Athena: Goddess Of Death

Athena The pack hall was unbearably dull. I sat on the edge of a carved mahogany chair, trying to appear attentive while my mind drifted. The voices around me melted into a monotonous hum. Half the room was discussing border patrols, hunting quotas, and rules about mating rights, while the other half argued about who had more influence over my uncle’s decisions. Earlier, my uncle had whispered to me in the corridor, “All you need to do is play along and agree to everything I say. There are some who believe your words are more important than mine, and I don’t blame them. So don’t fail your father.” I wondered briefly if he realized the weight of that statement. Perhaps he did, and that was why he made me sit through these tedious meetings. A Lycan princess had to learn patience, diplomacy, and strategy. But right now, I was exhausted by the sheer hypocrisy surrounding me. “—and so it is imperative that the northern territories increase their patrols immediately. The rogue packs have become more aggressive. If we do not act now, the very structure of our law will be compromised.” I yawned, trying to stifle it. Around me, several older males nodded solemnly, clearly satisfied with their moral high ground. I couldn’t help but think how opposite their ideals were from mine. Their sense of justice often came with cruelty. They praised loyalty but punished honesty. They celebrated strength but ignored compassion. Minutes dragged into hours. The discussion veered into hunting quotas and food distribution. They debated whether younger Lycans should learn to fight first or study diplomacy. I could hardly care. My body ached from sitting still, my mind long gone to a faraway place. A place where I had freedom, where I could be myself without pretending to nod at outdated ideals. And then… I remembered. Today wasn’t just another meeting. Today, my betrothed would finally come to claim me. I had waited so long for this, it felt almost surreal. I never really knew my parents. All I had were stories whispered in corners and glimpses of their personalities in faded portraits. They died the week I was born, my mother giving her last breath bringing me into this world, and my father falling to an enemy attack soon after. I was told they were noble, fierce, and a match made in heaven, the kind of Lycans who commanded respect, but their absence left a void that no amount of lessons or etiquette could fill. I grew up with only fragments of who they were, and the weight of their legacy pressed on me from the day I could stand on my own two feet. Ever since I was a kid, people have looked at me like I was cursed. I was told that even the midwife who delivered me whispered that I was cursed after I came into the world with silver-grey hair. The only family I’ve ever known is my uncle and my aunt. My uncle was all business, carrying the weight of responsibilities he hadn’t planned for when he was forced to return to the pack and take over his older brother’s duties. My aunt… all she ever cared about was power, parties, and the latest fashion trends. Eira was different. She has always been kind to me, and we practically grew up like sisters. My life would have been unbearable if she hadn’t existed. The only other person who truly cared for me was Darius, and I was thrilled when I found out he would be my betrothed on my sixteenth birthday. And today… today we were to formalize our engagement, and I would finally be with him. My pulse quickened at the thought, a strange mix of anticipation and anxiety twisting in my stomach. Darius. The man I had been promised since I was a child. Kind, fearless, charming, and the only person I’d ever been taught to trust in matters of the heart. My mind flitted through memories of our childhood encounters, the stolen conversations in the gardens, the awkward bows of formal courtship. Finally, mercifully, the meeting ended. I excused myself with as much grace as I could muster while pretending to care about their political nonsense. I had barely stepped into the corridor when my cousin approached me. “Are you ready for him?” she asked softly. Her warm smile was comforting, a brief respite from the suffocating formality of our household. “I… I think so,” I murmured, though my heart was pounding far too fast to be calm. When I reached the house, my aunt was waiting with that same cold, thin-lipped smile that always managed to put me on edge. “Well, you do try to look presentable, at least,” she said with a deliberately slow enunciation, the kind that left her words dripping with mockery. “It’s a pity your mother didn’t pass down more grace than she did.” Heat rose to my face, my fists clenching at my sides. But before I could speak, Eira stepped between us. “Mum, she’s ready. Please, don’t say that now,” she said quietly, her eyes shooting daggers at my aunt. I always wondered if my mum and I were as opposite as Eira and her mum. I offered a weak smile at her intervention. Eira had always been the only one who