Luna Isabella

III. A Mate, Not Luna

Isabella’s POV:

Sitting there, I didn’t understand the single word that exited his plump lip. I couldn’t comprehend why he would call me his mate. I’ve heard that word before, but I never truly understand it. I’ve been spending nearly my entire childhood stuck in a broken-down house with a bunch of others. Until they kicked me out and sold me to the facility.

Sitting there, I continue staring at him, beating inside my chest, increasing. There’s no sound, not a single one, as everyone stares at me with wide eyes. Slowly, very slowly, he lifts a finger, pointing at me. I turned around to make sure there was no one else behind me. “Me?” I ask, pointing a finger at myself.

“Get her,” he said in a secure, demanding voice. The guards bow towards him, then open the cell door. They stalk toward me, where Trenton, Abby, and Subject 34 step in front of me.

“Move.” one of the guards demands, and I can see their hands clenched together, daring eyes glares at them.

“Move,” the attractive scary looking man states, but they refuse to move. Subject 34 releases a menacing growl, looking as if he is challenging the man.

“Move!” he shouts, but they reject his command.

My eyes widen when three of the guards pull out a gun. “One silver bullet inside each of your heads if you don’t move,” the man threatens us, and I can hear their weapons click, ready to shoot in command.

Right now, we are at a disadvantage, where there are more of them than there are of us. We don’t have any weapons, and even if we did manage to kill most of them, we would die in the end.

Hesitantly, I stand up, placing my hand on Trenton’s shoulder, causing the man to growl unpleasantly. “I’ll be okay, I’ll be back,” I reassure him, and after some intense silence, he nods and makes his way.

The guards made way for me, and I slowly walk towards the man, eyes never once waiver for his steely glare. I stop walking when I realize he is in front of me. My hands start to shake. It’s funny, for who knows how long, I’ve been killing others to survive, but unlike the other subjects, I still feel emotions, such as fear.

Slowly, I look up to meet his eyes. “Name,” he orders.

“Isabella,” I mumble.

“Isabella,” he breathes out my name as if it was made for him to say it, and I see his eyes softening for a mere second but quickly harden.

Someone came up with a pair of handcuffs and chain on both of my wrists. “What about the other three?” a guard asks, and the man turns his attention towards them.

“Leave them, I’ll deal with them later,” he said in a more calming voice. “Let’s go,” he growls, and starts walking, while the guards push me towards the exit. I look back to see Trenton, Abby, and Subject 34 staring at me, each with a frown.

Reaching outside the dungeon, my eyes shut due to the bright sun, and I stop walking. “Luna, we have to continue walking,” one of the guards whispered.

My brows furrow together. “Luna? My name is not Luna,” I respond, wondering what they want with me.

The angry but overall seductive guy menacingly marched towards me, arms crossed as he puffs up his broad chest. He places a finger under my chin, and I can feel some odd tingly sensation, and I turn my head. He let out a growl and grabbed my cheeks with his large palm, forcing me to face him. “You’re right; you are not my Luna, merely my mate,” he hisses unpleasantly.

“L-Let me g-go b-back,” I stuttered, taking a step back, but he wraps his arms around me, pulling me back in. “Let me go,” I said in a more calming tone, and I can feel him gripping tighter onto me.

“Let me go!” I shout, pushing him off, causing him to stumble slightly, and I attempt to rush back towards the dungeon. It’s funny how I feel safer staying with three killing soldiers than the man in front of me. Then again, I was beginning my training as a soldier similar to them. Perhaps, that’s why I feel safer to stay with them.

Quickly, a group of guards surrounds me. The man angrily stalks towards my direction. He grabs the chain on my wrist, pulling me into him. Looking down, I can see his flesh burning, but he didn’t even flinch. “You are staying with me,” he growls, eyes flickering black

I yank his hands off, but this time he refuses to let me go, tighten his grip on the chain. “I want to go back there!” I shriek, struggling to get off of his grasp.

I kicked him, but he didn’t even faze. Instead, he pushes me down on the ground. I fell, hitting my head on a rock, and I can feel the blood rolling down. I can see his eyes softening, and he reaches out to me, but retracts his shaky hands, running his hand through his hair once more. After some time, he went down on his one knee, grabbing a fist full of my hair, pulling me towards him. “Listen, I’m only going to say this once. You are my mate.”

“So what?” I spit out, feeling a stinging sensation in my head.

He smirks, licking his lips. “So, you are my property.”

“I’m no one property!” I snap, and I can feel his grip on my hair tighten.

“Let’s see if you still say that after I’m through with you,” his voice deepened with a promising threat.

Grabbing my wrist, he forcibly pulls me up, dragging me away from the prison. Looking around, everyone gave me a pitiful look as we passed them. The fire burns inside of me, and I remember a bunch of bad words I learned in the facility. I start throwing swear words at him, screaming for help, but no one bothers looking in our direction, while feeling his grip tightening on my wrist, bruising me. I watch as the wolves surrounding us and bow as we pass them.

