ALPHA ZARKUS: Punished By The Beast

As I walked through the thick grass covering the forest floor, a strange hum whispered through the air. A faint, slicing sound that instantly triggered my instincts. An arrow. And it was heading straight for me. I froze and spun around. Just before the arrow could embed itself into my forehead, my left hand shot up and caught it effortlessly. In that very moment, a soft, sinister laugh echoed around me. “Angelicca…” a cold voice sneered. “That name doesn’t suit you. You’re worse than a wild beast.” I focused my eyes on the source of the voice as a presence emerged from behind the thick trunk of a tree. I recognized the aura immediately. “Ravina,” I said calmly, eyes locked onto her. She stood tall with her bow in hand, a quiver of arrows strapped across her back, and the familiar arrogance in her stance. “Aren’t you tired of trying to kill me?” I asked. She walked slowly toward me, a smug grin spreading across her blood-red lips. “You’re about to be cast out of the Wulfnox pack by Alpha Zarkus,” she replied, her tone laced with malice. “So I thought I’d play with you a little first…” She stopped walking, reached for the dagger strapped to her thigh, and lunged forward. But before she could strike, I rushed at her, faster than any human eye could follow. Our movements blurred the world around us. “Die, you b***h!” she screamed. I let her plunge the dagger deep into my arm. The pain surged hot and fast, but I ignored it. Instead, I grabbed her long black hair from behind and slammed her face into the solid trunk of the tree with all my strength. Her scream pierced the forest. I pulled her face away from the bark, now smeared with blood. Her beauty was still there. Beeding but still intact. She gasped while grabbing my wrist and her breath escaped her in short bursts. My grip on her hair remained tight. “You never get tired of fighting me because you know your body heals from every cut and every wound. Even if you shift into your monstrous form, you’re still no match for me,” I said coldly. “I swear I’ll get my revenge… You rogue warrior!” she shrieked, desperately trying to free herself from my grasp. But I didn’t let go. "Ravina… The Luna of the pack," I began. "You're jealous, aren’t you? Because I was the one who got to mate with your Alpha before you ever did even though you were chosen to be his Luna?" I tightened my grip on the back of her head, fingers buried deep in her dark hair, and slowly lifted her off the ground with one hand. Her face twisted in pain. "You already know why, don’t you?" I hissed. "It’s because when Lord Drakkon saw me… and realized I was from the Severia Clan... a bloodline with immense power capable of slaughtering your kind... he took interest. He knew I was almost as strong as the Female Betas. I could read your movements and outrun your speed. He saw something he couldn't ignore." I leaned in closer to her ear. "So even though he had already chosen a Luna for Alpha Zarkus, he ordered him to sleep with me. To create a hybrid… a werewolf born from a human warrior with Severian blood.” “Shut up!” Ravina snapped. “Alpha Zarkus only did it because he was forced to! It was a command from his father and you know very well how much he despises you!” “Oh? Is that so?” I smiled sweetly, though my tone was edged with mockery. “Then why does he forget how much he hates me whenever we’re tangled in the sheets? He forgets I killed his trusted friend the moment we’re in bed together.” I saw the flare in her eyes. Her irises turned a glowing green. Her rage, barely contained until now, had ignited. “You may be feared because of your strength... even if you’re just a mere human,” she growled. “You only rose in rank because of the warrior blood in your veins. But don’t think you won’t pay for what you did to the Pack... for the death of Beta Barkin. Or to me!” I didn’t flinch. “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve already paid for that. Lord Drakkon spared my life, didn’t he?” “SHUT UP!” she screamed, and with blazing speed, she grabbed the dagger still embedded in my arm, yanked it out, and lunged to stab me again. But before the blade could reach me, I dropped her and leapt backward in one swift motion. “We're not done!” she shouted, breathing heavily while her eyes looked wild. “We’ll settle this tomorrow night remember that, Angelicca Severia!” She vanished, disappearing into the shadows, leaving nothing but the echo of her fury behind. I took a deep breath. I had never done anything wrong to that woman, the Luna. She was always the one who started the fights, driven by her intense jealousy. But it wasn’t my fault that Lord Drakkon granted me a second life after they captured me. That was fate’s doing not mine. “My twins...” I murmured softly as I returned to the mansion, my eyes drawn to the sight of my two infant sons peacefully sleeping on the bed. They were the price I paid to be saved from death. Months ago, I could still remember it clearly, the moment my comrades, selfish men who called themselves warriors, slammed shut the silver gates, leaving me outside. It didn’t matter to them if I lived or died. My job was to hunt and eliminate werewolves. It was our norm. They are our enemies. I didn’t care who I killed, one of them happened to be the Beta of the Wulfnox Pack. Arrows had rained from the tower of our hideout. The werewolves had begun to retreat, but I wasn’t so lucky. They caught me and dragged me into their territory. That’s where everything began. But I was never punished, at least, not in the way I expected. They had discovered I belonged to the Severia Clan. The descendants of warriors whose bloodline passed strength through generations. I was one of them. Instead of sentencing me to death, Lord Drakkon made a decree. I was to bear the Alpha’s child. And this was the result. I gave birth to twins. Now that they were a month old, my time here was coming to an end. Soon, they would expel me from the territory. As I stood watching the twins sleep, the door suddenly creaked open. I turned quickly and my eyes widened slightly at the unfamiliar presence that entered. Beside him stood Alpha Zarkus, his face expressionless, his eyes fixed coldly on me. But my focus turned to the strange man at his side. He wore a long, black hooded cloak, and in his hand was a wooden staff topped with a round, black crystal. His presence exuded ominously. “Angelicca,” Alpha Zarkus spoke. “I know that even if I banish you, you’ll find a way to return... to take back my sons. So I’ve prepared this, to make sure that never happens. This is my final punishment for you.” As soon as he said those words, he vanished. His entire presence simply disappeared before me. I clenched my fists tightly. Then, out of nowhere, my attention snapped toward the window. Luna Ravina had appeared. “Angelicca... Looks like they have to send you off sooner than expected... But I will add something to the punishment... Thank goodness I wasn't late for this..." I didn’t hesitate. I rushed toward her with full force but just as I was about to reach her, a sudden burst of black light exploded from the crystal and struck me. My body instantly locked up. I couldn’t move. No matter how hard I tried to fight it and loud the protests screamed inside my head, I remained frozen, unable to break free from whatever held me in place. Ravina approached me with a wide, wicked grin plastered across her face. “THIS IS WHAT YOU DESERVE!” She drew out a small bottle, and my eyes widened in dread the moment I saw it. Without hesitation, she threw the contents straight into my face. A scream of agony erupted from me. It was acid. I could feel it instantly. Hot and vicious, eating into my skin like fire. The pain was unbearable, my flesh burning as if it were melting right off my bones. That’s when my twins woke up. Their cries rang out through the room. “I am the sorcerer who will cast a dark spell upon you...” From behind me, I heard the deep, chanting voice of the man in the black hood. Still paralyzed by the black light, I couldn’t defend myself. “I shall erase all of your memories and you shall forget your identity... even your powers.”