Julie felt the full force of the punch to her ribs, hearing them crack as the breath was knocked out of her lungs and she was tumbled to the ground. As she looked through her good eye, she saw the mixed stares of her pack members.
Some, who had experienced rejection from their mate, looked at her with sympathy, knowing the sorrow and pain that was swirling within her heart.
Others, who thought she was too weak to have been selected as their Luna, were sending hateful glances her way, as they mocked her and cheered their Alpha.
Their Alpha.
Stefan. Her Fated Mate.
The One selected for her by Selene, their Moon Goddess.
He was the one who was killing her, right now, in front of his pack, for 'disrespecting' his Chosen. In reality, all she had done was defend herself from abuse and slander.
Mireya, the Luna, had run to him, sobbing, about how Julie had 'attacked' her when she had told her she was pregnant. This incensed Stefan, alpha wolves are notoriously protective of their young, especially the unborn. To jeopardise his pup's life was beyond foolish and Julie would now pay the price.
He stormed over to the Laundry Hall where Julie worked, in a rage he dragged her, by her hair, to the training ground arena, ignoring her screams and pleas for an explanation of what he was doing. He threw her into the ring where the warriors would have weekly pack matches to test each others strength, and where the pack could come and watch in the stands above.
A large crowd had gathered, given that word had spread among the pack link when people had seen the alpha dragging her through the pack land. People were still filing into the arena when Stefan started his 'trial'.
"JULIA TARRONE" Stefan bellowed out. "You are hereby charged with the crime of attacking a fellow she-wolf, a pregnant she-wolf, your Luna, Mireya Sanders, how do you plead?"
Julie looked up at him and gasped. She could see the murderous intent in his eyes, she could sense his wolf close to the surface, wanting to hurt her for attempting to hurt or kill his unborn pup.
Wolf mates usually never would want to hurt their true mates. Even after their human counterpart had performed the rejection, there would always be a connection between the two wolves. But she had endangered his pup, and that overrode all of his mate instincts. He wanted her blood! She must pay!
"Alpha?" Julie whimpered. "I'm sorry, I don't know what you are talking about?"
"So, do you deny the charges?" Stefan answered back, the muscle in his jaw clenching, showing how hard he was trying to hold his wolf back.
"Yes, I deny the charges" replied Julie. "I didn't attack anyone, much less my Luna." At this, she gathered herself up from the dirt, where Stefan had thrown her. She stood tall, as tall as she could, given her 5 ft 5in frame, and looked him in the eyes, trying to convey the truth of her statement, and hoping he would listen.
"LIAR!" Screamed Mireya, who had made her way into the ring to stand alongside her now Chosen mate. "You attacked me, screaming of how you would not allow me to carry the alpha's baby, if you couldn't do it."
A gasp of shock went through the arena at this statement and people starting murmuring amongst themselves at what she had done. Some were sceptical of their new Luna's claim, they had known Julie all her life, and they knew she was not given to violence easily.
Mireya, was originally from another pack, Red Moon. She was the daughter of the alpha in Red Moon and she had met Stefan when he visited her pack while on his Finding Quest.
The Finding Quest was particular only to the Selene's Warrior's pack. It had been given to them by the goddess herself. She had seen that her wolves were decreasing in numbers due to the fact that they were not finding their Fated mates. Werewolves can only reproduce offspring with their Fated Mate.
So, she gave the instructions to the alpha at the time, Alpha Michel Sanders, that all wolves who had not found their mate by the age of 18, would embark on a journey across the world to visit as many packs as they could, in order to meet their assigned soulmate.
For a time, this worked, the numbers of werewolves meeting their mates increased, and the numbers of werewolves born started increasing as a result.
But a time came, several hundred years later, when the then alpha of the pack, Alpha Jean-Luc Sanders, returned home alone, he had not found his mate. He went to the moon gate sanctuary in their temple, and pleaded and begged his goddess to help him find his mate. He did this every night, for a full year until he became so broken hearted he no longer held hope. His heart was empty, he was convinced that his true mate was dead.
