Werewolf

Aurora's POV

I sat silently in the back seat of the car, my mind repeating the moment Damian shoved me forward with absolute resolve.

How ridiculous. He meant the world to me and was my everything. Even after all the cruelty he showed me once Nicole arrived, I still fantasized that he would see through her lies one day. I dreamed that he would welcome me back and become my family again, just like before.

And how did that turn out for me?

I thought in despair, "He never loved me. He doesn't trust me and looks down upon me. And the worst thing is… he handed me over to the vampires to let them deal with me as they please."

Something inside my chest shattered, and I knew vividly that a part of me was broken beyond repair. The feeling of being utterly isolated and helpless washed over me once more. My tears fell soundlessly, rolling down my cold cheeks and dripping onto my collar.

Just 

Silas' POV

I washed away the dust from the battlefield in my bathroom. After that, I changed into my silk sleeping robe and returned to my coffin.

That was my bed. It had excellent insulation and perfect soundproofing. I could sleep inside for centuries without being disturbed. That was, of course, assuming my subordinates didn't hear rumors and bang on the lid to force me awake.

"Mr. Redthorn, she has returned to her room," Ivan said from outside the door.

"Good," I replied lazily.

When he shut the door next to mine, I knew he had done as I had instructed. 

Meanwhile, my thoughts drifted. "That she-wolf… What was her name again? Oh, right. Aurora."

I had never seen a wolf so unwelcome and shunned in any werewolf pack before.

Damian had claimed she was the Luna, but I didn't believe it in the beginning. She was so weak. There wasn't the slightest trace of the dominant air an Alph

Aurora's POV

Nicole clearly never intended to let me live in peace. When I heard her say that she wanted me to go with her to the front lines, I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I nearly dropped the fruit I was holding.

Upon seeing my pale face, Nicole misunderstood. She thought I was afraid. With a hand over her mouth, she began to laugh at me.

After she was done laughing, she shrugged and said, "You know it, Aurora. Since I just joined the pack, being the Silver Wolf isn't enough if I want everyone's approval. Come with me. After I kill the vampires, Damian and I will get married. I'll invite you to the wedding."

I shook my head firmly. "No way. I'm not going with you."

"That's unfortunate, because what you want isn't important," Nicole retorted callously.

Like the tyrant she was, Nicole dropped all pretenses of fairness. She ordered her wolves to drag me into the car without my consent.

The car sped away, bumpily, and gradually left the pack's central territory. Nicole had kept her plan a secret from Damian. There wasn't a single Beta accompanying us. If there was any sign of danger, I would be the first one she threw out.

Dozens of scenarios formed in my head. Each one was terrifying enough to cause goosebumps to break out across my arms.

"You came, Nicole."

I stood at the back as a Beta wolf stepped forward and kissed Nicole's hand reverently. Compared to the Blackwood pack members, I thought he looked more like a remnant of the Silverpaw pack.

Nicole said proudly, "Take me to fight the vampires. Help me kill Silas, and I will become the greatest hero of the Blackwood pack."

The Beta hesitated but eventually nodded. His gaze drifted toward me.

"What about her?" he asked.

After shooting me a quick glance, Nicole said, "She'll be useful. She makes a perfect decoy. Don't you think?"

Perhaps my meek appearance stirred a bit of sympathy in the Beta, but he didn't respond to Nicole's words right away. Instead, he ordered someone to take me aside.

I was a hybrid without the faintest scent of a wolf on me. I was practically invisible on the front lines. Everyone just hurried past without sparing me a glance.

That was totally fine for me. I would just wait for Nicole to come back. Then, she could go claim all the glory and reward she wanted from Damian. I would return to the pack unscathed by then. I prayed fervently that things would stay this way and that no one would pay me any attention.

However, the air smelled faintly of blood. It stirred a sense of fear in me.

I called out to Filipa in my mind, begging her to wake up. Even if she couldn't help, at least she could talk to me. To my dismay, she remained asleep. 

