Mate Made In Hell

The Mating Ceremony

From the ashes of hell you made for me, I will raise and you will regret the day you burned me alive.

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It was the happiest day of Arabella's life. Today was when she finally would become Vincent's Luna. Luna. She softly said the words out loud and smiled. She loved the sound of it.

After four weeks of happiness with Vincent, she was ready for the next step. He was amazing and even though there had been some whispers of his past relationship with Jacqueline, Arabella believed that it was all in the past. For four weeks, he had never looked at anyone but Arabella.

Arabella and Kia were his future.

Arabella smiled wistfully as she walked down the stairs, clutching her pearl-white dress in her hand. It was a beautiful dress, with full sleeves made of lace, tight bodice, that wrapped around her like it was stitched on her and a flowing gown. She looked beautiful. There were a million butterflies in her stomach as she walked towards what was going to be her new beginning.

Unfortunate for her, she didn't know it was not going to be a beginning.

Arabella smiled when Becca grabbed Arabella's shoulder and turned her to face her. She pulled out a diamond pin from her bag, "this is my grandmama's. She wore it when she married her mate and they lived for a long, long time. Here. You should wear it."

"Um, I am not sure, Bec. You and Liam should-"

"We will, soon. But today, I want you to have it," Becca said as she pinned it to the side of Arabella's bun. "There, done. You look marvelous."

Becca was smiling giddily at her. Her soft blue eyes were dancing in delight as she hugged Arabella tight, and Arabella sniffled a little. God, she would miss Becca and Ziya when she left for Vincent's pack...

"Thanks Bec, I love you, even though you are crazy sometimes." And she was, but she was also her crazy friend.

"I love you, too. God, you look amazing. Now, stay right there. Ziya wants a picture." Becca said as she pulled out her phone. "She is going to lose her mind when she sees you in this dress."

"I miss her. I wish she is here with us," Arabella said, wistfully.

Ziya couldn't attend the mating ceremony between Arabella and her mate, because Ziya had an important exam. She was studying to become a pack doctor and this was unfortunate, but Ziya promised to make it up to her later.

After Becca took the picture and sent it to Ziya, they walked out.

Her brother, Alpha Adam Caine, greeted them with a small smile. His eyes turned misty when he saw her in the white dress.

"Oh, my baby sister has grown so much. God, you are beautiful." He said as he wiped his eyes exaggeratedly, and laughed, but Arabella knew he was actually sniffing and the tears were not fake. They were real. She was his daughter as much as she was his sister.

Lois gave her a side hug. His mate smiled at Arabella and gave her a blue brooch. "Something blue," Misha said, and Arabella chuckled as she pinned the brooch.

The mating ceremony would be held on Vincent's pack land, because it was bigger, or so Vincent had told her.

There were five cars waiting for them as they walked out. Only half of the pack would be going to the Blood Stone Pack for the mating ceremony.

After that, it was planned that Arabella would come back with her mate for the feast that Adam had planned with their head cook right here on their pack land, with an offering to the moon goddess for blessing Arabella's life.

All of the wolves were pitching in to make the banquet special.

Eoren, one of the female warriors of the pack, and Arabella's mentor, bowed to Arabella in greeting. Arabella bowed back. "May you prosper in everything you do." She said and Arabella almost cried.

Other pack members greeted Arabella, threw flowers at her and cheered for her as Arabella got inside her car, feeling like floating. She leaned against the seat as Becca sat next to her. Arabella grabbed Becca's hand in hers and Becca smiled reassuringly.

Arabella was nervous, but she couldn't wait for Vincent to mark her and she couldn't wait to mark him as hers. Her lips pulled up in a smile when she remembered how he had kissed her yesterday and promised to meet her tomorrow. She couldn't wait to become his Luna.

She couldn't wait to show him her plans for his pack. She had a lot of plans. She had piecharts, infographics, statistics to prove how Vincent could make his pack stronger if he just gave opportunities to the omegas, too.

Vincent's pack was still so backward thinking and she couldn't wait to change the dynamics. Omegas needed opportunities to shine, too, and she would help Vincent see how wrong it was to treat the wolves in such a way. He wasn't such a bad man, but he had lived among bad men for so long, and he was influenced by them.

