Luna of the Golden Moon

Silver

Goddess. Kyle.

He was on his knees, chained down to poles, stained with spots of dry grass and prints showing the true meaning of this spot. Punishment. I gasped, never getting used to the ruthlessness the pack showed me. It seemed no different to the Betas, who had gathered around their brother-in-arms, some of them snickering. Still, most seemed unhappy, like they didn't support whatever punishment the head had been lashing out over Kyle, staring blankly into the air before catching my eyes, sending another jolt of guilt down my stomach; he didn't deserve this.

My body started to tremble, following the stern Delta Vivian that was walking before me, having a string of deltas all follow us to the grand area where Betas, along with my mate, was training, the stench of blood dangling in the air, making me want to start throwing up, still sick from getting my period that I know Caleb hadn't forgiven me for, and neither had the head Alpha!

Kyle was bare chested, and to my despair, Caleb was the one standing behind him, in a black suit and yellow eyes underneath the dark hair and was looking nothing like the guy that had been inside the cabin, having fun and telling me that we could run away; his Alpha was giving me nothing, just like he had before letting me down yet again!

I growled, unable to keep quiet when Delta Vivian turned around, giving me a glare that meant I was supposed to stay silent, but how could I!? Kyle was staring confidently into the crowd mixed with stern Betas and Deltas holding their breaths, same as mine at the grinning guy, of all things; to my slight relief, maybe he wasn't as afraid as me, the baby blue eyes finding mine, and for a second I swear that I could know what he was thinking, how much he hated the head and anyone else that was looking down on him, oh Goddess I knew that feeling… my head was so heavy seeing the slight smile, just a glimpse from the tied down guy that still hadn't stopped staring at me, lost in the crowd of Deltas.

"I'm sorry, Kyle…." I was so miserable, not knowing why I was apologizing to him. This wasn't entirely my fault since Caleb had run off; he was supposed to protect us, his Luna and friend, from the punishment he was facing for just helping us out!

"Ah, don't be sorry, hotshot; I really liked that dance…" I hated that it made me want to start to cry. Yes, it had been fun dancing with him, just forgetting that I wasn't supposed to be this almighty Luna for an Alpha who just wanted me to be perfect and couldn't even protect me against his own father!

"Yeah...same..." I sniffled, giving him another sad smile when the crowds grew silent seeing the tall man walking out onto the field, standing right before the bowed-down Kyle, who hated the man before him so much that I could barely breathe from how strong it was, mixing with my own, Kyle's mischievous eyes glimmering back at mine that still was locked on his before giving me another smile, looking like he knew it too, that I wanted the head to disappear since he was just this old hateful man that wanted us to suffer!

"Don't look; when they burn me, it's going to be f*****g awful..." Burn? I didn't even want to know what he meant by that; I had never seen anything like this. My Mother told me that silver would burn me, but I was never stupid enough to try it out!

"Kyle..." I didn't have time to say more, not caring if Caleb could hear me. However, he didn't make one move, not even a twitch from his eyes that still was glowing yellow amidst the Betas around him, all bowing their head down towards the head Alpha gloating in the center, loving every second in the spotlight, that bastard!

"Beta Kyle, for failing to protect your future head and Luna, you are hereby sentenced to silver for two minutes." I hated that Alpha Terrence looked so damn proud. Caleb was no better, making my heart drop more from how he had gloves on, big ones, and a bucket that had been placed just beside him; I felt sicker by the minute; why was he even agreeing to this!? He knew that Kyle was innocent!? I wanted to start screaming again, telling the head Alpha and my mate that I still hadn't forgiven him for abandoning me when I needed him; this was insane!

The heavy chain looked more like it belonged around a tire than in Caleb's hand, rustling to the grim look when my heart clenched more, overseeing his blank face. Was he really so damn heartless that he couldn't even save someone innocent? I stared at Caleb's stern face, knowing that if he did this, I wouldn't accept this, not when Kyle was the only person in this madness that didn't make me feel like a pawn being pushed around to play a part I didn't choose.

"Caleb, don't...." I tried pleading with him to stop raising the chain above Kyle's head, not caring if I was sacrificing the last dignity I owned since he had shown me exactly what he was feeling, still angry over what had happened at the head's office, that I couldn't stay silent like he wanted me to.

Kyle's voice was piercing into my head when I started to cry, not caring if anyone saw me, wanting to start pushing away anyone around me, trying to help him, the agony filling up the air around us, making me unable to breathe when Caleb’s hard eyes just stared at the chain around his friend's neck, I wanted to kill him for being so heartless! he didn't care about me. He sure didn't care about Kyle, still screaming from the low sizzling of his skin being melted off like someone had poured cooking oil over his shoulders and chest; oh Goddess, why wouldn't anyone help him!?

"Delta Vivian, please!?" My hand was on her shoulder. She stood tall, with a blank expression, the same as Caleb's, when she turned around, making me stare at her for a second longer with Kyle still screaming behind her. Was that sorrow again? She did care about Kyle, so why wouldn't she help him?

"I told you, little wolf, we all have a place in the pack ..." She didn't sound happy but still as convinced, making me release my hand from her shoulder like I was the one that was burning and not Kyle, who still was howling in agony, the smell of burnt flesh filling up our nostrils when Caleb finally lifted the chain of his body that fell hard to ground, passed out from the pain that my mate had inflicted on him.

"I hate you and the pack!" I snarled it to Delta Vivian's apathetic face, not caring that Caleb's eyes met mine the second I did, my own ones showing off my Luna; she wasn't happy over what happened, and I wasn't going to stick around and watch the aftermath of Alpha Terrence telling people that this was right because it wasn't!

"Alpha Caleb of the Golden Moon pack, I, Emilia Jackson, reject you as my mate!" I was spitting it over the bondlink to him; I had it! This was too much! I could take him being an ass to me, even the head. Still, now he was hurting people who hadn't done anything wrong.

People who were supposed to be his future first Beta—what the hell was wrong with this place?? I was panting, waiting for the pain to kick in from my rejection of him. It was supposed to be worse than silver, but he had broken my heart, and right now, I don't think I could feel any worse than I already did.

Caleb was still staring at me, his eyes full of yellow. He didn't care about Kyle being dragged away by Betas with my hands on my hips. I was taking a stand against him, with the whole pack surrounding us. Alpha Terrence's eyes were on me, but for once, he was not butting in where his nose didn't belong!

"Say something!?" I growled, wanting him to answer me, not just stare like he couldn't hear me. I know he did. He was Alpha Caleb, and I knew every word inside my head or mouth was picked up by the attractive man I hated to love. Why wasn't he answering me?

"Head Alpha Terrance of the Golden Moon, I hereby challenge you for the seat as the head." Caleb's voice was grave, and I felt chills down my spine. My mouth was open, and my eyes were scared to death, seeing the stern face of my handsome mate. Did he just challenge Alpha Terrance!?