They dragged me through the forest, my legs barely touching the ground. The guards' fingers dug into my arms, their grip bruising as they forced me forward. My neck still bled from where my mate mark was tearing itself away, each pulse sending fresh waves of agony through my body.
"Move faster," one of them growled. "Alpha King is waiting."
The sacred grove appeared ahead, ancient trees forming a natural cathedral around a stone clearing. At its center stood the pack's ceremonial altar—a massive block of white marble veined with gray, used for centuries in our most solemn rituals.
But something was wrong. The sacred space had been desecrated.
Dozens of males from the pack had gathered in a loose circle around the altar. Their eyes followed me with predatory hunger, some licking their lips, others adjusting their clothing. These weren't just any wolves—they were the strongest Alphas from neighboring packs, men who owed allegiance to Marcus.
And there, seated on an ornate chair beside the altar, was Diana. Her hand rested protectively over her swollen belly, her pregnancy impossible to hide. She wore a crown of white roses—my crown—and a satisfied smirk that twisted the knife deeper into my heart.
"Elena," Marcus's voice boomed across the clearing as they threw me to the ground before him. "You've caused quite a stir with your... inadequacy."
I tried to rise, but my legs buckled beneath me. The mate bond's severing had weakened me beyond measure.
"Please," I whispered, hating the tremor in my voice. "What is this?"
Marcus descended the steps from his ceremonial platform, his boots crushing the wildflowers that had been scattered for some celebration. "This is justice, Luna—former Luna." He spat the words like venom. "Your failure to satisfy your Alpha King has brought shame to our bloodline. To all our allied packs."
Diana's laugh tinkled like broken glass. "Poor sister. Always so perfect, so proper. Now everyone will see how pathetic you really are."
"Strip her," Marcus commanded.
Rough hands seized me, tearing at my clothes. I fought with what little strength remained, but it was useless. They ripped away my dress, my undergarments, until I stood naked before them all, my body exposed to their leering gazes.
"Bind her to the altar," Marcus ordered, his voice carrying to every corner of the grove.
They forced me up the steps to the ancient stone. Silver chains had been laid out in readiness, gleaming coldly in the fading daylight. As they wrapped around my wrists and ankles, the metal seared my skin, leaving angry red welts.
"The silver will purify you," Marcus explained, circling the altar like a predator. "And then each of these worthy Alphas will take their turn cleansing you further."
Horror washed over me as understanding dawned. This wasn't just punishment—it was complete destruction.
"You can't," I gasped. "The Moon Goddess forbids—"
"The Moon Goddess has no place here today," Diana interrupted, rising from her seat to join Marcus. She ran her hand possessively along his arm. "Today is about earthly pleasures."
Marcus raised a goblet of wine, and Diana lifted one of her own. They clinked them together in a toast as if celebrating a wedding.
"To the cleansing of our former Luna," Marcus announced to the gathered wolves. "Let all witness how we restore honor to our bloodline."
One by one, they approached the altar. The first Alpha, a massive brute with scars crisscrossing his chest, stepped forward. His eyes were glazed with lust as he reached for what remained of my torn undergarments.
"No," I pleaded, struggling against the burning chains. "Please, no."
But he only grinned, tearing away the last scraps of fabric that covered me.
"Look at her," he growled to the others. "The mighty Luna Queen, spread open for us all."
Diana sipped her wine, watching with undisguised pleasure. "Take your time," she encouraged the Alpha. "Make her feel every second."
I closed my eyes, tears streaming down my face as I felt his weight press against me. His breath was hot against my skin as he leaned down.
"I've waited years to have the high and mighty Elena beneath me," he whispered.
Something inside me snapped. Death was better than this humiliation. Better than being violated by dozens of men while my former mate and sister watched for entertainment.
I bit down hard on my tongue, using every ounce of strength I had left. Blood filled my mouth, metallic and warm. I bit deeper, feeling the muscle tear.
"That's right," the Alpha mistook my action for submission. "Open wider."
But I wasn't opening—I was dying.
Blood pooled in my mouth and spilled down my chin, dripping onto the ancient stone altar beneath me. The taste of it was strange—not just copper and salt, but something richer, more potent.
As consciousness began to fade, I felt a strange warmth spreading from where my blood touched the stone. The carved runes beneath me began to glow with an eerie blue light.
"Look at that," someone murmured in surprise.
The sky above suddenly darkened, though it was still hours from nightfall. A crimson glow spread across the heavens as the sun disappeared behind a blood-red moon that hadn't been visible moments before.
"What magic is this?" Marcus demanded, stepping back from the altar.
A crackling sound filled the air as black flames erupted from my body, not consuming me but burning away the silver chains that bound me to the stone.
"She's awakening," an elderly voice called from the edge of the clearing—Seraphina, our pack healer, her eyes wide with fear and wonder. "The ancient bloodline lives!"
The black flames grew higher as power surged through me—power unlike anything I'd ever felt before. My vision sharpened, colors becoming more vivid, scents more acute.
My Lycan heritage—dormant for generations—was awakening at last.
