THE BROKEN LUNA

CHAPTER 2

NATALIA’S POV

THE BLESSING OF THE MOON GODDESS.

The long-told past that was handed by generation to the entire race of werewolves. The beginning and how things ended up for the werewolf race to flourish in co-existence with the human with treaty and neutral peace for commerce, education and leadership. While only a selected few of the human leaders knew of our real identity as shifters.

Our existence that started from the favor of the Moon Goddess, who fell in love with a werewolf. Granted him the blessing of curing illness and purify curses. The ability that passes down every hundred years to the female offspring of the family of Wynknight. Giving the family the power and the prestige with the long establish pack of Light Chaser that everyone and the other packs respected and look up too.

The prestige that is expected from the twins of Alpha Dimitri. But only one twin receives the blessing while the other is a complete failure. Worse, that person becomes the disgrace of the pack and tainted the name of Wynknight, by not just losing her wolf, but becoming a curse herself. That person is no other than me.

“Well, you see, Natalia, to tell you the truth. You are the real one.” A whispering taunt and the last words that came from Natasha’s mouth.

The beloved daughter and blessed maiden, but is a devil behind the mask that she is wearing. Words that I didn’t have the chance to contemplate about when the blade of the guillotine falls and my head rolls to the ground with the crowd’s cheer for my death echoes from a distance.

“NO!” I scream at the top of my lungs and panting heavily with sweat forming from my forehead and dripping down to my neck and in the middle of my breast.

My shivering hands clutched tight to the blanket as the horror of what I saw. My dream is being accompanied by a storm.

“I-I… Did I die?” I ask myself, wondering in panic.

Horror creeps and fast down to every fiber of my body. My breathing is deep while I am trying to collect my thoughts that seem like an unfathomable case in the type of predicament that is more than a curse and will never be a blessing. I quickly touch my neck with both of my hands, mouth wide open and my messy hair covering half of my face. When those words ring back, like reminding me of my place and taunting.

“Poor little you. If only you have known the truth. You wouldn’t need to suffer like this. But you see, this is my world, my place as the winning character with my revenge. So, suffer my wrath.”

Natasha’s giggling voice. “Stop, stop, stop!” I desperately shake those thoughts away.

The reminder that is worse than the look of contempt and disgust that everyone is throwing right towards me.

“Why?” The sudden, no, the only question that I could come up with at the moment. “But it was just all a dream, right?” I’m convincing myself and deep.

Yet, Natasha’s smile in that dream is more than the curse that they put into my head. Her eyes that’s screaming for revenge. The satisfaction of my death and her words that I could not fathom the meaning of. Too much of a vivid dream, a torment, a nightmare and somehow my screaming future.

“A dream?” I ask once more, now crying and too scared to think of it as my future. “But why does it feel so real?” I whisper, defending for the positive thought, but I couldn’t.

I close my eyes, hold my neck as the sensation of the sharp blade of the guillotine still lingers and sending me the shiver of horror unlike ever before.

“Why? Just why it has to be me?”

I crawled out of my bed. All weak and shivering with my knees. My insides are flipping upside down, yet I couldn’t throw up, even though my stomach is asking me to do so.

“Water.” That is what I desperately needed by now. “Just one glass.” I plead with myself while trying to calm my nerves and straighten my mind.

If only I have someone beside me. Just one and at least one that I could rely on for this family. Then I--- no, I shouldn’t be thinking about that thing. A luxury that someone like me will never have, even until I die. For I am more than anything a wolfless one and a curse branded by everyone shouldn’t be happy.

“Of course, I am nothing but a considered curse.” The hopelessness of my voice that is seconded and fast by the sudden rumbling thunder and the lightning strikes.

Louder and harder than it has ever been before. Somewhat trying to emphasize its anger, it’s a disappointment and hate. Shaking the ground and picturing the monster in front of the mirror, that is---

“Me.” I whisper, accepting my fate.