truly treated me like family rather than a pawn in some endless political game. Before I could dwell on it, the carriage horns sounded outside. My heart surged. Finally. He was here. I dashed toward the door, ready to throw myself into the adventure I had been dreaming of for so long… “Not so fast, Athena,” my uncle’s voice called. I froze mid-step, still pulsing with anticipation. He stepped in front of me. “There’s something we need to discuss before you leave.” It didn’t matter to me, as long as I was leaving. So, I gave a curt nod and trailed behind him until we were both seated. “You will not be marrying Darius,” he said calmly. “You will be marrying Apollo.” “What?!” My eyes went wide. “But—I—I—” “—You don’t need to say a word.” His voice was sharp, completely void of any emotion. “The engagement has already been finalized. Eira would be the one marrying Darius.” I felt the ground drop out from beneath me. My knees buckled, and I sank to the floor, dragging myself backward in disbelief. “No… no, this can’t be happening! I… I—” I screamed, tears blinding my vision as my hands clawed at the floor. My entire body shook with grief and rage. “I will not! I will not marry him!” Eira knelt beside me, gently taking my hands. “Athena, listen—” “Don’t touch me!” I shrieked, yanking her hand off me. “You knew about this! You’re a traitor! You must have known! Everyone must have known!” My voice broke with raw emotion, a mixture of betrayal, sorrow, and anger. I collapsed forward, sobbing uncontrollably, dragging myself across the floor like a wounded animal. The sound of my own despair echoed through the house, unheeded by those who had orchestrated my fate. Hours later, I was dressed, I had no choice. My aunt had smirked at me through the process, her mocking tone refusing to soften. “Your mother would have been proud,” she said with a wicked glint. “Oh wait… she’d probably roll in her grave knowing this is happening. After all, she tainted this family with her cursed blood.” I could feel the weight of her hatred for my mother pressing down on me even now. It had been there all my life, subtly woven into every word and glance. The ceremony was small. The hall was quiet, almost sterile in its elegance. Only my uncle, my aunt, Eira, Darius, Apollo, and their sister Maya, were present. The rest of the pack had been politely told this was a private affair. I stood before Apollo, my voice trembling as I spoke my vows. I had to carry the weight of the ceremony alone, for he could not speak them himself. Each word felt like a knife in my chest: promises I was forced to make, words I did not mean. My heart shattered with every syllable, aching for a life I would never have. Apollo stood tall beside me, a figure carved by the moon goddess. His resemblance to Darius was uncanny, only that Darius was modest compared to him. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, perfectly framing a face that looked like it was built to command. His jaw was sharp, his eyes, icy blue and empty, held no trace of warmth. Even in silence, he exuded power. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought the goddess herself shaped him from marble and sin. But beauty meant nothing when it was wrapped in coldness. Darius was called to read the vows on his behalf, and in that moment, something inside me shattered completely. The man I was meant to marry, until just a few hours ago, now stood before me, reciting the vows of another. Each word fell from his lips like a blade, cutting deeper into my chest. And the worst part? The man those vows belonged to didn’t even look at me. I couldn’t tell if he cared… or if he even wanted to be here at all. Tears clouded my eyes, threatening to fall. But I held back, remembering my uncle’s words. “This pack doesn’t need a weak Queen. You have to be strong for the pack, the pack always comes first.” I blinked back the tears that threatened to fall, forcing a bright smile, one that was a contrast to how I felt at the moment. I tried to meet Darius’s eyes, desperate for even the smallest sign that this wasn’t real, but he avoided my gaze like it burned him. The guilt in his silence was louder than any words he could have spoken. It felt like betrayal tightening around my chest, and I couldn’t help but wonder… had he agreed to this too? The words felt hollow in the silent room. They were words I would never hear from him, yet words that bound me to a future I had not chosen. My chest ached with grief and longing for a man who might never love me in the way I needed. He didn’t look at me, not once. Not when Darius was called to read the vows. Not when my voice broke on the final word. Not even when he slid the ring onto my trembling finger. Finally, he slid the ring onto my finger. The cold metal glinted in the soft light of the hall, a symbol of the unbreakable bond forced upon me. I lowered my gaze, the tears still wet on my cheeks, and whispered, voice cracking, And just like that, I became a prisoner bound by a wedding ring.