Scorned Luna To Alpha Queen

The cold water did absolutely nothing to wash away the evidence of her tears and Lyralei just stared at her reflection in the basin, at her eyes so swollen and red they looked like someone else's entirely.

"Bastard." She swore for the ninth time today. She splashed more water on her face, gripping the basin hard enough that her knuckles went white. "Fucking bastard."

She could still feel Theron's breath against her ear from an hour ago when he'd cornered her in the hallway. 

"Tonight, I'm going to bend you over and fuck you until you can't walk straight. I'll make you scream my name until your throat is raw and you'll  take everything I give you because you'll be mine. My wife. My property. My little breeding bitch."

His fingers had trailed down her spine, lingering at the small of her back.

"I've been patient, Lyralei. So fucking patient. But after tonight, there's nothing stopping me from taking what's mine. I'm going to ruin you in every way possible."

Her stomach turned at the memory and honestly it still hadn't stopped turning.

"I hope you choke on your own tongue," she whispered to the mirror, to his ghost in her head. "I hope you die slowly, you sick piece of shit."

A knock at the door made her freeze.

"Miss Lyralei?" The voice was soft and apologetic. One of the younger omegas probably . "It's time. The ceremony starts in few minutes."

Few minutes until her life ended.

"I'll be right there," she called back, forcing her voice steady even as her hands shook.

She straightened and looked at herself properly. The dress was beautiful and she hated the fact that it was beautiful. It had silver silk that caught the light, embroidered with delicate patterns that probably cost more than most families made in months. It fit perfectly, hugging her curves in ways that made her want to tear it off.

It made her look like a bride and she wanted to fucking burn it.

Her fingers found the pendant at her throat. The moon charm her mother had worn for years, still warm against her skin.

If only her parents were alive. The thought came suddenly that she had to shake her head to stop thinking about it.

They weren't alive again. They were dead. Three years dead, and she was still paying for their heroism.

"You had to save everyone," she whispered, her reflection blurring as tears threatened again. "You just had to throw yourselves at those shadow wolves like your lives didn't matter. Like I didn't fucking matter."

The bitterness coated her tongue like poison.

Her parents had died protecting the pack, Alpha Aldric had called them heroes, given them elaborate funerals and promised to honor their sacrifice by ensuring their daughter was cared for.

And he'd kept that promise by offering her to his monster of a son.

The Ravenwood family-what was left of them-had smiled and nodded like this was a blessing. Her