the Moon Goddess Heiress

Chapter 12

Sarabella POV

I couldn’t grasp all the conversations that happened on the stage, but it was fascinating to watch. The way the man soared on the stage, to protect his mate, roaring his claim, the way Malia faced him, and then, to see him drop to the ground, vulnerable, abandoning everything he was as a Beta to prove to his mate she could if not trust him, not be scared at least. I started to teared up, watching his lips move, his words untangling the chains of fear that were keeping his mate crushed to the floor. But then, he rose, standing in front of Elder Kodard, almost challenging him. I could see Shila shifting her stance as if she was ready to back him up.

And then, unexpectedly, there he was. The most gorgeous man I ever laid my eyes on was there. The moon looked like she was shining only on him, his jet black hair reflecting the light beautifully, giving his chiseled traits a soft expression even if his eyes were screaming ‘WAR’. He stood just by Shila, behind his Beta towering over him, who was already a huge build.

I shook my head, as I watched the brief exchange, before he turned around, my sister following him, prancing by his sides. I didn’t have any details on what happened, but I could ask, as I saw an elder guiding the newly bounded toward my location. Backing up in the shadow, I waited for Elder Cravyn and the couple as they headed in my direction far enough. I only revealed myself to the newcomers when the old man made his way back after letting the girl in the cage with me.

Unexpectedly, the girl flinched at my sight, curling up in a corner, trembling. Surprised, I stayed on my mark, not wanting to make it worse. Instead, my attention was taken by the man who claimed her. “Miss Sarabella? What are you doing here?” He said.

I shrugged, taking a few steps towards him. “I don’t have a clue myself, though I have some doubts. I could return the question… What happened out there? I could see, but not hear, Beta Kylon.”

I could see him shifting from one foot to the other. An eyebrow of mine rose a little, as I observed his attempt to calm down the storm raging again inside him. He breathed in and breathed out loudly. “I am sure of the mate bond. I feel it, my wolf feels it too. But because she is not claiming me back, and because of a still unknown reason, she is compelled to enter the Claiming despite my claim. It is outrageous… Wait, you know who I am?"

I could feel him fuming. He possessed quite a power there, fueled at the moment by anger, but I averted his attention suddenly enough to calm him down. "I studied the names and faces of the strongest wolves who were known to participate. You were at the top of the list, among Alphas. Your records are impressive."

He managed to offer me a ravaging smile even with the twisted atmosphere. "I'm honored by your words. I didn't conduct any research on you to make it even, I am afraid. And if I were to, I would certainly lose my head." He added, sliding his hand across his throat, a mischievous smile floating on his lips. I offered a confused look in exchange and he waved me off, avoiding venturing on the subject any further.

His eyes flickered to the still curled-up girl in the corner. "Excuse me, ladies, I need to go out for a short while. I will be right outside, but I need to…” I nodded. He was visibly overwhelmed and his wolf probably was too, which could explain the oversharing. I smiled with all the sympathy I could offer.

I turned on my heels as he was heading out, and went to sit on the bench, close but not too much, to the tiny girl in the corner. “Hey, please don’t be scared of me. I am very happy to meet you, even in this weird setup…” I dropped my gaze to my fingers. “Your name is? My name is Sarabella Lobo”

I saw her eyes making their way to meet mine. They were so beautiful, despite the spark of life fading. I gasped a little, my hand reaching out for her cheek. “Every single person… who told me they were happy I was there, all my life… it was for their benefits… What do you want?”

She openly avoided my question. Her voice was faint, a distant and painful whisper. How I wished I could hug her. Her eyes were still locked to mine. I couldn’t help but think that she was strong. “Do you know why you are entering the Claiming despite Beta Kylon affirming so strongly you are his mate?” Without shifting her gaze, she nodded, rubbing softly her arm up to her shoulders. I could see her grasp getting stronger as she was getting close to her neck, almost scratching it. I frowned and without thinking grabbed her hands firmly in mine.

“Listen. If it is too much to tell, don’t. But please, don’t harm yourself.” She tried to escape my hold, but I stood firm. “Please don’t run from me… we are both trapped here after all.” Her head tilted to the side, as she added nothing. I squeezed her hands softly, to encourage her a little. But she looked on the verge of breaking down so I just released her from me, turning my gaze to the stage, where we could see a bunch of newly turned wolves walking, slowly taking in their new state.

I was shocked to see Elder Cravyn appear again. A low growl followed him, but he didn’t seem to care. From the corner of my eye, I could see the young girl crawling backward against the cage, the farther she could from the man standing now in front of me, a sly smirk obviously displayed on his face.

“National treasure, it will be your turn in a moment.”

His gaze slid to the young girl for a moment before coming back to me. “Please do not associate with that type of low creature. Dirty blood like her are not worth your time or attention.”

I stood there, silent. I didn’t know if I should spit in his face or scream. Maybe hit him could be an option. How could an elder from the council talk about a young woman like this? Before I could decide my next move, I could see a fuming man stepping into the tent, heaving from rage, his chest threatening to explode under the pressure of the snarl he produced. Without even one glance, Elder Cravyn approached the door and unlocked it, motioning me to get out and follow him.

I obliged, staying as stoic as I could. "Beta Kylon, you have to follow us, I'm afraid you can't stay here with an unmated female." The old man spat out as we passed by him.

"She is MY mate!" He snapped at him, seething. Before he could do anything more, I stopped him, putting my hand on his forearm. I saw his eyes flash at me before they stuck to my hand. I almost felt my skin burning under his gaze. I laughed, holding my hands up in surrender. Beta Kylon shook his head, a fleeting spark of guilt painting his expression, as he copied my attitude.

"Please excuse me. I have many reasons to justify my behavior, as a new mate, but as I told you, I want to live. At least, long enough to get to know my mate. And I like every single piece of my body." Again, he left me confused as to why he would lose any of his appendices or his life. He wasn’t from my mate’s pack, as far as I knew, so why would he imply a death threat was hanging upon his head if he was to be involved with me?