6: The Bargain
1814 Words
Bree’s POV
I scoffed at his threat, wondering why he thought that I'd believe a word that he said.
If he thought that he could kill me, why then did he ask me to help him defeat men far stronger than he was?
But he reached into his pocket and took out a small knife which he pointed at me. When he looked up at me once again, the glint in his eyes was proof enough that he meant it.
It wasn't beyond him; killing the people he was close to. He took out his Beta who was accused of trying to usurp him without thinking twice.
He didn't even let him explain himself nor listen to his pleas. In the end, the man was guilty but he could have also been innocent. Such was the ruthlessness that Dax possessed.
“You should kill me then,” I sighed, defiantly standing by my stance. “I don't have anything else to live for anyway. I've lost my mate, my home, and even my throne. What else do I have to live for? You can kill me right now and get it over with.”
He flared his nose in anger, blowing hot air from his nose. “You dare refuse my orders?” He vented in anger, his face contorted with rage. “I'll give you one more chance, Bree. Just one more or I'll stick this straight into your heart.”
But I didn't flinch. I kept my gaze on him just so that he'd see that I wasn't afraid of death. Indeed, I wanted it, especially if it came from his hands. I wanted to die knowing that it was the man whom I gave my heart to who ended up taking my life.
“You think I care about living? You think that I can ever believe that if I help you defeat the enemy, you'll reinstate me as the Luna Queen and spare me from my suffering?” I asked with a scowl on my face. “I'm not that stupid. I know you love Gina and you'll do anything to have her by your side. You do not love me and I can see that it'll never change. So, take my life, Dax. Kill me right now. You'll lose the war anyway, why not give yourself the pleasure of killing me before meeting your own demise? I mean, it'll be such a shame to spare me only to lose your life in the battle. Go on, do it.”
I spread my arms open as he glared, contemplating if he was to do it or not. His hands shook a little as he slowly brought it close to me but I knew it wasn't because he loved me and couldn't get himself to kill me.
He only hesitated because he wondered if he was willing to let go of any chance he had to use my powers for his gain. He didn't say it but I could tell just by the look on his face.
“Fine. Have it your way. I did my best,” he voiced, and quickly, he moved his knife towards me but just as he was about to stab me, the footsteps of someone running into the dungeon halted him as he turned to see who it was.
It was a guard, panting so hard as he ran into the dungeon. “The war is about to start,” he announced with a shaky voice, forgetting to greet or bow before his Alpha who didn't seem concerned either. His eyes widened as he realised that what he feared had finally arrived at his doorstep and there was no escaping it.
“Come here,” he dragged me by the hand and quickly headed out of the dungeon towards the battlefield.
“Let me go!” I screamed, doing all I could to break free from his grip.
“If only I could break free, I'd run far away from him,” I said in my heart but it wasn't to be.
His grip was too strong and he wouldn't relent. Not until we got to the battlefield where the warriors of the Moon Howl Pack stood with their Alpha in front of them.
The man was a force of nature. Just a glance at him and I knew exactly why Dax was so afraid of him.
He looked about 6’7 tall and had very broad shoulders. His chest was well-chiselled and since he was without a top, he made sure to flex it probably to drive fear into our warriors.
His arms were huge, probably two times the size of Dax and his bald head only made him look even scarier.
“I see you've finally chosen to show your face,” his voice thundered towards Dax who shuddered at the sound. “I will crush you and your men without mercy until your entire Pack bows to me.”
Letting go of my hand, Dax approached the man doing his best to stay as calm as possible. He didn't want his enemy to know that he was afraid but it was obvious. He kept his gaze on the ground the whole time, afraid to look the man in the eyes.
When he finally got close to the man, he put up his right hand which was a sign of peace but the man shook his head. “There will be no peace today, Dax. The time for that has passed. For so long, we asked that if you but you refused. You wanted us to fight you. Here we are,” the man insisted. “All you and your people would get is a taste of my sword. Tonight, I will wash my face with your blood and feed your flesh to my men.”
“What if I make you an offer? One that I'm sure you'd be delighted to take,” Dax suggested. “Would you be willing to toss the sword aside and embrace peace instead?”
“An offer?” I thought aloud, wondering what he had under his sleeves. Knowing how cunning Dax was, I knew it was nothing good. I just couldn't think of anything he could give to get the man to sheathe his sword.
The man grunted, taking his time to consider the proposition. “And what is this offer that you think would be able to make me abandon my desire to see your end, Dax?” He smirked.
“My Luna Queen,” Dax voiced to my surprise. My eyes went wide open as he pointed at me with his right hand, a wicked smile on his face. “I offer you my most prized asset, my lovely wife in exchange for peace.”
The man laughed hard with his right hand on his waist. “You must think that I'm ignorant,” he voiced. “One thing that I don't like is being played with like a fool. It hurts me. It aches my heart and drives me mad. It leaves me no choice but to make people pay for it. Do you think that I didn't hear that this woman isn't your Luna Queen anymore? You think I don't know that you locked her up for days and tortured her?”
As he spoke, it dawned on me why the men chose that time to attack. Dax had shot himself in the leg. As soon as they heard that his powerful Luna Queen had been reduced to a weakened prisoner, they knew it was finally time to attack.
I was the only reason why they held back all those years. They were afraid of what I could do to them but now that Dax got me out of the way, there was nothing to be afraid of.
I couldn't believe that Dax could be so heartless. I get it that he was intent on making me suffer but giving me off to another Alpha who was a sworn enemy of the Pack. How could he even do that to me?
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I looked on, watching in pain as he did his best to persuade the man in front of him to take me. He cowered before him like a spineless chicken as he sold out the woman he used to call his loving mate.
I wished in my heart that I could use my powers right now. I wished that somehow, the Goddess could grant me even just a few minutes of access to it. I'd have ignored the enemy and shredded Dax to bits. I'd have made him suffer slowly before he'd eventually meet his death but alas, I was too weak to use them.
“I might have taken her off the position because of her actions but our bond remains. Therefore, Bree is still my Luna Queen,” he assured the man. “And I must tell you, she's not just any kind of woman. She possesses a lot of special abilities able to make a group of warriors disappear as if they weren't there.”
“What is your proof?” The man bellowed at him. “If she is as powerful as you claim, why then is she unable to fight us seeing that we are about to demolish you all? Why does she sit and watch you cower in the face of war?”
Dax swallowed his spit and I could tell that he was embarrassed. The words of the Alpha King of the Moon Howl Pack got to him but there was little he could do.
“She cannot use her powers because she's too weak to do so now,” he divulged, causing the man to raise a brow. “But I can assure you that the power she possesses is second to none.”
The man growled, gazing at me for about a minute. “I've heard rumours of this Queen and I refused to believe them,” he revealed. “But I must admit. I am curious. I'm eager to know more about her so I'll accept your offer. But I must warn you, if I find out that you lied to me, I will be back and I will not return to my Pack until I have your head in my hand, raised for all to see.”
Dax nodded and they shook hands. “Get her,” the Alpha King ordered his men, pointing his finger at me.
As they grabbed me by the hand and helped me to my feet, it was hard to believe my sudden downfall was made possible by a man I was crazily in love with.
Once a Luna, I was now being given away like a mere slave and there was nothing that I could do but sob.
- Writer
