonial robes made of fur and gold threads.

My breath hitched, not in desire, but in instinctive recognition of danger.

So, I thought grimly, heart pounding. These are the men I'm supposed to marry?

They were wearing hoodies on their head but their face was visible, only that, it was covered in tribal paint with the same color that symbolizes their pack. But even with a painted face, I could still say that they are not average.

Not bad... At least I'll marry some good-looking men and not like those hairy, scary-looking, royal guards...

And suddenly, I understood one thing with terrifying clarity.

Whatever was supposed to happen tonight... It will surely not going to be gentle.

Sybil's POV

The wedding ends without ever truly beginning. No vows. No rings. No kiss.

Just ancient words in a dead language and four men standing far enough behind me that they may as well have been shadows.

Transactional. Ceremonial. Political.

Romantic? Not even a little.

I barely saw their faces.

Every time I tried to glance back, one of the elders would clear their throat like I was breaking some sacred rule by being curious about the men I was apparently destined to share a life and a kingdom with.

Before I can even process that the ceremony is over, I'm being escorted away, not toward the grand reception hall glowing with music and laughter, but out the side entrance of the castle.

And parked at the bottom of the steps is- "...A minivan?" I muttered. Not a royal carriage that I was expecting, since I thought I was going out to greet the people, my subjects.

A very modern, very tinted, very suspicious minivan that looked like it belonged to a celebrity avoiding paparazzi.

"Wait," I say, digging my heels in. "Where are we going? I thought I was going to greet the crowd outside before going upstairs to change clothes for the reception."

"No, Your Highness," the Mistress of the Robes says smoothly as she opens the door. "Please get in. I will explain inside. It seems Her Majesty did not explain this part either."

Of course, she didn't. Why is my mother doing this to me?!

I climbed in. The Mistress follows, along with two attendants. The door slides shut, sealing me in.

The second we start moving, they're on me.

Cold cream wipes across my cheeks as the Mistress begins removing my makeup with efficient swipes. Another woman carefully unpins the jeweled combs from my hair. The third unclasps necklaces, bracelets, earrings, each piece disappearing into velvet pouches like I'm being dismantled.

"You said you'd explain," I said, not bothering to hide my irritation. "So what are you waiting for? Explain."

The Mistress nods, still working. "After the offering to the Moon Goddess and the wedding ceremony, the final rite is the mating ritual."

"It will take place in a secluded villa not far from the castle," she continued. "Guards will be stationed outside the perimeter. Servants will remain in a separate house beyond the walls. They are not allowed to enter unless summoned."

"Summoned how?" I asked.

"There is an intercom system inside the villa. You may call for food, fresh linens, baths, tidying the place... anything you require."

My frown deepened. "How long am I staying there?"

"A minimum of seven days."

"Seven days?!" My voice jumped an octave. "Why?"

"You will not be alone, if that's what you're worried about," she added gently. "Your husbands will join you after the celebration ends. During those seven days, none of you may leave the villa grounds."

I blinked at her. "You're locking us in? What the heck!"

"It is tradition."

"That's not an explanation, that's a prison sentence."

She ignored that. "The time may extend... if all parties wish it."

Oh Goddess. Why is this happening to me?

"How come they get to party while I get isolated?" I grumbled. "I'd like to eat and drink too, you know."

"There will be a feast prepared at the villa," she assured me. "Everything served at the reception-and more."

"Great," I muttered. "Romantic captivity with catering."

That made the attendants giggle.

I narrowed my eyes. "And why exactly is it seven days? What are we supposed to do in there, stare at each other?"

That was a mistake that I instantly regretted because the two younger women dissolved into the kind of laughter usually reserved for gossip about secret crushes.

"What else, Princess?" one of them chirped. "You'll be making heirs!"

Even the driver and the guard who sat in front snorted.

I sank back into the seat. Wonderful! I am officially the laughing stock of the whole kingdom for sure...

Then the attendant added, "Once the full moon reaches its peak tonight, the grooms will have insatiable hunger for their bride, and that could last for five to seven days. They will be possessive and might hurt or even kill anyone who goes near their bride. Thus, the seven days."

The Mistress shot them a warning look. "Enough. You'll frighten Her Highness."

"I'm already frightened," I informed her flatly.

She softened her tone slightly. "For unions like this, sometimes the bond is not completed on the first night. Some couples wait until the next full moon and use the time simply to grow familiar with one another."

That sounds... manageable.

Maybe we'll talk. Share tragic backstories. Establish boundaries like civilized people.

The driver chuckled again.

All four of us looked toward the front.

"May I speak, Your Highness?" he asked.

I sighed. "Go ahead. I want to know everything."

"It's not my place to worry you," he said, before looking at the Mistress of the Robes in the rearview mirror, "but Carmen... you're forgetting something."

The Mistress stiffened. "What is it, now?"

"Those grooms you're comparing them to," he said, "were hybrids. These four are pureblood and Alphas. It's a full moon tonight. They may have stood calmly during the ceremony, but I guarantee you that they took every ounce of control they had."

"When I met my fated mate," he continued, voice going distant with memory, "her scent alone nearly drove me mad, and I'm not pureblood. I couldn't think. Couldn't breathe. All I wanted was to claim her, to make sure the whole world knew she was mine."

I glanced at the attendants, and they looked... dreamy. And then at the Mistress, she tried to look stern and failed.

"So imagine," the driver added, "what four unmated pureblood Alphas must be feeling right now... sitting through speeches and wine when their bride is waiting somewhere else."

"But since they are purebloods, then perhaps, they might have stronger control," I uttered weakly.

He shrugged. "Control doesn't make the hunger and desire smaller. It just makes the wait worse, and I am sure it will accumulate."

I stared down at my hands in my lap, stripped of rings, stripped of jewels, stripped of everything.

Four powerful Alphas, who are nonetheless strangers. A locked villa. Seven days.

No escape without causing a political incident.

The women around me are practically vibrating with excitement, like this is some grand fairy tale.

I feel like I'm being delivered to four very patient predators.

I sighed, hard and heavy. "I didn't even get a good look at them earlier. It turns out four Alphas claimed that I was their mate, without even seeing me."

"The Queen informed us of your situation. But that is okay, because fated mates can smell each other. In your case, they smelled you, even if you can't smell them, and that's enough. They have proven themselves to the King and to the elders before you've arrived here; that's all you need. No need to worry."

"What do they look like?" I asked quietly.

The attendants perked up instantly. "Oh, Your Highness," one sighed. "You are blessed. They are all good-looking and smart."

"Terrifyingly strong. They are the guardians of the four gates of the kingdom," the first insisted.

"Each from a different dominant pureblood bloodline," Carmen corrected, though she was smiling. "Strength. Strategy. Ferocity. Leadership. Looked like the Goddess of the Moon favored you, and she chose carefully. You really are our savior."

So they're not just husbands. They're weapons. Future kings for me to use to fulfill my goals.

And tonight, I'm being handed to them wrapped in silk and expectation.

But they are in for a surprise tonight, something they won't expect.

The van slowed. Through the tinted window, I saw tall stone walls, wrought iron gates, and beyond them, a sprawling villa lit by warm golden lights against the dark forest backdrop.

The place was huge! It was not a villa, it was a mansion inside a walled mini forest. Isolated. Quiet. Waiting for me.

My heart started pounding again.

Just what on earth did I get myself into?!

Oh Goddess of the Moon, please have mercy on me!