Chapter One

As a child, I was told to be cautious of my surroundings especially when coming to our neighboring village that was fifty miles away and all that was separating us was open water. Our village had an average of one hundred people and most of them consist of men and young boys. It was rare for us to have young girls since every full moon they would take them. No one knows who "they" are except that the young girls are never seen again. No traces of bodies or footprints or anything when we would wake in the morning. They wouldn't take our horses or animals or our furs, so it's not any wild animal. Our village makes sure that the women and young girls are hidden during a full moon in our basements below the houses. The girls stay inside for three nights surrounded with spare food and board games. All the young girls that go missing are usually around the ages between 16 to 25. The women that remain in the village carry the burden of reproduction with the warriors of their choice.

Today is my 17th birthday and I'm reluctant to choose my own mate to help repopulate our village. It's bad enough that the women in the village have a tough time between miscarriages and the constant worry of being stolen in the night. Though I may be a scrawny thin girl, I am very well trained in combat to protect myself from bullies as well as whatever that's out there stealing young girls. Few girls are trained because it is not allowed but my father has tried well to raise me on his own. Things are about to change since I plan to be stolen and kill whatever thing is taking us on the nights of the full moon.

"Minerva are you sure you want to go through with this," asks my father, the Chief in our Cidra village. "I know you are anxious to put an end to this creature's life, but you are my only daughter, and I cannot let you go off and be taken and possibly get killed or worse. What if you don't return? What if you get eaten or killed or—"

"I know you will worry but I don't see anyone else up for the job and this creature doesn't capture men or boys or any older women. I am Cidra's only hope in ending this mayhem," I grab my hunter's knife and store it inside my thigh, "plus once I return, I will gladly accept any of the men you approve as mate. I will heir more women and the next chief to take my place." My father hugged hard to the point of almost squeezing the air out of my body and told me, "Please don't let us down and come back home."

"I promise," I put my forehead against his as a sign of comfort.

. . .

I set up camp outside the walls of Cidra and decide to try and stay awake through the rest of the night. Outside the village, we are surrounded by lush green trees that spark to life at sunset with hundreds of birds that all harmonize at once. Today, however, they were silent as if they were already sensing the danger beyond the village. Instead of getting anxious while waiting, I looked up to the night sky and admire the thousands of stars shining around the moon. If there wasn't a creature stealing women every full moon, I would have stayed up all night looking at the moon and stars. I try to fight the sleep with pinching my arm and staying uncovered. The night was chilly as well and always helped me with staying awake and alert. It doesn't take long until I hear a rustling of branches sweep around me at my camp. I take out my hunter's knife and ready myself in combat stance. The rustling of the branches stops, and I can barely make out a low growl noise from above me. I drop to the dirt and slice the air with my knife and a high screech fills the jungle in echoes. The moon helps me make out a black silhouette hunched over from the damage I did from a single slice. It turns to look at me with its red eyes that glow in the darkness. It growls and tries a second time to charge at me, but I duck just in time to deliver a kick with my right heel in the chest. It crashes in the tree behind me, and I run to end its life with a swift slice to its neck. It musters one last welp before I finish my first kill and realize that I have saved our home village. I gather the rest of my camp and haul the kill over my shoulder to deliver to my father as victory.

Just as I take my first steps with my kill, I feel a sharp pain in the side of my neck. I drop my equipment and kill to the ground and hold my neck. Something laughs behind me as I take out the dart from my neck. I try to fight the poison as it makes me limp and vulnerable for the enemy. There's more than one I think to myself. I've let my father down, my village, my future. I'm sorry father.

"Welcome to the pack," says the voice in the night. I close my eyes before I have the chance to see my opponent.

. . .

I see my mother as I run to her in our green jungle. "Mommy! Mommy! You can't catch me! Hahaha!" I run with all my might and leap into the nearest tree.

"Minerva come down from there! It's getting dark and your father will be home with fresh meat!" My mother tries to climb up to grab me, but I only climb higher causing her to slip and fall to the ground with a loud thud.

