Song: Back to Black by Amy winehouse
(The woman in the photo is Katlyn)

Like, comment, follow
-
30th June, 2017
Alpha Gabriel's territory

He led me down numerous hallways, the tension between us thick enough to be cut. I could feel his eyes on my face every few minutes, making me tense as he does. He stopped in front of a sturdy wooden door, much like the fashion of every other door in the Palace. The normality ends at the two large men standing at attention on their side, their eyes never wavering from the wall directly in front of them. 

"Max. Leo." Gabriel nods in their direction.

"Alpha." They reply with respective acknowledgment.

He opens the door and gives an expectant look for me to enter. I walk through the entryway and take in the office. There is a dark wooden desk in the middle of the room, the walls are made of bookshelves filled to the brim and on the far side of the room is a sitting area with a marble table. Books are scattered around the table along with a half-empty glass of amber liquid. I hear the click of the door closing and turn to Gabriel.

"Please, sit" Gabriel offers as he pulls one of the chairs out next to his desk.

I do as he says and sit on the cushioned chair, the tension in the room never ceasing. He sits on the opposite side of the desk and relaxes into it. We stare at each other for a moment before he sighs.

"I cannot express how sorry I am Serephina. To imagine how scared you must have been, it was wrong of me to keep you in that room. The day I left you I could not keep the fear away, your species was extinct and... and the thought of others coming after you sent me into an act of desperation. I do not think you understand how special you are, not only to me but to my kind. You were but a myth for so long, a bedtime story told to children. But know that you are here, alive and in front of me, the dangers that come with your title have also never been so real. I left the Palace and went to the Lunar Temple, trying to learn everything I could about the children of the moon. I was coming back the day you tried to escape, if I came only minutes later you would have been... I am so so sorry," Gabriel says with conviction.

His eyes show how desperate he is for my forgiveness and my heart clenches. I can't forgive him, he could have handled this differently, but he didn't, and he is going to have to live with that.

"Tell me what you found," I ask, moving away from the answer he wants.

He leans back into his chair and rests his hands on the arms of it.

"I could not read all of the books but from what I found, it repeatedly spoke of the powers the Children of the Moon possess and how it was given to them by the Goddess for protection. It did not go into detail as to what that power is but I believe we saw a glimpse of it when you tried to escape, although something tells me that there is more to it then we know. It also stated that you have an extraordinarily strong connection with the Goddess. It hinted that you have the power of communicating with the Goddess but went no further than that. The Children of the Moon always have a mate in this world, their connection with their mate is one of the reasons they can move between your homeworld and mine, without it, our Priestesses believe that it wouldn't be possible. It also stated that... that when the mates connect, their children will be superior to others. Their hybrid genes giving them greater strength than other Lycanthropes, due to this every unmated male in the land will try to claim you as his, but I will not let that happen, this I promise," his loyal words coax my ears as I listen to his even voice.

The thought of other men claiming me sends a shiver down my spine. I can barely handle one, let alone an entire nation. Determination covers my soul, I won't let that happen, I will find my way home. First, I need to deal with that man that has already 'claimed' me.

"What is the mating process?" I ask.

Gabriel's green eyes darken shades at my question. His jaw clenches and his grip on the chair arms tighten, the wood squeaking under the pressure, the question seeming to catch him off guard. I shift uncomfortably from his stare and regret asking him.

"What is it you want to know?" his once calm voice drops an octave.

"Well, you mentioned that we have a bond. What does that mean?" I question.

He stares deep into my eyes as his soften, something changes in his face, something angelic and loving.

"Having a mate is not just meeting another person and falling in love with them. It is about meeting the one person who will love you and everything about you unconditionally. What we share, some are cursed to never feel.  The bond is the connection between the two people, it is an invisible force that bounds us together. Once- if we finish the process, we will be able to feel each other's emotions, not only that but we will be able to communicate through our thoughts. The process takes three phases, first, we must meet, this is usually the most difficult step, then we must both love each other. The last stage, we must make love under the full moon tying our souls together," he finishes, his voice holding nothing but absolute seriousness.

"Is there a way to break the bond?" I ask without thinking, needing to know out of curiosity.

A deep growl rumbles through the room as the whites of his eyes disappear, replaced by coal-black. I push back into my seat, the sudden change taking me by surprise. I hold my breath as I wait for him to jump at me but all he does is take deep long breaths. His eyes slowly change back to normal but the serious look on his face does not change.

"There is no way to break the bond," he grits out in slow clear syllables.

