CHAPTER 1
Zephyr
“On your knees Zephyr!" her voice echoed in my head, forcing me to fall back on my knees.
I closed my eyes as hot tears slowly slid down my cheek.
“She isn’t feeling it mum, I think you should do the whipping yourself." I heard Maddy’s tiny voice chuckling.
“Get those whips." Her mum ordered the guards and walked up to where I knelt.
"Bitch!” I cursed in a whisper, forcefully parting my eyelids.
I wanted to see her face while she flogged me. I needed to look into her eyes so I would have no mercy while I took revenge.
“Tie her to the pole." She ordered the guards.
They hesitated for a while but later budged to her commands. They lifted me from the floor and headed to the courtyard. They both tied my hands and feet to the pole, and stuffed a gag into my mouth, I could bite on during the lashing.
I breathed heavily.
Maddy is right. The lashing from the guards was very light and I wasn't feeling much pain from it.
They knew I was right and this punishment was illegal by the way.
And if I have done nothing to my step mum or her daughter, they knew I was right cause hell, I have gone through alot.
“Ouch!" I winced in deep pain. My back suddenly felt like a pot of hot coal was placed on it. The pain went all the way from my back to my brain.
I felt the urge to place my hands on the spot to soothe the pains but they were tied.
The whip landed the fourth, fifth and sixth time.
I could feel a deep sore at my back and blood dripping from it. I was searing in pains.
The whip came again the seventh, eight, ninth and tenth time.
“Arrrrgghhhh" I let out a loud piercing cry. The pain was becoming unbearable and I couldn’t hold the cry any longer.
“I’m…so..rry..Maddy.” I sturttered, finally saying the word I should have said hours ago.
Earlier, I caught my boyfriend Ryan with Maddy in bed having the best times of their life.
I should have simply reported it to my dad, the Alpha of our pack and he will give orders for them to be punished. But it was of no use he would just ignore it or even order I should be thrown into the prison for falsely accusing his favourite daughter.
And that is why I took it out on her by cutting her damn long blonde hair into a neck length size. I was satisfied with my revenge, till her mum showed up and asked my dad for permission to deal with me.
“The apology came late hun" my step mum cooed, threw the whip on the floor and forcefully pulled my hair.
She pulled it so hard until my eyes glistened with hot tears and my head throbbed with immense pain.
“Untie her." She commanded the guards, satisfied at the scar, injury and tears that showed on me.
“Wait." Maddy snapped and the guards halted in their steps. She whispered something to her mum and began approaching me.
She crouched until she was at my level. She pulled the gag out of my mouth. And dragged my ear to whisper in it.
“Listen Zeph, Ryan is mine and mine alone. I don't see why you keep on going after a guy who only sees you as his sex slave" she spat.
“You have nothing to offer him, and you know it. Dad has promised to give me the privilege of being Luna after I marry someone who is going to be the Alpha of our pack.”
I was stung by her last words and was forced to raise my head to look at her.
" Yes," she nodded. “I will be Luna and Ryan Alpha once we get married.”
I swallowed hard. And tried to process the information I just heard.
He was giving up the position meant for me to Maddy, her exes daughter's child. And to think that the very throne that was talked about was mums and not his.
My mum was an Alpha princess and got married to my dad after finding out they were mates. And that made my dad become the Alpha of Moonblood pack.
Fifteen years into their marriage they had an attack. A group of rogues and hybrid witches visited the pack. They killed almost every one of the pack members and wanted to take the Alpha with them.
My mom pleaded with them to let my dad go while she goes with them.
She made my dad promise to take care of me and make sure I ruled after him.
“I don't know why you look puzzled Zeph. But I just think I should tell you this. You are going to the Lycans. They need strong and brave warriors just like you. And mum promised to convince dad to give you to them.”
She smiled crotchly and turned to my back.
“You are a dumb ass hole Maddy" I coughed,droplets of blood from my mouth fell on her little perfect face.
“You think Ryan wants you because he loves you? He doesn't love you bitch. He only wants to use you to get the fucking throne.” I laughed, my voice still hoarse from crying and pains.
She gritted her teeth, visibly annoyed from what I said. She hated to hear me defend myself. She knew I was courageous and that was why she and her mum hated my guts. But this was the only thing I have been able to survive.
“Look at it this way Maddy. Ryan was with me when he thought I owned the throne and now he is suddenly with you when he found out the throne is yours” I chuckled dryly, coughing out more blood this time.
And I could see her expression twisted in an “I think she is right” manner.
I heaved heavily, pains clouding my entire body. This wasn’t the right time for me to talk. But I needed her to feel the pain I felt whenever she was the cause of it.
“Fuck you Zephyr!" She screamed angrily and placed her fingers at my sore back,she dug her fingers into the injury and I screamed out in my pains.
“Stop that Maddy.” The Alphas voice cut through the air.
My eyes wearily followed the direction of the voice and I saw dad bursting through the door of the courtyard with an unknown figure following suit.
I stared at my step mum and she was still, standing like a bucket of ice was placed on her body.
My gaze returned to Maddy and then the prison guards and they all looked puzzled.
My eyes slowly returned to where dad stood and I froze at who was with him.
I then realized the reason everyone was in shock.
Holy shit! Can’t danger be averted from our pack.