"Mommy! I'm sorry!" I jump down from the tree and see that my mom's ankle is twisted from the fall, and she isn't awake. I run back to the village and find dad in our house. I tell him what happened as we gather a couple of warriors to help my mom be carried home. We find the tree where I was playing only to find that mommy is gone. I look around crying out for mommy as my father searches the area. He picks me up and runs back to the village's entrance while I stare back at red eyes watching me in the night.

I jolt awake and kick the blanket off my feet. I look around and see I'm asleep in a brown hut made of trees that seem to still me alive and not uprooted from the ground. I creep to the corner of the hut and look for a weapon to use for my escape. I see nothing except the bed and blanket made of furs. Before I decide my plan, someone comes in the hut and looks at me strangely. Not even five seconds, charge at him with all my might to kick in the chest with my left foot. He dodges and grabs me from the upper arms to restrain me from behind, but little does he know that I use my feet to jump and kick him with both feet in his stomach that causes him to gasp for air. He lets go of my arms and I make a run to the exit before two other males are blocking my way out. Both look like brothers with their matching black hair and blue eyes. I continue to charge without a second thought and use my left hand to hit the guy on my left side in the chest, expecting him to grab my hand. He grabs my hand and I slide between his feet causing him to lose balance and fall next to his brother. I go outside to see that I am surrounded in a forest of similar huts that are grown out of trees. There are a few women walking around with their children that seem to be laughing and chasing for fun. They all stop what they're doing to look at me as if I caused a scene that interrupted their daily activities. To make matters worse, a loud howl surrounds the area following with absolute silence. I see two large robust men walking towards me along with the two brothers from behind me from the hut. I'm surrounded by danger that I decide to hold my hands up in surrender.

"You have created quite an uproar from killing out Alpha last night," says the Big Guy #1. He has yellow eyes and straight deep brown hair that flows almost to his hips. His skin is dark tan as if he sunbathed all his life and smooth without any visible battle scars.

"Can you speak woman," asks Big Guy #2. He had blue eyes like the brothers behind me only with smooth black hair that reached up to his shoulders but carried the same build and skin tone as Big Guy #1.

I look at them and deny them the satisfaction to get me to speak. I look at everyone surrounding me and notice how all of them carry feathers in a pouch and tied around it is shallow stick. Is this the weapon they used to bring me here? If I manage to grab one, I can use it to escape.

"You wish to get this," says #1, "here, you can try but it has no effect on the males from our pack." He tossed me the pouch and I take the stick to break an end off to make a sharp weapon in seconds. I drop to the ground and sweep my leg behind me to knock the brothers on their backs. I hurt my body on one of them and slash them across the face. He screams out in pain as arms come out behind me to push me to the ground. It takes three men to bring me down, but I still struggle for escape.

"This female is unlike the others we've had," says Big Guy #2. "She may be too dangerous for us. She will kill off all of us if we turn our backs for a moment. Possibly our women and children may be murdered by this force of a woman."

"What male will take her now that she's proven to be wild and untamable?" I break free my leg and kick the other brother in the jaw as I scream with all my might to break free.

"NO ONE WILL TAKE ME! RELEASE ME YOU WILD BEASTS!" I scream with all my force and attempt to bite one of the hands holding me down. I feel a sharp pain in my neck, and I'm knocked unconscious once again.

. . .

I wake up in the same hut only now my hands and feet are bound together with rope. The same guy that approached me the first time is lying next to me staring into my eyes. His eyes are the color of light brown with specks of green in them. He would look breath-takingly beautiful if I weren't abducted from my home village and held against my will. He stops breathing but continues to look at me and attempts to touch my hand. I hiss at him, and he pulls back as if he's terrified of my response. He stands to stretch with his arms above his head. I take a chance to see he's got several scars on his torso that go all the way to his back along with the giant bruise on his chest from my kick earlier.

