The Alpha’s Bought Luna

Ava’s POV The night smelled like smoke and betrayal, I crouched behind the stone pillar near the edge of the courtyard, my fingers dug into the cold ground as my heart beat too fast in my chest. The flames from our burning home lit up the sky in a cruel orange glow, I wanted to run to it. I wanted to scream, to fight, to tell them the truth. But I couldn’t move. My legs felt like they were buried in cement. They were dragging my parents, my innocent parents, into the center of the courtyard. The chains rattled around their wrists and ankles, and even from where I hid, I could see the blood that streaked down my father’s face. My mother’s dress was torn, her eyes were wild as she searched the crowd. I knew she was looking for me, and that broke me. I pressed my hand over my mouth to hold in the sob that was tearing through my chest. I couldn’t let anyone hear me. If they found me… I would be next. "By order of the Silverclaw Council," Beta Gideon’s voice rang out over the courtyard, it was cruel and cold, "Edward and Marla Harlow are hereby sentenced to death for treason against the pack." "No!" I whispered, choking on the word. My whole body shook as I watched my father straighten his back, lifting his chin like a warrior that was facing his last battle. My mother fell to her knees beside him. "We are loyal to the pack!" she screamed. "We would never-!" But her words were drowned by the roaring of the crowd. They weren’t listening, and no one cared. They believed the lies. They refuse to believe him. I scanned the faces in the crowd, hoping to see someone, anyone, who looked unsure. Someone who looked like they still believed in us. But they were all the same, angry, blinded and hungry for blood. And then I saw him, Damien. My mate. He stood near the front, his arms crossed, face was hard and cold. He wasn’t even pretending to look upset, his eyes met my father's and then he smirked. That was the moment I knew something was wrong. I felt something break inside me, it was small and sharp. Like he did this. I pressed my back to the stone pillar and squeezed my eyes shut as the flames reached higher. I couldn’t look, I couldn’t see them die. The sound of fire cracking and my mother’s last scream would stay with me forever. My stomach turned, and I curled into myself, my whole body shaking as silent tears poured down my face. I bit my fist so hard I tasted blood. They were gone, my parents, my everything. And Damien had watched them burn. I waited for the screams to stop, for the fire to die down. For the crowd to finally go quiet, when I finally opened my eyes, it was just ash and smoke. The air was heavy with it, thick enough to choke on. My home was gone, my family, my life. And all I had left was the truth, raw and terrible. I had to find Damien, I had to understand why. Why would the man who promised me forever be like them?. I moved away like a ghost, careful not to make a sound. My clothes were torn, my face covered in soot and tears. I didn’t care, nothing mattered now except answers. The Packhouse was mostly empty, everyone still outside, drunk on justice. The door to Damien’s room was slightly open. I pushed it gently, my heart pounding like a drum in my ears. And that’s when I saw them. Damien and Lydia, my best friends. Naked limbs tangled in his sheets, her lips were on his neck, his voice was low and whispering. I couldn’t breathe, I froze, hidden by the shadows of the hallway, my hand clutched against my chest. Lydia laughed softly. “It worked,” she whispered. “They are gone. No more Harlows to get in your way.” Damien chuckled, his voice colder than the night outside. “I told you it would, they were stupid to trust me.” Lydia’s fingers trailed down his chest. “What about Ava?” A pause, I leaned closer, my nails digging into the wooden frame of the door. “She will break eventually,” he said. “Or disappear, either way, she is no longer a problem.” I stumbled back, the pain was like a knife in my gut. My breath came out in a loud gasp before I could stop it. Their heads snapped toward the door. “Ava,” Lydia’s voice was low, venomous. Run. My mind screamed the word, but my feet wouldn’t move. Lydia leapt from the bed, still half dressed, and stormed toward me. Damien didn’t even try to stop her. I turned around too late, and strong hands grabbed me. Warriors, his warriors, threw me to the ground, my cheek hit the cold stone floor, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. I tried to fight, kicked, and screamed. But they were too strong. "Let me go!" I cried, but no one listened. Lydia stood above me, brushing her hair back from her smug face. "She was spying. How pathetic." “Traitor,” Damien said, his voice echoing in the hallway. “I’m not-!” I coughed up blood in my throat. “You killed them. You lied-” “Enough,” he snapped. They dragged me out into the night, and the courtyard was still smoldering with ash. The crowd turned as I was thrown before the council like a criminal. I could barely stand, my knees scraped and bleeding, my arms twisted behind my back. I lifted my head, my eyes met the ashes where my home used to be. My parents had stood here, not even an hour ago, now it was my turn. Damien and Lydia stood behind the council, side by side, smug and victorious. My chest heaved with broken sobs, but I didn’t look away. “Bring her forward,” Beta Gideon said. I was dragged again, my feet stumbling. My eyes blurred from pain and tears. “I didn’t do anything,” I said, barely above a whisper. “You killed my parents for nothing.” Gideon sneered. “You will answer for your crimes, Ava Harlow.” “I didn’t commit any!” I screamed, my voice raw. “You are killing innocent people…. because of them!” I turned to look at Damien. “You said you loved me…” He didn’t flinch, not even an ounce of guilt. Lydia leaned close to him and whispered something, he smiled. And just like that, the last of my hope died. I fell to my knees, the ashes drifted around on the wind like snow, landing in my hair, my mouth, my wounds.