CURSED BY BLOOD, CLAIMED BY LOVE

CHAPTER ONE Moana’s POV The air in the forest was so cold it felt like needles on my skin. I stood in the dark shadows, my back against a large pine tree as my hands shook. They were covered in small scars from years of hard work, because I had spent the whole day cleaning and scrubbing floors at Elder Rodrigo's house. The smell of the cleaning polish was still on my fingers, stinging the little cuts on my skin. In the Blackthorn Pack, I was a ghost. My name is Moana Ashclaw, but nobody called me that. To them, I was just a servant girl. I was the girl who lived in the cold cellar and ate the leftovers from the dogs. Kyrian Ashclaw had tried to kill Alpha Eldrick, three years ago, but he failed, and he died for it. Since that day, I had been a slave to the pack to pay for his sins. "Don't look up," I whispered to myself. My breath made a little white cloud in the air. "Just stay in the dark. Let the night end. Let the moon goddess choose someone, just anyone that wouldn't reject a slave like me." In the middle of the clearing, a huge bonfire was burning. The orange flames were very tall, jumping toward the black sky. Hundreds of wolves stood in straight lines, the strongest warriors were in the front, while the old Elders were in their warm furs. The servants and the weak wolves, like me, were hidden at the very back. But everyone was looking at one place: the High Stone Ledge. Alpha Eldrick Blackthorn stood there. He looked like a king made of stone. He did not wear a shirt, even though the wind was freezing, his chest and shoulders were covered in silver scars from many wars. His hair was dark, and his face was very sharp. But his eyes were the scariest part. They were bright, golden eyes that saw everything. He was the man who killed my father, the man who told me I had to work as a slave forever. He was the boss of everything. And I knew he hated me more than anyone else in the world. "The Moon is ready!" Elder Marek shouted from the ledge. His voice was very loud. His gray hair looked white under the stars. "Wait for the Goddess to speak! Wait for the magic to pull you!" Whispers spread through the crowd. This night was special. The Blood Moon comes only once every ten years, as It was the night the Moon Goddess chose a mate for every wolf who was old enough. A mate is a soulmate, the one person you are meant to love forever. Once the bond is made, it can never be broken. "I hope he gets a mate who is as mean as he is," a girl hissed near me. “But I don't mind if it's me.” Another girl said. “You are so pathetic,” the girl who spoke initially scoffed, her voice dripping with ridicule. I moved away from them the moment I realized It was Sela and Elara, strong warriors who liked to be mean to me. Sela was looking at Eldrick with a hungry smile. "If the moon chooses me, I will be the new Luna," she said. "I will make sure this pack is only for the strong. We will kill all the traitors." She looked at me and laughed. "Still here, rat? You are a stain on this forest. Aren't you?" I did not say anything. I couldn't. My throat felt tight. Suddenly, I felt a strange heat in my chest. It felt like a small fire was starting under my skin. The wind stopped blowing. The forest became very quiet. Even the fire in the middle of the clearing seemed to stop moving. High above us, the moon changed color. It turned a deep, dark red. The BLOOD MOON was here. The thump of my heart gave a loud, painful beat, and it wasn't stopping soon. The air began to hum as a golden mist started to rise from the grass. It moved around the boots of the warriors like silk. This was the magic of the Goddess, It was looking for the matches. Eldrick stood very still. His nose moved as he smelled the air. His eyes were glowing like two yellow lamps. He looked like a hunter waiting to catch his prize. Then a sharp pain hit me as a burning heat exploded in the middle of my chest. It wasn’t from the fire, It felt like a hot golden wire was cutting straight through my heart and pulling tight. “Ahnn..” I gasped and dropped to my knees. "No," I choked out, holding my stomach. "Please, no. Not me. Not tonight." The golden mist in front of Eldrick suddenly turned into a bright light. It was no longer mist, it became a thick golden cord. It shot through the air and struck Eldrick in the chest. The whole pack gasped at the same time. The Alpha’s mate had been found. Eldrick looked down, and saw the golden light sticking to his heart. He looked so shocked that his hands moved to touch the magic. The light did not go to Sela. It did not go to any of the beautiful girls in the front. It shot past the warriors, It shot past the Elders, It flew through the air, over the mud, and straight into the dark shadows at the very back of the forest. The light hit my chest like a heavy rock. I was slammed back against the tree. The air was knocked out of my lungs. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. It felt like my soul was being torn from my body and tied to the man on the ledge. The cold was gone. Now, I felt a terrifying heat. I could feel his heart beating inside my own chest. I could feel his power rushing through my blood. "Move!" Eldrick roared. His voice was so loud it made the ground shake. The wolves in the middle of the clearing ran out of the way. They moved fast to make a path. I stood there, frozen. I was standing in a circle of golden light. It was so bright that I couldn't hide in the shadows anymore. Everyone could see my old, dirty dress. They could see my thin arms and my scarred hands. I was standing there for the whole world to see. Eldrick walked to the edge of the rock. He looked down at me. His face was full of shock. The golden cord between us was pulsing and humming. "You?" Eldrick whispered. It was a small word, but it felt like a clap of thunder. “This little dirty thing?” His voice echoed again. Every wolf turned to look at me. At first, it was silent. Then, they began to whisper. Their words were like poison. "The traitor’s daughter?" "The slave girl?" “No! It can't be.” “Eww.” Sela looked like she wanted to cry with anger. "This is a mistake!" she screamed. "The girl is using bad magic! She tricked the Goddess!" I didn't listen to Sela. I was only looking at Eldrick, and for one second, I felt the pull of the bond. It felt warm. It felt like I finally had a home. It felt like I was not a ghost anymore. I looked up at him with tears in my eyes. I had a tiny bit of hope. Maybe he will see me, I thought. Maybe he will see that I am not a traitor. But then, Eldrick’s face changed. The shock went away, and was replaced by a rage so big it made me want to run. His golden eyes turned cold like ice as he looked at the golden cord that tied his heart to mine. He looked at me, and his lip curled back to show his teeth. He did not look like a man who had found his love. He looked like he was looking at a piece of trash. He looked at me with so much hate that I felt my heart break. The golden line between us glowed one last time, tying our souls together. Eldrick’s claws came out. He dug them into the stone ledge until the rock broke. He took a deep breath. His voice sounded like a growl from a monster. "The Goddess," Eldrick said, "is playing a trick on me. If she thinks I will ever love a traitor's daughter, she is wrong." All my hope died. It felt like a cold stone in my chest. The golden light flared up, making my face bright. Eldrick stood tall and looked at the sky. He was ready to say the words that would ruin my life. "I, Alpha Eldrick Blackthorn…" His chest rose and fell quickly, each breath shaking with fury. “Oh no..” I muttered as I fell to the dirt. The golden cord pulled at my heart. I started to cry as he prepared to break our souls apart in front of the whole pack.