Clara's POV
As the pack's Luna, I am in the forest near our borders, protecting our pack against a rogue attack. Noah is busy in his office. Yesterday, he had an appointment with his uncle, Ryder Black. Our pack prepares for war because Noah and his uncle do not see eye to eye. His uncle is the illegitimate child of Noah's grandfather. Like me, he's a hybrid. I know the back does not like that my mother was a witch and my father a werewolf. I grew up with my father, as my mother died when I was born. My father never forgave me for that. I had a miserable childhood, and everybody hated me, even my father.
"Concentrate, Clara! Do you want to get us all killed?" Beta John shouts at me. Many of the pack members refuse to call me Luna. They don't think I deserve the title, as I am a hybrid, not a werewolf. My wolf is strong and magical, and Willow has a witch's power. However, the pack does not see it as an advantage for our pack. They feel embarrassed that their Luna is a hybrid. Ryder was kicked out of the pack because he was a hybrid and formed his own hybrid pack called the Thunder River Pack. They would have kicked me out of the pack if I were not Noah's mate.
"I am trying to, but I have this pain in my stomach that doesn't stop. I do not know what is going on. Perhaps Noah is in trouble. Maybe I should go back to the packhouse and check up on him. You can handle these few rogues. There are not many left. I can use my Thunderbolt attack if you think you cannot do it alone." I say. My Thunderbolt attack is magical, and I know the Pack members dislike it when I use my magic.
"Run away, your cowardly hybrid. We can do this by ourselves. Besides, I have a feeling your mate has a surprise for you." John says with a wicked smile.
Why do I feel that something terrible is happening? Something I don't want to know about. I know that she-wolf gets pain when her mate cheats on her, but Noah will never cheat on me. A she-wolf also feels the pain if her mate is in pain. I'm worried about Noah, so I leave the pack to fight alone. I know they can handle these few rogues that are left. I killed most of the rogues. John will never admit that I am a strong warrior. The pack will never admit that I am a good Luna and fighter. They see me as an embarrassment. It hurts me. But I cannot think about it now. I need to get to Noah.
I ran to the packhouse and his office. But he's not there. I pick up his scent and that of another wolf. I ran to our bedroom. If somebody is attacking him, I will kill him today.
A storm into our bedroom, and I feel the burning sensation of the hurt of his betrayal as he is naked on top of Zaria. For a moment, I'm speechless, standing there looking at them.
What have I done to deserve this? Am I cursed? I have only been the Luna of the Storm Forest Pack for a few months. Noah has marked me, but he is not my lover yet, as he feels we have to wait until our problems with the Thunder River Pack are resolved before we become lovers and have pups.
I felt this pain before at night. I always thought it was because I was in heat, and my mate did not want to take me. I was stupid. I am young. I don't know anything about being a mate. I never thought I would get a mate. I thought nobody would want me and my mate to reject me, but my mate did not reject me. He marked me but never completed our mate bond. Now I know why. Now I know why I'm getting these pains at night. My mate has a lover.
The only one who sees me is Zaria. And she screams out loud as my mate thrust himself into her again. I know she's doing it on purpose to hurt me even more. I am only nineteen. What was I supposed to do?
My father never told me anything about the mate bond. Here hardly ever talked to me. I don't even know how his and my mother's relationship worked. Did he mark her? If he did, did she turn into a hybrid? I did not know my mother. As I said before, she died when I was born, and my father saw me as her murderer. We lived on the edge of the border in an old hut. They did not want to cast my father out of the pack as he was one of their best warriors, but they didn't want to see me because I was a hybrid.
All of the memories come back to me as I am hurt inside by my mate's betrayal.
"What is going on here? Noah? Why?" I ask. I am furious and can feel my wolf's fury inside me.
"What the hell are you doing here? And why aren't you protecting the pack? You are nothing but a stupid hybrid! Did you think for one moment that I would make you my mate? Yes, we have a mate bond, but I accepted you only because I was afraid you would join my uncle and his pack with your magical powers and become a problem to me! I do not love you! Zaria is the one that I love. I spent every night with her and wondered when you would realize the pain you are feeling is because of my betrayal. But you were too stupid." Noah says.
"You betrayed me while I was fighting? You could have gotten the warriors and me killed! How dare you call me stupid when you are the stupid one? You can take your w***e and have fun with her. I, Clara Howard, reject you as my mate and my Alpha, Noah Black! Go to hell with your lover!" I shout. I know I'm doing this out of anger. I did not mean a word I said. I still love him.
Noah jumps out of the bed naked and grabs me by my throat.
"How dare you call Zaria a w***e! You will pay dearly for it. Guards!" Noah shouts, and before I know what is happening, I am attacked from behind, and the ropes soaked in wolfsbane are around my arms, making my wolf and me weak.
"You will regret this one day. I truly loved you, and Zaria is using you to become Luna of this pack. She does not care about you. She only cares about herself. I don't care if I die tonight. My soul is broken. The hurt inside of me is unbelievable." I say.
"I will not accept your rejection. You will die feeling this pain. I will make love to Zaria while they throw you in the river to drown. I should have thought of it a long time ago. I should have just killed you from the beginning. You were always an embarrassment to this pack, and I should have never made you my Luna." Noah laughs.
"Can I beat her up while she's tied up and cannot use her magic on me?" Zaria asks. Zaria has hated me since I became the Luna, and she makes no effort to hide it.
"Go ahead, my love. Beat the living s**t out of her," Noah says.
I feel her attack. I feel my bones cracking and the scratches on my skin. I can do nothing. My wolf and I are too weak from the wolfbane. Noah walks closer as I fall on the ground and kicks me in my ribs. I must have passed out from the pain.
I opened my eyes as I hit the cold water. It is useless to struggle. Because my mother's magic is in my wolf, I cannot use my magical power, as my wolf is too weak.
Is this how I die? Betrayed and killed by my mate? I expected it from Zaria but not from my mate Noah. I thought he loved me although I am different. I think while sinking to the bottom of the river. Everything is getting dark around me as I struggle to breathe, my hands tied with ropes dipped in wolfsbane, making my wolf Willow and me helpless to break free. Bleeding and broken with the pain of my mate's betrayal still burning in the pit of my stomach.