The following full moon, she appeared to him in a dream. She gave him instructions for performing the Bonding Ceremony.
This was a ceremony where he could choose his mate, to ensure that the alpha line would not end, it would allow him to procreate with a Chosen mate. This ceremony could only be performed for an alpha, and it was only allowed to be performed by the Selene's Warrior's pack, in their temple.
It was said that the pack was descended from Selene's children, they were the original werewolves. There was a legend, that said, that she would bless the union of two wolves who stood under her moon gate during their mating ritual on a full moon.
Over time, some alpha's would ask for permission for the Bonding Ceremony to be performed on their behalf. They had not found their Fated mate and they wanted to take their Chosen mate. If the Goddess approved the union of the Chosen mate, she would show it by illuminating the inscription above the gate.
So, Stefan had taken Mireya as his Chosen, after he had rejected Julie. This was what had led her here. In this arena, about to plead and fight for her life:
"Alpha, again, I will say, I did not attack anyone. Especially, not my Luna." Julie spoke calmly and with an air of serenity. Her voice was like a balm, soothing and soft.
Mireya was furious at this point, but she was cunningly sneaky, and she knew exactly how to manipulate her mate. "Stefan," she whined, "you can't believe her? I tell you, she attacked me. We were in the kitchen, when I informed her that the pack doctor told me that I couldn't eat any peanuts or seafood until the pup was born. She turned on me, screaming, she knocked me over and began kicking me in the stomach. Saying I couldn't carry your baby, if she couldn't." At this, Mireya started to rub her completely flat stomach, as if she were trying to comfort herself while also wiping away a fake tear.
"No, Alpha, that is not true." Replied Julie. "If I was in the kitchen with the Luna, then how could I have been in the Laundry room when you found me?"
This was true. The Laundry Hall was almost two kilometres away from the pack house, where the kitchen was located. His office was almost right beside the kitchen. When Mireya had come to him sobbing, she had said the attack had just happened. He had used his alpha speed to get to the Laundry, Julie would not have made it there as quickly as he had.
Stefan gathered himself to his full height, he realised that he couldn't make the accusation stick. This showed on his face Mireya, meanwhile, had realised her mistake. She mindlinked her friend who had transferred with her from her original pack.
A scuffling was heard among the crowd. "Alpha, the Luna is telling the truth!" The voice was that of Shelley, Mireya's partner in crime. She made her way to the front and spoke loudly for all to hear her. "Julie passed me in the corridor outside the kitchen. This was about thirty minutes ago. I had heard a commotion come from the kitchen and then Julie just barged right passed me! She seemed like she was very angry. When I went into the kitchen, I found our Luna curled up on the floor holding her stomach. I stayed with her for about ten minutes in the kitchen and then helped her make her way to your office. Julie would have had plenty of time to get to the Laundry. "
Again, a hum of whispers started up among the crowd. More and more of the onlookers started to side with the Luna. Julie looked around at her pack, seeing their judgemental stares, she felt hope start to dwindle within her. She looked over at her now ex mate. He was comforting his Luna, stroking her arms and whispering soothing words, he kissed her forehead and told her to move out of the ring. He didn't want to risk her safety during what was going to happen.
"Mate is going to hurt us, isn't he?" This was asked by Joy, Julie's wolf. "I think he's going to kill us, Joy." Julie replied sadly.
"Why did he not love us, were we not good enough? The Goddess made us for him."
"You were plenty good enough for him, Joy. It was me he didn't want. I'm sorry you ended up with me. You should have been given to a stronger person. One who could have helped you be the best wolf you could be. I hope the goddess gives you another chance at living with your mate. It was an honour to have known you, and to have had you as my wolf."
Stefan addressed the crowd.
