A Tale of Three Lunas-Completed

Chapter 8

Zinnia's POV

"I-I'm not his mate." is all I say. It is the most obvious thing in the world. It's not and official rejection him if he's not actually my mate.

The Alpha sighs as he pinches the bridge of his nose and remains quiet for a while. After a bit, he straightens up and begins to speak again. "So what? Like most of the girls in this cursed pack, you probably just don't have one. I don't know what all you females are waiting for. Just find someone you like and be with them. Is that so hard?" he yells, his thundering words coming at me fast.

I don't respond. What would I say? I'm not used to seeing him like this. I just wait for him to speak again. The thought of me being punished for not being Shawn's mate had never even occurred to me.

"Everyone in this pack would be so much happier if they didn't sit around waiting for someone who doesn't exist. It doesn't matter that he is not your mate. My son wants you. He is the future Alpha of this pack and he can use you however he sees fit. We have both looked after you for all these years, so you must stay with my son and reject your mate if you ever do meet them." he says like it is the most obvious thing in the world.

The Council members nod their heads in agreement and I feel sick to my stomach looking at the three of them.

I would never do that. I would rather die than reject a gift made especially for me, especially for a brat that needs his father to handle his business for him. The furrow in my brow along with my silence must make him want to hear my reply.

"Is that clear?" he asks.

"I would never reject a gift from the Moon Goddess." are the words that find themselves coming out of my mouth.

"So, you choose to be defiant?" The Alpha smirks then stands from his chair, stalking toward me. Before he reaches me, he pulls back his hand and slaps me hard on my cheek. Tears immediately form in my eyes as I reel from the contact.

I am led by guards around the packhouse and instead of being put into a room of my own, I am dropped into Shawn's room. Before I am left alone, the guards clutch a silver band around my wrist to weaken me and prevent me from being able to mindlink anyone or shift. It isn't enough to hurt me too much, but it is uncomfortable and it does burn a bit.

I try to see if I can get out, but the door is locked and the windows are guarded. I don't know how, but I have to get away from here. My uneasiness about my future has gone from 0 to 100 within the course of one day.

My cheek still burns from being slapped by the Alpha. I haven't felt this scared since the day my parents were killed.

I had just shifted for the first time less than a week earlier and I felt like I was on top of the world. I was sleeping and suddenly I felt somebody shaking me and waking me up out of a deep sleep.

"Zinnia," my mother said, "the whole pack is under attack by a clan of humans. We have to hide." I wipe the sleep from my eyes and see both of my parents in the room as well as one of the pack warriors. My mom and dad whisked me into our bunker and then she said something that would change my whole world.

"We've been asked to help fight."

It was completely unorthodox. My father had been a warrior in his younger days, but he hadn't trained in years.That was for young, single males. My mother, like all other women in our pack, was never allowed to train.

"What? No ma, you can't go. Why on earth do you have to go?" I ask shocked, desperately grabbing her wrist. I could feel my heart pounding in my neck at the thought of both of my parents leaving me in the bunker by myself and going out there to fight.

"I have to, Zin. I would do anything to protect you. We've been ambushed and there are people who hate us out there." she tells me, kissing my cheeks and hugging me tight. "Don't be like me, learn to fight. Promise?"

"I promise."

"Just remember what I've told you. Remember how we live and always do what the Moon Goddess tell-" she is interrupted when the pack warrior clears his throat. She closes my fist with her hands and kisses my closed hand and holds it against her chest before she backs away. "I love you." she mouths.

"I'm sorry, baby girl." my dad says, giving me a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "We love you just so much. You have grown into an amazing person, you have exceeded my wildest dreams and I'm so sorry this is happening." A few tears are escaping his eyes while I still stand there in shock. "Your mom and dad love you."

The last image I have of them is the two of them holding each other's hands and following the guard outside. They'll probably be okay, I thought. Its just humans.

When it was all over, I got the news. The Luna, two Council members, some other adults that had opted to fight, and a bunch of warriors, including the very guard who was there with us that day also lost their lives.

Alpha El gave a beautiful speech at the mass funeral. It was an enormous ceremony and other packs came to mourn with us. After that day, he was different.

I could only guess that losing his mate turned him into the kind of man who would suggest that a girl reject her mate and w***e herself out for the benefit of his son.

I thought I had gotten out of this dark place, a place where I was nobody and no one cared about what happened to me, but the Alpha just plunged me back there.

I try again to find a way out of this packhouse.

I'm interrupted when Shawn bursts into his room holding the limp body of a human girl in his arms.