With the wrath of the heavens from someone like me drops like a bomb. Exploding and typically showing me the horror of the person, no, the curse that is reflected in the mirror that I am looking at. Fear then slaps me and sends the predestined shivers down my spine. Eating me up, rapidly and whole. Now whispering the words.

“Die.” The word echoes and hunting.

Still, I still have the desire to live, so I, “No!” my protest and unknowingly started my escape.

I bolted out running. Kind of the only thing that I can do, not to protect myself, but to be that perfect manifestation of being a pathetic fool. Hysteria? Anxiety? Insecurities? Inferiority complex? Or just a plain useless one. I am at a loss, no; I am a complete loss. A wolf-less person who only has her name, but not face to how to everyone. A black sheep and the dirt that shouldn’t exist in this family. If only, if only, I.

“Natalia, remember this and only this. No matter what happened, you are special, my daughter, my dear daughter, the only one.” My mother’s words and the comforting memories of the past that I genuinely wanted to go back, but I will never be.

I stumble down on the cold floor, a bit bleeding from a scratch to my left knee. I look up and realize that I am now in the mansion’s living room. With the storm still brewing outside and the lightning that, from time to time, is outlining things inside the house from the clear glass walls of the living room. Mother's smile from the portrait of long ago greeted me. Somehow consoling, but wasn’t enough. Since the man that beside her is my greatest fear. That once loving father who turns his back on me, because I am a disgrace and couldn’t live up to the name that was given to me.

“I am such a disgrace.” I long accepted that fact and let my tears fall from my life’s horror. “Should I run away?” I impulse asks.

Words that I stupidly whisper to myself, but then I think it might be as well the right choice. To not bother anyone, to not make a scene, and in peace. I should probably do that. I then forced myself to stand. Barefoot and in my nightdress. I run under the heavy storm with each drop of rain that is like a sharp needle that’s piercing my skin. Cold and painful, but more than that pain that my body can simply get used to and be numb at the end. My mind, my spirit, and my hope are all empty, with the huge regret and hopelessness.

Just then. “Look at that.” A deep and husky voice echoes.

Stops on my track. My eyes widen from the danger in front of me. My hand on my shoulders protecting myself not from cold, but from the disgusting stare that’s approaching me. For in that stormy night and in that deserted alley I do not recognize nor I will tell where. With no one else around and considering that it was so late at night. I stupidly put myself in the predicament that I couldn’t run away from. For I am being surrounded by a group of hungry men with those entitled eyes stripping me down with their gaze and without hesitation.

“It’s raining hard to miss.” one of them speaks first with the face full of scare and a crooked smile. “Why are you here at this hour? Did you know you will be in danger? Worst, you choose someplace with the rarest chance for any person to walk past?” he asks, pretending to be concern.

The next one beside him took steps closer towards me. “Aren’t you young to be running away from home and in your nightgown?” he asks, looking at me with lust, while giving a high five to the other three.

Then the last one on the right smirks and said. “She’s cute. But wouldn’t we be in trouble if we touch a pack member of the Light Chaser pack?” he wonders, kind of the reasonable one out of the bunch, but still have that face of an untrustworthy fool.

No, he is only cautious enough not to offend the Alpha.

“No, not at all if that person is a rogue.” The first one assures. “Besides, no one is here to witness anything. She’s only a weak girl. Perhaps a rogue and, if it is, then a jackpot for us. For she is simply a thrown garbage, and garbage is what we are all after.” He then laughs, that is followed by the rest.

My eyes widen, now more than scared and blaming myself for this stupidity that I have done. I am not safe, not at all. More than anything, I might end up not just a disgrace to the name of Wynknight but a dirty one throughout and through. All from the hands and lust of these strangers.

“Please let me p-pass t-through.” I beg and stuttering, all the while wanted to preserve my dignity and the only thing that I currently have, at least. “P-Please, let me p-pass t-through.” They somehow aren’t bothered by my stuttering, maybe because of the rain and cold that might have caused it. “I d-didn’t m-mean to be h-here. I-It w-was all an-accident. I j-just n-need to go b-back h-home.” I cried, shivering in both cold and fear.