"How long have I been here?" I hold back tears wondering if my father is out there looking for me and all the other women that went missing. I might as well be missing like mom's body that night.

"A couple of days," says the man. "The dart's serum last almost the entire day." He yawns and decides to lay next to me once more. "Are you hungry or thirsty?"

"Will you poison me? Rape me? Force me to bare children? Kill me," I couldn't hold back anymore given the fact that I miss my father and village.

"No. No. No. And no. You have the choice to do whatever, but you cannot leave." He attempts to touch my hands and I try to move away while being tied up. He pulls away again.

"Why can't I leave? Why do you steal women from our village? Do you kill them?" I look away and hope he doesn't try anything with me or else he'll be next on my kill list.

"We don't kill women. Instead, we save them," he explains. "Have you ever wondered why the women in your village suffer from miscarriages?" I turn around to hear what he has to say. How does he know?

"We are the cure for the women in your village. Somehow, we provide the right genes or magic that's compatible with the women from Cidra. The Alpha before once asked your previous chief to trade women to keep the family lineage but he refused. Our women died and yours is on the very brink of extinction. We save you women so that you have the choice to live your own lives in a healthy environment with plenty of food and good warriors."

I remain silent in disbelief and denial of the whole explanation coming from this man's mouth. Then I start to laugh at the whole thing since it's all lying that sound like jokes to me. "You expect me to believe everything you just said right now? I may be a woman but don't think me as a fool!" I giggle some more as he looks at me in suspicion. He sighs and touches my shoulder that causes me to stop and yell. "Do not touch me beast!"

"I'm not the beast here," he shouts, "you're more of an animal with killing the Alpha of all people and slashed my cousins face out there! Who does that? What woman does that!? We were saving you and you kill us in return. If anyone here is a wild beast, it's you!"

"I just want to go home," I whisper to fight the tears in my eyes, "I miss my father. He's probably out there right now looking for me and wondering if I'm dead. He's all I've got left as family and he needs me to continue the family line and be the next—" I get choked up and leave the part out that I'm the next Chief to take over Cidra.

"I know you are the Chief's daughter," he says, "which is why we were waiting for you to come to us. Only we had no clue you clearly didn't need any saving to begin with." He grabs hold of me and puts me in a sitting position. My stomach growls and my full bladder causes me to clench my thighs together. I notice how he tries not to look too much at my thighs and backs up to give me space. "I'll get you some food and water and I'll ask one of the women to help you with using the pot. Just please don't try to maim any of the women. They help if we ask nicely."

He leaves me alone for a moment and comes back with cooked meat and carrots and potatoes for food and a jar of water. Behind him is a little girl about the age of eleven to help me use the pot.

"Behave, please," he whispers in my ear. Before I have a chance to react, he exits the hut, leaving me alone with a little girl. This poor child is possibly held hostage or a child from a raped victim.

"Don't worry, I'll be quick if you be quick," she whispers. Her little hands help me remove my coverings that I use for combat fighting. I usually wear a simple skirt and top. I say nothing as she helps me stay balanced while tied up. Once I'm finished using the pot, she helps me dress and grabs the pot to leave as quickly as she arrived. The man comes back to help me eat without trying to touch my skin. I don't attempt to fight since I'm still tied up as eat my first meal in the last two days.

"Did your Alpha take my mother?" I asked since he happens to act like a know-it-all.

"What does she look like and how long ago?" He hand-feeds me carrot.

"I was told she looks like me but older and she went missing nine years ago." He concentrates as he feeds me potatoes. The dryness in my throat causes me to cough up my food and he automatically helps me drink water.

"I don't know anyone that looks like you, but it would have helped if you didn't murder the Alpha otherwise, he would have told you more information on your mom."

"He attacked me," I defended. "Besides, why do you steal women on full moons? That's what lead us to believe it was a wild animal."

"You don't know what we are?" He looks at me as if I'm lying. "We are the Children of the Moon. We are bound magically to the moon every month and causes us to look hairy and big."

