The Lycan's Luna: Reclaiming Her Throne.

Elowen's POV

I winced in pain as my maid tightened the corset of my dress.

She dragged the ropes so sharply that I could almost feel the content of my stomach giving way.

Not that I had anything to eat that morning. I was too nervous to even take a bite out of anything.

I stood in front of the mirror, admiring the fitting of the dress. I was clothed in a delicate ivory satin, detailed with silver embroidery. The hem of the dress was laced with precious stones, but none of the stones were as precious as the day was to me.

I struggled to sit down, my stomach tightly snatched, as my maid styled my white hair into soft waves. My makeup was lightly done, adding a touch of red to my lips.

I am Elowen, princess of MoonShire Pack. And today, I am going to be Queen Luna after I marry Thorne Blackwood.

Just thinking about it made my heart beat faster. The wedding was a very private one, only few people were invited. Thorne strictly supervised the guest list himself, inviting my brother, few of my friends, and some others that only he knew, to the Wedding.

He told me that he didn't want anything to go wrong today, and I flushed red when he leaned in to kiss my neck. Everything was perfect.

"Where is Elowen, and what have you done with her?"

A man's stern voice came through the door of the dressing room.

The maid seized what she was doing and bowed. His presence was commanding and his wolf scent was strong.

"Papa, you are not meant to be here"

I laughed softly, adding layers to my beauty. "This is a ladies room"

"Oh! Is it now?" He said, stroking my hair gently "then, as the King of MoonShire, I declare myself a lady for today-just so I can spend time with my daughter" he gave a deep heartwarming laugh and signalled for the maids to leave the room.

Lycan King Vander helped his daughter stand up straight and admired my beauty. I was almost sure I saw tears gather in his eyes, but I was uncertain as he had never shown weakness before, not in front of me.

"You look just like your mother princess" he said with warmth filled in his voice "I'm sure she would be proud of you"

Tears streamed down my face as the little memories I had of Aleda, my mother, came flooding in. Life had been difficult without her, but King Vander had always made sure he protected his children, he always made sure he protected me.

"Where's Cave Father?" I asked, noticing that my younger brother wasn't hovering around as he would on a day as grande as this. I hadn't seen him since the day begun which was very strange, given that he always looked out for me and would have checked in to see if I was okay.

"I haven't seen him since" Vander said "but I'm sure he'll come around" he added dismissively, almost as although he wanted to avoid even talking about Cave.

"Now" Vander said walking behind me "I must give you what I came for"

He moved my hair gently over to the side and fixed a necklace on me. It had an emerald locket attached to it, but the locket could not be opened. It had a keyhole, but there was no key to it, not that I knew of.

"How does this come open father" I asked trying to force it open. He gestured for me to stop.

"The key to that locket lies within you Elowen" he said with all seriousness "your mother harnessed it's powers to bring MoonShire peace during the Bloodwars" he paused and looked into my eyes.

"Now it is yours" he added sternly "you must guard it with your life"

"I will father" I promised.

Vander took my hands and we walked out of the room together. He held me close as we walked down the spiral staircase to the Royal Hall.

Then my eyes met his. Thorne Blackwood.

He was as stunning as he was when I first met him. His green eyes pierced through me and his smile eased the tension that was rising in my chest.

It was a reassurance that everything was going to be fine.

My eyes ran through the guests at the Hall. Most of them were unfamiliar, but my attention fixed on a lady in a crimson red dress. The dress was very fitted and accentuated her curves.

I noticed her speaking to Thorne earlier and all eyes seemed to have been on her before I arrived, but no matter how seductively she dressed, I was the star of today, and she couldn't steal that.

I also saw Cave standing at the middle of the hall, but his expression was not joyful. His brows were furrowed, but he quickly forced on a smile when he saw me.

Thorne walked towards me ensuing so much charm. He bowed lightly.

"Your majesty" he said playfully.

"Oh don't be silly Thorne" I chuckled "to you, I'll always be Elowen, just Elowen"

He took my arm in his and a few escorts, along with the guests, followed us to the Royal Ship.

The plan was that we were to set sail only a few miles North and head back before dark. Hundreds of wine barrels were loaded onto the ship and foods of all sort were carried in by the maids.

I turned to my father as I was about to step into the ship and hugged him tightly. I knew he was always going to be there for me, but I was so overwhelmed with emotion at the moment.

"I love you father" I said tears streaming down my face. "I love you too princess" he said kissing my forehead.

