My eyes snapped open but everywhere was dark. So, dark that I could slice it with a knife.

  I tried to rub my face but then, I felt a sticky liquid run down my face the moment I wiped my face downward.

  The liquid flows down from my face and lands on my lips. Slowly, entering my mouth.

  My eye lid fluttered upwards. Blood.

  My brain was fast to have it processed. I needed to find the switch. I need to know where I was.

  My heart beat fast against my rib cage. My head swelled as I tried to stand up but then I slipped again.

  I crashed into an unseen metal and I landed with a great thud. I banged my head so hard that I shut my eyes in pain.

  It was quite unbearable.

  My hair was soaked. It was soaked with something that smelled like blood.

  I tried to sit up but then, flashes of the night came into my head. Flooding my thoughts like cameras.

  I was at the mate ceremony smiling and waving my hands and the next...

  Blank!

  Nothing.

  I didn't remember. " Oh my god!" I let out getting to my feet. My hands ran over the wall as I tried to find the switch.

  It was the only thing that came to my mind. The moment my hand found it. I prayed shutting my eyes. Hoping this was some prank.

  [ Clank! ]

  My eyes were shut the moment the light came on. It hurts, I don't know how long I had been I total darkness for.

  I tried to shield my eyes from the light but then, my gaze landed on the table me in front of me. There sat, a knife covered in something that looks like blood.

  My heart beat fast. My breath was etched in my throat and my feet felt jittery.

  It as like a bad dream that I needed to wake up from. I shut my eyes again and when I opened it, it was gone a flash.

  I inhale and exhale sharply.

  But then, my gaze caught the paintings on the wall. They were covered in red.

  I looked at me hands and I shouted. I immediately covered my mouth.

  " Oh god! What did I do?" I let out in pain.

  The walls were now decorated with the bloods in my palm. The white walls were drenched and covered in them.

  Then, my eyes rolled to the body on the floor not too far from me.

  I tried to recognise who it was but the face was unrecognisable.

  Who?

  That was the first thing that came to my mind. Whose body was laying on the floor in front of me.

  My leg trembled, my feets felt like they were rooted to a spot. I remembered that I was supposed to be getting married to Jaden.

  He was the son of the Alpha of the pack and even though he never loved me, his father had commanded that we marry.

  I shut my eyes again. Hoping the body would disappear the same way the knife did.

  Hoping all of this was a bad dream. A dream that I needed to wake up from.

  I shut my eyes inhaling and exhaling slowly. I tried to calm myself teling myself it was all a bad dream.

  But when I opened it again, in front of me was the body I wished it had vanished.

  I fell to the floor sobbing. My head clasped in my hands.

  I remembered my mother telling me I needed to be caged when I wanted to wolf out.

  I don't know why and I never bothered to ask.

  Did I do this?

  I was not supposed to wolf out until my twentieth birthday which was supposed to be happening in the next twenty four hours after my mate ceremony.

  Tears rolled down my cheek. I don't need to be told the penalty for what I had done.

  But that was only if I had done it. I don't remember killing anyone let alone getting into the room with this strange body.

  Then I booted. My brain functioning so fast that I got up on my feet.

  I needed to see the body. I needed to know who it was that I had killed. My heart banged so loud that I felt suffocated.

  I could barely breathe. All I did was hope and prayed the body was not an elite wolf in the society.

  But when I got closer, I could not see the face clearly. The tear had my eyes blurry but my eyes caught something.

  Something that made me nearly went insane. It was a ring. A sigil of the Alpha.

  Omg!

  Did I just killed Jaden's father?

  I fell to be ground, feeling the ground should open up and swallowe whole.

  I could hear the loud music playing downstairs. The people were still around. The journalist, the vendors and of course pack elders.

  Most of them had gathered to witness the day we were bonded.

  I rushed to my feet and ran into the bathroom after making sure I had shut the door.

  The water ran through clothes entering my body as the blood of my victim flowed into the hole in front of me.

  I tried to think. To remember if I really did it but nothing as coming to me.

  I remembered the look on my mother's face. She was proud of me. I knew what was going to happen to her, to me, the moment this got out.

  This was too much for me to bear. I simply hoped that I could die. That I was never betrothed to someone like Jaden.

  Walking out of the bathroom, I could still see the body of the man I didn't remember killing.

  I fell to the floor once more hoping, wishing all of this was a bad dream but it was not.

  My heart slammed against my rib cage when I heard the sound of a knock at the door.

  " Open up!" someone shouted from behind.

 I jumped to my feet real fast. I was still in shock and I didn't know what to do.

 A part of me wished the dead Alpha would just get up and smile.

