Chapter 4

Zarina took me out of our castle, far into the nearby woods a few meters from our house. This' where we'd always come for a run when we were younger, then our pack house was not as large as this, it was a semi-storey building. I remember the memories now, it's something I'll not easily forget, the good old days is something I keep remembering.

"Can you remember those times we used to play here together?" Zarina asked coldly with a slight smile, jokes are not just her thing, each time she attempts this, it's always odd.

"Yes, I do."

"Well today is different, it's about the case of today. I think you're the only one who is not informed of what has befallen our family, this' the most difficult time of our lives."

Anxiety escalated inside me, it was true that today is the first time this knowledge came into my mind. I never see the failure to organize the festival as something that would bring such heavy consequences.

"Hmmm." I breathed out heavily, that's the only thing I could say. I was short of words. Zarina sat at the bench in the woods, "Come sit with me." She gestured to me and I moved over and sat beside her. The woods is a place I'd fear to come alone especially at this time of the night but I've got no fear since my sis is with me. In case of any attack, we can defend better.

"One of our family members is gonna be sacrificed to the moon goddess, I don't know who that would be."

"What!" I screamed. My eyes widened in shock, jaws dropped. "What's the sacri...I.. I..just don't get.." I couldn't finish my statement, just short of words.

Zarina looks at me and then gives a smirk. "Why should you be so shocked?" I clenched my jaw as I glared at her.

"Why wouldn't I be shocked, in fact I'm so disappointed. I think all of my brothers know about this, right?"

"Yes, of course."

I shrugged my shoulders in disbelief, Zarina scoffed, turning her eyes elsewhere. "Can you please tell me what's going on right here, why didn't anyone inform me of this earlier?" I raised my voice in anger.

"You talk to me that way? Is it not here I wanted to tell you about what's going on? Well it seems you're now growing bigger than yourself that you'd have to shout at me, I leave you to yourself." She rose up and walked off the woods hastily. Once she got angry and made a decision, you could hardly change it. Zarina is stout-hearted, very rigid in her decisions. She has played this character that's why I dare not call her back as she left but more than this, I'm plainly angry.

"How is it that I spend every day of my life in this house and yet none of what is happening hasn't been told to me?" I question my dad as I arrive at the house. He doesn't give a reply to me but continues to fix his gaze on his book, the air of silence and danger fills the atmosphere. A lone tear drops from my eye and I angrily wipe it away, I swallow the lump in my throat. "Since no one wishes to tell me something I'll go to my room and pretend nothing ever happened."

Just at the point of exiting the library, the heavy voice of my Alpha dad dropped on my ears, it stopped me on my track. "Graciella stop!" I turned around, fixed to the spot.

"What's it dad?" Tears were now streaming heavily from my eyes down my face. I feel bad that something this significant would be going on and not even a word of it reached me.

"The moon goddess orders me to make a sacrifice from one of my family, to appease her for my disobedience in not performing the rites of the full moon festival this year. As a result of this, one of my family member would be sold off as the sacrifice, whoever that person is will become wolfless and forfeit the right to have a fated mate. In the case of a female, she will be fated to Alpha Romeo, our forbidden Alpha who's under a curse and needs to be redeemed by true love." His statement fell on my ears like the drop of heavy thunder, it was like the verdict of a judge in court with the very last sentence held out in suspense. Who would be chosen?

My heart raced at realizing this, this was a horrible punishment I would dare not want to receive, even my father that he has to shift it to someone else. I sensed partiality in this, he's the right person to suffer this as he failed in his duty towards the moon goddess and not anybody in his family. It's just unfair, those two statements are the worst punishment anyone can get. Losing your wolf makes you useless, less better than even a rogue that has no pack. As a wolfless werewolf, you're literally a human and no longer belong to the pack. Your family might still care for you but truly you know you do not belong, your wolf is your sign of membership. Once you lose it, you cease to be the member of the pack.

Losing a mate on the other hand is something shattering, it can shatter your heart forever. Everyone knows how life without a lover would look like, boring and depressing. I just don't wish any of my brothers to get this punishment or Zarina, not even me. I'm not willing to lose any of them to this.

As I lie in my bed, I continue to ponder on this fact. The result of this is gonna come out tomorrow, the chosen person would know the fate. Since it's gonna take place within our family, it would fall on one of us.

"Tonight, I'm gonna hold a consultation with Zarina over this issue, we need to choose someone as fast as possible." I heard him say to his Beta in his study, it wasn't my life to eavesdrop on conversations but I just couldn't help in this case. The air was tense and everywhere looked thick with suspense so every little gesture, whisper and conversation got my interest, I couldn't just wait. I'll need to know who will be chosen among the six of us before tomorrow.

It was 10 PM in the night, my brothers had all gone to sleep. Their sleep I knew surely would be troubled due to the state of things, as I stood by the side of the door eavesdropping, I heard footsteps. From its movements, it was Zarina. I swiftly hid at the corner, behind the other side of the wall that blocked me from view. I couldn't risk Zarina seeing me, she would certainly notify my father that I'd been listening to what they were saying. That on its own would bring a terrible punishment. My father hates things like this. She had come for the discussion and the final verdict with my dad, my heart pounds heavily as I tiptoe back to my room.

"Tonight is the night of suspense and fate!" I declared inside me as I climbed off my bed and prepared for one of the most troubled night's rest ever.