Wolf Moon Ritual

Aurora’s POV

“Let her go.” The words register in my brain but the words didn’t come from Alex.

They came from alpha George.

My mind whirled at his meaning or to whom he were speaking too. I started to panic, my mind whirling with the possibilities of his meaning. Did he mean ‘let her go’ as in, let go of her or let her go with my supposed uncle. A man that were just as cruel and selfish as my father and out for his own personal gain.

I didn’t have to wait long for validation when Alex growled threateningly at his father, clearly hearing something in George’s tone that I didn’t as he eyed his with such fury. Ruby whimpered and stepped forward, only to be blocked off by George’s arm being extended in front of her chest, preventing her from stepping any further and coming to my aid.

By preventing Ruby, he silently commanded all others in the room to not assist or get involved with what ere going on in the small meeting room right in front of them. Shay whimpered in pain at not being able to help me. Cole stepping her way to comfort her. Crystal however smiled, a petty triumphant grin on her face showing that I were on my own.

I felt Rex’s amused chuckle rumble against my back as he dug the knife’s sharp blade harder into my throat. I pulled in a quick breath but didn’t struggle against his hold. I knew from experience that the more I struggled the more it hurt and I didn’t want to feel that pain of having my skin sliced open again or see my anguish reflected in Alex’s eyes.

“Seems in the end no one wants you.” The disgusting man purred into my ear, his words cutting deeper than the blade he held to my throat. Tears silently slid from my eyes. I thought I had been accepted. That I was finally a part of something, but I guess not.

George’s previous words rattled around my mind, and I tore my gaze from Alex and reluctantly towards George’s. “Would you go back to your father to protect this pack?” The answer however painful was yes. It was then, and it is now. I looked into George’s eyes and we both knew what the other were thinking. I nodded curtly, and recognition reflected behind his eyes, he knew what that meant. He knew I would go willingly to my death and protect everyone here.

Alex recaptured my eye as he stalked forward, fury tightening his features and the promise of vicious agony in his actions, only to be pulled back. “No. Let her go.” George commanded of his son with all the tone of an alpha, his alpha. Alex’s hateful glare was now turned onto his father but George remained unfazed.

“Well then, we bid you ado. Thank you for making this so easy George.” Rex quipped while pulling me with him towards the side door and into the dark night. My final sight of Alex showed all the sorrow, anger, and guilt he felt and his words continued to echo through my mind as I were stuffed inside the trunk of a fancy black BMW and the world went black.

“Don’t leave me.”

Alexander’s POV

I were frozen in shock that my father had let her go, my mate taken from me at his urging. I felt numb at not being able to do anything to safe her, the guilt weighed heavily in my heart, at not doing more. But what could I do? Go against my father and challenge him? Turn my back on my birth right and exile myself to become a rogue, no. I needed all the help I could get if I were to go and get her back. In the seconds that my mind ran through all these thoughts and emotions I just felt betrayed. My own father committing me to the worst fate imaginable for a wolf.

Animosity built up in me and I turned on him, spearing him to the floor when he were gently consoling my mother. “How could you?” I seethed and let loose a series of punches to his face as I straddled his upper torso. My mother screamed for me to stop but I were too far gone, and past the point of logic and reason.

Cole and beta Robert both having to haul me from him and contain me as I thrashed and writhed in their grip, getting a few kicks in as I were pulled out of reach. Wanting to get loose and continue my assault of the man I thought I knew. “Son-”

“Don’t you dare call me that.” I yelled in irritation. He had lost all right to call me that, the moment he let Aurora leave with alpha Rex.

“Alex.” He sighed sounding exhausted as he stood with the help of my mother, not that he needed it. “I need you to calm down, and let me explain.” His words having the opposite effect on me and I writhed harder and nearly managed to throw beta Robert off my right side. Both father and son responded in unison by slamming me into the wall and tightening their hold on me. The tension in the room raising rapidly along side my ragged breathing.

