Cursed, Bound and Marked by Midnight

CHAPTER TWO

Screech.

The sound of the door scraping the floor as it was being opened from the other side was almost deafening.

I looked up to see Vera saunter in slowly, an evil smile playing on her lips. “Awww, little pathetic Lyra who thinks she could ever be the Luna”, she teased, letting out a loud laughter.

“Take this”, she said, tossing me a bag of crackers. “You look really terrible but no one is even pleading for your release. Well, apart from you. Your aunt doesn't even give a hoot”.

It was the next day after I was sent into this cold, smelly dungeon and I was already so weak from crying too much, and feeding on only crackers and a little bit of water.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked Vera weakly. “We were best friends. We were supposed to be on each other's side. Now you've joined them to make life hell for me”.

“You don't deserve to be treated properly. This is just the beginning of your suffering. You're going to rot in here. Kieran has been in an awful mood since you stupidly interrupted our moment. He's refused to touch me since then, this is all your fault. You should have known that I've always loved Kieran yet you thought he was yours and tried to take him away from me. You're going to remain here for as long as I please. Kieran doesn't even care if you die in here. I'm sure he's forgotten totally about you. Imagine being rejected and you're still crawling after him. Pathetic. Even your wolf took one look at your life and left you”. She said, a huge smirk spread across her face as her eyes glistened in pleasure from seeing me in such a horrible state.

I broke down in another round of tears, my cheeks burning in humiliation and resignation. She was right.

It was then I realized that I was alone in this world.

No parents. No lover. No wolf. No one wanted me, even my aunt hated me and now my own best friend had turned against me and left me to suffer in this dungeon. It was me and my unborn child against the world. I didn't even dare to tell anyone about the baby, I cherished it, it was the only possession I had even though its father didn't want me.

~♡♡♡~

“Get her! Don't let her escape!”, the loud angry voices echoed behind me as their thunderous footsteps pounded furiously onto the ground.

Arrows laced with wolfsbane flew past me as I struggled to avoid their merciless attacks. The loud guttural snarls followed by the paws thudding against the soil caused dread to pool in my belly.

Twigs snapped as branches slapped my face and my bare feet cried out in pain but I did not slow down.

My blood was pumping in my ears as I pushed forward, trying to get far ahead of them. My brain was foggy and it failed me as I tried to calculate my next move, the Wolfheart Talisman clutched tightly on my already sweaty palm.

A strange pain was throbbing in my palm but I ignored it.

“She can't outrun us forever. Go! Go!”, Alpha Kieran's voice thundered orders amongst the hundreds of wolves running behind me.

I was in possession of the ancient relic that belonged to the pack, it had been in the pack residence for ages and now that I had stolen it from right under their noses, they were chasing after me in a determined bid to get it back from me and possibly, punish me brutally.

It was a week after I had been left to rot in the dungeon. Vera had stopped visiting me with the crackers and little water– supported with the venomous insults she hurled at me– after the third day.

Hunger had taken its root in me, threatening to snuff the life out of me. Bees, wasps, mosquitoes and other insects had taken to feasting on my weak body.

Earlier that day, however, I had been dragged out of the dungeon into the pack residence in front of numerous wolves. I had been lashed uncountable times, blood gushing out of my body each time the whip came in contact with my skin, no one caring about my incessant cries of agony.

All the while, I prayed silently that the little pup in my belly would survive the overpowering torment. Alpha Kieran had publicly announced to everyone the evil thing that I had done which was clearly a very grave offense.

He held out the Wolfheart Talisman which was a pendant shaped like a split wolf’s heart, made of obsidian and moonstone, an ancient relic which had been passed down from Alpha to Alpha throughout generations. It was dangling on a piece of rope.

It was known to inflict unbearable burning pain and show distorted false visions and dreams to its victims. It was the ultimate punishment for any wolf, no matter how strong the wolf was.

Immediately aware of what was about to happen, I summoned the little strength left in me and revealed that I was pregnant with Alpha Kieran's child.

The shared shock and confusion among everyone was enough distraction and without thinking, I lurched forward, grabbed the Talisman from Kieran's still outstretched hand and stormed out immediately out of the hall, my heart slamming in my ears as I heard Alpha Kieran's primal voice bark out orders to everyone.

I believed the Wolfheart was the key to changing my fate and getting my wolf back.

Now, as I kept running and emerged out of the woods and onto the highway, my legs started to get weak and were about to give out but I kept sprinting, the angry snarls of the wolves getting closer and closer. One of the arrows had hit my back and the pain was so great that I wailed out in anguish.

I didn't know when, but suddenly, my knees buckled, my legs finally giving out beneath me and I fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Everything became black and there was silence.