RISE OF THE DEAD LUNA

"I didn't kill him!" My scream echoed through the courtyard, but not a single soul moved. Hundreds of wolves stood in a circle around me, their expressions cold, their eyes filled with hatred. Some whispered amongst themselves while others openly spat at my feet as if I were nothing more than a criminal waiting to be executed. Just yesterday... They had bowed their heads whenever I walked past them. Yesterday, I was Luna Evelyn. Today... I was a murderer. "I said I didn't kill Alpha Rowan!" My voice cracked as I struggled against the silver chains wrapped tightly around my wrists. They burned into my skin, making my wolf whimper in agony. No one cared. The elders sat upon the stone platform overlooking the execution grounds, their faces expressionless. The Beta refused to look me in the eye. Even the maids who once adored me now stared at the ground. Everyone had already decided my fate. My eyes searched desperately for only one person. My mate. Alpha Kael. He stood before the crowd in his black ceremonial cloak, his handsome face as unreadable as stone. The wind carried the scent of cedar and rain—my favorite scent in the world. Or... It used to be. "Kael..." My voice trembled. "You know me." He didn't answer. "You know I could never betray this pack." Silence. "Please..." I took one shaky step forward before the guards yanked me back by the chains. "Tell them!" The words ripped from my throat. "Tell them I loved your father like he was my own!" Still... Nothing. My heart shattered. Three years. Three years of standing beside him. Three years of defending this pack. Three years of loving a man who couldn't even spare me a single word. The Head Elder slowly rose from his seat. "Evelyn Ashbourne." His voice carried throughout the entire courtyard. "You stand accused of murdering Alpha Rowan." "I didn't!" "You were found covered in his blood." "I tried to save him!" "The murder weapon carried your scent." "Someone framed me!" "The guards witnessed you fleeing his chambers." "I ran to get help!" Every explanation I gave was drowned by angry shouts. "Liar!" "Murderer!" "Monster!" A rotten tomato struck my shoulder. Another hit my cheek. Someone threw a stone. Warm blood trickled down my forehead. I looked at the faces around me. People whose children I had healed. Families I had protected. Elders I had respected. Not one believed me. The Head Elder lifted his staff. "The council has reached its decision." The crowd fell silent. "For the crime of regicide..." He paused. "...and the betrayal of your Alpha..." "You are hereby stripped of your title as Luna." A silver necklace bearing the Luna crest was ripped from my neck. It hit the ground with a metallic clang. "...your wolf shall forever be exiled from this pack." I bit my lip until I tasted blood. "...and you shall suffer the ancient punishment reserved only for traitors." A strange unease settled in my stomach. Ancient punishment? I had never heard those words before. The Head Elder pointed behind me. "Bring the coffin." My eyes widened. No... No... Several warriors dragged a massive wooden coffin into the center of the courtyard. Fresh dirt clung to its sides. It wasn't for a funeral. It was already prepared. For me. Fear unlike anything I had ever known gripped my heart. "No..." I whispered. The warriors opened the lid. Darkness stared back at me. "No..." I shook my head violently. "You can't..." One of the guards grabbed my arm. I fought. Kicked. Bit. Screamed. "I'M INNOCENT!" Another guard seized my legs. "PLEASE!" I looked at Kael. He was still standing there. Watching. Not moving. Not speaking. Not saving me. Tears blurred my vision. "Kael..." My voice came out as a whisper. "If you ever loved me..." I swallowed painfully. "...don't let them do this." For the first time... He finally looked directly into my eyes. Hope flared inside me. He stepped forward. One step. Then another. Until he stood only inches away. His expression never changed. "I wanted to believe you." The words were barely audible. "But the evidence says otherwise." Everything inside me froze. "No..." "I cannot place one woman above the safety of my people." One woman. Not his mate. Not his wife. Just... One woman. My knees gave way. The bond between us felt as though someone had driven a blade through it. I laughed. A broken... Empty laugh. "I see." So this was love. This was the mate the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. A man who would rather bury me alive than question the lies placed before him. The guards lifted me. I screamed until my lungs burned. They forced me into the coffin. "No!" The rough wood scraped against my arms. The silver chains made it impossible to move. I tried climbing out. Someone shoved me back inside. The lid slammed shut. Darkness. Complete darkness. Outside... I heard hammering. They were sealing the coffin. "N-no..." My breathing quickened. I slammed both fists against the lid. "Please!" Hammer! "Please let me out!" Hammer! "I'm innocent!" Hammer! "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" No answer. Only silence. Then... Movement. The coffin descended. Slowly. Ropes creaked as I was lowered into the earth. Cold surrounded me. The air grew thinner. Then came the first sound. Thud. A shovel of dirt landed above me. Another. Another. Another. Each impact echoed through the coffin like thunder. The realization hit me. They weren't pretending. They were really burying me alive. I clawed desperately at the lid until my fingernails split and blood coated the wood. "Kael!" I screamed his name over and over. Nothing. No footsteps. No command to stop. No rescue. Only dirt. More dirt. More. More. Until every sound outside disappeared. I curled into myself, sobbing uncontrollably. "So..." I whispered into the darkness. "This is how my story ends." My chest tightened. The air was disappearing. Each breath became harder than the last. My wolf whimpered weakly inside me. "We're going to die..." "I'm sorry..." I whispered to her. "I'm so sorry." Then... A voice. Soft. Ancient. Female. It echoed inside the coffin. "No, child." I stopped breathing. "You are not meant to die today." My eyes flew open. "W-who's there?" Silence. Then the voice returned. "They betrayed you." "Yes..." "They buried you." "Yes..." "They took everything from you." Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks. "Yes." A low chuckle filled the darkness. "Then tell me..." The coffin suddenly trembled. The earth itself began to shake. "What will you become if I give it all back?" My heart pounded. Power. Cold. Ancient. It flowed through the wood like black smoke. The mysterious voice whispered one final question. "Do you seek justice..." A pause. "...or vengeance?" I closed my eyes. Every face flashed before me. The elders. The crowd. Kael. The man who had watched me die. When I opened my eyes again... There were no tears left. Only hatred. "My answer..." I whispered. "...is vengeance." The earth exploded. **End of Chapter One**