The Celestial Wolf: Vengeance

Kill her, use her, do whatever you want with her. But make sure she never sees the light ever again". My heart just about stopped right there. I mean, can you even imagine? Hearing those words? Coming right out of Vale's mouth? Vale! My chosen mate! The one the goddess herself, Caelestis, had bonded us together. It was like someone had ripped my insides out and stomped on them. I was just... distraught. Seriously, that doesn't even begin to cover it. "How could you?" I yelled, my voice all cracked and shaky. Seriously, how could anyone be this messed up? The metal biting into my wrists and ankles suddenly felt even worse, like they were trying to squeeze the life right out of me. Every move I made just sent another jolt of pain shooting all the way up my arms Tears were streaming down my face, not just from the hurt in my body, but from the even bigger hurt inside. Vale just stood there, looking all cold and… different. It wasn’t the Vale I knew, the one who used to nuzzle my neck and tell me I was his everything. This Vale looked like a stranger, a mean stranger. “Answer me!” I choked out, trying to pull against the chains, even though I knew it was useless. These Moonreaper guys, their magic was no joke. It felt like the chains weren’t just metal, but something… else, something that sucked away my strength, my wolfiness. He finally spoke, his voice flat, like he was reading from a script. “You were a means to an end, Lana. Nothing more.” Each word was like another punch to the gut. Elara, standing beside him with this smug look on her face, actually GIGGLED!! My best friend! The one I’d shared secrets and dreams with under a million moons. How could she? What had they done to them? Or… were they always like this, and I was just too blind to see it? One of the tall, creepy Moonreapers with the glowing purple eyes stepped closer. He smelled of old bones and something sickly sweet. He reached out a long, bony finger and traced it down my cheek. I flinched away, disgust rising in my throat. “Silence, wolf,” he hissed, his voice like nails on a chalkboard. “You will learn your place.” Panic clawed at my insides. My place? What did that even mean? I’d heard the whispers from the other werewolves in the cages – terrible stories of what the Moonreapers did, the awful things they forced them to do. The thought made me want to throw up. I looked back at Vale, a desperate plea in my eyes. Surely, somewhere deep down, the real him was still there. Surely, he remembered the bond, the goddess’s blessing. But his face was like stone. There was nothing there for me anymore. That’s when a different Moonreaper caught my eye. He was standing a little to the side, not joining in on the taunting. He looked… uncomfortable, almost sad. It was the same one I’d seen before, the one who didn’t seem to enjoy all the cruelty. Maybe… maybe there was still a tiny spark of hope in this nightmare. But right now, all I felt was the crushing weight of betrayal and the cold, hard reality of the chains that held me captive.