Clicking of heels slightly pulled my attention away from my father and towards the door as it got louder. A tall curvy women in a long emerald green sequin dress walked in the room without stopping and continued until she came to stand right in front of me. The nameless woman had no regard for personal space and stared directly into my eyes. I flinched back but it wasn’t as much as I would have liked to as I were still held in position against the wall. “Take her.”

The woman’s willowy voice commanded not looking away from my eyes. I could see over her shoulder that two equally elegantly dressed muscular men had flanked Crystal and both seized her arms, she started screaming and like me writhing in their arms, only she might as well not bothered with all the effect it were having on the men. Rick shouted at the men and charged them only to be quickly silenced with a swift punch to the gut, he crumpled to the floor gasping for air. Not that I cared for either of them but I would need Crystal to direct me to where Rex would have taken Aurora.

“Who are you?” I asked sceptical of the women in green. She hummed with a coy smirk on her face. “I am alpha Heather, of the Calisto pack and I just saved your life.”

Aurora’s POV

My head pounded as I came too in the oil smelling trunk of the car I were cruelly shoved in, as I bounced along the road to Rex’s erratic driving. I had no way of knowing what time it were let alone where I were, but I could tell from my aching muscles that I had been in this position for quite some time. I tried to stretch out as best I could but the trunk were so small I could barely move at all.

I could feel panic rise within me but tried hard to swallow it back down as I knew it would not help in anyway with what was going to happen next. Plus I didn’t want Alex to panic and worry about me, I knew full well he would be able to sense me even with the distance that were put between us. I desperately wanted him to come after me and rescue me but in the same breathe I didn’t.

I didn’t want him anyway near my father’s cruelty and his forbidden magic or the strong possibility that he would get seriously hurt and used against me. The thought of losing him from this world was too much for me to bare.

His last words to me were ’don’t leave me.’ Despairing words that were a painful reminder of a promise I couldn’t keep and caused pain to shoot through my already aching heart. To my father the whole reason of my birth were to be sacrificed and I guessed that was still the case, soon I would be murdered. Soon I would be nothing, I just hoped that Alex wouldn’t seek revenge and follow me into the afterlife quite so quickly.

I sighed knowing my fate and my end were rapidly closing in around me as were the walls of this confined space. My breathing picked up, my heart hammering in my chest, fear taking over and a sob releasing itself from my lips. I wanted to remain strong, but I just couldn’t.

The memories. The pain. They were just too much, too overwhelming. Would it be just as before? Would I be beaten and starved? Humiliated and shunned by my former pack? Seen as nothing but a way to gain power for all of them, and what of my brother. Would he be just like them? Another sob erupted from my chest, the unknown plagued my mind as I were taken back to a place I never wanted to see again, and to the one person I never wanted to see ever again.

My mind continued to whirl for minutes, hours or days I didn’t know, but all too soon the car stopped. I wasn’t ready. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to come face to face with my past, with the man that was meant to love and cherish me the way a father were supposed to. Swallowing every emotion I could down and locking them away in a box, I quickly prepared myself.

The car door opened slowly and I could hear the scuffing of shoes of loose gravel as they approached the rear of the car. I inhaled a large breath, steeled my shoulders, and raised my head. I would not be the weak girl that they once knew. I refused to let them see the fear that consumed me, instead opting to show them my defiance and strength as best I could.

I was blessed with the power of the sun. Albeit I didn’t quite know what that meant but I knew that I could do some damage if I were pushed to it.

Remembering back to the confrontation in that small meeting room before I were taken. Crystal’s neck still showed my small distinct handprint around her throat, the blistered skin had subsided as she healed but none the less it showed me I had power. I just needed to be able to figure out how to use it. And quickly.

The pop of the lock echoed around me in the small space and light immediately flooded in. The smell of mud, dead leaves and the rotting carcasses of trees, made my nose crinkle for a second before I pushed it all aside to remain in control of my emotions.