"Werewolves? Do you expect me to believe that you turn into those big dogs that hunt sheep in the middle of the night? The Alpha I saw that night was dark and hairy with blood red eyes. Werewolves don't look like that the last time I checked." The freezing water drips a little on my inner thighs causes me to shiver and he looks away clearly aroused.

"We're not werewolves. They run on four paws and are canines. We can run on two feet as well as four and our eyes turn red to see better at night." He stands up quickly and turns his back towards me as if to recollect himself. He wants to mate with me, but I could use this to my advantage to make my escape.

"What is your name," I finally ask, "you clearly won't leave me alone or let me go so I at least get to know your name if we are to continue talking."

"Will you tell me yours as well?" He turns around hopeful like I'd ever give him a chance in hell after all this time.

"Minerva." I wait for his reaction but instead he blushes. I always knew that my name meant war and strategy, but it always made the boys in my village insecure about how a woman was named after a goddess.

"John." He shrugs but smiles at the same time. He comes back and sits facing me while I stare back. "You wanna know something else?" I nod. "You are too beautiful to be a warrior and making disapproving faces when looking at me."

"That's your opinion," I tell him, "Besides, I'd rather be a badass than a damsel in distress."

"So, you do know that you're cool and demanding. Beautiful yet deadly. How peculiar of you. Are you the only girl in Cidra that is trained to fight?" I decide to lie to him to protect my village.

"Yes, but none of them were willing to lose their lives to the likes of you creatures. Are you a high rank male in the village?" I press for more information since he has to audacity to ask about my village.

"Yes, I am," he lies. I can tell when he looks a different direction or moves his feet.

"Liar," I mutter. "So are you," he replies.

"So how does it feel to be the only trained female in your village?"

"I don't know but how does it feel to be taken down by a woman?" There is no way he's gonna get on my nerves when I might have my chance to escape once I gain his trust. So far, I feel like I'm failing at the whole flirting with him; more like I'm fighting him with my words. It's hard being a woman.

"Alright I give up," he admits, "I'm the Alpha's son but it doesn't make me the top in my rank, we actually have to fight each other for those roles. In the end, we are ranked as the Alpha, Beta or Omega. My father was the Alpha for many years until you ended his life."

"Wouldn't that make me the Alpha," I ask.

"No," he replied, "only men can battle for those ranks, but the women can battle over who gets to mate with the top ranks. So, you…are available for the next Alpha in charge."

"How does that make sense, I thought only females can battle each other."

"You killed a top rank male. The women of the village will not battle to the death with you since you are a force that's not to be reckoned with now." He grins at his fine choice of words as if they would make me feel special or superior.

"Okay…so I have to mate with the Alpha no matter what, right?" I want to go home already.

"You have the choice of producing an heir, but it would be frowned upon if you don't since you'd have an advantage of making the most powerful son or daughter." It was like he was trying to sell me an opportunity of a lifetime only as a prisoner.

As much as I hated it, I muster to squash the bile in my throat and attempt to woo John. I get closer to his legs, so they touch mine. He backs away to allow me room. I try appearing aroused and feminine with a deep inhale and exhale so that it tickles his chest with goosebumps. He wants me physically but isn't caving to my advances.

"I know what you're doing but it won't work," he takes a deep breath again, "you might break lose and wreak havoc on all the village."

"Then send me home and leave our village alone."

"Your village is on the brink of extinction, and you sit here trying to act like killing us will save your precious Cidra. What will it take for you to understand that your village is going to meet its maker soon?"

"Send me back. Knock me out and return me to Cidra. If you have the power to bring me here, then you have the power to take me back. It's simple since I have no desire to be an Alpha's mate."

"I'm sorry, Minerva, but we don't always get what we want." He gets up and leaves me alone in the hut. I lay down and cry for the first time since I was brought here. I can barely breath after several minutes of trying to compose myself and hide my tears.

