Chapter 1

Lily sat quietly in the shadows while her parents argued. Her father was the Alpha of the pack, and her mother was was is disgraced and rejected mate. She tried to hide the tears that seeped from her eyes, to hide them even from herself, but it was no use. She was weak, vulnerable, and as useless as her mama – or so her father always said.

“Well,l she is of no use to me. You can either keep him or let me give her up at the moonlight rite this night!” Lily’s father snapped.

“I – I didn’t say I want to keep her . . . but how can we give up our only child together,” her mother stammered. She was not putting up a convincing argument at all.

Lily cringed as her father laughed harshly. “You and I are a mistake that should never have happened. I have other pups, and so do you. We don’t need this –half-breed!”

Lily choked on her tears, and the sound of her anguish drew her parent's attention.

“Lily! What are you doing listening in on our conversation?” Her mother asked in a whisper.

Lily got up and ran to her mother, throwing her arm around her. “Please Mother, I don’t want to be given away at the moonlight rite – I –”

“Nonsense!” Her father snapped, and she could not argue with the authority in his voice. That was the voice of an Alpha. “I don’t love you, never will – and neither does your mother. But at the moonlight rite tonight, maybe you would find a male that would love you as his chosen mate. You should be happy instead of hiding in the shadows here, crying like the stupid whore your mother is.”

“But Father –” Lily started to say, at the same time that her father said “Don’t call me father,” and her mother said something about not being a whore.

Lily kept quiet, and silently left the room as the sound of her parent's voices raised in argument.

The midnight rite was done only once a year. During the rite, a female wolf that had not yet been mated is brought and tied to a stake while males who are interested fight over her. She goes off with the winner a mate.

Lily had heard stories of some females who had successfully mated to good males who loved them, but she did not believe that possible. What kind of male chose his mate in such a way?!

She let Hilda, one of her father’s maids take her into a room and start dressing her for the rite. Hilda had brought out a beautiful white dress that was supposed to signify her innocence. Her hair was twisted into curls that looked very beautiful, and Hilda had even applied some color to her rosebud lips. The face that stared out of the mirror when Lily looked in was beautiful – lovely, but no one could hide the pain in the eyes that were slightly swollen from crying. It was the pain of being rejected by one’s own family.

“Try to cheer up Lily. You might get mated to a male that would love and cherish you – an Alpha even –”

“I don’t want to be mated to an Alpha!” Lily countered a little too forcefully. “All Alphas are simply powerful, but very ruthless. They do not know the meaning of love,” she continued in a more quiet voice.

Hilda shook her head. “Just because your father is heartless doesn’t mean all Alphas are. You might get mated to a kind Alpha.”

Lily laughed sadly. “There is nothing like a kind Alpha. I would rather be mated to an Omega and live in peace,” but even as she said this, she knew it was not possible because an Omega would never be able to win an Alpha in a fight. The only thing she could pray for was that no Alpha came to the rite that night, because if any Alpha came, he was probably the one that would claim her as a mate – only Lily knew Alphas, she wouldn’t mate, she would be a mere plaything.

The first thing Lily noticed as she was led out to the open to be tied on a stake like a mere slave was that there were a lot of people gathered that night – she was going to be humiliated in front of all these people. The second thing she noticed was that there was an Alpha among the males that would be fighting over her.

Her eyes were drawn to him instantly, to the ruthlessness she saw gleaming in his silver-grey eyes. Lily felt a violent shiver run through her as her eyes connected with his, and then his lips twisted in a cruel smile as could tell the effect he had on her from so far away, and he was enjoying it.

Lily fought the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes and spoil the makeup Hilda had so craftily put on. She knew one thing she ended up being a mate to the wickedly handsome Alpha with silver grey eyes, then her days living under her father’s cruelty would be considered pleasure compared to what she was going to face being mated to such an Alpha.

She could feel the powerful aura of his wolf even from far away, he seemed like an Alpha that had won several battles. What could he be doing choosing a mate from the moonlight?! Unlike the other males present, he was dressed simply in a dark flowery shirt that seemed to mold to his muscles as the breeze danced around him. His trousers also showed off his powerful thighs with ease. For a moment, Lily wondered what it would feel like to be held in those strong arms, protected, loved – cherished, but then she looked into his grey eyes, saw the ruthlessness in them, and she knew. Being mated to him would be the most painful experience of her lifetime, an experience that could very well destroy her. Even now, she could see the mockery shining from his eyes as his lips curved into another cruel grin.