Metal scraping against metal indicated the truck being opened wider in protest. The brightness of the sun’s rays caused instant irritation to my eyes forcing them closed and for me to shield them for a moment before opening them again to stare into my mother’s eyes, my eyes. It took me a moment to realise that these belonged to the one person that mirrored us. “Oryan?”

An older version of the little boy that stood behind the alter all those years ago looked down at me with distain and repugnance. He didn’t answer me, just continued to stare, his disgust for me – his twin sister – growing by the second before he turned away and nodded to Rex.

Familiar hands gripped the top of my arm hauling me out of the truck and I stumble to my feet. The long dress and heels not helping in any way as they sunk into the mud and loose stone.

He pushed me to the ground, forcing me to my hands and knees because I struggled with my footing. Alpha Rex were trying his best to intimidate me in any way he could but were failing and he knew it, as I glared at him even from my submissive position.

“Get up.” He shouted and kicked at my left leg, trying to hurry me to my feet. “I said get up.” He yelled louder but still didn’t get the response he anticipated. My anger started to come to a slow boil as I hitched my now dirty dress up and stood tall still glaring at him. “You don’t scare me.” I arrogantly stated before following in the direction of my brother by my own power and no one forcing me to.

With my head held high and facing straight I let my eyes wonder over the once beautiful gardens and flower beds that framed the outside of the main pack house. They no longer bloomed brightly and were replaced by the ugliness of well trampled sludgy thick brown mud. I didn’t recognise this place, not now everything were bare and devoid of colour. The trees were the only living thing to have any signs of life, but their hacked up trunks showed their abuse.

The grand solid oak front doors were also in a state of neglect, dirt and weathering stained the once proud structure. The four small square windows framing the right side were cracked and shattered. Likely from where the door had been slammed repeatedly shut in frustration and anger over the years.

The décor on the inside of the house hadn’t fared much better, it was now all faded or torn in places, but mostly it was bare and impersonal. As if people lived here but had no interest in making it a home.

Men leered at me from different positions around the large foyer and from the upstairs balcony. Some woof whistled others shouted derogatory comments, each one more depraved than the last as if they were in competition with each other to see who could be more disgusting. I took every one of their insulting and disrespectful comment in my stride and never once faltered or let them see how each one affected me.

Adding to their words were their stares, I started to feel uncomfortable at the way their sharp eyes sought out the small tares and snags of the delicate material of my dress and the way my hair no longer held in its perfect style with hunger in their eyes.

“No one touches her.” Oryan stated calmly in a tone that was cold as ice. One of the men pushes forward and grips my wrist pulling me to him. I gasp out of shock as he holds me to his chest and licks up my neck. “This one tastes good boys.” He chuckles at my discomfort and moves to grip my left breast. I try to pull myself free of him, but failed miserably. “You can’t stop me from having her, boy.” He spat towards my brother who shrugged with indifference. My emotions swiftly switching to anger as I look into my brothers eyes, and the fact he does nothing to stop this or even help me.

Heat spreads throughout my body, from my toes all the way up to my head in a wave. The almost silent sound of singeing flesh reached my ear and that’s when something clicked. I was in control, I didn’t need anyone to protect me. I could do it myself and none of them could do anything about it.

As the man pulled back at the burning sensation he were now feeling I spun and gripped his throat. My eyes now burning into his as the heated sensation intensified in my hand, the man yelling out in pain only making me squeeze harder. Wherever he touched me trying to push me off him, he let go of immediately due to the searing heat and could do nothing be accept his punishment. I could see the skin beneath my hand begin to bubble and weep, but still I refused to let go. I raked my eyes over all the other men standing around wanting to intervene but didn’t know what I were capable of and not want to share in their friends fate.

“You can try all you like but you do not own me. I will not break or bend to your will.” I finished my gaze landing on my brother who just smirked cockily in return.

