Chapter 2. Luana

Elias approached the throne, leaving his mate Natalia two steps behind him, and bowed to Alpha Tulio.

"Tell me, Elias -- male or female?"

"Female, sir."

"Bring her closer. I want to present her myself."

The Luna descended the stairs and went to take the little one in her arms. She missed having a female pup; after Henry, she'd never gotten pregnant again. Perhaps it was for the best, she thought, since Tulio was growing more savage by the day, seemingly losing his mind.

Natalia handed her pup to the Luna and stood beside Elias, grateful that the Luna had stepped in ahead of the Alpha.

"She's so tiny and beautiful, Tulio!"

"Let me see her." He extended his hands to take her.

"Be careful -- she's very young and delicate. Not rough like the males," the Luna cautioned, passing him the baby gently.

Anyone watching the Alpha handle the pup so tenderly would never have guessed he was the same bloodthirsty savage who had wiped out the village she came from, killing her parents in the process. He set her on his legs, unwrapped her blanket, and held her beneath the arms, turning her to face the crowd.

"What shall the daughter of Elias and Natalia be called?" he asked in a loud voice, rising to his feet.

"Luana!" the parents replied.

"I present to the Black Pack -- Luana, daughter of Elias and Natalia!" He held the little female up for all to see. "What have you come for, child?" he whispered to her.

For a split second, her eyes blazed an intense blue and a faint wave of dominance radiated from her -- subtle, but felt by everyone present. The Alpha flinched and passed the pup to the Luna.

"What was that, Tulio?" the Luna asked, taking Luana and wrapping her back in the blanket.

"She seems strong. She has a very special wolf. Let's keep her close -- preferably inside the palace."

At that moment, Henry decided to demonstrate his strength as the future Alpha.

"If she comes to live in the palace, I won't let her bother anyone. I'll make sure she's not impertinent, and if she doesn't obey me, she'll get a taste of my whip."

The Luna opened her mouth to scold her son, but the Alpha burst out laughing and said, beaming with pride:

"That's my boy! I hereby announce that from today, Natalia will serve the Luna and bring Luana to keep her company. Elias will join the palace guard and protect our family. Let's celebrate!"

The Luna came down with the baby, and Natalia stepped forward to take her.

"Go home and pack your things -- only the essentials. You'll receive everything new. You'll live in the palace. You'll be my personal attendant, and this little beauty will stay close by."

From that day on, little Luana's life was protected, but she also began to suffer under Henrique's cruelty. He displayed his savagery by tormenting the girl to please his father. Time passed, and Luana turned three. She would dash through the house in terror and hide whenever she heard the young Alpha's voice.

When he noticed she'd gotten clever about avoiding him, he started concealing his movements. He managed to catch her under a table. He dragged her out by her feet, gripping her ankle, and took her down to the cellar. He'd already prepared his tools and tied her to a chair. She screamed and begged for help without stopping.

Slap, slap.

He struck her little face, which swelled and turned red instantly.

"Shut up, you stupid Omega. You don't fool me -- there's nothing special about you."

He clamped down on her jaw and squeezed until he heard it crack.

"Now you can't talk anymore."

Tears rolled down her swollen face, and only a weak whimper escaped her lips. He picked up a pair of scissors and cut the beautiful locks of her hair until she was completely bald. Laughing at the image of the child, he reveled in his handiwork.

"Now everyone will think I'm really tough. You filthy Omega."

He urinated on her back to leave his scent, then untied her and sat in her place, laying her facedown across his lap. He lifted her dress, pulled down her underwear, and with his closed fist, beat her bare bottom until it was so red it would surely bruise later.

Luana lost all her strength. She couldn't even whimper anymore, and her eyes had dried out from having no tears left. The smell of blood mixed with the damp mold of the cellar and the young Alpha's sweat made her nauseous, and she knew it would stay in her mind forever.

After dressing her again, he threw her over his shoulder and went up to the kitchen, where her mother and the other servants had been searching for her. He tossed the little girl's body onto the table and said:

"Take care of your pup, you useless servant! Don't let her cross my path again."

"My goddess! What did you do to her?" Natalia gasped.

"Nothing much. If she's as special as they say, she'll be fine in no time."

Henrique walked away as if none of it mattered and didn't look at anyone. Everyone stared after him, horrified by the cruelty of the young Alpha, who hadn't even turned eleven yet.

Natalia rushed to examine her daughter, finding that her jaw was dislocated, her lip was split, and her small round bottom was bright red -- she must have been in terrible pain. She took her to the clinic, and Dr. Clecio treated her.

Henrique entered the study after a shower, and his uncle, who already knew what had happened, sat down to talk with him.

"Why did you do that, Henry?"

"I feel something strange around her -- an urge to hurt her. But that's not really why. It was a way to show my father I haven't gone soft."

Dimas knew his nephew wasn't cruel by nature. They'd discussed it before.

"Was she badly hurt?"

"It looked pretty shocking, since I shaved her head down to the scalp. But she'll be fine soon enough."

Dimas shook his head. The boy was far too young to carry such a heavy burden on his shoulders. He would need to speak with his sister and explain everything, because little Luana was the Luna's darling, and she would certainly not accept what her son had done.

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