 Everything felt like a drama, a series that was never going to end the moment the door opened.

 " Open up, Father!" the voice shouted.

 Jaden!

 My heart beat fast. I clenched my hand so tightly that I felt my well polished nails digging into them.

 " Are you alright, Father! Talk to me if you are there or I am going to break down this door!" he yelled again.

 I don't need to be told that someone had tipped him off. I knew it was better to open the door and let him in without him breaking it.

 My leg moved even though my body didn't want to. The door opened slowly revealing my face.

 " Why are you here, Amara and why are you covered in blood?" Jaden asked.

 I stuttered not finding the right word. My lips felt heavy and my hands were visibly shaking.

 " Where is my father?" Jaden asked the moment his eyes fell on my soiled dress.

 " I swear to you, Jaden. I didn't do it." I pleaded, falling on my knees. But instead, he pushed me out of the way and walked in.

 " Oh my god."

 Jaden let out the moment he walked in. He looked at me and back at the man on the floor.

 " Who is this and what have you done to my father?" he asked.

 I knew he hadn't seen the ring on his finger. Maybe he was feeling too angry to take a careful look at the corpse.

 " I didn't do, Jaden. You need to believe me." I said with tears.

 Jaden didn't say a word. Instead, he walked towards me and grabbed me like I was a piece of rag.

 " I don't care what you did to him." he shouted at me. His breath and spittle covering my face.

 " What I need to know is where you had my father kept!" he yelled again. His grip getting tighter.

 " He is..."

 I tried to speak but the woes would not come out. Jaden grip soften as he slowly went back to the body.

 He lowered himself a little, his eyes inspecting the body like a. officer. Then his gaze went to his father's finger.

 He saw the sigil and in rage he stood up and walked towards me.

 [ Slap! ]

 A slap to the face was enough to send me flying backwards. I hit my head on the wall and I prayed I gave you the ghost.

 But my prayers were not answered. Jaden walked face to me and lifted me up with just one hands.

 I could feel his palms around my throat as I choked. " Why!" Why!!" he kept yelling with tears running down his face. " He loved you! He wanted you and yet you killed him! Why!"

 I wanted to explain but I knew he was not going to believe me.

 I heard her music stopped playing. Most of them most have heard his voice. The music that I thougt was so loud was suddenly halted just to hear the wial of Jaden.

 I could hear their feet.

 One.

 Two.

 Three.

 Four.

 Ten.

 Twenty.

 Or maybe more running towards us. I immediately ran towards Jaden holding his legs. But a kick to my head send me bashing my head against the ceramic.

 The air escaped from my lungs. My head ringed so hard that I felt blood streaming down from my nose.

 The door opened and my best friend rushed in.

 " Jesus! What the happened?"

 Lola rushed towards me and grabbed me by my shoulder.

  " Wake up Amara. What is going on?" she asked with tears.

 " Please, just beg him for me. Tell him I didn't do it. I didn't kill him." I said faintly.

 " Didn't kill who? What are you talking about?" Lola asked

 But then, her eyes darted towards the corpse on the ground and I could feel her hands slightly moved off my arms.

 " Did you do this?" she asked, her eye brows arched.

 " No! Not you too." I said in tears.

 " I would never hurt anyone. I won't harm even a fly. You need to believe me, Lola. Please." I got up in my weak state and crocuh before the two of them.

 But it was too late. The reporters were hear, the journalist and everyone at the party were now at the door trying to force their way in. .

 In just twelve hours, I became a murderer. A woman who was scorned and wanted dead.

 " Did she kill that man?"

 " Who is that?"

 " Isn't that the supposed Luna?"

 " Oh my god! She is a killer!"

 My mother pushed through the crowd and her face went pale. She looked at me on the floor and immediately rushed to my side.

 " What happened, baby. Talk to me." she said with tears.

 " I didn't do it, mum. I don't know how I left the party. I woke up and I found myself here. I don't know how and when I got here. I swear to you in my life."

 " I believe you, we are going to get to the bottom of this." she said grabbing me closer.

 But Jaden, he was in rage. He was like an Alpha who wanted to burn the whole enemy pack to the ground for them defying his others.

 His eyes turned red as he immediately got his father's powers. " Arrest her and take her to the dungeons. You are not to give her any water or food until I am ready to pass a sentence to her. Allow no visitors and make sure she is chained!"

 Two hefty guards walked up to me and snatched me from my mother.

 " Jaden, Please. I didn't do it." I shouted as I wiggled out of the arms or the guards.

 Camera flashed and sounds could be heard but I didn't care. I was about to reach Jaden when I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head.

 I fell backwards, as tears rolled down my face, the last sight I saw was my mother being pulled away from me.

