A Luna's Bane 2

A year or so ago, Alexa's present anguish had its first beginnings; it had waxed and gathered strength; it had matured and concentrated until it had taken the form of a fearful, frenzied and fantastic question which tortured her heart and mind clamouring insistently for an answer. It gripped and tore her heart apart.

Things began to fall apart for her the previous year. Alexa, to her bewilderment, discovered that she had been betrothed, but the secret had been kept away from her all this while. She, as was wont to, kept wanting to be angry at her on both counts, but her hopelessness always died with each thought about Alpha Richardson- the beast whose son she was to get married to. Once again she looked at her frame in the mirror. 

When she was done putting her clothes into the pine dresser, she took her bag of bathroom necessities and went into the bathroom to be cleaned and prepared. She looked at her face in the mirror as she brushed through the tangled, damp hair. Maybe it was the light but already she looked sallower, unhealthy. Her skin was pretty, it was very clear, almost translucent-looking - but it all depended on colour. She had no colour there.

Facing her pallid reflection in the mirror, she was forced to admit that she was lying to herself though she had berated herself many times to pretend and let this slide. It wasn't just physically that she had never fit in with her to-be husband. If she couldn't find a niche with Ceballos, what were her chances here then with such a man.

Finding Ceballos as a mate at eighteen and secretly falling in love with him had been the easy part. And thankfully enough, he was definitely everything a mate definitely desired. Now she had been contracted to a man who was old enough to be her father. This was done, according to them, to form a political alliance and help them in the upcoming war which was brewing. A very ruthless, relentless and utterly rampant man who had conquered kings and had ordered their tongues cut off and their eyes removed. Her father to their Pack had offered her as ransom.

Her thoughts were broken off when the door to her room swung open. Her mother walked up to her quickly with a smile on her face but the smile died when she saw Alexa. She turned nervously with her fingers.

'Go' she asked a maid who left immediately as though she had been waiting for the command.

'You are to marry him, understand me. And I found about that boy, just don't get us into some mess' she grabbed her dress's laces and tied them as Bella shook from the force.

'Alexa' Luna Ezra, her mother called quietly- the hundredth time that day. ' You don't have to keep doing this to yourself. You have cried enough. Be careful or you might displease your father, Just stop! Please'

She brought her child to her chest and the cries returned, more intense now.

'You don't have to keep doing this,' she said again. A spasm of panic tugged at her as she watched her white, innocently child-like face which was filled with tears.

'Alexa?' her voice grew a bit sharper.

'Oh stop it mother, you will give yourself a nose bleed'

MrsEzra grasped her waist and swung her around. 'This is not a game' her face grew stern and enormous as she neared. 'Our situation is precarious'

'Of course, I know, you remind me every day,' she managed to scoff between tears as they stared into each other's eyes.

'You want us to get killed? Just marry him and save us all. We will be left with the legacy of a bad death if we go to war. I don't understand you, it's a perfect match that will ensure our survival' she clasped her hand with Alexa's.

'How could you put this on my shoulders? Perfect match you call it' she turned away

'You are being so selfish'

'I am not being selfish mother'

'Do you know what you are about to help with if you get married to him?' she turned back and began to cry also. 'That bastard is putting us through all this

'It's not fair' Alexa's breath came in fast gasps.

'Of course, it is, with women. We have no choice, our only choice is to take what comes and plead when necessary and if they turn deaf ears to your plea, you have no choice other than to embrace whatever prospect brings. I am so sorry' a few tears escaped her eyes before she stretched to Alexa's cheeks and planted a solemn kiss there.

'I have a confession to make' Alexa said as her mother kept tying the laces tightly, which shook her

'It's time we go to welcome the guests, confessions will come later. It will appeal the most to me if you take your time in speaking to the chancery, what a genuinely sweet man he is. I believe that if you do so, our punishment can at least be pacified to an extent'

'What punishment mother?! But we did nothing wrong, mother. Did father kill anyone' fresh outburst of tears was stinging her eyes?

'Be rest assured darling that our situation is quite as precarious as it comes. Don't be so nervous or paranoid, I hear he treats his women with the tenderest of care 

Alexa sighed hopelessly as she listlessly resigned to fate. The great problem was not even marrying the Alpha Richardson nor the impending war and all of its fearful promises, the bad thing was that she was pregnant, for dead Ceballos

..............................….

The dreaded Alpha Richardson of the Night Walker Pack arrived in a horse-driven carriage. It formerly used to be slave-driven, with whips intermittently lashed at the scored bareback off the slaves but courtesy counted here. His mother, Volkov Scherer in her stupid pride had indicated earlier that neither she nor anyone had the right to criticize their weakness or wishes as she put it.

The Alpha entered wearing an embroidered uniform, knee breeches, and shoes, and had stars on his breast and a serene expression on his face. He was led across the aisle by his mother who kept nattering about her son's fame and power. Her heart nevertheless was genuinely warmed by the attendance of the number of people that continued pouring into the Yeoman hall that morning. 

They stopped by to greet fellow heirs and Alphas and the important guests that had arrived. The custom was that he never set his eyes on his bride till the marriage ceremony took off, so he took his time and went into one of the guest's chambers to revise the marriage rites. He was going to have a simple run-through since he had them at heart, he had served at the altar when he was a boy and he had married three other women who during their marriage, had had the rites said and vows exchanged.