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1775 Words
Annalise
I stared at the scene before me, sure I was dreaming—no, having a nightmare.
“Drew!” I screamed my lungs out, collapsing onto the floor, my arm outstretched, trying to reach for what could never be mine.
The entire arena had erupted in chaos, but I was oblivious to anything else aside from that it was Drew and Isabella going through the mating ritual, consumed by each other's presence and completely unaware of what was going on around them. He'd ripped her gown into two and was basically ravaging her in my presence.
My mouth hung open, a silent scream as I couldn't help but watch. I couldn't help but watch as a piece of my soul was torn away, the bandages holding my spirit together coming loose.
Someone began pulling me away. I struggled, kicking against them and trying to crawl my way to Drew, to the man I'd given my heart to, the man I'd given my life to.
Another set of stronger arms snatched me up and lifted me. I was flung over the shoulder of one of the guards and carried away. Screaming and pummeling him, tears flowed freely from my eyes as my heart ached like it was about to burst.
*****
I sat on my window sill, staring outside as the sky turned orange, signaling that a new dawn was rising. How fitting.
I was cold to my bones, still wearing the sheer material that was supposed to have marked my ascendancy into a higher position. An apparel that had now become a symbol of my shame and humiliation.
The tears refused to come anymore. I'd banged on the locked door, screamed and wailed all through the night. And now my well of tears has dried up. I stared at the rising sun, unmoved, unshaken by its beauty.
Perhaps it had betrayed someone or something else because of that beauty. Because it believed that since it was beautiful, it should have anything it wanted even though those things already belonged to someone else.
They had carried on with the ceremony as it was supposed to have been. I'd heard the sounds, I'd heard their voices. They'd locked me in here so I wouldn't disrupt anything. So I wouldn't disrupt them as they tore my life to pieces.
Of course, the well-being of the entire pack was more important than the life of just a single member. The Alpha needed to have a Luna and his true mate had appeared at his mating ceremony.
Why, it would be foolish to put the whole thing to a stop and see how the matter of him already having a chosen mate he was supposed to mark at said mating ceremony could be resolved.
Why not just have him mark his true mate, lock the chosen mate who was her sister up in a room, and then deal with the fallout later? I could see my parents explaining it. It was the perfect decision.
My eyes pricked with tears. I was wrong, my well of despair wasn't quite dried up yet.
I couldn't believe this. Drew hadn't even thought twice, he hadn't spared me a glance as he'd latched on to Isabella as though for dear life. And Isabella…well, I would be a clown to expect anything better from her.
I wrapped my arms around myself. I'd never felt so alone in my entire life. And trust me, that's saying a lot.
I stared down the window at the distance from where I sat to the ground below. A thought billowed into my mind on the cool morning breeze. If I stepped out head first, it was almost a guaranteed death.
As I began to ponder it, I heard the lock click. I turned sharply to the door, slowly stepping away from the window sill to face whoever was on the other side.
It was a guard.
“You have been summoned.”
My eyebrows raised slightly. “By whom?”
“The Alpha, of course.”
He moved towards me, impatience written all over him and made to grab my arm. I dodged his grip and opened my mouth to play the ‘I’m your Alpha and you will not speak to me in that manner’ card, but it dawned on me at that moment—I was nothing.
With the mating ceremony complete, Drew was now completely the rightful Alpha. And I was just a high-ranking family member of the current Luna, in no other way related to the crown. Drew had taken my title and given it to himself and another, leaving me out in the cold.
My heart broke into a thousand pieces as my lips went limp, unable to form words. I barely even felt it as the guard dragged me out of the room.
I was shoved rudely into the throne room and the huge double doors secured behind me. I blinked at the scene before me. It was as though I'd been summoned to an inquisition.
Drew sat on what was now his throne and Isabella was on the arm of his chair, practically wrapped around him like a pretzel. My parents sat off to the side, looking as regal as ever, and members of the council sat opposite them in a row.