A sharp smell stung my nostril. My stomach made a loud rumbling sound that echoed through the dungeon.

  I tried to open my eyes and I saw I was in a cage. The smell was the dead corpse of a young girl around my age who was now facing downward.

  Her head bowed.

  I don't need to be told that she was dead.

  " Wa..t...er..." I let out as tears flowed again from my eyes.

  Only if I remembered. But each time I tried, there were blockages.

  Like something or someone didn't want me to remember. I sniffed remembering the look on my mother's face.

  I could see her pain.

  I felt a sharp bite at my feet and I yanked myself up. I could hear my chains rattling, making my wrist sore.

  [ Rat squeak! ]

  I could see them. Rats that were twice the size of my legs. I looked at my toes and I could see they were nibbling at it.

  I looked up, my gaze landing on a rat that was eating the dead girl in front of me.

  I felt like throwing up but then, there was no food inside of me.

  Only pain and anger.

  I knew I didn't do it. I knew I didn't kill the Alpha but then, I was the one being punished for it.

  " Please, somebody! I need water!" I shouted in tears.

  The more I shouted, the more i heard the squeaking sound of the rats getting much more.

  I could barely jump anymore.

  I just stood still crying in pain as they tore into my flesh. Nibbling at my blood and tearing off.

  The pain was unbearable and just when I was about to give up, I saw the flames on the wall.

  Someone was coming. I prayed silently that he or she was coming with water.

  Because I knew I won't make it until daybreak without it.

  And the rats, they disappeared like they were never there in the dungeon. It was almost like they didn't exit in the first place.

  The guard came into sight and his gaze landed on me. He opened the gaze and walked in.

  " I thought you were dead for a second. You passed out for three hours." he said looking at me.

  " Water.."

  The word left my mouth slowly. He looked at my feet and back at me. " I need to get this bandage and then, you can have your water."

  He slowly bent and grabbed my feet. At first, I resisted with the fear that he was going to rape me.

  The guard looked at me and smiled. " Yes, the instinct to protect yourself. You lack that when you are not in a cage. Things done seem as it is when you are in your comfort zone. You don't see your enemies. You think the world is fair even when you can afford only two square meals. I am not going to hurt you."

  He bent again and slowly grabbed my leg.

  I didn't fight him. I winced in pain as he cleaned my wound. My gaze went to the girl in front of me again.

  Did he do that to her too before the rats feast on her?

  " No. I didn't."

  He replied to me immediately like he could read my thoughts. " I am only doing this because I know that you are innocent."

  My eyelid raises slightly even though I was tired. He was the only first person that was going to say that to me. I knew my mother would but I didn't hear her say it before I was dragged off.

  I prayed silently that the water he was using to clean my wounds didn't finish.

  The guard bandaged my legs and got up to stare at me. " You don't look like someone who could take on an Alpha."

  He walked round me, his eyes sizing me up. He slowly moved closer and smelled me.

  " You have not even wolfed yet. Have you?"

  " No." I said silently even though my eyes were on the bottle of water in front of me.

  I wonder why he was the only one who was noticing all of this. Why didn't the rest of them see this?

  " Because someone wants you to go down for what she did." the guard said again.

  I don't need to be told now. He was reading my thoughts.

  How?

  I remembered my mother telling me about some rare Alpha wolves that could read the thoughts of other wolves. I don't need to be told that he was an Alpha.

  But what was an Alpha doing as a guard?

  That was the question I asked myself.

  He let out a smile and looked at me again. That is a question for another day.

  " Here."

  He grabbed the water on the floor and moved closer to me. " Drink up."

  I drank slowly with my gaze fixed on him. I felt my wolf drawn to him the same way I was drawn to Jaden.

  " Easy." he said slowly as I coughed. " You don't want the other guards to know that I am here or else we are both going to be in trouble."

  " I am sorry." I said with tears running down my cheek.

  The guard bent down again and brought out bread. " Eat. You need your strength for what is coming next." he said looking at me.

  I bite fast, hard. As I chewed hoping no one was going to interfere in the little favour in her was showing me.

  After I was done eating. He looked at me. " I am going to keep the torch here. It will help with sending off the rat. At least, till day break. That is all I can do for you."

  He turned and was about to walk away when my voice stopped him.

  " You can do more. You can tell Jaden I didn't do it." I said pleading. I would have fallen on the floor. If not for my chains.

  " There is nothing I could do, Miss. Your fault was trusting the wrong person. She is going to reveal herself to you with time. That is all I can say."

  [ Clank! ]

 " Can you please tell me your name?" I begged but he didn't answer me.

  The gate was shut while the Alpha Guard walked away leaving me yet again in my misery.