"Julie Tarrone, you have been found guilty of attacking your Luna. The penalty for this is death. You will be hung this afternoon before sundown and your body burned before the goddess sees you. You do not deserve the chance to be in her presence forever."
A wave of shock went through the crowd. Silence descended as they absorbed the sentence. Normally, the punishment for attacking a pack member was to be exiled from the pack, made a rogue. They hadn't used the death penalty in over a hundred years, and when it was used, the defendant was allowed to choose the mode of killing.
An elder of the pack stepped forward from the stands and made his way down to his alpha. He bowed his head in submission to him.
"Elder Thomas, do you have something that you would like to add?" Asked Stefan with a raise of his eyebrow. Elder Thomas released a long breath as he prepared to face down his alpha. He knew Stefan was not going to like what he had to say, but Thomas had sworn to serve his pack and his Goddess when he was sworn in as Elder after his mate died more than twenty years ago.
"Alpha, forgive me, but you cannot dictate the terms of death of this she-wolf. You also cannot stop her soul from travelling to the goddess, that is reserved only for those crimes where death has been caused."
Stefan looked at him, surprise and anger showing on his face. "I cannot dictate the terms of her death? Then who can?" He asked.
"The she-wolf herself" Thomas replied. He could feel the waves of anger now coming from his alpha, it was causing him to want to acquiesce to his alpha's wishes, but the goddess must be obeyed first. "She may choose from: hanging, being made to drink silver, or a fight to the death with the alpha. Although, you may choose to commute her sentence to exile, at this point also."
Stefan looked as though he wanted to murder him in that moment. "She attempted to kill my unborn pup, you think I should let her go??" He asked incredulously.
"These are not my wishes, alpha. The Goddess bestowed her wisdom on the generations before us. We are duty bound to follow them or face losing her protection and blessings on this generation and future generations to come."
Stefan ran a hand down his face in frustration. Thomas had hit him right where he should with that last comment about the future generation. His children's generation. He knew Thomas was right about following the wishes of the Goddess. Everyone knew the story of how the Silver Moon pack met their demise. They disobeyed the Goddess. She removed her protection and they were found and destroyed by hunters. He couldn't let the same happen to his pack. "Alright" he said. "Tell her to pick her punishment".
Julie watched as Thomas made his way to the alpha. She knew Thomas very well. Her mother would help him keep house ever since his mate died, and when her mother passed on, she took over that role. They had spent many winter evenings together to pass the time and she got to know him. He was like a grandfather to her. Telling her all the stories of their pack. How the goddess had a special relationship to their pack and how she would never abandon them.
She felt her wolf sobbing with sorrow at their predicament. After everything she had gone through in these last few months, she thought that nothing could hurt her again.
Boy, was she ever wrong.
Hearing Stefan pronounce that judgement upon her hurt her almost more than the actual rejection did. She felt her heart ripped out all over again. She could feel the breath pulled from her lungs as her chest and throat constricted to stop any further oxygen from getting in. She felt herself dizzy from lack of air and then she could breathe again finally and recover.
"Joy, please don't cry." She pleaded with her wolf. "Soon, you will be free, you won't feel the pain of the matebond and you will be truly happy."
"No, Julie" she responded. "Didn't you hear him? We won't be seen by the goddess. We won't be able to travel to her Palace. We both end here." Joy continued sobbing and Julie tried to think of ways to comfort her. She overheard the conversation between Thomas and the alpha. She couldn't and wouldn't call him Stefan anymore. He had shown that he had no feelings for her any longer. She wouldn't give him any either. So, he couldn't stop her from travelling to the goddess, that was a relief. Joy would get to be free after all.
'Hanging, drinking silver or a fight with the alpha?'
At this, Joy perked up her ears."Hanging, silver or fight?
I. Choose. Fight!"
"What? Are you crazy?" Julie asked, dizzy from the speed of the turnaround that her wolf just showed.
"Why not?" Joy answered. "If he wants to be rid of us so badly, then let him do it himself!" She huffed.