Thorne nudged me forward gently and we walked into the ship. Vander followed me closely behind. I also noticed that the lady I saw earlier, the one in the red dress, was also following closely, but I discarded that.

Today was not the day for suspicions. I would ask Thorne about her after our wedding night.

'Our wedding night' I thought. My cheeks flushed red.

The wedding and the reception moved on flawlessly. Drinks were served in excess, most of the guests were drunk and singing merry songs by the time the sun was setting. It was tradition that the couple had nothing to drink until the night.

Though I observed that the people Thorne invited kept their drinks to a bare minimum and were very sober.

The lady in red especially kept staring at me, making me feel very uncomfortable. She didn't even have any wine or eat anything.

"Elowen, come with me, I want to show you something" Thorne held me and gently pulled me away from the drunk singing groups I was laughing with.

We walked to the Ship's deck and strolled towards the Forward, the pointed front of the ship.

I was freezing, but he didn't seem to notice. I pushed that aside, afterall, his voice in my ears and the warmth of his touch were more than enough to shield me from the cold air.

"As my queen, I promise to show you the whole world Elowen" he said climbing unto a deck just near the edge. "We will rule together and we will stretch our love past the boundaries of the ocean"

"Thorne" I yelled, fearing that he would fall of the edge. I knew he was reckless, it was one of the things that drew me to him. "Get down from there, it's dangerous"

"Come be with me, my Queen" Thorne stretched his hands towards me. We were so close to the edge of the ship, but he was my mate and protector. He would never let anything happen to me.

I hesitantly climbed unto the ship's edge and he wrapped my waist from behind. He held me firmly, but spoke so softly. The wind was in my hair, and the waves crashed mildly against the ship. For the first time in a long time, I felt alive.

Then, Thorne's hold around my waist tightened, and the warmth in his voice suddenly gave way to something colder and darker.

"Do you feel it, Elowen?" he whispered, his lips brushed softly against my ear. "The wind in your hair, the waves crashing below us... It's freeing, isn't it?"

"Yes," I murmured, smiling and completely oblivious. "With you, it's perfect."

A bitter chuckle escaped his throat.

I stiffened.

"Perfect? You think this is perfect?" His voice was a low, almost mocking tone. "You think you and I are some fairy tale couple destined for a happy ending? Do you know how pathetic you sound?"

I froze.

"Thorne... what are you saying?"

I felt Thorne's grip on my waist tighten painfully, I was already finding it difficult to breathe.

'Oh please let this be a bad dream' I cried within me and closed my eyes as tight as I could, but when I opened them, Thorne was still behind me and clutching my waist with an enraged strength.

That's when I began to hear noises. Swords were clashing in the distance and people were screaming.

"Do you hear that princess" he said coldy in my ears "that is the sound of Victory"

"Thorne, something's happening on the ship. Let me down so we can check what it is" I said with a deep breath, trying to move away from the edge and engage him in conversation to distract him.

"You don't seem to understand, do you? You must be a rather daft princess. How were you ever to rule an empire such as this?"

He yanked my hair back, sending a searing pain to my scalp. I couldn't help letting out a wounded cry. "Thorne! You're hurting me! Why are you doing this?"

"Because you are too weak to rule MoonShire. This Pack deserves a better leader. What were you planning to do when I married you? Throw me aside while you and your father controlled the affairs of the Pack? Never!"

"Just push her off already!" A firm voice came from behind. It was a woman's voice. I couldn't turn to see her face, but I knew who it was. I could tell by the breachwood scent of her perfume. The lady in red.

"The men have killed Vander and all the members of the Royal family. We are ready to take your orders" she continued

My heart nearly seized. I couldn't believe my ears.

"Are you sure they're all dead. I want no witnesses. I want no mistakes" Thorne said with not an ounce of sympathy in his voice.

"Don't you trust me my love. The work is done. It is our throne now. All hail Thorne Blackwood, Lycan King of MoonShire"

"You bastard!" I cried, tears streamed uncontrollably down my face and the icy wind hit me harder. "What have you done!?"

"Cave! Father!" I cried out to my brother and father, but there was no response.

"No one can hear you princess. But don't worry, I'll make sure your story will be a very interesting one"

"What story?" I asked, my voice shaky and trembling. I could barely speak with my hair pulled back so tightly and with the pain of his clutch.

