LUNA

30

"Strip."

Please don't let this be a reality.

"Sweetheart I would just listen and follow instructions." An elder speaks up and I turn to face her and the kind woman from earlier so that she can unlace my dress for me. As it loosens around my frame I start to panic. My breath hitches in my throat as I hold up the bodice and try to keep it on my figure.

"I don't think this is necessary." The kind elder whispers to her fellow chair and I keep my head down.

"Either way the punishments are as follows. If she is to marry Alpha Reece she has to be able to keep secrets and keep quiet even under extreme circumstances."

"Please lace me back up." I mumble to the woman and she is hesitant before doing so, and walking out of the room leaving me with a man I've never seen.

"Who works for Reece? Who does the dirty jobs for him?!" His voice screams and I shake my head while walking around the concrete barefoot.

"Alpha Reece does his own dirty work." I snarl back and he laughs.

"You can't lie for shit."

"And you don't scare me."

Not much does.

"You really love Sebastian don't you? So tell me why you haven't fully mated him yet?"

"I believe that's a personal choice and that it's not your business. Why aren't you marked or mated?" I counter and he doesn't appreciate that comment.

"You want to be a bitch? Let's play games then." He charges at me and places his hand on my neck before shoving me back into the wall.

I've only been injured by a man once in my life and that wasn't even this physical.

It was more mental and emotionally scaring.

This is physical and this is terrifying.

"Do you get what this meeting is going to be like?" He shoves my body back into the wall again and tightens his grip as I try my hardest to push him back off of me. "Now are you going to answer or not?!" He screams and I shake my head no.

I'm not giving up Garrett's name regardless of what is done to me. They won't kill me. They can't. Everyone out there is expecting me to return and if I don't, hell will be raised. He grip doesn't loosen and I feel myself getting lightheaded.

Is he going to kill me?

"You can't get information from me. I've been hurt worse, this doesn't phase me. You have the wrong girl." I manage to choke out before getting my head bashed into the wall behind me.

"You think this is for show? No this is real life little girl. Don't underestimate what this council does."

"Does the council always choke girls out and beat them senseless?" I finally shove him off of me before sending a blow to his rib cage. Hudson's training was worth it.

"You should get new tactics for trying to break the new Luna's." I grab the door handle before swinging it open and grabbing my shoes that are tossed in the corner.

"Go to Hell." I slam the door behind me before walking back into the hallway and into the grand ballroom.

And that's when all hell breaks lose.

"They did that to her?"

"She's bleeding."

"Her neck."

"It looks to be that Ms. Harris has returned." Elder Francis lets out a breath and I nod before walking over to Sebastian who is now on his feet with Logan next to him.

"Is this what you have turned to? What happened to questioning or making rude comments to test these women? You laid your hands on my future Luna." Bash calls out and I shake my head before placing my hand on his cheek.

"Please don't. I'm okay and I've made my feelings clear already so please, do not make a scene. I'd prefer to just leave."

"No I'm making a scene. Have you seen your neck? It's worse that when I marked you."

"Alpha Reece, I am sorry for what occurred tonight. I do not believe any of this was intended from the elders. She was only meant to be questioned, not touched."

"Do you honestly think an apology will make up for the fact that she's bleeding from her head and that she has marks on her neck from another mans grasp? You will be lucky if my pack stays as part of this council." He grabs my hand and leads me back to our room with Logan following behind.

"What happened in that room?" He sits me down on our bed and squats down in front of me. "What happened baby?"

"They told me to strip and this woman told him no so she laced my dress back up for me. When she left he asked me questions like who does the business for us and who does your dirty work. I didn't say anything. I told him to go to hell. Then he asked why I wasn't fully mated. I started to counter with my own questions. I didn't let him get any information from me and then he got angry. He grabbed me by the neck and kept slamming me into the wall. He finally smashed my head hard enough and I felt blood. I kicked into defensive mode and shoved him off of me and walked out of the room. Nobody stopped me from leaving."

"Logan get me a damp washcloth." Bash reaches and turns my head to the side so he can see the damage.

"It's gonna be okay. They've ruined their reputation and they have to make up for that to not only you but to every pack here today. Nobody is going to look at the council the same anymore."

"Nobody is going to look at me the same." I mumble as he holds the washcloth to my head.

"Can we please go home? I just want to lie in our bed and under our roof."

"Yes we can leave. Logan pack your bags and pull the car around. We'll be down in twenty."

"I just need a few minutes." I stand up and I rush to the bathroom before emptying the contents of my stomach. "Just pack my stuff up and leave out some sweatpants for me. I'll be fine." I whisper as I lean my head on the seat.

I'll be fine.