The fight was to start with the only two Omegas in the contest. According to the rules, both contestants were supposed to kiss her activation before they started the fight.

She let the two Omegas kiss her, each of them gentle in their kisses, and Lily felt relaxed. They did not seem like the kind of males that she would me mated too

As the fight started, Lily forced her eyes away from the powerful Alph and focused on the two Omegas fighting over her. They both seemed so kind, she wished any one of them would be her mate. They even seemed very uncomfortable about injuring themselves, she knew that if anyone of them were to be her mate, he would never hurt her – but wishes never came true, they were Omegas after all and any of them that won would probably be defeated in the next round.

After the two kinds ofo re defeated, Lily lost count of how many males fought for her and lost, she also lost count of how many times her lips were assaulted by their kisses till she felt like crying. Some of them were gentle, some others rough, kissing her as though they wanted to mark her flesh, so that in the end, even if they lost, she would be marked as theirs for life. Lily endured it all, hating her parents for putting her up to be fought over like a common whore.

Soon, all that was left was a bet and the ruthless but wickedly handsome Alpha. Lily took her eyes off the Alpha and turned to look at the beta. He was not as handsome, but he looked like someone that would be kind, someone that would care about her. Before the fight started, he walked up to her and smiled.

“Wish me beautiful, I promise to love and cherish you as my mate.”

Lily smiled. That was all she hoped for. Could the moonlight rite be a blessing in disguise? Was this Beta going to win an Alpha and become her mate, the love of her life, one that would love and protect her forever, make her feel wanted the same way her parents made her feel unwanted? She could feel the cold eyes of the Alpha on her even as she thought these thoughts, mocking her, daring her to believe her wishful thinking.

The Beta kissed her, his lips stroking her softbow-shaped lips gently “I know your lips have been hurt enough by the other males, so I wouldn’t add to it.” He whispered into her ear gently, then turned and was gone. Lily shuddered as her eye caught the silver grey of the Alpha, it was his turn to kiss her.

“Open your eyes and look at me,” the Alpha commanded as Lily shut them, trying to hide from what she saw in his eyes. He was so close – so close, she could feel the heat radiating from his powerful body. Something in her wanted to reach out and touch his powerful chest, feel those muscles that were so perfectly outlined by his shirt, but her hands were tied to the stake, so she could only stare in awe as the Alpha came even closer. She could smell his scent, powerful, unique and every inch an Alpha, the kind of Alpha she feared – the kind she hated! What was wrong with her? She should want to run from this male, why was she feeling so drawn to him? Why did she crave so much for his lips to be pressed against hers, for him to claim her by that single act of for her to belong to him forever?

“Look at m,e Lily.” The Alpha commanded again, and Lily blushed hotly at the sound of her name on his lips, but she was still unable to look at those silver-grey eyes of his when he was so close to her.

The Alpha swore, and hooking a finger under her chin, he lifted it – not so gently, till she was forced to look into his eyes. What she saw there stole her breath away.

His eyes were ruthless, wicked even, but there was a pain etched deep down, as though he had been hurt before, and now he was hiding a pain so deep it had become part of him. Lily drew in a shaky breath as compassion replaced her fear. Not for the first time, she wished her hands were free. For some reason, she wanted to hold him in her arms in an embrace, to share his pain with him, try to take it away from him if that were possible, but her hands remained helplessly tied to the stake.

She felt tears sting her eyes, and she let them flow freely down her cheek. This time, she was not crying for herself, she was crying for the pain she knew the Alpha was hiding deep within.

He pressed his lips to hers, and she tasted her salty tears on his lips. His lips were gentle at first as if it was soothing her, bringing her comfort, and yet she felt aroused. She could feel something feminine loosen up deep within her, she felt small, cherished, and protected as his arms came around her, easily holding her with the stake. She felt his warmth drive away the biting cold that had earlier made her shiver.

And Lily kissed him back. Maybe being mated to an Alpha was not so bad after all. She surrendered herself to the vulnerable feeling he stirred in her. She didn’t mind being innocent, didn’t care about hiding her vulnerability as long as he was there to claim her, to love and protect her.

But when he drew away from her, his eyes were as cold as ice. Lily felt her heart skip several beats at the look in them. Had she imagined everything? The love, the affection.