He takes me into a large fancy house, filled with very good looking things. He continues pulling me up the stairs, not uttering a single word. Once we reach a bedroom, he shoves me inside, causing me to fall to the floor. I rub my aching bottom and wrist then stand up from the nice carpet. “Let me go!” I yell.

He takes a step towards me, his large frame hovering over my smaller one. “I’m going to say this once again; you are my property, so you will stay here and shut the f**k up.”

“I said I’m no-”

“I’m not finished,” he growls.

I stand there, tightening my fist, biting my cheeks, tasting the metallic liquid traveling down my throat.

“All because we are mates, don’t you expect me to change. I will do whatever the f**k I want like always. You sit in here and look pretty, spread those legs for me when I tell you to do so. You are here to settle down my wolf and have my pups. Don’t ever think you are equal to me.” he growls once more and walks out of the room, slamming the door shut.

I released a high pitched shriek, wanting to punch something or more particularly someone, but these damn chains were still around my wrist. Instantly, when I heard his footsteps fade, I went to a window. Opening it, I saw a group of five wolves standing outside. They glance back at me and shake their heads, then resume their original position. Walking towards the door, it takes a few more times to twist the doorknob, but I did it. Peeking out, six more guards were standing outside. “Please, Luna. Get back inside,” one of them pleads.

Slamming the door shut on their faces, I jump onto the bed, curling myself into a ball as a whimper escapes my lips. “Big sister.”

When I open my lids, it’s completely dark outside. The door creaked open, shedding in some light and my eyes clenched shut. Opening them, a small girl walks in with a tray of food and a white box. She had brown hair tucked into a bun, deep hazel eyes glistening. Walking towards the switch, she flicks it on, blinding my eyes. “Hi, I thought you might be hungry,” she said, sprinkling my empty life with another smile.

She places the tray in front of me filled with rice, meat, and a bowl of fruits. “I cook it myself,” she said proudly, placing a hand on her chest.

“Oh,” I reply, resuming my original position.

“Please, eat Luna, or else I’ll get in trouble,” she pleads, lips trembling. “Just one bite,” she whispers, pouring out her lower lip.

She took out a key, and unchained me, placing the handcuffs on the table. Grabbing the white box, she opens it, revealing a bunch of medical items. She treated my bleeding forehead, and I merely sat there staring at her.

“What’s your name?” I ask.

“Hee-Young,” she smiles.

Sitting up, I grab the sandwich and intend to take only one bite, but it’s so good, I ate the whole thing. Looking at her face, a smile made its appearance, satisfied with my reaction.

“Delicious sandwich,” I mumble, mouth still full.

“I know, best cooked in the house,” she said proudly.

“Oh,” I reply with a head nod.

Silently, she sat there staring at me, inhaling the sandwich along with the fruits on the side. “What’s your name?” she asks, probably trying to make conversation.

“Isabella,” I responded.

“That’s a nice name,” she whispers, playing with her fingers.

She merely sat there, smiling, not uttering another word. There’s something about Hee-Young, something comforting about the atmosphere surrounding her. She is different from everyone else I met in this pack. “Hee-Young?” I whisper, and she turns her attention to me.

“Yes, Luna Isabella?” she responds sweetly, wiping the crumbs off my cheek with a white napkin.

“What is a Luna, what does that man want to do with me, and what is a mate?”

“You mean Alpha Damien?” she questions.

“Damien,” I repeat his name feeling a weird sensation in the pit of my stomach.

She smiles, “Luna is the Alpha’s mate, where the Moon Goddess strings the both of you together. Mates are werewolves, other halves of their special person. We would know after their 17th birthday when we get our wolves, by their scent. When mates touch each other, they would feel electricity stringing between them,” she explains.

I sat there, finally understanding why there is that odd feeling whenever Damien touched me. Honestly, I don’t care about the whole mating thing, but whoever the Moon Goddess may be, I curse her; she is what subjects would call a total b***h. I glance back up at Hee-Young. “Can you help me leave this place?” I ask hesitantly, knowing she will disagree, but it’s worth the shot.

She shakes her head. “I apologize, Luna Isabella, but I cannot do that. Alpha Damien punished anyone who does not follow his rules, and they are stringent rules.”

I open my mouth only to be cut off. “She is right you know,” a deep voice said, and we turn our heads to see Damien leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. I can see his eyes maneuvering towards Hee-Young, who’s trembling with fear. She grabs the tray and white box then quickly exits the room.

Damien shut their door, jaws clenching one another, as he lurks over to me. “Sleep.” he demands.

I sat there, knowing I can’t sleep anymore unless required, so I shook my head.

“Sleep.” he demands once more.

“But, I’m not sleepy,” I whisper.

“Sleep!” he shouts, and I stand there staring at him with widening eyes, not knowing how to respond.

“Or would you like me to punish the omega from earlier for your disobedience?” he threatens.

“Hee-Young?” I breathe out, and he nods his head.

“I can’t punish you because my wolf won’t let me, but I can sure throw into the f*****g dungeon, and whip her,” he growls

Hee-Young is the first person who is kind to me since I arrived. Yes, I’ve been here less than a day, but everyone was looking at me as if I’m no one, rejecting my existence. She was the first one who asked for my name and smiled at me. The first person to make me feel warmth in a very long time.