They drove towards the long, windy roads of the kingdom of Euretya, dotted with colorful trees. Jade, ruby, emerald... it stole her breath away.

Arabella stared outside her windows, watching the mountains with a soft look on her face. Her parents had always loved the mountains. The tall snow-capped mountains glittered in the golden sun. The lush jade and ruby red trees reflected scattered sunlight.

"We are here." Adam said as they got out of the car. The place was not crowded, and it didn't look festive. Something felt so off.

Arabella looked around and she couldn't find anyone other than members of Vincent's pack.

Her gut told her to turn back and run. It was like a dark premonition, following her.

But she stayed and it was a big mistake.

She looked at the omega who was looking at them with a soft, sad look in her eyes and Arabella want to ask her why she was looking at them like that. Something terrible was happening here, she just didn't know what it was.

Before Arabella could blink, a tall dirty beige wolf came barreling towards Arabella, its jaw snapping. A snarl ripped through the air and she couldn't look away. She was frozen in space and time.

What is going on here? She thought as Kia snarled inside her head.

"It is a trap. This is an ambush. He lied to us." Kia sounded weak and fragile, so unlike herself. Arabella begged her wolf to come out and fight, but she couldn't.

"Why can't I shift?" Arabella was panicking. She tried, over and over again, but nothing was happening. She remembered all those Gold Wolven whiskey she had drunk together with Vincent.

"Poison. He poisoned us with Aconitum Napellum."

Wolfsbane. Of course! So, this had been his plan the very first day they had met and she had been a blind i***t.

Adam shifted in an instant and then Lois shifted, too. Becca, coming out of the car, understood what was happening in an instant, and she shifted, as well. Misha and Liam followed her.

But it was too late for Arabella by then.

Arabella felt the sharp sting as the wolf's claws ripped through her skin. She quickly stepped to the side, wildly turning towards the wolf as the wolf came at her again.

Blood gushed out of the burning wound. Long jagged lines ran through her arms, ended in her neck. She hissed in pain and anger. Her eyes flashed golden as Kia came forth. But Arabella couldn't feel the life force of her wolf, not fully. It was as if Kia was fading.

Even her voice was distant.

And then wolf after wolf came pouncing out, snarling. The air was filled with angry growls. Arabella fought with the beige wolf, but the wolf was stronger, and she still couldn't shift.

She watched with helplessness and anger as everything was destroyed. Obliterated beyond recognition. Her life. Her family. Her friends.

Vacant eyes glared through her as she helplessly lied on the ground, as Vincent's pack members ripped through her pack, her family. She felt useless. Angry. Broken.

She was the reason for this heartless destruction. She was the reason for this nightmare. Had she opened her eyes and recognized Vincent for what he was... they would have survived this, but now, she was in a haze. He had put her in a cage, kept her closer, so that she could not see behind the closed bars.

She saw Vincent's dark black wolf angrily slashing at Adam's massive gray wolf. They were fighting viciously, but Vincent's wolf was strong and tall and rabid. Kia hadn't gotten along with Leo in the four weeks Vincent and Arabella were together. Looked like this was the reason!

Leo was just a beast. An animal with no trace of human. There was no humanity in that wolf. Or in Vincent. There was no remorse in his eyes, no guilt. Only greed and power.

The Alpha Wolf was a monster, a power-hungry monster.

Arabella's body was groaning in pain, but her heart burned in anger and fury. She wanted to burn the place down, she wanted to burn everything to the ground.

It had only been four weeks, but she had felt it all with Vincent. She had loved him with the innocence of someone who had never had real insight. She was a warrior, but her heart, her heart was simple and naïve and everyone close to her was paying the price for her naivety.

"How can you do this to me, Vincent?" She mumbled weakly as she pressed a hand against her chest. She felt the white hot rush of agony. It was disconcerting.

Leo turned and speared her with a look. She knew what was coming next.

She could have run, but what was the point? There was nothing left for her in this place, not anymore. She was alone.

This was a nightmare.

She was begging for her wolf to come and destroy them, but there was no sound back. There was only the emptiness and the loud sound of the silence. Arabella shuddered. She was going to die without her wolf. What would her wolf do? Where would she go?