The Alpha’s lips curved into a cruel grin at her confusion. “That is how you want to be kissed isn’t it? With love and affection?”

He crushed his lips to hers again, and this time, Lily whimpered at the force. This time, his lips demanded from her what she was still too innocent to understand, took from her what she hadn’t given. She moaned as even then his kiss stirred up arousal in her belly, yet it was more pain than pleasure. This time, he did not kiss to show her comfort, his kiss marked her as his, hurting her in a way to show that she should expect only pain from him as his future mate.

When he finally pulled his lips away from hers, Lily shivered as she dragged in a shaky breath through her slightly bruised lips. His smile was wicked as he watched her.

“Pray to the moon goddess that the Beta fighting me win because if I do, this is only the beginning of the pain you would suffer as my mate.”

Lily could only nod as the tears gathered once more in her eyes. What kind of male was this, that could be so gentle and loving one moment, and then brutal and wicked the next? Her lips mouthed a prayer to the moon goddess that the Beta win, but her heart already knew who she belonged to. She belonged to the mysterious Alpha who could be kind and loving but instead chose to be ruthless. The Alpha had already marked her body as his.

CHAPTER TWO

Alpha Ramirez watched as the tears clouded in her eyes again, and he felt the corner of his lips turn up in a cold smile. The poor female did not yet know what she was in for, if it took a simple kiss to make her cry. He wondered how much she would whimper when he finally marked her entire body as his in the part of the mating ceremony that allowed him to make love to his possession, his new mate.

According to the traditions of the moonlight rite, the winning male was supposed to make love to his new mate out there in the open, in front of everyone, to prove that she now belonged to him. No one still insisted on keeping to that part of the rite, but Ramirez wanted to see the embarrassment that would fill those innocent clear blue eyes when he stripped off her clothes in front of everyone.

He stared at her, every inch of her body. She was very lovely, worth the fight. Her long curly hair was jet black, darker than a moonless night, and her heart shaped face was beautifully colored with the blush that rose up to her cheeks. He could tell that that night was the first time she had been kissed, he could almost taste her inexperience on her lips.

Ramirez was surprised at how jealous he had felt as the other males who had their fights before him had kissed her. They should never have. She was his, his to kiss, his to torment. He was the one that should have taught her how to kiss for the first time.

And so, he punished her for those kisses she gave the other males, even though he knew it wasn’t her fault. He had first shown her what it was like to be kissed with love, then he had punished her with those same lips, wickedly enjoy the her pain.

Her bow shaped lips were still swollen from his kisses, and slightly bruised. The white she wore radiated her innocence, her beauty. She would fit perfectly into his plans for revenge, but first, he needed to break her.

He watched those lips of hers mouth a prayer to the moon goddess, then he turned to face his opponent, a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. The Beta was a fool for thinking he could win an Alpha. Ramirez knew that even deep down, the female knew he was going to win the Beta. She would hope though, hope that the Beta with his gentle voice and soft kisses win, and then he’d dash her hope by wining.

The whistle was blown, and the Beta charged at him with full force, claws bared. Ramirez laughed as he allowed the Beta to sink his claws into him and throw him to the floor. He wanted to play with the male a little before finally wining him, that way, he would get the female’s hopes up, before crashing them to the ground. He couldn’t wait to break her.

The crowd cheered for the Beta, and he charged at Ramirez again, as Ramirez got to his feet. Again, the Alpha let the beta have his way, a perverse pleasure cuddling at the pit of his stomach as he saw his own blood run freely from the wound the Beta had inflicted.

His eyes sought out the female, and he was surprised to see the pain in her eyes, the pain she felt for what was being done to him. He had expected her to be cheering with the rest of the crowd, after all, she wanted the Beta to win so that she could be loved by her mate. It was the same pain Ramirez had seen in her eyes when she looked at him and felt his pain. For the first time, he was intrigued. He had never known a female who cared for him. Why would she feel hurt at his own pain when he had already told her he would not treat her well if he became her mate?

He pushed the thought of those innocent blue eyes away and focused on the Beta, the part of him that cared for innocent vulnerable females was long dead. To prove that point, he should simply take her, out there in the open. Draw his pleasure from her flesh even as she cried to him, begging him to stop. He was a monster, the sooner everyone accepted that, the better for them.