"That the wedding ship was attacked by the brutal sea pirates of Forlorn Pack. I fought desperately alongside the King, but they were too strong and killed the Royal family. Princess Elowen couldn't bare the loss of her family and jumped over the ship"

"No!" I screamed "No! Let me go!" I wriggled with as much force as I could, but Thorne was stronger. His large arms that once cuddled me in warmth were about to throw me into the depths.

"Tell the men to start destroying the ship and tossing the bodies overboard. We will arrive in MoonShire by the small boats as planned"

"As you wish, your majesty" I heard the lady in red walking away.

"Please don't do this Thorne!" I cried, desperate, but the cruelty in his voice made it obvious that he had made up his mind.

In one hefty move, he spun me around to face him. I looked directly into his eyes and stared at him, confused. I searched for any trace of the man I thought I once knew, but all I could see was hatred.

He leaned in closer to my ears, I could feel his every breath on my bare skin.

"I promise to take good care of MoonShire for you Elowen. So you can rest in peace... Your majesty"

Before I could respond, before I could react or even process what was happening, he shoved me backwards at the chest with brute force.

My body lurched as I stumbled. The edge of the ship's railing digging into my back. I tried to hold on to something, anything, but there was nothing to hold on to, his push was too strong.

When I hit the water, it felt like slamming into a wall. The icy waves swallowed me, stealing every breath from my lungs as I plunged deeper. Through the water I looked up and I saw them.

Thorne and the lady in red.

He held her and they kissed each other passionately while I was drowning below. How did I not see this. How did I miss the signs? Who was she?

But it was too late for any of those questions, it was too late for me.

The weight of my wedding dress dragged me down fast. I heard splashing above the water. They were throwing the bodies into the sea. I attempted to scream and my tears mixed with the cold water when I saw my father's body sinking beside me.

His face was pale, expressionless. I had just seen him smiling at me this morning. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly?

"They will pay for this father, I swear on my last breath". But I was already giving up my last breath when my locket began to glow. The locket my father gave me was still hanging on my neck and glowed through the water.

I finally gasped and water filled my lungs. The pain was sharp, like stabbing knives. My body began to twitch and jerk and I convulsed till all I could see was the glowing of the locket.

Then darkness.

****

I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a shallow stream, my torn and shattered wedding dress clinging to my body.

I was surrounded by trees and by the scent of it, I knew they were Cherwood trees, the sacred trees of MoonShire, our symbol.

I managed to raise myself up above the water, but instead of me to be dripping wet, I was completely dry.

Everywhere was quiet asides the birds chirping and the sound of the flowing streams. The place was serene and beautiful.

"Where am I?" I asked, wondering if this was Havella, the Wolf heaven I always read about in books at the Palace library.

I noticed my locket was open and no longer glowing as I last remembered.

"Welcome Elowen" I heard a voice behind me. I spun around to see who it was. In front of me stood a woman. She was clothed in a silver robe, her long white hair flowing over her shoulders.

She was so beautiful, I could barely take my eyes off her. Beside her, there was a white wolf. It stared directly at me, not with agressiveness, but it looked at me like it knew me.

"Who... who are you?" I asked, still dazed

"and where am I?"

"Elowen, Your mother once gave me water to drink when I was dying and trapped in the human world" the white wolf spoke, not minding my questions "she nursed me back to health and helped me find my way back to the spirit world"

"My...my mother?" I didn't understand what she was saying. How did she know my mother?

"I couldn't save her Elowen, but I can save you"

The wolf walked closer to me. It seemed her feet weren't even touching the ground.

"Do you want to be saved, Elowen?"

"Saved?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper "I don't understand"

"I am willing to give you another chance to live Elowen" the woman in the silver dress spoke. Her voice was soothing, it almost sounded like music was being played on her every word.

"I am Loweda, the moon goddess and I am offering you a new life"

A new life? Another chance?

Another chance! Of course I would take it. Another chance to live and rain hell on Thorne and his whore for what they did to my family. I would never pass up on such an opportunity.

"With all humility, goddess Loweda, I will take it"

I had already begun to picture myself holding a sword and thrusting it through Thorne when the white wolf spoke again.

"You have made the right choice Elowen. I will erase your pain, but with it, I will erase your memories also"

My memories? How was I supposed to avenge my family if I couldn't even remember who I was?

"No, you can't do that please" I begged.

"You must start a new life, unburdened by the past" Loweda's words were firm but her voice was kind. "It is either that or death"

I pondered for a while.

What is a second chance if I lose the very thing that drives me to live? But the alternative is death, and I'm not ready for that.

