PROMISED TO HIM, TAKEN BY THEM

CHAPTER 1 - DAMSEL IN DISTRESS

Nadia

All my life, I have been preparing to take Asher’s side on the throne as his mate and Luna, but now that the day has come, a part of me feels like this is the end of my life and the little freedom I could say I have.

My name is Nadia Salvador, and I am the only survivor of the Salvador m******e, a cruel killing of my entire clan which I was saved on by Alpha Alaric, Asher’s father, and the ruler of the place I am in now.

Although our clans were enemies, Alpha Alaric took me in and treated me as his own with only the condition that I used my powers for the good of his kingdom and became the Luna to his first-born son – meaning that I must reject every mate I got if they were not his blood.

My entire life has been filled with training and classes and the performance of Luna duties in place of his wife – who sadly passed away around the time I got here. He said that the entire kingdom would be mine to rule when the time came, and I know I should be grateful, but one some days, I can’t help but feel like a prisoner.

“Miss, where should I put these?”

I looked up at the maid speaking to me before pointing to a random corner and walking out of the room to have some alone time.

There were always guards around me, and even if they weren’t stopping me from living my life however I pleased, it felt like I was being watched and controlled with invisible puppet strings.

I nodded at the guards in the corridor and sighed audibly when I heard their footsteps match mine.

My birthday is on the first day of the year, on the same day as the yearly mating ceremony where everyone who is of age would be given a mate, and since I was turning eighteen this time, it meant I would be given a mate too. Although Alpha Alaric had become too sick to remind me of my place every day, the shifting eyes of the guards that followed my every movement was a good enough reminder.

The guards stopped at the door when I reached the path to the orchard. It was the only place I could have alone time because it was enclosed within the palace grounds and there were guards stationed at all possible exits and walls.

“Our future Luna walks to the orchard again to think thoughts!”

I groaned internally as I heard Caspian’s voice and Zane’s footsteps match his. Zane and Caspian, the twin younger brothers of Asher who have made my life a living hell from the first day I stepped a foot into the palace.

“Good day.” I plastered a fake smile on my face.

“Let’s take a walk?” Caspian didn’t give me a chance to reply before grabbing my arm and taking me deeper into the orchard to the parts that were hidden from outsiders.

I pulled my arm away from his grip and stepped away from him immediately after he stopped walking.

“What do you want Caspian?” I trained my eyes on him while still being wary of Zane who was taking his time walking towards where we were.

I had been in this situation before. Within the grasps of Caspian's playful but equally rough demeanor, and Zane's cold but calculating hands.

“I’ll tell Alpha Alaric.” My breaths were beginning to come out in sharp short bursts.

“And what can he do from his bed?” Caspian began to walk closer to me, and I kept walking back until I bumped into a heavy frame that turned out to be Zane.

He grabbed a hold of my shoulders and held on to me so tightly that I couldn’t squirm my way out as I used to when we were kids.

“Stay still, worm.” Casper brought out a pocketknife, flicked it open, and then licked the tip of the blade. “You act like I’m going to kill you each time.”

I closed my eyes tightly and whimpered as he grabbed my arm and ran the blade deeply from my wrist to my elbow.

“Open your eyes, Nadia.” Caspian taunted me with a laugh.

By the time I opened my eyes, the wound had healed, and Caspian was ready to go again.

“Don’t you ever get bored of doing this?” Tears were streaming down my face as I spoke with a shaky, angry voice.

“No, Nadia, I don’t.” He ran the blade across the just healed wound again. “I wonder how you always heal so cleanly, and faster each time. When they told us you had special blood and possible powers, I had no idea it would mean you healing so quickly.”

“But you still injured me the first chance you got.” I spat the words at him. “You act like healing means that I don’t feel any pain.”

“Cover her mouth, Zane.”

I groaned in pain as he stabbed the knife into my thigh, but my screams were muffled by Zane’s thick palm.

“Nadia, where are you?”

Hearing Asher’s voice had never been so relieving, and I held my scream as Caspian twisted the knife.

“Remember, you tell anyone about this, and we’ll see if your severed head can be pieced back together and heal.”

I slumped backward as he removed the knife, but immediately my body met Zane’s, he flung me away from him like I was dirt.

The way he looked at me was enough for me to know that he hated me, but I never understood why.

“What did I ever do to you both for you to treat me this way?” The pain had subsided, but it had been replaced with a heavy pang in my chest.

“You exist.” Zane always knew how to cut my heart whenever he spoke.

By the time Asher found me crying on the ground, all traces of the twins had already gone.

“Nadia! Are you okay?” He knelt on the ground beside me. “Are you injured? Did you fall?”

He was gesturing to the tears in my dress and the blood stains around it, and after a moment of silence, I just nodded.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t here to catch you, Nadia.” He punched himself and made a face. “Such a sorry excuse for your knight in shining armor.”

“I am no damsel in distress.” I laughed at his joke.

“Right! You are my future Luna, and the future mother of this entire clan. You are the strongest woman I know, and to top it all, you have cool powers which will help you make this entire clan great.”

I knew he was trying to make me feel better, but the idea of my fate being written for me made me feel disdained.

“Do you believe we have a hand in our fate Ash?” I stared at him with a sad smile.

He stood and dusted his knees before helping me up.

“Walk with me.”

I followed closely behind him until we stopped when we reached the pond.

“Most people think the fish in this pond have a fate to be eaten by the royal family alone and no choice but look there.” He pointed at a part of the pond that looked a bit deeper than the other sides. “Nobody else knows this, but I mistakenly broke the drainage pipe when I was fishing one day, and the channel leads to the river.”

“Asher!” My eyes widened, and he laughed.

“Some fish have escaped, and sadly, some have come from the river and gotten stuck here because they don’t know the way out.” He held my hands and stared directly into my eyes. “Are you having second thoughts about being my Luna?”

I looked away and blushed, but he turned my face back to him.

“You know you can tell me anything, Nadia.”

I nodded and took a deep breath.

“I don’t not want to be your Luna. I just feel like everything was written for me and I have no choice but to follow it. I’m also a bit sad that I might not have time anymore to find the survivors of my clan.”

He tucked a loose piece of hair behind my ear.

“Nadia, you know you will always be free. I will keep helping you find the survivors of your clan, and you know that you won’t be Luna yet until after the coronation.”

“Yeah.” I took a deep breath.

“The coronation won’t happen until my dad dies, and gratefully, he is getting better.” He smiled. “He is coming for the mating ceremony tonight to watch us choose each other, and by next week, he’d most likely be healed enough to continue his royal duties again.”

“That means we’d have more time to follow the leads we got about my clan!” I hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Asher!”

“Don’t thank me just yet.” He laughed as I leaned back to look at him. “Here you go.”

He handed me a bag I hadn’t noticed him holding before and I had to hold myself from squealing too loud.

“Wear this tonight.” He kissed my cheek, and I melted internally. “Happy birthday in advance, Nadi.”