My Mate's Tough Choice

CELINE’S POV “You murderer!” Liam slapped my face hard. I was in tears, and the hitting didn’t stop. “Argh!” I groaned in pain as I fell to my knees on the floor. The hot rod hit my back as my hands trembled against the rough floor, searching for something—anything—to hold onto as the wave of pain crashed over me. “I am innocent! Please, you have to believe me,” I pleaded, my voice shaking and my heart racing with fear and hope that he would listen to my plea. “The nerve of you!” Liam yelled, his fist swinging toward me, hitting me yet again. “I blame Alex. What was he thinking, bringing you into this pack house?” Liam rolled his eyes dramatically, his heavy judgment weighing down on me like a heavy blanket. His anger twisted my stomach, making my life a million times more difficult. “Get her out of here!” Liam ordered, his voice filled with desperation. He ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in his clenched jaw. “I can’t bear the thought of killing her with my own hands,” he added, his gaze shifting to the floor as if the idea itself was too much to handle. The guards sprang into action, swiftly moving toward me. They grabbed my arms, lifting me off the ground as I struggled against their grip. They led me down a dark corridor, the echo of my footsteps mixing with the sound of their boots. With a rough shove, they threw me onto the cold, hard floor of the dungeon, where only scanty hay lay scattered around me. Tears streamed down my cheeks ‘How did my night of bliss turn into a morning of horror?’ I thought. ‘Was this all just a really bad dream?’ “I didn’t do it. I swear, I didn’t. I swear on my life.” I cried harder, my voice breaking as I pleaded for mercy while the guards turned to leave. “Bold of you to think your life is worth so much,” the first guard scoffed, crossing his arms with a smirk. “Or worth anything at all,” the second guard added, both of them laughing as they walked away, leaving me in despair. I couldn’t have killed Alpha Alex. He was the one person who gave me a reason to live after years of being beaten and humiliated as a slave in the Blood Moon Pack. Last night was the first with Alpha Alex, after our mating ceremony. I still remembered how my heart raced with joy; one could say it was the happiest day of my life in all my nineteen years. The one time I finally felt wanted and alive. “Was this the happiness you promised, Alex?” I wept bitterly in the dungeon, my voice echoing softly in the dim space. Suddenly, the pack house lights went out, plunging me into darkness. I sat alone in the dark, My body shivering as a chill filled the air. I jolted at the sound of approaching footsteps. I froze, straining to listen in the darkness. “Come here!” a thick voice barked, sending a shiver down my spine. The stranger stepped closer, grabbing me by the neck, my legs too weak to support me. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for a slap, but instead, his lips pressed against mine, his tongue invading my mouth. Wearing only a silk dress and a mesh robe, I felt his hand slip beneath my dress, tearing my panties with ease. I didn’t dare fight back. How could I? I had lost my will to live, and nothing else mattered. I cried and shivered; cold sweat dripped down my back, but he paid no mind to my distress. With a harsh grip, he turned me around, bending me at the waist. My palms pressed against the rough edge of the table for support. “Argh,” I groaned as the stranger thrust into me from behind, pulling me by the waist forcefully toward him. He moaned softly as he went back and forth with the thrust, and after a couple of minutes, he let out a sigh of satisfaction before callously throwing me onto the floor like a broken doll. He zipped his trousers and walked away.‘ "Oh, Celine! How lowly you have become," I thought to myself. I remained in the same exact position until the break of day when the guards arrived. “The council demands your presence,” one guard announced. I was numb, unable to move a muscle. With impatience, the guard yanked me from the floor, dragging me toward the court chamber, where Liam, Alex’s stepbrother, now seated on the throne of Alpha, and the seven elders of the NightWind pack awaited. “The punishment for this level of treason is death,” one elder declared. “She must die!” another added. All seven nodded affirmatively. Liam remained quietly seated all the while, without a single word, leaving me to wonder if I would ever escape this nightmare. “Lead her to the gallows!” the head elder said. “You would do no such thing,” Liam finally spoke, lifting his bloodshot eyes. “She will not be killed,” he said. “She will be my mate,” he announced. As I followed Liam to his chambers, I couldn't help thinking that death was a more favorable option, especially as he turned to me with a smirk on his face. “I need you alive, rather than dead.” He said. I kept my head to the floor, avoiding his gaze like a plague. “Strip!” He ordered. I shifted my eyes, to make sure I wasn't going to obey that order. ‘Perhaps, he would get angry enough to kill me with his bare hands,’ I thought, or at least I hoped. When I wouldn't consent, Liam dragged me by the hair to his stuffy and smelly closet. “I'll make you hate your life.” He said. I thought he was doing a good job with that already. I could neither tell day or night in the closet, but it felt like forever and I was starving and growing weaker and weaker, until eventually, I lost consciousness.