"Joy, are you having some kind of aneurysm?? It will be the shortest, quickest fight in history! We. Can't. Fight!"
"No, Julie. YOU can't fight. And you never let me out to do it! Please! Trust me! This once. Please????"
"Joy, we are an omega wolf! Omega! We are weak. We are small. We would NEVER survive a fight with an alpha, let alone a fight to the death! Also, do you really think that you could kill Savan?"
Joy did pause at this. Wolves kept their connections but she felt the anger and the hate that Savan was sending to her earlier, she tried to call him through her link to explain what was going on, but he snarled at her and blocked her. She was ready to let go. To let go of their bond and be free. Whether she lived or died in this fight, she would be free. She just needed Julie to realise this too.
"Julie, take the fight option. Let's show both of them that they didn't crush us. I heard them say that they can't stop us from travelling to the goddess. We will both be free, regardless of the outcome of this fight. Are you with me?"
"Always, my friend." Julie answered. "Always!"
Thomas approached Julie and took both her hands in his. There was utter grief and sadness reflected in his eyes. "Hello, my little one" he said, as his voice cracked with the tears that he couldn't shed in public. "The alpha has asked me to explain to you what choices you have left."
"It's okay," replied Julie. "I heard the tail end of it. Hanging, silver or fight. Joy wants us to choose fight."
Thomas' eyes widened with fear and fright. She couldn't possibly have said what she just said. Right??? She wouldn't last thirty seconds with the alpha. Unless he wanted to torture her and drag it out. Given the mood he was in, Thomas thought that was more than likely. The alpha would give them a real show, and the Luna would slurp up every bit of it.
"Julie, my dear, please reconsider. The silver we have has a sleeping potion added to it... you wouldn't feel a thing... it would be completely painless... just like going to sleep. Please don't make me watch you suffer. Hasn't he made you suffer enough?" The tears were freely falling down Thomas' face now. He knew about what Julie had experienced this past year. He saw how much she had suffered. He didn't want her to suffer anymore.
"Oh, Tommy, This is going to end my suffering." She said this with a smile. A genuine smile that lit up her whole face and made her eyes shine. In that moment, he could see the burden had been lifted off of her. She was freer that she had been in a long time.
"Are you completely sure?" He asked, one final time.
"Yes" she replied. "There is one thing I'd like to ask of you though, if I may?"
"Whatever I can do." He told her solemnly.
"Please make sure that Joy can travel to the Moon Goddess. Don't let him carry out his threat of burning my body before sundown. "
He looked at her again, with tears in his eyes. "I'll take care of it, don't worry about that." He walked away from her to the centre of the ring. He turned to the crowd and spoke. "The she-wolf has chosen her terms of death. She has chosen the fight to the death."
A collective gasp went up. There's no way she would survive. This was suicide by alpha. They couldn't seriously be thinking of going ahead with this? Could they?? This girl was obviously unhinged. No one picks the fight with the alpha. She wasn't in her right mind? She couldn't be?
All of this and more was floating around the arena. Everyone was shocked. They couldn't believe that their Alpha would agree to it. There were whispers flying around a few months ago that she was supposed to be the alpha's mate? He wouldn't do this? Would he???
Meanwhile, Stefan had heard the verdict, and, while angry at first, he realised that he could get his proper revenge this way. Thomas had been right, Stefan was going to torture her for as long as possible. How dare she think that she could challenge him. She was a pathetic omega. That was why he rejected her in the first place.
He needed a strong she-wolf to be able to give him strong pups. Her mother had been a weak omega, just like her. She had six pups and only Julie had survived. The rest all died and then the last one killed their mother. Julie had been 15 when her mother died. She had been devastated by the loss. When her wolf showed up at 16, she was labelled as an omega wolf. Just like her mother.
Oh, how he was going to enjoy torturing her. He would teach her a lesson she would never forget.
