Darkness looms in Mystic Falls

Arianna's POV The smiles on their faces and their chants filled the air as they shared in my moment of joy. I could barely stop giggling. My cheeks reddened as I kept stealing glances of Alpha Damien as he walked out before the crowd. His piercing grey eyes darted across the crowd while he waved his hands to everyone. The crowd went cold immediately, following his gesture. He quickly cleared his throat and took a deep breath. My heart raced, pumped with so much joy and excitement. “I am happy that you all are here to share in this moment,” he announced. I could feel my feet trembling, and my ears were keenly alert, patiently waiting for the beans to spill. “I want to announce to you all that; I, Alpha Damien Jones, reject Arianna Teres as my mate!” He declared. His words pierced through my heart, sinking its claws into my chest. My heart ached in pain, tears clouding my eyes as it began to make my view a bit blurry. I raised my teary eyes and looked upon Alpha Damien, who casted a stoic expression upon his face as he returned the gaze. Words eluded my open lips while I kept my eyes fixated in his stiffened face. “She is incompetent and a weak werewolf. She is no place to become my Luna,” he continued, stopping the murmuring that was already rising in the crowd. “Dami…” I muttered shakily through my heavy lips. “I also have proof that she is planning to overthrow me as Moonstone's Alpha and take over Mystic Falls,” he added. I gasped in shock, covering my open mouth with my hand. “It's a lie, Damien,” I yelled while my face was already ruined by my tears. “Can you hear her? She speaks against your Alpha,” he highlighted, glaring at me furiously. “All I've ever done is love you,” I glared into his furious eyes. His face hardened as he heaved a deep sigh, averting his gaze away from me immediately. “You're hereby banished from Mystic Falls as this act is considered treason,” Alpha Damien declared furiously. I lifted my head slowly and cast my gaze into the moon blazing sky. “You'll definitely amount to something one day. Just hold onto that,” my grandmother's voice whispered in my head. My head was filled with questions, directed towards my self-belief. I slowly returned my eyes back to Alpha Damien, holding onto an iota of hope. But it quickly vanished as I saw the look on his face. The Alpha's guards quickly grabbed me by my arm, pulling me out immediately. “Don't do this to me!” I yelled, dragging my feet against the ground. Alpha Damien turned a deaf ear to me, keeping a stoic expression. I was thrown out of the castle without hesitation, left to roam the streets as a reject. “What happened to you?” My grandmother rushed to me, bearing my limp body over her shoulder as I dragged myself back to the house. “I…I…” tears kept flowing incessantly, trying desperately to ease the plaque of pain around my chest. “Speak to me, Arianna,” she persuaded, cradling my heavy head. “He rejected me,” I stuttered, taking breaths in between. “What do you mean?” Her instincts flared, following her deeply furrowed eyebrows. “Alpha Damien rejected me as his mate. He also sent me to Exile, banishing me from Mystic Falls for good,” I sniffled, keeping my gaze on the ground. She gasped in shock, pulling jaw up immediately to meet her unwavering gaze. “We're not letting this happen, Arianna. Definitely not without a fight,” she gritted her teeth. “I know how you feel, grandma. But I've got to accept my fate. Besides, I don't want to prove them right,” I sniffled. “There's no such fate as that,” she interjected fiercely. “Just prepare something that will keep me alive for five days if I survive in the woods anyway,” I reluctantly walked into the house and headed straight to my room to resume my weeping. I dragged my feet onto my room and reluctantly threw myself on the bed, allowing myself to sink knee deep into my thoughts. The creaking sounds of crickets announced the arrival of dusk. I grabbed my already packed up luggage and took one glance at my room while letting out a frustrating sigh. “I'm not letting you leave, not on my watch,” my grandmother challenged, tears streaming down her eyes through her wrinkled cheeks. “Grandma, don't worry, I'll be fine. This is the will of the moon goddess for me. I fear it's a path I have to take,” I assured, patting her shoulder softly. “That's not happening! Arianna, please don't do this to me. I swore by your parents' graves that I will make sure I keep you safe,” she wailed profusely. “Grandma. If I stay here, I'll be endangering you,” I forced a soft smile on my face. She glared steadily into my eyes and quickly grabbed me within her arms, embracing me passionately. I waved her goodbye as I walked out into the night, the cool breeze moving against my skin. Suddenly, I heard some rustling within the woods, causing my instincts to flare outrageously. “Who is there?” I instinctively drew out a dagger, clearly convinced that I had no idea how to use it anyway. “There's no need to be afraid,” a soft voice announced, walking out of the dark immediately with her hands up. I heaved a deep sigh of relief, letting my guard down immediately. “Celine, you scared me back there for a while,” I grabbed my fast pacing heart. “I'm sorry. Besides, do you feel I'll let you walk through these dangerous woods alone?” she smirked. “I knew you always had my back,” I embraced her cheerfully, snuggling her cheerfully within my arms. “I am sorry for what happened this morning,” she sympathised. “It's fine anyway…” “Hey, Arianna! What are you still doing here in Mystic Falls?” The Alpha's patrol soldiers arrived on their horses. Their eyes were blazing with great fury as they glared at me, their hands clutched onto their whips. “I was about…” They quickly forced my mouth shut, whipping me ceaselessly with the whip they had in their hands