With my trembling voice, head down and crying. Chills flows in my veins as they all laugh in a sadistic way. I try to avoid at looking their faces, but I failed in that area. All to my hopelessness to see their devilish grin and eyes full of lust.

“You do not have to be scared.” The biggest one assures, with his protruding belly and face, that by a glance you knew he stinks. “This will only be quick, and we promise you that you will be in heaven and have a great time.” He then laughs that made me want to puke.

I close my eyes, clench my hands and protested. “No!” I scream.

That is the only thing that I can do. My voice that doesn’t even consider being a weapon. Myself, that is not even worth a dime, and right now I am in this predicament solely because of my stupidity. That’s right, I have learned nothing, and simply being a pain and a disgrace. So, I deserve to be tampered with.

“You know what we hated the most, those girls that don’t know how to ride, so full of themselves thinking that a person like us is nothing but filth!” that same person shouted in anger.

Reaches his hand and grabs me tight. My legs are shivering and I am about to give up. I am too weak to fight back, let alone I have no wolf to protect myself. After all, I am a worthless person and if not with the mercy of the Alpha; I am long gone to become a rogue.

“No!” I tried to run away, screaming at the top of my lungs.

But two of them grabs me from behind. Covers my mouth and drags me to the corner, in the dark alley that I know I couldn’t escape from. They pin me down. One holding my arms up, the other two holding my feet, and one now right above me. Worst with the last person recording everything with his phone.

“We hit the jackpot!” The biggest and with that protruding belly laugh.

Then the one with the phone recording moves his camera close to my face, and said. “Don’t worry princess, you will surely be viral after we are finished with you. Your will get famous to every porn site. Isn’t that great? You can be a porn star after this.” He then laughs, while giving light to that corner and enough for them to see me and record everything clearly.

My eyes widen, my mouth covered, and my tears fall. With my back unto the damp cold ground in that dark alleyway. I suddenly felt their hands touching me where they shouldn’t be. I still tried to struggle when the person on top of me rip my clothes and played with my breast. I could feel their breath on my skin and disgust and horror unlike no other hit me.

Is this my end after all the pain and suffering I’ve been through? I still end up with nothing, even a dignity and the purity that I protected my entire life to be spared. I may be a disgrace, might as well deserve this for being stupid. Despite that, I do not want to be ruined like this, so please.

‘HELP, SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!’

I cried in my mind, wishing that someone will come, but then the truth strikes me halfway. Who I’m I fooling? No one will come to save me, no one will ever care, no one. Not even in the past, and what’s more now? I grasp when they pulled their pants down, loving the view of my half-naked self. I close my eyes in despair, knowing that even if I scream at the top of my lungs, no one will ever hear. With the hard pour of the rain, my voice will only be muffled by it. Yet.

“What the f***!” curse and a strong tone of disappointment suddenly rings.

All after a gunshot echo. Then a splat of blood and a dripping gunshot wound from the person on top of me to his left arm drips to my face. I was stunned, as they all run away with their expression that they seem like they had just seen a monster. No, the devil himself.

“Spare us! We didn’t mean it!” the same person who was shot begs and even cries.

“Let us live!” The other pleaded, as they all run backwards, arms in front and waving for that person to stop.

But then, five-gun shots follow, along with the screams and a sound of thud that left those man's whimpering in pain. I finally got the strength to look and saw them down with a precise gunshot to their legs. Wide eyes and puzzled of what’s happening. I then heard a growl, an angry one. With the presence of someone that’s screaming for blood lust and somewhat without mercy for any life. A menacing presence that, for me it has an opposite effect. Looking back, I gasp in awe. Seeing a monster, no, an incomplete shift and half of his wolf that is peculiar and amazing. With his stance, and a while ago, a menacing presence that suddenly turns into a pheromone from a dignified Alpha.