Episode 2
1256 Words
"We wouldn't dare assume that. It was just a rumour. Pay no heed to it, please." Nadia's father tried to explain.
"It wasn't just a rumour. It's actually true." Alpha Killian stated, but before he could finish, Julian cut him off with a shout, "Father!"
He signalled to Julian to halt and let him finish, then turned to Nadia's father. "We have come here to sever the ties my son has with your daughter."
"Foster daughter. She's not my real daughter; you know that." He corrected.
"My son cannot have her as a mate. She is not up to his level, and with her reputation of killing her real parents, we don't need someone as vile as her in our family." Luna Victoria chipped in a disdainful tone.
Inside the room, Nadia's wolf Gena couldn't contain herself. She spoke out again.
"They called you wild." She stated, but Nadia ignored her.
"She called you a freak. Do you still want me to keep calm?"
"Shut up," Nadia whispered to Gena, trying to keep her emotions at bay, attempting to remain composed.
"You are getting rejected. Don't tell me you aren't angry."
Nadia clenched her fists, ignoring Gena, and remained focused on trying to hear the discussion taking place in the living room.
Julian spoke out, his face tense and troubled. "I understand that we are supposed to be with whoever the moon goddess has chosen for us but I cannot be mated to a freak like Nadia. I'm going to be the next alpha of our pack, after my father, she cannot be my Luna. She is an outcast. She doesn't belong here."
Nadia's heart shattered as she heard the words she had feared for so long. She was an outcast, not accepted even by the one who was supposed to love and care for her. Tears welled up in her silver eyes as she listened to Julian's harsh words.
She exhaled deeply, trying to get her emotions in check.
"Let it out," Gena urged from within, but her words only fueled Nadia's frustration, and she exploded, "Shut the heck up!"
The outburst reached the ears of those in the living room. Startled, Nadia stormed out of the room and into the living room, her chest heaving as she tried to collect herself.
Her eyes darted to Julian, who quickly removed his gaze.
"I didn't kill my parents! It was an accident!" Nadia yelled.
"I have nothing to do with you," Julian stated.
Tears streamed down Nadia's cheeks, her voice quivering as she continued, "You're willing to defy the moon goddess because I'm not in your league? I'm sorry I don't meet your standards, but please, I'm begging you with all that's sacred, don't reject me. Let's pretend this was all just a terrible dream. I promise I won't tell anyone that you're my mate."
"You should have thought of that when you went about broadcasting to people that Julian is your mate." Julian's mother, Luna Victoria, retorted.
"Please, Luna Victoria." Nadia dropped to her knees.
"We want nothing to do with you, child. Absolutely nothing. You don't belong here. You don't deserve to be the next Luna of the Crescent moon pack."
Nadia, her heart breaking, wiped her tears and continued to plead, "I understand, but please, I don't think I can bear the pain of rejection. Julian, please."
Desperation filled her voice as she moved closer to Julian on her knees, holding him and begging. Julian, however, pushed her away, his words stinging like a slap, "Murderer and freak."
Nadia, crushed by his harsh rejection, crawled over to her foster father, desperation etched on her face as she begged him as well. But her pleas fell on deaf ears, as her father ignored her and urged Julian to go on with the rejection.
Julian stepped outside, his face devoid of any expression. He gestured to Nadia to follow him, but she remained on her knees, her tears flowing freely as she wept and pleaded.
Not moved by her tears, Julian forcefully pulled her from the floor and dragged her out, not caring if she was injured by the harsh ground. The pain of the physical injury paled in comparison to the emotional agony Nadia was already experiencing.
Outside, under the early morning light, Julian looked up and realised there was no moonlight. Just then he took out a pendant shaped like a moon and forced Nadia to place her hand on it as well.
He began the ritual, his voice devoid of any warmth, "I, Julian, son of Alpha Killian, reject you, Nadia, daughter of the unknown, as my mate. From this day onward, I sever any ties I have with you, be it mate bond or any kind of connection."
The moment those words left his lips, a searing pain tore through Nadia. She let out a gut-wrenching scream, clutching her chest as if her heart was being torn apart. She fell to the ground, the pain so intense that it felt like the ground itself was betraying her.
When Nadia looked up at Julian, the agony in her eyes pierced through the numbness in his expression. Yet, he remained unmoved, leaving Nadia on the ground writhing in pain as he walked back into the house.
"Make it stop, please!" Nadia pleaded to anyone or anything that might be listening. She felt as though the pain would consume her entirely. It was far more excruciating than she had ever imagined. The torment was unbearable, and she cried out, begging for relief. Her wolf, Gena, was also in severe pain. However, she was patiently waiting for Nadia to seek her assistance.
Nadia tried her best to endure the pain, but it was too much to bear. Just as Alpha Killian, his wife, Julian, and Nadia's foster parents emerged from the house, Nadia gazed at their faces, still in severe pain.
However, none of them made a move to help her. Overwhelmed, she finally lost consciousness, and in that moment, Gena, her inner wolf, seized control. Nadia's human form gave way to her wolf, her eyes now a fierce, bright red.
Without hesitation, Gena rose on four powerful legs and let out a fearsome growl. She bared her teeth menacingly at the individuals before her.
Before they could react, she charged at Julian with startling speed, her claws slashing and tearing at him.
Alpha Killian and his wife, trying to defend their son, immediately transform into their werewolf forms. But Gena, fueled by a mix of anger and pain, fiercely fought them and was able to subdue them.
Having dealt with the Alpha and his wife, Gena turned her attention to Julian, who lay helpless and vulnerable.
Gena's eyes blazed with vengeful determination. She drove her poisonous claws deep into Julian. Julian writhed in pain as Gena's claws penetrated his flesh. With a gut-wrenching scream, he gave up.
Nadia's foster parents watched in horror, not knowing what else to do. They fell on their knees pleading for Gena to spare their lives. They were werewolves too, but seeing how Gena had subdued the Alpha and his wife, they knew they stood no chance against her.
Luna Victoria, having turned back to her human form, rushed to her son wailing beside him.
In that moment, Nadia slowly regained consciousness and shifted back to her human form. As her gaze fell upon Julian, lying dead in his own pool of blood, shock overwhelmed her.
She sank to her knees, her voice quivering, "What have you done, Gena?"
- Writer