I sat against a stone with jumbled thoughts running through my head. At some point, I fell asleep without realizing it.

The next morning, I awoke to gruff voices speaking loudly and noisily.

"That's her! She's the one Nicole brought yesterday."

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw someone rushing toward me.

It was Damian!

After leaving the Forsaken Forest, I hadn't seen him at all. But as he appeared before me now, his expression was extremely grim. Clearly, nothing good awaited me.

"So you're here," Damian said, looking down at me from above as I was still seated on the ground.

Then, he said to the wolves beside him, "Bring her along."

"Got it, Alpha Damian!"

I cried out anxiously, "Wait! Where are you taking me? Answer me, Damian!"

Damian ignored me. No one cared how I felt.

The scent of blood thickened in the air. The wolves around us were all in half-wolf form. They had just returned from battle. Or if I looked at it from another perspective, I was getting closer to the battlefield.

As that realization sank in, the dread I felt inside intensified.

"Aurora, come to my side," Damian called out.

"No." I shook my head tensely and stepped back.

Annoyance flashed across his face. His wolf claws emerged and grabbed my arm to forcefully drag me over.

I stumbled forward a few steps.

Fear didn't hit first because what I felt above all was immense shock. 

Standing ahead of countless werewolves was the legendary and mysterious Vampire Elder, Silas Redthorn.

He had an ethereal and beautiful face that captured everyone's attention. His eyes shone like red rubies. The air he exuded was languid and relaxed. It was completely out of place on a battlefield.

My heart pounded wildly. However, it was not out of fear. I felt a burning sensation inside me that I had never experienced before.

It was as if the Moon Goddess herself was telling me that Silas and I shared a special connection.

Damian's voice cut through my thoughts. 

He said seriously, "Our agreement stands. I will give you Luna Aurora in exchange for Nicole, whom you captured."

"What?" I screamed, staring at Damian in horror. "You're trading me for Nicole? Are you seriously handing me over to the vampires, Damian?"

Damian had lost his damn mind! Did he even know what he was doing?

He said coldly, "Behave, Aurora. This is what you should do as Luna."

I yelled at him hysterically, "I'm not your Luna anymore—"

His overwhelming pressure as Alpha crashed over me, silencing me instantly. I could only yield to the Alpha's absolute power and had nowhere to vent the fury that burned in me. So, I resorted to struggling against his hold on me with all my might.

Silas' gaze fell upon me. I was certain that this whole scene was nothing but a spectacle to him. Maybe he would think I was a madwoman and go on to reject Damian's offer.

"I accept," he uttered.

His voice was captivating, but I hated hearing the words he said.

Two vampires escorted Nicole out. She had only been gone for a night, but she was unconscious and covered in wounds. 

I began to breathe heavily. There was no doubt that my fate would be a thousand times worse than hers.

The moment Damian saw Nicole, he pushed me forward toward the vampires. He did it with force. I nearly tripped over a stone, but an icy hand caught me.

Silas' expression remained stoic. 

He simply pulled my terrified body into his arms and said to the werewolves, "From now on, she belongs to me."

Aurora's POV

I sat silently in the back seat of the car, my mind repeating the moment Damian shoved me forward with absolute resolve.

How ridiculous. He meant the world to me and was my everything. Even after all the cruelty he showed me once Nicole arrived, I still fantasized that he would see through her lies one day. I dreamed that he would welcome me back and become my family again, just like before.

And how did that turn out for me?

I thought in despair, "He never loved me. He doesn't trust me and looks down upon me. And the worst thing is… he handed me over to the vampires to let them deal with me as they please."

Something inside my chest shattered, and I knew vividly that a part of me was broken beyond repair. The feeling of being utterly isolated and helpless washed over me once more. My tears fell soundlessly, rolling down my cold cheeks and dripping onto my collar.

Just then, the car door opened. Silas stood outside. 

I quickly turned and wiped my tears away. I didn't

Chapter 8 The Vampire's Castle