He circled the Beta now, a perverse smile at the corner of his lips. He waited until the male exposed his claws again, before he cut them in his hand, smiling as the sharp edges cut into his palm, making him bleed.

Ramirez waited until he held the Beta’s green eyes with his own silver grey’s, before he snapped the claws out of the Beta’s hands.

The Beta’s cry of anguish filled the air as Ramirez carelessly flung the claws away. Werewolves could not grow back their claws, and so the Beta would remain without claws in his right hand forever. It would probably get him demoted to an Omega, or maybe kicked out of his pack, his life was ruined forever.

Ramirez smiled at the look of shock on the female’s face, as the whole crowed that gathered hushed at the sight of the Beta writhing in pain. He gave a cold laugh as he was declared winner, and new mate of the beautiful female tied up on the stake. By now, she knew what she had gotten herself into – or what her parents had gotten her into. What he had done to the Beta was a small thing called compared to what he had planned for her. He was going to ruin her in ways she could not even begin to imagine.

Alpha Ramirez! That was what he was called. Lily watched in shock as he was declared, she had genuinely thought the Beta was winning. But that was stupid of her, how could she think a mere Beta could win such an Alpha. She had a feeling that if Ramirez fought a hundred Alphas, he was still going to win.

What kind of male possessed such strength, to be able to snap off another male’s claws that easily! And he had been ruthless enough to do so even though he knew it would destroy the male forever. How heartless was he going to be with her?

Lily felt her heart skip a beat as she remembered a long forgotten part of the moonlight rite, the part where the winner would strip the female he was mated to, in front of everyone and sleep with her right there in front of the crowd!

She shook her head, even as a deep fear squeezed her heart. It was not possible – he could not, would not be that heartless. Her eyes went up to his at the same moment he turned to look at her, so that once again, her clear blue eyes where pinned by his silver grey ones. She saw in that moment that he knew what she was thinking, about the love making part of the moonlight rite. Alpha Ramirez smiled coldly and stepped forward to claim his prize, and Lily froze in fear, a fear that was mirrored in her innocent eyes. The Alpha met to strip her in front of everyone and claim her, right there.

CHAPTER THREE

Alpha Ramirez stepped even closer, and Lily shuddered. Her eyes sought out her father, to beg him, plead with him to take her away from the stake and the entire rite, but she couldn’t find him. He probably left immediately she was tied securely to the stake.

Her eyes shot back to the Alpha as he stepped closer. For some reason, she could feel a tinge of excitement under the fear. What would it feel like to be made love to by such a powerful male body. Then she thought of the look in his eyes as he had snapped the Beta’s claws, maiming him for life, she thought of the lack of gentleness in his touch, in his kisses.

“What is your name little one?” his voice was soft, almost gentle, it gave Lily the courage she needed to answer.

“Lily – Lily of Garar pack.”

He smiled. “Lily of Garar pack, you are officially my mate now, a Luna. Do you know what that means?”

Lily shook her head as he stepped even closer. She didn’t know anything about being a Luna. Her mother was a rejected former Luna, and her father’s new Luna never allowed Lily to come near her.

The Alpha stepped closer, and Lily wished she could step back. He was so close now, she could touch him if she just lifted a hand – but her hands were tied. Unable to stare into his eyes, Lily caught herself staring at his broad chest as he lifted a gentle finger to stroke her cheek

“So vulnerable – so innocent,” his voice was barely a whisper.

Why was he being gentle! Lily could not understand what kind of male was gentle one minute, and then rough the next. Again, she felt tears threaten at her wide blue eyes. She would have preferred if he remain harsh with her, at least then, she would know what to expect. It was very easy for her to let down the little defenses she had when he was gentle, and then, she knew he would strike.

As though he read her mind, he laughed out loud. “Your defenses mean nothing were my assault is little one. I want to break you, destroy you until you are nothing but my puppet, a mere plaything, that’s only when I would be able to use you for what I want.”

Lily shivered slightly. The white dress Hilda had dressed her with was sleeveless, and open at the throat to expose her slender long neck and the tops of her breast. In the nights chilly air, it was unbearable. But it was not the whether that made Lily shiver, it was the coldness in her new mate’s heart.

“Why are you doing this? What do you hope to gain?” Her voice sounded pathetic even to her own ears, but Lily forced herself to look into the Alpha’s eyes. It was there again, the pain lodged deep in those silver greys. She wished she could bring him comfort, take his pain away – then his expression hardened, and there was nothing but heartless in his eyes now.

