The Moonstone Curse

Edge of Defiance

Livia POV

I had thought that being imprisoned and beaten by the enemy would be the final straw that shattered me, but I was wrong. Staring into my mate’s eyes while he rejected me is far worse than anything this pack can inflict on me.

How is it even possible to have a fated mate? Goddess Selene has been gone for three centuries. Her promise of fated mates died along with her when the Gods waged war against each other, and she was taken from us.

And how can he gaze so easily into the eyes of his true mate and declare he does not want her? How can he willingly inflict pain on her, shattering what little remains of her heart?

I just don’t understand.

It has been three days since I was brought to this breeding room. Three days of sitting in utter silence, completely alone. Three days of questioning why my mate refuses to come to me.

If he truly does not desire me, why not confront me and reject me officially? I would rather endure the physical pain of rejection than bear the agony I feel now. At least then, I could go back to hating this entire pack, instead of seeing a tiny glint of hope inside the vast darkness.

But instead, I lie here, trapped in the room adjacent to his, listening to his heavy footfalls as he comes and goes without sparing a thought for me. Every step shakes the wooden floor beneath my bed, and with every tremor, another piece of my heart crumbles.

The jingle of keys echoes beyond my door, followed by the sharp click of the lock yielding. I expect Maria, the young servant girl who has been delivering my meals. But when the door swings open, a tall, dark figure steps inside.

He carries a duffle bag slung over his right shoulder; his face etched with a scowl. He glares at me with disdain, his jaw twitching in time with the beating of my heart, as though the mere sight of me is his least favorite part of his day.

"The king wants you to put this on." His voice, dripping with menace, reverberates through the air as he hurls the bag toward me. His aim falters, and the bag collides with the lamp on the nightstand, sending both the glass and bag crashing to the floor, leaving me to dress in darkness.

***

I step into the dimly lit room, and an immediate sense of unease washes over me. The air feels heavy, suffused with an unsettling stillness that sends shivers down my spine. The ambiance is eerie, as though the room itself holds secrets it's reluctant to reveal.

In front of me, a two-way mirror stretches across the wall. It reflects the room back at me in cold, harsh clarity, and I know—I am being watched.

A simple bed rests against one wall, stripped of its warm essence. Stark white sheets drape over it, reminding me of the sterile coldness of a hospital room. Adjacent to the bed, a dresser stands, its mirror cracked and shattered, evidence of some violent force that collided with it.

There is nothing inviting about this room. If anything, the secrets concealed within the shadows seem to scream at me, urging me to flee, to turn on my heel and escape this place forever.

I wish I could accept their warning and run, but the tall, dark guard who led me here remains a formidable barrier, his arms crossed over his chest, effectively blocking any escape route.

I hear a door in the distance open, and faintly on the other side of the glass barrier, I see the Alpha King. His piercing gaze locks onto mine, sending an electric jolt of fear through my veins. Beside him, other gentlemen gather, each one exuding a cold darkness to their essence.

Another click sounds from behind me, and two more figures enter the room. Twins. Their identical smirks suggest they’ve already won whatever sick game they’ve planned. “She’s pretty,” one of them says, his eyes raking over my body.

The white short silken dress is thin and see through and under his gaze I feel everything bit of what the Alpha king said I would be, a w***e.

My heart skips a beat as the final figure joins us – my mate, the soon to be Alpha of Whitefang.

Instinctively, I take a few retreating steps, a belated reaction as my mind remembers the chilling words of the Alpha-King.

“The first breeding, my dear princess, will happen before the watchful eyes of the entire guard. I anticipate your resistance; what a show it will be.”

One of the twins snickers, stepping closer. “Little Snow White, afraid of the big bad wolf?”

His brother elbows him. “You i***t, it’s Little Red Riding Hood who’s afraid of the wolf. Snow White, though, shared a bed with seven men.”

The guard's voice slices through the taunting banter, a stern reminder of the rules that govern this twisted scenario. "There will be none of that. You all know the rules. She belongs to Zeke."

Zeke, my mate, scoffs, his expression dripping with disdain as if the notion of belonging to him is an insult. "You two can hold the little stray down." He declares, a sadistic smirk playing at the edges of his mouth. His eyes bore into mine with pure hatred, as if testing me, a simmering intensity that refuses to be ignored.

My ego shatters under his gaze, and I scowl back at him, my own resentment unwavering. Do I want to breed him in front of an audience? Absolutely not, and I'll be damned if I will go down without a fight.

As Zeke's gaze continues to pierce into mine, an unsettling silence settles over the room, thick with unspoken tension. An airy tickle plays with the entrance of my mind and then I hear his voice, as plain as day echoing inside my head. “I will not hurt you, Livia. Trust me”

For a moment, the room fades, leaving only the two of us. My heart stops as the connection between us flares to life, even through his hatred.

"Touch me and you'll be sorry." I say aloud, meeting his gaze with defiance.

Without thinking, I swing. My fist collides with his jaw, and the room explodes into a stunned silence. Zeke’s eyes widen, shocked, before narrowing with a fury that sends a chill through my veins.

The twins' laughter halts abruptly as the guard's hand tightens on the hilt of his weapon, a warning that hangs heavy in the air. But I don’t stop. My resolve intensifies, and I pull my fist back again, ready to deliver another blow.

Before I can strike, Zeke's expression shifts from surprise to fury. In an instant, he's charging towards me, his movements swift and predatory. He reaches me before I can hit him again, his arms wrapping around me in a vice. He lifts me off my feet and throws me over his shoulder as if I weigh nothing.

“Open the damn door!” he shouts. The guard scrambles to obey, and Zeke storms out, carrying me as if I’m nothing more than a rag doll.

I hit the ground with a hard thud as he drops me outside. Pain shoots through me, but I force myself up, glaring at him through the fog of pain.

Zeke wipes a smear of blood from his lip, his smirk dark and dangerous. From deep within his chest, her pures out a soft chuckle, something mixed with approval and disapproval. “Feisty,” he mutters, his voice a low growl. “I promised I wouldn’t hurt you, but I can’t promise that he won't."

His words send a shiver of fear through my bones. As much as I want to despise him, there's an undeniable intensity to his presence that both infuriates and intrigues me. I stand up straighter. “Screw you and this damned pack.”

His smirk deepens, amused by my defiance. With a fluid grace, he turns away from me and strides down the dimly lit corridor, his figure gradually fading from view.

The twins remain by the door, casting a cautious glance my way. As Zeke disappears, one of the twins' faces softens, and he shakes his head, "You're in for it now, Snow." He mutters softly, his voice tinged with a hint of regret. "And Zeke was the only one that could have saved you."

His words linger in the air like a death sentence, a reminder of the power I’ve just challenged—and the consequences that await.

My skin itches with fear, my body preparing to shift into my wolf to help me fight off danger, but Emery's warning sounds in my head once more. "Whatever happens, do not shift."