Gone is the understanding man, replaced is the domineering Alpha.

"You're fine Gabriel. I was just wondering," I say quickly, trying to get the man from before back.

He looks at me with furrowed brows, his body tense as if ready to pounce at any given moment. I give him a few seconds to relax, I see his body slowly moulded into the chair. His reaction making me not believe his answer, but I leave it not wanting to create a further scene.

"What now?" I ask, ready to continue with our progress.

His head tilts in confusion, asking me to elaborate.

"With us, with this situation. What do we do know?" I ask again.

"Well, that is what we need to figure out, is it not?" he asks rhetorically.

"Do you accept that I love another?" I ask.

"Accept? Yes. Enjoy the idea of? Not in the slightest."

"I want to go back to my own world," I tensely state, ready for his reaction.

His eyes cloud with sadness before he sighs with the stress of a thousand men.

"I am afraid I do not know how to do that and If I could, I honestly would help you. All I have ever wanted was for my mate to be happy, and I understand now that that might mean you will not be in my life," he declares painfully, the worlds actually seem to affect him.

I slump down into my chair and look out through one of the windows, the forest seeming like to be a never-ending maze. The corset tied tightly around my torso symbolising how trapped I feel inside.

"Will you help me find my way back?" I whisper, not daring to look into his eyes afraid of what I might see.

I hear him suck in a breath and it takes three long breaths for him to answer.

"If it is truly what you want, then yes, I will," he whispers back.

"It is what I want," I say, my voice no louder than his.

The emptiness of those words tightens my heart. I believe those words, but I have lied to myself before.

"Then it is what we will do," he speaks softly.

This bond he talks about is powerful, I will give them that much. I know these feelings are not real but deciphering them from each other is tearing my poor heart apart. 

"Tell me about your Goddess," I say, wanting to change the subject.

I look at him once again and see him already watching me. His demure changes almost immediately at the mention of his goddess, his face brightens and his back straightens.

"She is the mother of all beings. She is the Alpha and the Omega, the weak and the strong. She holds the wisdom of an immortal and the loyalty of a person who has never been betrayed. She watches over her people and makes our lands fertile but most importantly, she gives us our mates. She is the matcher of love and the hunter of evil. She is the Queen of everything living creature," he tells me with fondness in his voice.

"She communicates with you?" I ask, curious.

"Yes, some are more subtle than others, perhaps a simple change in weather, or an instinctual feeling, but she talks to her people regularly, mostly when there is a great injustice she cannot overlook. The Priestesses are the ones with the strongest connections to our Goddess, but now that you are here, I guess you have the strongest with the Goddess"

"Me? How do I have the strongest connection?" I ask, shocked.

"That marking on your wrist," he nods to my exposed wrist, "is not only the symbol of the Children of the Moon but also of the Goddess. It means that you are one of her children now. It is the most sacred marking, as well as powerful."

"You said earlier that I might be able to talk with her?"

"I know as much as you do, maybe the High Priestess will know more but yes, I believe that if she is actually needed, she will materialise," he tells me.

I nod, looking down at my hands making my way up to the marking on my wrist. I gently trace over the scar feeling the rough texture under my fingertips.

"It is getting late, will you allow me to escort you to your room?" he asks me as he stands.

I stand as well and nod. He walks to the door before opening it for me, his regal posture mesmerising me for a moment. I walk past him and into the torch-lit hallway.

"Leo, Max, it was lovely meeting you," I say as I wait for Gabriel.

Max's lips twitch before their heads bow.

"Luna," they say together.

I smile at them, ignoring the name they called me. My ladies continuous use of the word desensitising me of it.

Gabriel and I walk side by side, the tension before vanishing as our new agreement settles. He may have ruined our first encounter, but I can see that he is trying to make right his wrongs. We continue until we reach my bedroom door. We face each other and I look up at him with a new perspective.

"Good night Gabriel," I say.

A warm smile graces his lips.

"Good night Serephina," he replies.

I open my door looking back at him one last time before entering my room. I shut the door and welcome the emptiness of it. I take off my clothes- the corset taking longer than expected -and put on the nightgown that was placed on my bed. I slide into the soft sheets and welcome sleep like an old friend.

-
1st July, 2017

I rise from my slumber with a long satisfying stretch, the smooth silk of the bedsheets glide over my skin. I reach for Adam but feel nothing. I grumble under my breath before rising from my spot. The sleepy haze slowly releases its hold on me as I blink, I look around and reality once again shows itself. I sigh in defeat as I remember where I am before spinning to dangle my feet over the edge of the bed. One of the doors opens from the wall and Emilia, Vanya and Kenna walkthrough. They stand in their uniformed line before bowing.

