Tears Of The Moon: A Dance With Lycan Royalty

Makenna's POV:

"Mm... Ah... Oh, Frank... that feels so good... Harder, Frank... just like that..."

I stood frozen at the threshold, the woman's moans bouncing off the walls and creeping into my ears like daggers. My heart turned cold, and a tremor coursed through my body, refusing to be stilled.

The name she was calling-Frank-was my mate's name.

Summoning my little courage, I nudged the door open just enough to see inside. There they were, tangled in each other, bodies pressed together in a fevered rhythm. The man driving into her with such abandon was indeed my mate, Frank Thomas.

And the woman beneath him-gripping him, gasping with every thrust-was my stepsister, Jessica Dunn!

When had this betrayal begun? How long had they been sneaking around, tearing at the seams of my life?

My mind whirled in a dizzying blur of disbelief.

And then, Jessica's sweet voice broke through the passion. "Frank... when are you going to mark me as your mate?"

Still moving inside her, Frank whispered, "Why the rush? I'll break the mate bond with Makenna soon enough. You know you're the only one I love."

A cold, suffocating weight pressed against my chest.

He loved Jessica? Only her? What was I to him? What about the promises he made to me?

My vision blurred with fury. The world turned red.

Before I knew what I was doing, I slammed the door open wide with a force that rattled the walls.

"You shameless, disgusting pair!" I shouted at the two tangled on the bed.

Startled, they both jerked upright. Frank's expression flickered with panic for a heartbeat. But Jessica didn't even flinch.

Tears welled in my eyes as I took in the sight of them-Frank's arms still wrapped around her. I couldn't stop the words from spilling out. "Why, Frank? Why would you betray me like this?"

He didn't respond, didn't even look at me. Instead, he absentmindedly caressed Jessica's smooth skin, as though he was still savoring their passionate moments.

The knot of bile and hurt rose in my throat, choking me.

He made no attempt to hide it.

"My dear sister," Jessica purred, snuggling deeper into Frank's arms with sickening ease. "Don't be so dramatic."

Her lips curved into a smug smirk before pressing a lingering kiss to Frank's neck, her eyes locking with mine in a taunting gaze. "What betrayal? Frank just happens to love me more."

Frank stroked her hair, his gaze icy and detached as it flicked toward me. "She's right. This is exactly what it looks like. I want to break the mate bond with you, Makenna. Jessica is the one I choose."

Their brutal honesty gnawed at the edges of my sanity.

"Go to Hell! Both of you!"

The words erupted from me as I hurled anything within reach at them, desperate to break something-anything.

Frank shielded Jessica with a swift motion, his hand pushing me down without a shred of mercy. "Have you lost your mind, Makenna Dunn? Look at yourself-how could you ever compare to Jessica?"

I crumbled to the floor, my heart a heap of shattered pieces, as if all the joy and dignity I'd once possessed had been stomped into the dirt in that single moment.

Through gritted teeth, I asked again, broken, "Why? Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Jessica's laughter was sharp, cruel. She clung tighter to Frank, her voice dripping with malice as she looked down at me.

"Oh, Makenna, haven't you heard? The Lycan princes are looking for sex slaves. Every unmated woman in the country is up for grabs in their little 'selection process.' Frank can't let me be one of them, so naturally, you're the perfect replacement."

Sending me to be the Lycan princes' sex slave?

My voice barely came out, strangled by disbelief. "Those princes are monsters. They're infamous for their cruelty... Are you sentencing me to death?"

I couldn't wrap my mind around it. The man who once vowed to protect me, to cherish me, now stood here, willing to toss me to the monsters for another woman.

Frank's voice delivered the final blow, cold and unfeeling. "I stopped loving you long ago, Makenna. Jessica is the one I care about now. There's no way I'm letting her face that fate. As for you... You mean nothing to me anymore!"

A bitter laugh escaped me, tasting of betrayal. "Frank, you're still bound to me by the mate bond! Are you seriously going to break your vow to the Moon Goddess?"

"And if I am?" His gaze held a malicious gleam, daring me to stop him.

Before I could even process the weight of his words, he spoke again.

"Witnessed by the Moon Goddess, I, Frank Thomas, reject you, Makenna Dunn, as my mate!"

The moment the words left his lips, a searing pain shot through my soul. I gasped, clutching my head, the unbearable agony of rejection tearing through me.

My vision swam, consciousness slipping from my grasp. Before the darkness fully claimed me, the last thing I saw was Jessica's triumphant grin and the cold emptiness in Frank's eyes, devoid of any trace of warmth.

Makenna's POV:

When I opened my eyes, a rush of panic hit me-I was bound, hands and feet tied tightly with ropes.

What was happening? Who had done this to me?

I thrashed and struggled, desperate to free myself, but then Jessica's smug voice cut through the air like a knife. "Don't waste your energy, Makenna. You're not going anywhere."