“Why am I doing this? That’s easy, because I can. Dear sweet Lily, you would find that in this world of ours, wolves do things simply because they can. What do I hope to gain, you ask, again that’s easy. Revenge!” He brought his hand up to her hair and loosened the twists Hilda had taken pains to put in place. Her long black hair tumbled in waves down her shoulder, making her look even more lovely.

“You look better like this, with your hair free in the wind. I should name you windflower, so vulnerable, yet so beautiful.” With a simple flex of his muscles, he cut the ropes that bound her to the stake, and Lily was grateful when he pulled her into his arms.

His lips sought hers then, and this time, it was not a kiss of punishment, or the gentle kiss of a stranger, it was a lovers kiss. Hot, ardent. For the first time, Lily was completely caught in the moment.

The crowd cheered as she threw her arms around his neck, drawing him closer, holding him to herself. He was her mate, she would have this forever.

His hands wandered all over her body, stirring primal heat in her belly. So this was what it meant to be wanted? She was so cut in the moment, she did not notice when he brought his hands up to the top of her dress and tore it into two, she only knew that she wanted his mouth on the flesh he had exposed.

Before she could get too impatient, he pressed his lips to her exposed flesh, drawing a moan from her with a kiss so painfully arousing, Lily feared her body was on fire.

His hands tore open the rest of her dress, and it was only when it pooled at her feet that Lily knew the Alpha had stripped her out in the public. The entire crowd was deathly quiet, and Lily couldn’t even bare to look up as her cheeks stained pink with embarrassment, but the Alpha wasn’t done with her yet.

He pulled her nude body tighter to his fully clad one, and pressed his lips to the pulse beating at her neck. “You forget too easily sweetheart. Remember I told you I was going to break you. I had thought I would enjoy doing that, but you make it too easy.”

Lily whimpered, then moaned as he pressed another kiss to the same spot. “Please . . .” her voice was too shaky, and she thought he had not heard her, but then he laughed.

“You would need to be a little more specific my little beauty. Please what then? ‘please, claim me right here in front of the crowd?’ ‘Please stop bringing me exquisite pleasure with your kisses,: or even ‘please return me to my Papa who by the way doesn’t want me, he had to give me up at a moonlight rite’ which is it little one?”

He was toying with her now, and Lily knew that no matter what answer she gave him, he was going to do what he wanted to do. “Please, have some dignity. I am your mate, shaming me I front of everyone wouldn’t be nice.”

The Alpha burst out laughing at that. “You must be a very slow learner, or you’d know that I’m never nice.”

Lily nodded, but she noticed that he had used his big body to shield her from the rest of the crowd, so that it was only he that saw her naked.

Alpha Ramirez stared into those trusting blue eyes, staring up at him in their childish bravery. Even he was not that cruel, he could not hurt her while she was still this innocent. He needed to corrupt her a bit before he broke her. He laughed at his own thoughts. Who would have thought he had anything like a conscience. He was going to watch out for her, he had only just met her, and already, she had him rethinking his actions.

Striping off his shirt, he draped it around her shoulders and heard her draw in a shaky breath as those blue eyes turned up to him in gratitude. She was so small, the shirt came down to her knees, totally covering her nakedness, then she did something he did not expect. She threw her arms around him in an affectionate hug. “Thank you,” she said simply as she pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

Ramirez felt something constrict in his chest. If he was not careful, it was this naïve female with innocent face and wild blue eyes who was going to break through his defenses and get to him. A part of him wanted to get to know her, the real her, that sweet naïve creature that was not tainted by the wicked world – but then, he had a mission, and she was only a mere pawn in his game of thrones.

“Come, my Luna, your new home awaits,” he said sarcastically, expecting her to shiver in fear, but to his surprise, Lily slipped her little hand into his big one so trustingly, as though she had forgotten everything he had said about breaking her. Show the female a little kindness, and she was already trusting. . . it was hilarious!

Together, they walked hand in hand till they got into the limo that waited to take them to Ramirez’s pack, and to his home. Lily sucked in a deep breath at the thought of her uncertain future, and yet, even with all the fear, Lily could not help hope that she would make her mate, the Alpha Ramirez fall in love with her, just as she had already fallen for him.