"Morning," I yawn, stretching again.

"Good morning Luna," they greet.

I blink a few more times until my mood brightens up. Gabriel and I are starting our research today, meaning I am one step closer to going home. I all but jump out of my bed and ask them to get me ready for the day. They happily oblige, quickly getting to work. They give me a simple sky-blue dress and tie my hair out of my face. I bounce my knee as I sit, waiting for them to finish. What if it only takes today to find a way back? Could I see Adam soon? My mother and father? Micah? I smile slightly at the idea, my entire life is waiting for me. I can feel it. They finish and step back.

"Can you please take me to Gabriel?" I ask.

I notice Vanya smile slightly before they tell me to follow them. We walk to my door but stop when two sharp knocks echo against the door. The girls look at each other slightly confused before Emilia opens the door.

A gorgeous woman stands at the entrance, her hand rests on the indent of her voluptuous hip as her posture emits confidence. She has long black hair tied in a tight ponytail, her clothing not leaving much to the imagination. The style contradicting the conservative fashion the rest of the women wear. Like her hair, the tight dress she wears is a shiny black material. Her clear complexion is pale against her plump red lips, which is sporting condescending smirk. Her dark eyes are framed by thick eyelashes. Her entire persona screams danger.

"Katlyn," Kenna announces shocked.

Katlyn's eyes look at Kenna for a second before jumping over to me. Her eyes brighten before her smirk turns into an arrogant smile, her sharp canines showing.

"The Crescent Luna demands the imposter presence," Katlyn's clear voice states.

My ladies share a nervous glance.

"I am afraid that the Luna is busy right now, perhaps another time," Emilia tells Katlyn.

"Oh, but I have to insist, you don't want to keep her waiting," she pushes with an underlying threat.

Kenna looks back at me for an answer. I reluctantly nod, not sure what I am getting myself into.

"Very well, the Luna will come shortly," Kenna agrees.

"I'll wait," Katlyn declares before the door is shut on her.

My ladies turn to look at me, fear shining through their violet eyes.

"Luna, please grant us permission to speak freely," Emilia begs.

"Of- Of course," I stutter.

"We must warn you, Luna," Emilia says.

"The Crescent Luna is an evil woman who only loves her mate and Son," Vanya continues.

"She is known to be ruthless. She is said to dabble in the dark arts. She holds no empathy and will do anything she wants," Kenna explains.

"She has shed more blood through deception than any other," Emilia says.

"And do not trust any of her Ladies, they are as evil as she is and only loyal to the Crescent Luna," Kenna tells me.

"Especially Kaylyn, she is the worst of them," Vanya finishes.

I look over at the door and gulp. What am I supposed to do now?

"Thank you, girls. Uh- do we go now?" I ask, not certain in the slightest.

The girls seem to share my fear as they open the door. Katlyn is leaning against the wall opposite to us, looking at her long sharp nails with boredom. She looks up at the four of us with a pleased look in her black eyes.

"Follow me," Katlyn commands before kicking off her spot on the wall and walking away, her hips swaying with every step.

I walk behind her, making sure to keep my distance. The empty halls soon morph into a busy area. Everyone looks our way, for the first time they are not looking at me but at Katlyn. I can practically feel her smugness flowing off her in waves. She accentuates her swaying hips, even more, loving the attention. The male population looks at her with animalistic hunger. We walk until the sight of trees can be seen through the giant exiting doors. She walks through them without a second thought. Instead of walking straight into the open fields she turns left and walks along the pebbled pathway leading into the forest. I look around with uncertainty, my brain thinking back to all the horror movies where the victims are taken into the woods where their screams will not be heard.

We continue to walk further into the depths of the forest, each of my steps becoming more unwilling. I look behind me and see my Ladies looking around with the same uncertainty. Kenna and I make eye contact for a brief second, she gives me a reassuring smile, but it doesn't seem so convincing. I turn back around, squinting when I see something through the foliage of the trees. As we approach the unidentified object, I make out what it is. There, in the middle of the clearing, is a humungous glass dome filled with something black. At the front of the dome is a glass door, which Katlyn opens with ease. She does not wait for me to enter and simply walks through the green vines that block the view inside. I slowly step after her, my instincts telling me to run the other way as I hear harps playing softly melodiously and the mummer of women's voices. I gulp before pushing my way through the vines. The black I could see from the outside is that of black roses hugging the walls of the dome all of them having large red thorns. The plants take up a large proportion of the enormous space. Littered around the room are women in similar clothes as Katlyn with the v-lines of their dresses almost exposing their chests, along with the same confidence and sinfulness. All as beautiful as the other. They nod towards Katlyn and look at me as their next meal.

