The Unexpected Mate

I love that moment of consciousness. The one you get as you leave your dreams but have yet to open your eyes. Or I should say, I used to love it. Now, I would give anything to go back to dreams. But I can’t. No matter how hard I try, my eyes still opened. I wake to cold sterile white walls. A window with bars, a white door. All that is in the room is a toilet, sink, and cot. My prison cell. I am a good person. I was a good Luna. Kind, caring, and compassionate. I treated my pack with dignity and respect. I loved my mate. We were a good team, and we complimented each other. Our pack, the Bloodstone pack, was small but mighty. We had 200 people who called our land home. But another pack, the Golden Moon pack also lay claim to our lands. For a century, there was uncertainty. Fighting, picking off small groups, and uneasy truces. Until Alpha Victor came along. We had heard rumors of his ruthlessness. That he was cold and calculating. He had already taken over the Winterthorn pack. He had bloodlust. Why wouldn’t he come for us. It was only a matter of time. I sit up on my cot. There is nothing to do but remember, and I don’t want to keep reliving it. -- The guards were surrounding the house, making sure that no one got in. I was on the third floor with my friend Bailey and my personal guard Theo. Bailey was shaking so badly. I wrapped my arms around her. Rocking her tightly, whispering nonsense things in her ears. Somewhere outside was my mate. Alric. He decided to be at the front of the house. He decided to lead his warriors into battle. I had faith. We heard the fighting. Scratching, yelping, growling, and bites. You could not tell who was winning. It seemed to go on forever. Theo was pacing. He knew he had a mission to complete but it was destroying him not to be with his brothers. Some of them by blood, all of them by bond. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that the townspeople were spared. Usually that is the case, to grow your pack, but with Victor-who knew. I had heard he spared no one. I don’t know when I first realized it but it had slowly grown quieter. The battle was ending, someone had won. I quickly looked at Theo and could tell right away that it was not us. He was fighting to hold the tears back. “They’re gone” he whispered. “Who is?” I asked him, leaving Bailey and rushing to him. I grabbed his shoulders and faced him straight on “Theo, who is gone!” It was the first time I felt a sliver of fear. Before he could answer, we heard footsteps. Voices, movement. “Stay here” Theo commanded as he left the room. I locked it and returned to Bailey. Tears were streaming down her cheeks. I took her face in my hands, and leaned in. Touching forehead to forehead. Like we had done since we were kids. We stayed like that. Closing our eyes. Breathing. I don’t know how much time had passes. All of a sudden the door broke open and men began filing in. “Luna Elise, you are to come with me.” The man said, he grabbed my wrist pulling me towards the door. “NO!” I screamed. “BAILEY!” I kicked him in the knee and he went down quickly. I rushed back to Bailey. At least I tried too. But more guards were pulling on me and were pushing us away from each other. We were both sobbing. Two warriors held my arms, another walked right up to me and slapped me. He came an inch close to my face and sneered “Try that again, and I will kill her. You are to come with us now.” I hung my head. I knew I was defeated. As I was leaving, I turned to Bailey and said” I love you to the moon and back” “I love you even further”. Our childhood saying. We were more like sister than friends I meant it everytime I said it, and know she did too. The guards loosened their grips on my arms. As we made our way to the second floor, we passed Theo, were he laid. My protector for years. I looked down at my feet, not wanting to trip but not wanting to see the bloodshed. Then outside the house I had to look up, I had to know. I saw bodies of people I loved, grown up with. Our pack. Tears fell freely but quietly. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction They walked me to a big black SUV. Before I got in, I saw him. My Alric. Lying with his warriors. Dead. My heart burst and in that moment everything went black. -- I woke up in this room. With nothing but my memories of that day playing over and over. After awhile, I became so numb to it that I didn’t even cry anymore. Except when I thought of Alric and that I didn’t even get to tell him – well it didn’t matter anymore. Meals were given to me through a slot twice a day. I wondered what the point was. I couldn’t tell you how many days had passed. I was greatful that I didn’t have a mirror. My hair was long, brown, and left to its own devices looked like I stuck my finger in an electrical socket. So wild and unruly. My clothes were smelly. Black workout tights and a rose colored long sleeve top. Some part of me wished I could shower and change. Some part wondered why I cared. I had a feeling that Victor was going to come up with an elaborate way to kill me. Maybe in front of his pack. Maybe torture first. This solitude was torture. But I probably wouldn’t be that lucky. I was so lost in thought when I heard the door making sounds. It sounded like a lock being removed. I stood up. A guard stood In the doorway. “Come with me”.