Beyond The Alpha's Reach

*Selene’s POV* The Blood-fang Pack had gathered completely, every eye fixed on the raised dais where Marcus stood with his truly broad shoulders giving emphasis to his cutting expression. It was as sharp as the blade hanging at his hip. That night was the mating ceremony. Our mating ceremony. It was supposed to be a night of jubilation, a union of power, a knot binding firmly before the pack and the Moon Goddess herself. The perfect Luna beside her Alpha, an image he had drawn in my mind: vivid and ruthless. But all I could hear was the steady thundering of my own heart. I stood at the edge of the dais with my feet getting the coldness of the wet ground, my trembling hands hidden in the folds of my dress. White was the gown, pure were the thoughts, innocent and a mockery of purity, and it had been Marcus who insisted. He said it would make me look like the queen I was made to be. I stole a glance at the audience: warriors, elders, and mothers holding their tiny children. All were staring at me, waiting and watching. The weight of their expectations sat heavily on my back as if they intended to suffocate me. Though no pair of eyes humbled me quite like that of his. Marcus, my supposed mate. His dark eyes had me in b*****e. His lips twisted in a smile, but there was nothing soft about it. Nothing genuine. "Come, my love," he said as his words rose above the murmurs of the crowd. "Stand beside your Alpha." My feet were glued to the ground. I could not make myself move even though I wanted to. Because, once I stepped on that platform, there would be no turning back. Someone brushed my fingers. It was warm and grounding. I turned to find Iris, my best friend beside me. "It's not too late," she forced out, barely more than a thin whisper. "You don't have to do this." I swallowed hard. "And if I don't? He will kill me." "Maybe." Her fingers tightened around mine. "But isn't this a kind of death too?" Her words sank deep into me, filling up the hollow place where I had felt hope. I had thought being Luna meant freedom; with the official title, I could exert some influence, some control. Wholly naive. I had foolishly thought so. Marcus never wanted a partner, he never wanted a lover; he wanted a puppet. Iris leaned closer, her lips brushing my ear. "If you reject him here tonight in front of everyone, he can't kill you. No, the pack won't let him do that. Not publicly. It would be weak." "But he'll come for me later." "Then run. Run as fast as you can. I'll help you." I turned to face her fully. It was serious. She had always been braver than I, and always encouraged me to stand up to myself whenever it came to Alpha Marcus. "You do this, and you may just have a chance, you and Lily." Lily. My child's name was a whisper in my mind, a lifeline I clung to against the darkness of reality that threatened to swallow me whole. She was still a child, not yet two feet tall and had bright eyes that now seemed like two years would have known better. She had seen too much and heard too much at such a tender age. I had to do this. For her. For me. Before I could lose my nerve, I released Iris's hand and stepped around her. My feet began to move finally, carrying me up the wooden steps where Marcus stood. Confusion appeared along with annoyance on his face. "You kept me waiting." He whispered in a tone only I could hear. "My mind needed time to process," I declared with a stable tone even though my guts were shaking wildly. "About what?" He asked infuriated as he grabbed me violently. "There is nothing to think about. You are mine." The words created a tight noose that tightened as my heart kept beating. "Am I?"I asked. My words escaped from my mouth before I could control myself. Everyone took in a deep breath at once and that sent chills through my body. Marcus squeezed harder at my arm as his nails broke my skin. "Careful, Selene. You forget your place." I met his gaze, refusing to flinch. "Maybe it’s time I made my own." Marcus’s jaws clenched, and his wolf was on the brink of letting loose. "You dare speak to me like this? On our mating night?" "This is not some mating ceremony," I said, raising my voice. "It's a prison sentence." Silence fell. The kind that was slowed and dragged, waiting for something to c***k. With an audible intake of breath, Marcus opened his mouth. "Lower your voice," he commanded, "and recite your vows." "No." "No." The words felt like daggers, though I wasn’t fearing. I wanted him to see, the pack to see. To witness. "I reject you, Marcus," my voice cleared, but it remained resolute. "I reject you as my mate. I reject you as my Alpha." A gasp rippled through the entire pack, a wave of shock and disbelief. Blood drained from Marcus's face, leaving him in stark and angular relief. His body got tensed in a snarl. He was very angry. "You don't know what you've done," he hissed. "Oh, I know," I hissed back. "And I'd rather die free than live as your captive." Marcus stood, he was boiling hot. My heart raced, and every beat was a countdown to a forthcoming detail. The pack was caught in a trance. The warriors looked uneasy, elders shot worried glances at one another, while Iris stood near the edge, her hands clasped over her mouth but her eyes brimmed with pride. I did it. I rejected him. And now, I stood at that altar, a thin line between life and death. What was Alpha Marcus going to do to me?