My heart pounded in my chest.
He couldn't even grant me the courtesy of having this conversation alone?
I wanted to turn back and run away, but I obviously couldn't.
My eyes locked on Drew's, and he regarded me with a stern, authoritative stare. “Step forward, Annalise.” He ordered.
I could hardly believe my ears. Was I the one Drew was referring to in that tone?
“Annalise.” My father pressed sternly, forcing me to put one foot in front of the other.
“You nearly ruined my mating ceremony, Anna,” Drew accused, staring me down.
I was sure I'd heard wrong. My senses immediately sharpened and strength returned to my bones.
“Excuse me?” I shrieked. “Your mating ceremony? Drew, can you hear yourself? We were supposed to be married last night! You abandoned me for my sister, and you sit there now, accusing me of ruining your mating ceremony?”
I was mad! Anger oozed from my pores as I yelled at him.
“You will not speak to the Alpha like that, young lady!” A council member scolded, rising, “Step back now.”
I was shocked. I looked around the room to see that everyone had straight faces, evidence of the fact that I was truly alone. No one was on my side in this room.
Everyone had lost their minds…
I took a step back, staring incredulously at my parents who just stared back at me blankly, my mother with one of her brows raised as though to say ‘Well I didn't raise you to be disrespectful, what did you expect when you decided to be?’
Isabella stared down at me with the most triumphant look I had ever seen anyone possess. It was like she'd planned the whole thing from scratch and was now reveling in the glory.
“You didn't expect me to reject my true mate for you, Anna, did you? You know how the mate bond is. I can't live without her.”
My eyes filled with tears. “No, Drew! I don't know how the mate bond is. We both knew there was a chance we would find our true mates after we got together, but we made a promise to each other! To remain with each–”
“You don't know what it feels like, Anna!” He cut in sharply, his eyes turning angry. “I would be losing a part of my soul!”
A lone tear trailed down my cheek.
“And what about me?” I whispered, with no strength left to yell. “What about me, Drew? I cut out a part of myself and gave it to you when I renounced my position as Alpha and bestowed it on you."
"You were supposed to complete that part of me by marking me. What am I supposed to do with this hollow ache that I feel in the core of my being!” I yelled the last part as I broke down in tears.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a second, then cleared his throat. “You will be my mistress.” He declared, as though he had just offered me the greatest honor.
I blinked, wiping my eyes to look at him clearly, much the same way Isabella was looking at him too. She obviously hadn't expected this either.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“That's the best I can do for you, Anna.” He shrugged.
My heart shattered at those words and the look in his eyes as he uttered them—the look that screamed that he felt absolutely nothing for me.
Without thinking, I lunged for him, screaming.
“I will not be disgraced and humiliated further, you bastard!”
Before I could reach him, I was grabbed by the two guards beside him and dragged backwards. Everyone in the room had risen to their feet, shocked at my outburst. I struggled against the guards' hold.
“How dare you try to reduce me to something as lowly as a mistress! I spat. "In a pack that was meant to be mine to lead! You bastard!”
“You should consider yourself lucky–” Isabella began.
Drew rose to his feet, cutting her off, a terrible sneer on his face. “Fine then. You consider the position of being my mistress low? How about being an omega?”
My breath caught in my chest. “You wouldn't dare–”
“Annalise Moonwater, I hereby demote you to the position of omega in the White Ridge pack. You are to live the rest of your days here as a slave, bound to serve this pack until your last breath.”
My body spasmed. N–no. It couldn't be. I— I hadn't just heard—.
“Take her to the maids’ quarters,” he commanded.
“No!” I screamed, fighting the guards, and looking around at everyone in the room for help as I was lifted and carried out of the room. My parents looked shocked, but they obviously wouldn't make any move to stop this madness.
“No! You can't let this happen!” I screamed.
But there was no one, absolutely no one to save me from this fate.
- Writer