I lifted my head, and the truth of my situation hit me hard. I had been dumped at a train station, the low rumble of an approaching train filling the air.

Not far from me, Jessica, Frank, and even my father and stepmother stood like statues, their cold eyes fixed on me.

It all fell into place then-they were sacrificing me to save Jessica.

A wave of anguish swept through me, boiling into a scream. "This isn't right! Let me go! Release me, now!"

Jessica was supposed to go to the palace and become the princes' sex slave, not me! Why was I being forced into this nightmare?

"Makenna, stop acting like a child." Irene Dunn, my stepmother, spoke with that fake, syrupy voice she always used to hide her venom. "The three Lycan princes aren't as bad as the stories make them out to be. You'll have a better life there than you think."

I couldn't stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. "If it's such a blessing, why not send Jessica?"

Irene's mask of gentleness faltered. She glanced toward my father, pleading with her eyes.

He finally spoke, his voice as cold as ice. "Your mother is right. You've always been the reasonable one, Makenna. Jessica's too young to handle palace life. Deep down, you know you're the better choice. Be obedient; we're sending you on the train now."

His words shattered my last hope.

Everyone knew what awaited me in the palace-those three princes were infamous for their cruelty. And yet, my own father was willingly sending me to them.

Jessica's laugh twisted the knife deeper into my soul. "Good luck, Makenna. That wedding you planned won't go to waste after all-Frank and I will be using it."

A wedding...

My insides twisted with a mix of hatred and heartbreak. Frank and I were supposed to get married. How could he betray me like this?

I turned to him, clinging to the foolish hope that he might intervene, that he'd say something to stop this madness. But Frank remained silent, his expression cold and indifferent.

I closed my eyes, letting out a bitter laugh at my own naivety.

How could I still hope for him to save me? How could I have been so blind?

Irene made a slight gesture, and without hesitation, the palace soldiers stepped forward, grabbing me like some helpless rag doll.

The soldiers hauled me onto the train, tying my hands even tighter. There was no escape.

Huddling in a corner of the carriage, I watched as armed soldiers patrolled, their guns slung across their chests. Tears streamed silently down my face, staining my cheeks.

Maybe, when this train reached its destination, I would meet my end.

I lost track of time during the journey, the minutes bleeding into hours. But eventually, we arrived at the palace.

The soldiers shoved me into a grand hall, where women were already gathered. They looked just as terrified as I felt. It was clear-they had all been dragged here against their will, just like me.

Fear clawed at my insides. Was this really my fate? Was I just going to accept it?

No. I wouldn't. I couldn't.

I scanned the room, desperately searching for some way out. But every exit was sealed off, soldiers stationed at every door. I was trapped, and my heart sank deeper into the pit of despair.

"Stand up straight, all of you!" A stern voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

A woman, clad in a stiff uniform, marched in, her eyes sweeping over us like a hawk surveying prey.

"I'm Hayley White, inspector for selecting sex slaves," she announced, her voice sharp and unfeeling. "You are to strip off your clothes immediately. The princes will arrive soon to inspect your bodies and decide which of you will serve them."

My blood ran cold. Strip? Here? In front of everyone?

I clutched the collar of my dress, my fingers trembling. There was no way I was doing that. The other women seemed equally horrified, all of us too shocked to move.

Hayley, unimpressed with our resistance, signaled to the soldiers. Without hesitation, they grabbed one of the women and began tearing her clothes off with ruthless efficiency.

"No! Please stop! Let me go!"

Her screams echoed through the hall, and she thrashed against them, but it was no use. They pinned her to the floor, ripping her dress until she was left naked, shivering in the corner.

The sight of her helplessness made my stomach churn. I instinctively took a step back, fear tightening its grip on my heart.

In their eyes, we were nothing but objects to be used and discarded.

Hayley's voice cracked like a whip. "Hurry up and strip, or do you want to be next?"

The women, who had been hesitating, were now gripped by fear. Their eyes darted to one another, silently pleading for reassurance that none of us could offer. Slowly, sobs broke the silence as they began to undress, their dignity falling away with each piece of clothing.

Watching them, I realized with crushing finality that there was no escape. My pulse hammered in my ears as I closed my eyes, the weight of my reality pressing down like a suffocating blanket. With trembling hands, I began unbuttoning my clothes, whispering a silent prayer.

Please, I didn't want to be chosen!

Soon, we were all stripped bare, standing in a line, silently shedding tears.

Hayley nodded in satisfaction. "That's better. Now wait for the princes to choose you."

Her words sent a jolt of dread through me. I clenched my fists, bile rising in my throat as I imagined being scrutinized like livestock by three men who saw us as nothing more than objects for their pleasure.

Time dragged on, each second ticking away with agonizing slowness, yet the princes didn't appear.