Slowly, I laid down, pulling the blanket over me, and forced myself to sleep when I couldn’t. Peeking my eyes open, I saw Damien sitting on the chair across from me. Leaning forward, hands clutch firmly together, narrowing eyes continuously flickering, looking as if he is having an inner battle.

I shut my eyes, hearing absolutely nothing except Damien’s rough breaths and my raging heartbeats. Before, I knew I felt a warm finger on my cheek, scrolling down to my lips. I can hear the bed squeaking and a warm body behind me, someone inhales slowly. “Please,” he stops talking, inhaling a trembling breath. “Don’t hurt me.” Damien places a hand on my forehead, slowly grazing his fingers across it. “I’m sorry,” he whispers gently.

The whole night, I can feel him holding me tightly, inhaling my scent rapidly. It was warm and fulfilling, but I was afraid to move. If I move merely a single inch, he would know I’m awake. I’m not entirely sure how, but I was able to fall asleep for a few hours, very comfortably. I open my eyes, to see no one beside me. The bed is still warm, indicating Damien had left not too long ago, but my mind wonders what he meant last night.

There’s a knocking on the door. “Come in,” I said, and Hee-Young made her perky appearance. I released a deep breath knowing she wasn’t hurt. She walks into the room, silently shuts the door, and offers me another sweet smile.

“Here is a fresh pair of clothes, you can change into them after you shower,” she said.

Hesitantly, I grab the clothes, feeling the soft material. It’s been so long since I’ve been given brand new clothes. The last time I wore a fresh pair of clothes was in the past before my family was murdered. Hee-Young shows me the bathroom, and I step inside, amazed by the size. She shut the door, offering me some privacy, and I started stripping myself. Staring at the mirror, I release a deep breath, eyes lurking down on my chest, to not see a number.

When I entered the facility, they were supposed to tattoo me with a number around my chest, but an incident happened with Subject 6, and they rushed out, forgetting all about me. They told me to leave, and they will come back to get me, but they never did. I supposed I have to thank Subject 6, even if she is one of the craziest subjects in the facility.

I could still see the faint scars on my body from being punished and the battles. I shook my head, and walked towards the shower, attempting to figure out the puzzle. It’s incredibly confusing. I don’t understand why when I turn the knob, nothing comes out, then suddenly some water splashes out, but I turn the knob again, and it stops. Then, I twisted it in the same direction, but no water came out. In the end, I bathe in cold water, but I’m used to it, so it’s fine.

When I step out, I wipe myself clean, and put on the fresh clothes, feeling my body tremble. I walk out of the bathroom, and see Hee-Young folding some clothes. Her eyes widened. “Why are you shaking?” she shouts, rushing towards me, hot hands on my flesh. “Did you bathe in cold water?” she asks, and I nod my head. “Why?” she questions, but I merely stand there, attempting to warm myself. She grabs my wrist, pulling me towards a chair.

“Next time, call me,” she said calmly, pulling out from what I remember to be a hairdryer. She turned it on, and the noise hit my head. I slap my hands over my ears, and a giggle escapes her throat as she starts drying my hair.

Soon, she finishes, putting away the hairdryer. “Now, let’s go grab you some breakfast,” she said, grabbing my hand, leading me out. When she opens the door, there are still guards outside, and they follow us.

Yesterday, I couldn’t see anything because my emotions were at its peak, but with the calm state I am in, I was able to absorb my surroundings. We walked down the hallway realizing there were square markings all over the wall as if there were picture frames on it, but it was taken down. There were large curtains on the side, blocking out the sunlight, dimming the hallway, making it feel dead but livelier than the facility. There wasn’t a single noise inside the house, as if no one lives here.

Reaching the stairs, I walk down, hearing a noise in the background. I turned my head to see a man, but it wasn’t Damien. He grabs the remote, turning down the volume, and offers me a smile. He had a deep shade of brown eyes, lips smiling at me. He stood up, straightening himself out, positioning out his hand. “You must be the new Luna,” he said kindly, and I stare at his hand.

He chuckles. “Don’t worry, I won’t bite.” he teases, and I take his hand.

He leans closer to me. “Much,” he whispers, and I can feel my cheeks reddening, a small smile creep up my face. “My name is Caspian, but you can call me Ian. What’s your name?”

“Isabella,” I whisper.

He clears his throat, retracting his hand. “Well, Isabella, are you feeling hungry?” he asks, placing his hands behind his back, the smile on his face never leaving, and I nod.

Ian tilts his head. “Then, let’s go get you some breakfast,” he looks behind me. “You too, Hee-Young,” he said, and I can see her face turning red.

“Thank you, Gamma Ian.” she barely whispers.

He walks over, ruffling her hair. “I told you, call me Ian. It’s okay,” he said, pinching her nose.

Hee-Young nods. “Yes, Ian,” she said.

Ian claps his hands together. “Let’s go, beautiful ladies,” he said, causing the both of us to giggle.

We headed towards what I assumed to be the kitchen, and when Ian opened the door, a painful sensation emerged on my chest as I saw Damien kissing another girl.