A Wolf Scorned by Taylor Spratt
Amira
My eyes burst open and my head whipped around in all directions. Where in the hell was I? I lay on a soft bed, wrapped in fluffy white sheets.
I palmed my forehead, trying to remember what had happened. The last thing I remembered was being kidnapped by Ragnaron.
Ragnaron. I oughta throttle him for grabbing me like that. When will these men stop playing pass the she-wolf with me?
When the hell did I change into this? I wore a long, flowing white gown. By the look of the pearls adoring the bodice, it had to have been worth a pretty penny.
The room was massive, with fancy furniture in every corner. A decadent chandelier dangled from the ceiling, prompting the gold-plated floor moldings to shine like the sun. The only thing that could make this room more palatial was a king and queen.
The door handle jerked up and down before it swung open. I lept off the bed, not wanting to be found sitting down when I faced whoever was coming.
Ragnaron entered the room and the only thing more dazzling than all the gold that surrounded me was the smile he now wore.
“You're finally awake, my darling!”
“Oh, I’ve got your darling.” I shifted to the balls of my feet and leapt for the man, head first.
His eyes widened and he drew himself back and away from my savage attack. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you happy I rescued you?”
“Rescued me? Just who told you I needed rescuing?” I fell back, unsure of just how to proceed.
“Why, of course, you needed rescuing. Those savage Blood moon shifters mean you no good, remember? And what about Logan? You didn't seem too keen on going back to the hole with him.”
Riley’s face flashed back to a memory. That was right. Riley and Logan had come for me in the forest. That’s when Miles, Syrus and Callum tried to rescue me.
“Where is Riley?” I demanded.
“Relax, relax. She is fine. She is being kept in a separate room, see?” Ragnaron removed a phone from his pocket. It looked similar to the one Kalisia showed me the other day. On its screen, showed a video of Riley sitting on a bed in a room that looked similar to this one. “I sent my Betas to retrieve her after you and I left through the black portal.”
“Slow down, bub, I’ve got more questions.” I gave him the hand.
"First question, what the hell was that portal thingy you dragged me into? And secondly, why is Riley being kept in that room? And where are the Blood moon Alphas. Where’s Loga-”
“Slow down, slow down.” He gently took my hand in his and rubbed it soothingly. “Your friend may leave whenever she likes. She is not my captive. And as for the rest of them, I don't have any idea where they are. I have no need for them anyway. I already got what I wanted from them.”
His eyes glinted with desire as his gaze met mine. His grip on my palm tightened as he seemed to quite enjoy the sight of me in this long white dress.
“When I came for you in the forest, I used a transportation stone to open a portal between the forest and my home.”
I’d learned about transportation stones in school. They took years to make by some of the most powerful witches in the world. They cost a fortune per stone and you needed a new one for each use. Who was this guy?
“So this place is your home, huh?” My eyes scanned the room once more.
“Amira, can I ask you something?” his voice softened to a whisper and his brows slightly drew together.
It might not have been the best time to make this observation, but the man was even more gorgeous than the first time we’d met. He looked like a Viking God fresh from Valhalla.
He said something more but I’d lost focus and didn't hear him.
“Could you repeat that?” I asked casually, still in a beauty-induced daze.
“Sure, I asked if you would marry me and become my alpha female?” he said as if he were asking me something as simple as what I wanted for lunch.
“What?!” I blurted, nearly falling over my own feet. “Look, I know that I’m a red wolf and for some reason you seem to be super into that. But that’s not enough to marry a person over.”
“This is about so much more than that.” He pulled me in closer by my hand, never breaking my gaze. He then whistled.
Two men blew in from outside, both holding either end of a heavy metal chest. They dropped the chest to the ground with a bang and excused themselves.
“Every since I first looked into your eyes I saw that you are a jewel more precious than any other. One that has been broken and put back together many times.” He dropped my hands and fell to his knees in front of the chest and opened it.
Hundreds of treasures shone from within. There were diamonds, emeralds, rubies, chalices and plates of silver, gold, and more.
Shifting a few silver spoons out of his way, he pulled a a beautiful white vase from the chest and held it up to me. The vase had a series of lovely golden cracks running along it like veins.
“This is the product of kinstugi firing.” He rose to this feet to bring the vase closer. “When this lovely vase started its life, it was whole. But then it was shattered into many pieces. Instead of throwing it away, the potter put it back together, using gold to seal the cracks, making it far more valuable than it had been before it was broken.” Passion dripped from his every word.