Hayley glanced at her watch, an annoyed frown creasing her face. She turned sharply to a servant, barking an order. "Go and find out what's taking the princes so long."

Soon after leaving, the servant came back, a troubled look on her face. "Miss White, the princes... They're all unwilling to come."

Before the servant could fully explain, a blood-curdling scream erupted from the doorway. I whipped my head around just in time to see one of the soldiers crumple to the floor, kicked aside as if he weighed nothing. Striding into the hall was a man who seemed to carry the weight of death itself on his shoulders.

He was tall, his golden hair catching the light, casting an almost ethereal glow around his otherwise fearsome figure. His face was the kind you couldn't look away from-chiseled, with high cheekbones and brows that looked carved from stone. But it was his eyes, stormy and unforgiving, that held the room hostage. Those piercing blue eyes swept over us like a blade, and every woman instinctively flinched, lowering her gaze in terror.

I was no exception. My heart raced in my chest, my throat tightening as I quickly dropped my eyes to the floor.

Then I heard Hayley greet the man respectfully, her voice sycophantic, "Prince Bryan."

Bryan? Bryan Reeves? Was he the king's oldest son who rumored to be the most ruthless and terrifying prince?

Makenna's POV:

A chill coursed down my spine as Bryan stormed toward us, his presence brimming with a dangerous intensity. What was he planning to do?

Cold sweat ran down my back, and I instinctively held my breath, terrified that even the faintest sound might draw his attention.

His voice, sharp and biting, sliced through the air like a blade. "Get out of my sight!"

Almost immediately, I heard a stifled cry from Hayley. From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Bryan kicking her aside without hesitation, as if she were nothing more than an obstacle in his path. He approached us, his footsteps heavy with ruthless determination.

His brutality was beyond anything I had imagined. I shivered, holding my breath in terror.

Bryan stopped in front of us, his gaze sweeping over the group with a predatory glint. With cold contempt, he spat out, "A bunch of worthless insects, thinking you're fit to be my women? Since Father insists I choose a sex slave, I'll just kill you wenches."

Quiet sobs escaped from a few in the crowd, and I could feel my body trembling more violently than before, helplessly praying that fate wouldn't single me out.

But it seemed my silent pleas fell on deaf ears. In the next breath, I saw a pair of polished black leather shoes in front of me.

My mind went blank. Before I could make sense of anything, his fingers gripped my chin with iron force.

I swallowed the scream rising in my throat, forced to meet those cold, piercing blue eyes.

Panicked, I widened my eyes, but Bryan only let out a dark, mocking laugh. His gaze roamed over me with a mixture of cruelty and amusement. He squeezed my chest with a possessive, dismissive touch. "Nice shape. I'll take this one."

Pain shot through me as I cried out, trying to twist away from him, but Bryan left no room for protest. In one swift motion, he hoisted me onto his shoulder and carried me toward the beaded curtain at the back of the hall.

"No!" I shrieked in sheer terror, thrashing in his grip. "Let me go! What are you going to do?"

With a forceful toss, Bryan flung me onto the couch behind the curtain. When I looked up, his eyes were colder and more violent than ever.

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

Bryan stood there, towering over me like a predator ready to devour its prey. His smirk held no warmth, only a chilling promise. "I'm going to take you right here where everyone can hear, so those women out there know what it means to be mine."

My heart pounded in my chest, my fear surging to unbearable heights. Trembling uncontrollably, I begged, "No, please... spare me. I beg you... have mercy. I'm innocent..."

Before I could finish, a sharp, searing pain tore through my chest.

Bryan had sunk his teeth into my nipple, his bite brutal and without mercy.

"Ahh!" I screamed in agony, my body jerking as I tried to push him away. "It hurts! Please, stop!"

But the physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation clawing at my soul.

Through the beaded curtain, I knew they could hear my cries-maybe even catch glimpses of my degradation. Bryan had made me a spectacle for them, a display of his power.

"You can't do this! Your Highness!" Hayley's voice came from outside the curtain, pleading and desperate. "The king will be furious if he finds out!"

"What? Isn't it enough that I'm following his orders, bedding these women?" Bryan sneered, his fingers digging into my hips with a painful grip. His voice was sharp with irritation. "Since my father insists I lie with these lowly creatures, I'll do what he wants. Whether they live through it or not, I couldn't care less."

A cruel laugh rumbled in his throat as he lowered his head and bit into my shoulder, hard.

"Argh!" I cried out, the pain from his bite radiating through my entire body. My tortured screams echoed in the hall.

But Bryan wasn't done. He yanked my hair, forcing my head down toward his crotch.

My stomach twisted in horror as I watched him unzip his pants, revealing his hardened member, pushing my face closer.

In that moment, the sickening reality hit me like a freight train.

He was going to humiliate me-right here, in front of everyone. What a crazy person!

I fought desperately.