I finally decided.

Even if I don't remember, I'll still be alive, and as long as I'm alive, I'll have the chance to uncover the truth and return to my people to avenge them.

"Fine" I spoke up "I accept your offer and I will start a new life". The words came out of my mouth, but not from my heart.

Deep down, I knew I was going to find my way back to MoonShire and save my people at all costs.

I will remember.

I must remember.

Before I knew what was happening, a blinding light engulfed me. As I lost consciousness, I heard the white wolf's voice faintly.

"Be strong Elowen. New difficulties lay ahead of you...."

***

I woke up to the sound of waves lapping against the shore and seagulls crying overhead.

The saltwater had gotten into my mouth, leaving me with an almost bitter taste. My limbs felt heavy when I tried to move, and that's when I noticed it.

I was completely naked!

I vaguely covered my sensitive areas with my hands and looked around, trying to figure out where I was and how I got here. But as much as I tried, nothing came to me.

My head hurt and I felt dizzy. The water was freezing cold and I had to get out quickly.

I saw something ahead, lying still and crawled against the sand towards it. But I was met with horror when I saw the dead body of a young woman lying on the shore. She was clothed with a white robe, and it wetly clung to her body.

I payed respects to her and took off the clothes. I wore them on and began to wobble farther away from the ocean.

My knees were weak, but I kept walking. The rumbles in my stomach kept reminding me that it was empty. It felt like I hadn't eaten for an entire day.

I walked a little longer then fell down to the ground. I was shaking all over from cold and exhaustion and the burning sun showed no mercy.

Who am I? Where am I? Where did I come from? How did I get here?

The questions flooded my mind and it felt like I was losing consciousness when I noticed a shadow looming over me, shielding me from the sun's harsh rays.

"Why, what do we have here?!" a man's gruff voice came through. "A castaway?"

"Is it dead?" Another voice asked. It sounded like a child, a little girl.

I felt a stick being poked at my legs and I twitched on impulse.

"It's alive!" The little girl yelled, sounding excited, like I was some kind of pet.

"Can we eat her Father?"

"No" the man's voice came again sternly.

"We'll sell this one to them Forlon Pirates. This one ain't for eating. She looks like trouble"

"But she's pretty and has lots of flesh" the girl begged.

"I said NO Peaches, and that's final" the man cut off any disagreement on the matter. Through my half closed eyes I could see Peaches' frown.

"Now let's her get her to the borders"

I felt myself being pulled up, too exhausted to support my own weight.

"What's your name ei?" The man asked.

I could barely speak, but I managed to say "I...I don't know"

"Well, bloody hell then, I'll call you Elda, after my dead daughter"

Elda? Was that my name?

He heard the rumbling sound of my stomach and brought out a piece of dry bread from his smelly pocket. He stuffed it in my mouth and I gobbled it up like a hungry animal.

"Alright Peaches, off to the borders we go"

I rested on the man's back with one arm over his shoulders and we began a long walk to 'the borders'

We had walked for so long, I was almost passing out again, when I heard the sound of an arrow dart by. The man gave a low groan and fell to the ground, taking me with him.

I was on the floor, hearing Peaches scream for her father and saw a pool of blood staining the white sand.

"Hold the girl!" A man's voice yelled. Two men ran to the girl and held both her hands, dragging her away. She was still crying and screaming as she was being dragged.

"Are you okay miss?" the man asked, helping me up. He was dressed in armor, like a guard or soldier.

"Who are you?" I asked, still dazed and confused.

"I just saved your life. This Island is crawling with cannibals looking for survivors of ship crashes to eat or sell to the Forlorn Pack as slaves"

"Thank... thank you" I managed to say.

"Take her to our campsite" the man ordered the other two soldiers. "I'm sure the women at the camp will find some use for her there"

One of the men carried me in his arms and put me on his horse, knowing I was too weak to walk.

"What is your name miss?" He asked as he rode, staring at me curiously.

My name. I thought for a moment.

I didn't know.

"My...my name is Elda"

We went forward again. We climbed a mountain, crossed a shallow river, and continued moving across the terrain.

Where was I going? Was this journey ever going to end?

The guard halted all of a sudden, pulling the reigns of the horse and bringing it to a stop.

"What's wrong?" I asked, feeling a bit more strengthened.

"Shhhhhh" he said, turning his head around, as if he were searching for something.

His partner had drawn his sword and was looking around too.

Then he froze, and looked at me with fear in his eyes.

"Run!"