"But she won't be able to remember it, she'll be dead," Savan, his wolf cried. He was just now realising the consequences of Stefan's choice. And he was now regretting his earlier anger. "Do we have to kill them Stefan?" He pleaded with his human, not wanting them gone entirely from his existence.
"She tried to hurt our pup, Savan! You really think she deserves to live?" Stefan answered him. "Also, if she is still around, we will be distracted about our mate. We need to give our full commitment to Mireya now. She is having our pup."
"Please, Stefan, you are the alpha, you can change the verdict and exile her as a rogue. I don't want to think about Joy being hurt or gone from my world. I will allow you your mate if you do this."
Stefan exhaled loudly, but agreed to his terms. He would knock her out and then declare to the pack that he was showing mercy and exiling her.
☆☆☆☆
The two opponents stood across from each other, eyeing each other for weaknesses before the fight started.
Matthias, who was the lead warrior in the pack, was going to act as referee and adjudicator of the fight. He called both combatants to the centre. "Does either of you have a preference for which form will be used for this fight?"
Julie immediately knew that neither she nor Joy would last ten seconds in wolf form, so she requested that the fight be fought in human form. She could see Stefan smirk, he didn't know that she had received a little training from one of the packs she visited while on her own Finding Quest. He agreed to fighting in human form.
"Okay, human form. Will there be weapons allowed or will this be open combat only?" Matthias questioned.
"No weapons" Stefan stated, still smirking. He was going to enjoy this. He had been trained to fight since he was thirteen, and he could already feel the bloodlust starting to rise. It didn't matter to him if it was his ex-mate he was standing opposite. In that moment she was an enemy to be cut down.
And he was ready to cut her down.
"Okay, may the best wolf win." Matthias stated. "Begin fight!"
The pair started to circle one another. Looking more intensely for an opportunity to strike. Stefan made a feeble attempt to strike to see if Julie would dodge it quick enough. Surprisingly she did. After several minutes of nothing much, Mireya started yelling for Stefan to finish her. This knocked Julie's concentration and Stefan pounced. He punched her to her left eye, cutting her. As blood poured out, her vision was affected and she didn't see the kick he was sending to her abdomen. As a result she went flying through the air and landed with a thud, harder on the ground than she'd been kicked. Mireya whooped at this, and encouraged her mate to keep going. Stefan was pumped by this point, but Savan was howling in his head for him to stop.
Julie got up as quickly as she could, wiping as much blood from her vision as possible. "Julie, you've done a great job so far" Joy spoke to her. "But it's time to let me have control."
"Go for it, Joy, make me proud." She said.
Joy came forward in Julie's mind, and Julie retreated to the back. Stefan had come forward with a punch but Joy blocked him with her elbow. They danced around each other for a few more minutes, each punching and blocking as vest they could. As Stefan stepped to her left, she grabbed his wrist, quickly turned and elbowed him straight to his solar plexus, used his own weight to topple him and kneed him in his groin while he was down.
He recovered quickly and got up, rushing at her and giving a flurry of punches to her torso, most of which she managed to block. She heard Savan's voice through their mate link and was momentarily distracted. This was when Stefan broke her ribs. She was knocked to the ground again, the wind knocked out of her, "I'm sorry Julie," she wept. "I'm so sorry, I couldn't protect you."
"Don't worry about me, Joy." She tried to console her wolf. "You know, your name is really perfect, you know that? You have been the source of my joy since I met you. In all my troubles, you have been beside me, supporting me. I really do pray that the goddess gives you a more worthy match next time. I love you, Joy! Be happy in her presence!"
"You were already the perfect match for me! I love you too, Julie!"
They both watched as Stefan approached them, they closed their eyes, preparing to receive the death blow...
Please consider giving this a vote ☆☆☆
Also I'm writing this on my phone, so please point out any errors.
Apologies in advance... l will be sloooow at updating but I think it's better to give one long chapter rather than two short chapters. I aim for between 3,000 and 5,000 words.
4200 words