"Are you ready?"

Lorenzo nods at me and visibly gulps.

The whole pack is assembled in the East wing yard, curious and anxious to what the urgent meeting is about.

I walk up the steps onto the makeshift podium with my scepter in hand.

Because this will be a "formal event", I have to "address the wolves in proper attire".

Hint: Mia forced me to.

So here I am, in a jade coloured traditional princess dress and the uniform.

"Fellow First Pack members, may I please have your attention." I say in the loudest voice possible so all nine hundred and eighty-something wolves can hear me.

The murmurs and talking dies down and all heads turn to me.

I clear my throat before speaking again.

"As you may know, I will be crowned Alpha queen in the next blue moon. I want to inform you all, that I have finally found my mate and our future Alpha King. Please step up, Lorenzo Helia, son of our late Gammas Trent and Kamilla Helia."

Lorenzo shyly steps up on the podium, but the blank expression on his face stays. Murmurs rise from the pack as they take in their future Alpha. Some of the she-wolves are gushing at him and twirling their hair in their fingers.

Honestly, no respect.

Some of the males stare him down and size him up with a green eye.

No respect at all.

"Alpha princess? How is the mute going to be our king?" I narrow my eyes at Jessica, one of the big-mouthed all-bark-no-bite she-wolves.

"Meaningless silence is better than meaningless words, Jessica Barnes." I say calmly.

"Your highness!" A voice belonging to one of the jocks at the high school speaks up. When he makes his way to the front of the crowd, I recognize him as Xander Killian, the son of our head warriors. He gives my mate a hostile glare and I choke back a growl at what he was about to say.

"I, Xander Killian, challenge Lorenzo Helia for the Alpha position."

A few gasps erupt from the pack members. It is unheard of for a pack member to challenge a royal, but it is not illegal. Unfortunately.

Another male wolf walks forward. Lorenzo tenses as the African-American wolf walks closer to the podium. He gives Lorenzo a menacing smirk before speaking up.

"I, Marshall Greyson, challenge omega Lorenzo Helia for the Alpha position."

An uproar rises and the pack starts shouting, clearly unhappy with the amount of disrespect shown by Xander and Marshall who both look equally smug about it.

At this point, I am shaking in anger and grinding my teeth. If my scepter was not made to resist werewolf strength, it would be bent if not broken.

"OUTRAGEOUS! HAS MY PACK LOST ALL RESPECT FOR THE THRONE?" I feel Kasey surfacing. My voice went deeper and more animalistic. Her anger is ten times worse than my own.

If I let her take control, she would attack Marshall and Xander or possibly kill them. Then I would be forced to abdicate the throne.

A pair of arms wrap around my stomach. I feel myself calming down instantly. I look over my shoulder and my mate gives me a reassuring nod.

"Fine. The fight will happen tomorrow night in the arena. Rules and regulations will be explained." I say with a monotonous voice and blank face.

I glance at my mate and notice that he isn't shrinking back like he used to in front of a crowd. His stance is actually pretty intimidating in a way.

He's confident.

I like that.

I cough up more blood onto the grimy floor. My stomach still hurts from the knife coated in witch hazel that sliced through me the first day I was here.

I just hope my spell worked and Chloe isn't feeling any of the pain I'm experiencing.

I look up and see a shimmering white wolf stalking towards me. It's eyes are piercing blue,the same blue Chloe has.

"Come on Darce. Let's get out of here."

No. She found me? She found me! I'm saved! Oh finally-

Wait. No.

"Nice try you atrocious psycho. Chloe's fur isn't white!"

I am so sick and tired of her games. She keeps conjuring up illusions and then tortures me for looking like an idiot. The realistic mirage disappears and a smug Kaceline emerges.

"Good girl. You've gotten sharper. Let's practise the elements again!" Kaceline gives me a wide psychotic smile, "We've burned you with fire, then drowned you in water, then choked you with your own breath. Now we're going to bury you under some earth for a little bit."

"Motherfucking sadist." I hiss out.

She shakes her head.

I let out a painful shriek as my skin burns up and turns lobster red. I fall to the floor and thrash around in pure agony.

"Must I use the torture curse on you everyday?" She asks while pretending to be disappointed, "Oh, yes."

I grit my teeth and hold in my screams. Tears stream out of my closed eyes. I open them slowly and see the wretch smiling at me.

She holds out a fist, then unclenches it. Dirt falls on my weak and battered body.

"Oh honey." She purses her lips.

A rock hits my broken nose and causes me to wince. Another rock falls onto my chest. More rocks fall on my broken body, causing me to groan in pain.

A boulder hits me smack on the stomach and earns a blood curling scream.

That's another broken bone. I scream once again and a handful of soil fills my mouth, silencing me.

"Come on, scream harder. You sound just like Chloe."

A clump of sand falls on my open eyes and Kaceline's cackle surrounds the room before I give in to the darkness.

Again.