The smell of burning flesh was starting to make me feel sick but I swallowed it down, only letting go as the mans heart started to slow, he were dying in my hand unable to pull air into his lungs because I were not only impeding his airway but scorching it too.

Letting go the disgusting man now lay at my feet, repulsed I pushed him away with the tip of my shoe, the others quickly pulled him away from me before I could finish the job. His blackened skin showed the damage I had inflicted and I didn’t feel one ounce or remorse nor did I regret it, like I thought I would.

“Follow me.” Oryan instructed and turned his back to me, returning down the hallway he appeared from. I lifted my head and followed him silently. Ignoring the muffled whispers from the scene I just created.

Once we entered the room, my heart kicked up even faster. This was my fathers office. The unmistakable decoration of Incan tribal masks scared me as a child and they were still as unsettling now as they were then. They faced me as if their eyes were present and judging me, an extra audience that I had to stand trial through.

My bother took a seat in the large ornate chair behind the desk and my eyes almost popped out my skull. Did this mean my father were no longer alpha? That he was no longer alive?

“He’s still alive and alpha.” Oryan answered my unasked questions. I cleared my throat and steeled my gaze as I put aside my astonishment and considered Oryan’s statement. “Then where is he?” I asked while swallowing down the fear that wanted to take over my body.

Oryan continued to weigh me up, he probably could sense that I feared being here and what will inevitably happen to me, but he would also taste my defiance on his tongue. This is what I tried to concentrate on portraying, but the blows kept on coming.

“That you don’t need to know. Not yet anyway.” He smirked. “Tell me. Did it feel good to burn Roger the way you did?” My mind flicked back to the way I felt when I held Roger’s life in my hand. The raw power, the strength that radiated throughout my body was intoxicating. I’ve never felt more enthralled with being in control as I did at that moment. Never having had control over much of my life, I suppose I retreated and became more submissive and concentrated on self-preservation than following in natural wolf behaviour. I had a glimpse of control when I burnt Crystal but that was so much more.

My gaze met his once again and I nodded silently, his smirk broadening into a sinister smile. “Your power is fuelled by your hate or anger.” His eyes gleamed as he admitted this. My brows furrowed, hate or anger? I didn’t know what to think about that, I wasn’t the type to hate or be angry much. I just wanted my freedom. “The white witch put a curse on our father before he killed her for her magic and chopped up her body to create the sacred knife from her femur. Her hatred and anger towards our father is what fuels your power, it’s what gives you the strength to make anyone bow to you flame.”

“Do… Do you fuel your power this way too?” I stuttered. His eyes flashed gold. His wolf form begging to come out and most likely end me. “Father took my power years ago.” He spat through gritted teeth as he shot out of the chair and threw everything off the desk in anger.

I flinched away from his sudden outburst and backed myself into the corner next to the door. Is this why he has such distain for me? because I haven’t been stripped of mine - yet.

He stalked after me into my corner and stared down at me, never once touching me, knowing only too well that that could provoke me to use my power against him, he wasn’t stupid enough. “I will enjoy watching you be drained of your power as I were.” His eyes taking on a look of yearning, before covering it up with loathing.

Did he miss his power? Or just the way it made him feel? I didn’t linger thinking about his feelings a burst of anger flaring through me and I took a step forward, coming chest to chest with him. Even with the height difference my power made me feel taller than he were and brought with it the confidence to retaliate. “Maybe you weren’t worthy of them in the first place?” I challenged with my own icy tone. “Maybe you are the one that should be sacrificed or just murdered for being weak?” His eyes widened in surprise but it didn’t last long and he reached out and gripped my throat just I had done to Roger.

His face registered the heat under his palm but he held himself to me squeezing as hard as he could with the pain he felt. “Careful brother. Play with fire and you will get burnt.” I threw his arm away from me and went to sit in my father’s chair. “Now run along boy and get me our father.”