“You and I are just like this vase,” he continued. “We’ve both been scarred many times before but we just keep going. I want to keep going with you. That's why I want you to be mine.”
He put down the vase and took my arms in his hands to pull me closer to him.
“You just talk a big game. Got it all figured out for me, huh? Just how I should live the rest of my life? How can I trust you when you barely even know me?”
“I know you better than you know yourself.” he said.
“If that’s true, then tell me. I want to know about my past, my family, I want to know it all.”
He hesitates, his hands falling from my arms. “Do you really want to know? Even if it would hurt you terribly?”
“What hurts is going through life not knowing anything about yourself. Finding out you have powers and family you’ve never heard of. That hurts worst.”
“Even if it means you may come to hate your friends in the Blood moon shifters?”
Images of Miles, Callum, and Syrus flashed in my mind. If they were truly my friends, then the truth would not change that.
“Tell me.”
“Alright. Your grandmother. She was the personal witch of the previous Blood moon shifter Alphas.”
“You mean Callum and Syrus'ss fathers?” I asked and he said yes.
“Your grandmother was an exceptionally powerful and world famous witch named Beryl Bennett. With her power at their backs, both clans of Blood moon shifters grew in power, literally overnight, increasing their numbers with ease. But one day, she refused to keep helping them. Because as the Blood moon alphas grew more powerful, so, too, did their greed. They became cruel and despotic ruling their pack members with an iron fist and killing all who dared voice dissent.”
“So what did they do to her for refusing to help them?”
“They took Beryl’s pregnant daughter away. Your mother was half witch but she was also half wolf. She did not have the magic powerful enough to fight off the Alpha’s kidnapping attempt.”
“So they just took my mother? What did my father do?” I grasped onto the sleeve of his shirt and yanked at it. My mind spun and anxiety rumbled in my belly. It was like his story was all happening in real time and I wanted more than anything to save my mom even though I knew it was too late.
“Your father was Beta to Syrus's father. wWhen your father confronted him about the kidnapping of his wife, your father was brutally slain for his defiance.”
My heart shattered into a million pieces and I grieved for the father I never knew. A vile hatred began festering within, one that spread like a wildfire through dry grass.
“And my grandmother?” I asked fighting back tears.
“Your grandmother was told her only daughter had been sold into slavery. She demanded to know where, but the Alphas would not tell her. Maddened by her own grief, Beryl summoned all of her power to curse the Blood Moon shifters with an unbreakable curse. The Alphas at the time killed her, too, hoping that would bring an end to her curse but it did not. That’s why…”
“That’s why they needed me. Syrus and Callum’s fathers destroyed my family and then they used me to undo my own grandmother’s curse.” I said the words, struggling to believe them as they left my lips. But deep down, I knew it was true.
“They hid this from me, because they knew I would never help them if I knew. Those liars!” My voice broke like a glass crashing over the ground and I squeezed my fist so tight my nails threatened to pierce my flesh.
How dare they do this to me? How could they?
My father was no gambler. He loved me and my mother all along.
“They knew you would never willingly betray your own grandmother by breaking her curse if you knew. This is the true nature of the Blood moon shifters. They are parasites, only in it for themselves, not caring who gets hurt so long as they get what they want.” Ragnaron trailed over to the bedroom window and yanked it up, allowing the fresh air to flow inside the room, before spinning around to face me once more. “Now that you know the truth. You can see who your true friends are.”
A tear ran down my face and Ragnaron stepped up to wipe it away. “I will never treat you like they did. With me, you will always get the truth. You will always have a choice. That is my promise to you.”
His hand cupped my cheek as he wiped away my tears.
They knew how terribly this would hurt me and they did it anyway.
“They will not get away with this,” I sobbed and the tears just came and came.
“Join me. Be mine and together we will destroy those wretched Blood moon shifters for what they’ve done to you. All you have to do it say ‘yes’ and my hand will be your sword.” Ragnaron reached into the chest and pulled free a golden ring with a radiant diamond sitting atop it. He then bent down on one knee and offered me the ring.
They say that revenge is a dish best served cold but I prefer it hot.
I gave him my hand and he placed the ring on my finger. He ceased all movement, gawking up at me with unabashed joy.
“Mrs. Ragnaron, hmm?” I eyed the ring, admiring how it glinted and shone. “I like the sound of it.”
To be continued….