Reclaiming Herself—Completed

Chapter Eleven

Danielle.

The woman in the mirror didn’t even resemble the actual woman she was. Danielle was totally decked out from head to toe, and it made her sick to her stomach to see herself dressed up like a doll. Richard had ordered two slave girls to prepare her for the Alpha Summit Annual Ball, and she knew she was only attending to make him look good. Richard wanted to show off his new luna.

Danielle wore a high neck, emerald green dress that flowed down to her velvet, black heels. The sleeves were capped, and the back of the dress was almost nonexistent. The front was overlaid with lace that reached up to the capped sleeves. There was a long slit in the dress that ended on her mid thigh. Her unruly red curls were pinned back in a sophisticated bun with curled strands on either side of her face to frame it. Her face was complete with full make-up, which included a smokey eye and red matte lip.

The most important piece of her outfit was that her neck was covered. The wound hadn’t healed from where Richard had forcefully marked her. It continued to ooze blood, pus, and plasma. Her body was trying to heal itself, but something was keeping the wound from fully closing.

If Danielle had thought that living in the cell had been hell, she was sorely mistaken. The last week of her life made her question whether she truly wanted to live to see the next week. Apart from now living with d**k and being chained to his bed every night, she was forced to take “Luna lessons” from a recently captured luna from a now disbanded smaller pack. Both women had spent every waking minute together in order to get Danielle ready. She learned how to eat, sit, talk, and curtsy like a true luna.

Richard had promised the luna freedom if Danielle performed well at the ball. She didn’t have the heart to tell the luna the truth. It didn’t matter how well Danielle performed at the ball, the luna would either be sold to the highest bidder or killed. Rishard never let his victims escape unscathed.

“You look beautiful, Luna,” one of the slave girls said timidly.

“I’m not your Luna, but thank you, I guess. It’s your hard work, not mine,” Danielle replied with a faint smile.

Heavy footsteps approached the room, and Richard barged in moments later, wearing a suit one size too small for him. He greedily took in Danielle’s form, envisioning all the ways to take off her dress later that night.

“You look gorgeous, as always, Luna,” he said.

Danielle only nodded. She knew her place. She hadn't endured a painful healing process just yesterday to get hit and ruin all the hard work her omegas had done. She could still feel the pain of the black eye she’d gotten after he’d smacked her for “back-talking.”

“Before we leave, though, I have a special something for you,” Richard said, producing a small bag and handing it to her.

Taken aback, Danielle took it from him and sat gracefully on the bed. She removed the tissue paper and held a long box in her hands. Opening it revealed a dainty, silver bracelet. Her blood ran cold as she looked down at the “gift.” Fear crept into her heart as she began thinking about how he wanted to torment her further with this bracelet.

“Now, now. I see that look on your face. It isn’t real silver. It’s nickel. Silver in color, but it won’t hurt you,” Richard clarified.

Disbelief spread throughout her body. “Really?” she asked, amazed.

Richard scoffed. “Well, yeah. I wouldn’t make you burn yourself all night in front of everyone.”

“Right…” she muttered.

Richard wasn’t stupid enough to outwardly show his repulsive ways.

“Let’s go, Luna,” he said, grabbing her attention.

Richard held out his hand, and she placed the bracelet into it. He then wrapped it around her dainty wrist and clasped it. The moment the bracelet closed around her wrist, she felt a jolt of pain flash through her entire body. Richard didn’t seem fazed by it, so she shook it off. Perhaps it was a side effect of her other ailments.

He then proffered his arm, and she took it, interlocking her own arm into his. The two walked out of the room, down the stairs, and outside, where there was a sleek new SUV waiting for them. Danielle briefly wondered where he had obtained the sums for such luxury, but didn’t swell on it for too long. She didn’t want to know.

In a matter of minutes, the couple was speeding towards the ball with Richard’s closest men in tow. He had said it was for their safety, but she knew it was to keep her from escaping. It was a huge risk to let her mingle with the others.