In the centre of the room is a woman casually sitting next to a table, sipping tea while reading an old-fashioned book. She is also wearing black, but unlike the other women, her dress covers most of her body. Her collar stands up around her neck and her eye makeup is thick and smoky. From her powerful aurora and regal posture, I connect the dots, she is the Crescent Luna. I think back to last night and remember her sitting next to Gabriel's father, her outfit was more... formal than it is now but nevertheless this one is more eye-catching. She looks up at the sound of footsteps and her forest green eyes brighten the same mischievous way Katlyn's did.

"My beautiful Katlyn, I knew I could count on you," she beams at the little demon before slapping her book shut.

Katlyn bows at the woman before joining the others.

"Come, sit down with me child," the woman tells me while clicking her fingers.

A chair is placed next to her and she pats the seat welcomingly. I sit down on the chair, looking at her with uncertainty but making sure my cold mask is on.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the woman says.

"My birth name is Gabriella, the mother of Gabriel, Crescent Luna of the pack," she tells me with pride, her fangs just as sharp as a snake.

She lifts her cup of tea to her red-stained lips before raising an eyebrow.

"Would you like some?" she asks.

She lifts her hand and a teacup is placed in front of me with steaming hot tea swirling inside. I thank her before bringing it up to my lips.

"NO!" Vanya screams before she slaps the cup out of my hand, the cup smashing to the floor.

I look at her in shock before I hear a maniacal laugh come from Gabriella.

"That is a shame, that tea is known to be a killer," she chuckles.

I look at my Ladies with questioning eyes.

"It was poisoned Milady," Vanya tells me.

I look over to Gabriella who is smirking at me. She seriously just tried to pull some fucked up Snow White poison trick on me. I quickly stand up, ready to leave this terrible woman.

"Sit back down you manipulative wrench," Gabriella commands with annoyance.

Two women come up from behind me and force me back down by my shoulders. I try to wiggle loose, but their strength reminds me that they are werewolves and I am just a human. I hear my Ladies call my name, women hold onto them as well. Their strength not seeming to beat the black witches. I see Gabriella stand with a knife in her hand. She walks over to me and presses it to my neck. She moves her face close to mine and stares deep into my soul.

"Stay away from my Son. I do not know what kind of game you are playing here by pretending to be a Child of the Moon, but I know a fake, scheming, whore when I see one," she spits into my face.

She moves closer and presses the knife deeper.

"I am giving you one chance to leave the pack and go back to where you came from... before I remove you myself," her threat taints my blood terror.

I force my breathing to even out before matching her venomous glare.

"Your Son believes that I am his mate," I slowly speak.

Her eyes flash with anger before she yanks my hair back.

"You admit it then! You are using my Son," she screams.

"I admit nothing you evil cow. I want to go home more than you want me gone, believe me!" I spit back.

"It is a pity, I really hate wasting such beauty," Gabriella snarls.

At that moment I feel the same powerful presence enter me as before when I was trying to escape. The knife in her hands turns molten red and Gabriella screams in pain before dropping the knife. It levitates mid-air above my lap the heat radiating off it, warming my legs. My wrist shines bright white light and I hear collective gasps around the room. The hands-on my shoulders are ripped off and the women scream as well, rolling on the ground clutching their heads. The knife softly lands into my hand, I look at it in awe and exhaustion.

"I don't believe it..." Gabriella whisper and I look at her, those forest green eyes shining with astonishment.

I feel soft hands on my shoulders causing me to jump. I look up to see Vanya and Emilia grasping onto me before taking both my arms and helping me up. I look for Kenna and see her staring at Katlyn, who is still on the floor gripping her head.

Vanya and Emilia quickly help me limp to the exit. Emilia calls for Kenna, who seems to be in a trance. She swiftly follows us at the sound of her name. We leave the glass dome and rush to the Palace.

"It's alright Luna, Alpha will fix this," Vanya says.

"No, don't tell him," I croak out.

"But Luna..." Emilia cries.

"He can't know, it will distract him," from finding a way to get me home.
-
Hey guyyysss,

How'd you like the chapter?

Love you guys and I shall see you next Monday xx

Just thought I'd pre-warn you, if you don't vote, comment and follow, Gabriella will find you in your sleep ;)