She saw the dirty beige wolf clawing at Becca's wolf, Kenna. Kenna was a spunky one, but the other wolf was cruel. Instinctively, Arabella knew this was the tall woman Vincent had been talking to on the day of his coronation ball. This was her. The woman everyone said was Vincent's lover.

Her vicious eyes were mocking as she pawed at Becca, over and over, clawing, scratching. Becca didn't stand a chance. Her sharp canines ripped through Becca's flesh and Arabella felt her heart squeeze. It happened in slow motion... the wolf plunged her sharp claw inside Becca's heart.

Becca's limp body fell from the wolf's jaw. Liam howled in angst, pain, as he leaped at the beige wolf. His long canines grabbed her hind leg and the wolf kicked Liam in his snout.

Another massive brown wolf charged at Liam, dragging him away as he growled in anger and agony. Vincent's Beta. Conrad.

Misha's wolf was fighting to stand, but she was no fighter. Another wolf pounced at her, slashing at her belly. Lois came to his mate's aid, but it was no use.

Arabella begged her wolf to come back, to save her brother. Adam was powerful, yes, but he was no match compared to Vincent's wolf, Leo.

Leo growled as his canines ripped into Adam's beautiful gray wolf, Jupiter. Jupiter fought, parried, as long as he could, but he was slowing down.

Leo came off with a chunk of Jupiter's muscles and Jupiter howled. Arabella shuddered as she crawled towards Adam... but before she could reach him, she saw Leo throwing Jupiter down, and he was mangled. Arabella could never have identified that this was her brother, had she not seen the fight happening!

"You fūcking bastard. You heartless, soulless-" Arabella sobbed as she watched Adam taking his last shuddering breath. "I am sorry, Adam." She whispered.

Leo let out a victorious howl as Jupiter crumbled to the ground. Kia whined as she saw Jupiter was defeated.

"No. Adam, no, NO..." She whimpered as tears leaked down her chin, along with blood.

The game was lost before it had started.

Vincent Briar, the mate Moon Goddess had chosen for her! And of what a mate!

This cruel man was her mate. The man who had made sweet love to her, made false promises to her.

Leo, Vincent's wolf, stood in the midst of the bloodshed, tall and proud, his black eyes reflecting the spilled blood. His muzzle was stained red, and so were his claws.

Arabella growled weakly. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t wake up. Her white dress was torn and so was her skin. This was supposed to be a happy day... but it was hell.

This was Arabella's hell and she was burning.

"Run." Someone whispered next to her. She saw the same omega, standing in front of her. She didn't even know why this wolf was helping her... "You must run."

"I can't leave my family." Arabella whispered.

"They are all gone, but you- you can still run."

"I can't even stand up and even if I can, I don't want to run." Arabella whispered, looking at the mousy looking woman. "And why are you helping me?"

"That is not important right now. For now, you need to get up and run." The woman lifted Arabella, but Arabella's legs were like rubber. She couldn't even stand up, much less run. "You need to get away now."

And Arabella knew she had to run. Because... this can't end here. She can't die here. Of course, she would rather die, but... she had to live.

She felt like her whole body was burning... and maybe, she would come out of the ashes!

She would be his hellfire.

She ran, with legs trembling, heart pounding. The forest was cold and she was shivering. She wanted to rest, but she knew she couldn't stop. Her breathing left in a shuddering gasp.

She would rather die, than live in this heartbreak. But she pushed forward.

She wanted to stop. Running was getting harder, and she was barely making any distance.

"Stop."

It was Vincent. He had shifted back to himself. He was wearing only trousers and even now, even at the verge of death, she felt anger mixed with undeniable attraction. It was sick.

Arabella watched him as he stalked towards her. His eyes were still gleaming, a hint of wolf reflecting from the depth. Leo's madness was showing.

She took a step back and another. Her torn dress caught in her leg and she fell down. Of course, she knew this was coming. She knew she was going to die today, even before Vincent had caught up with her.

"Why?" Her lips trembled, but she refused to cry. "Why did you- why-"

"I have no other option," Vincent said calmly, but his eyes were flickering on and off with his wolf.

Arabella felt the bitterness rising inside her.

"I hate you. I wish you were dead! I wish I could kill you right now."

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