After an hour of travelling, they arrived at a travel center. After the war with the demons, witches were no longer so fearful of being exposed. With their magic, portal travel was swiftly instated all over the world. Travel centers were constructed in order to help the accessibility of such a luxury. A few witches had gotten together to create a portal that would let someone put in coordinates to where they’d like to go, as long as there was another open portal in the exact spot. It became a fad for the alpha, who was hosting the portal, to invest in such a portal so that the Alpha Summit could incorporate more than just the surrounding packs. Now, the whole of America could attend the same ball.

Richard punched in the coordinates and the entire party was transported to the residence of Alpha Isaac Grayson of the Green Forest Pack. Danielle was struck immediately by the wealth of the place. When they emerged from the portal, they walked onto a red carpet, which led up to a giant mansion. Fountains lined their way as well as a sprawling garden full of roses, violets, peonies, and many more flowers that she didn’t know the names of. There were fairy lights hanging in the sky, and as Richard pulled her closer to the entrance of the house, Danielle was caught up in the beauty of what a real pack could feel like.

They were greeted by pack members dressed in serving uniforms. They climbed the stairs and entered the manor, which was equally decked out with flowery decorations and elegantly hanging lanterns. As they descended the stairs, someone called out their names, “Alpha Richard Degrano and Luna Degrano of the Silver Sliver Pack.”

Danielle’s delight melted immediately. It was the first time she had formally been introduced as d**k’s luna, and it left a bad taste in her mouth. Someone handed them glasses of champagne, but Danielle didn’t feel like drinking. She just wanted the night to end. There were so many people, and she felt overwhelmed by everything.

“Hello!” a woman’s squeal drew Danielle’s attention. “It’s so great to finally meet you! Can’t say I’ve heard much about you, but when Richy said he’d finally met his second chance mate and luna, we were just overjoyed!”

The woman hugged her, and Danielle did her best to smile at the woman and not spill her drink.

“Oh sorry, I’m Melissa Grayson! We’re hosting this year’s Alpha Summit Ball. What do you think? I hope I didn’t over-do it. I was just so excited to win the bid this year. I’ve been pining for hostess for so long, and Isaac finally gave in and won it for me! He’s just the sweetest and spoils me constantly. You’ll have to tell me how much Richy spoils you! You look gorgeous, by the way,” Melissa prattled on.

“Thank you so much,” Danielle smiled graciously. “Your home is just lovely. Your eye for decor is incomparable.”

“Oh stop,” Melissa giggled, clearly loving the attention. “You praise too much. Last year’s was out of this world. Tina was a genius. I can’t even come close.”

“Though I wasn’t able to attend last year's, I’m sure you far exceed her talent.”

“Richy,” Melissa said, placing a hand on his arm. “What a flatterer she is! Such a keeper. Aren’t you lucky?”

Richard smiled tersely. “Ah yes. I am ever so grateful to have found her. We must make the rounds though. Please excuse us. We’ll join you at a later time.”

“Of course! Enjoy!” the luna giggled. “Oh Tina! There you are. You must tell me what you think!”

Danielle watched the woman rush towards the other and wondered what her life could possibly be like.

“Such an airhead,” Richard muttered. “Always hated that woman. Never knew what Isaac saw in her besides her tits.”

Danielle ignored the comment as Richard steered them towards another group of people. She did her best to be present and emote the power of a luna. She knew her act needed to be convincing enough for Richard. He had made a few very real threats on the two slave girls’ lives who had helped her get ready. If Danielle didn’t convince everyone at the party that they were happily in love, their lives would be forfeit, and she would have to watch.

“Such a darling she is, Richard,” another luna was saying to them.

Richard grinned with pride. “Yes, I’m a lucky man. The Moon Goddess has given me a piece of herself in this beautiful lady. Just having her next to me fills me with more joy than I’ve ever known.”

“Wow, Rich. I’ve never heard you talk like this before,” an older alpha joked.

“What can I say, Leo? When I have the best, nothing else can compare.”

The group laughed and continued talking about how well their packs were doing. Danielle did her best to chime in when necessary, but she let her eyes wander. It was then that her eyes met his, and her heart stopped. The man across the room was wearing a tailored grey suit that hugged his muscles without being flashy. His light brown hair was styled to look slightly messy and his beard was close shaven and crisp. Danielle hadn’t ever seen a more attractive man in her entire life.