I close my eyes to try and get some real sleep after being drugged for the last two days. In my mind, I imagine how my life would be if I didn't pursue to end the threat to our village. I'd be in an arranged marriage approved by my father, and I wouldn't be training anymore. I would be mating with the goal of providing the next daughters for our village and hiding for three days every month for the rest of my life from the threat that no one has terminated. Eventually I'll be suffering through miscarriages as the rest of the women in the village and quite possibly die from blood loss or infection.

As much as I hated to admit, I liked the idea of John's village letting women decided their fate instead of being breeding machines until we die. To be able to live without fear of death lurking around the corner and to be able to live for ourselves and no other reason. I wish I weren't in this predicament and if only the Children of the Moon were to ask the people of Cidra once more then I'm sure my father would agree. I wish these fools didn't steal women in the night otherwise my father would say yes. I also wonder why my father never told me about this other village and how their women all died. I suspect Cidra isn't the only village that these beasts kidnap helpless women.

If I were to stay in the village, I'll be under the guard of the next Alpha, free to live how I want if I stay in this Moon village, but at the same time I won't see my father again. By the time I decided my next plan, my last tear dried up leaving me empty inside.

"I'm so sorry, father," I whisper as I let my drowsiness overcome my senses.

. . .

I wake up facing the wall of the hut curled up in a ball with my hands and feet still bound. I can no longer feel my hands or feet, but I don't bother with trying to get out of these bonds. My mind is quiet to the thought of escape and just enjoys the quietness of the hut; no birds chirping, men laughing, or the constant beating of my training with my father. I inhale and close my eyes ready to go back to sleep until I feel arms circle around my waist from the back. A warm body spoons me into a fetus position with hot breath tickling at the nape of my neck. Whoever is hugging me is asleep due to their light snoring. My mind is awake when their hands touch my lower stomach. My heart reacts to their touch, but my mind is telling me to fight for my life. My body is done with fighting at this point, and I accept my fate of staying here with the Children of the Moon.

I get pulled closer to their body leaving no space until I feel something poking me on my lower back. I start to get uncomfortable when I start to feel it pulsing as if it were alive. I can't take anymore and try to move closer toward the edge of my side to get some space even though I can't feel my hands or feet. Their hands try to trap me again, so I had no choice but use my voice.

"Get off me!" I hear their snoring stopped and they get up in a hurry.

"Minerva! How did you get here?"

"What do you mean? I've been tied up here for three days! My hands and feet are dead at this point you idiot." I try to pick up my hands but there's no energy to do so.

"Here let me help," they come around and I notice that it's John who snuck into my bed this morning, "I'm so sorry Minerva." He starts untying my hands and starts rubbing my hands in his trying to bring them back to life. Once there's warmth in my hands, he goes for my feet and does the same thing to make my feet warm and alive.

Between us is awkward silence while he warms my feet. I can still see the bulge under his cloth and the flushness in his cheeks. I as well feel flushed from being fondled in the morning. I now can manage to move my fingers and toes a bit with soreness in the joints, but it doesn't matter now that I have feeling again.

"I'm sorry for touching you. That won't happen without your permission again." He looks down and I almost sense the guilt in his stance.

"It's fine. You were asleep as was I," I put my hand on his shoulder for reassurance, "Besides, I'd be lying if I say I didn't enjoy the embrace. I never would've imagined being comforted from my capturer." I decide to take a deep breath before I utter the next words out of my mouth. "I've considered carefully about my choices in life, not that I have many options, but I've decided to stay in the Moon Village." I stop and wait for his reaction, but he looks at me as if I'm speaking in tongues. I see that his eyes are sparking with life, but he waits for me to speak more.

"I also wish to wait for the next Alpha to be my mate, as long as I don't have to fight any women." I look at him and he slowly starts to smile as if he won a prize of some sort.

"That's good to know because the men will be battling in a few weeks for the Alpha position. I would also like to ask something of you if you mind." He looks down at his hands as I wait for his next words. "I would very much like to become the next Alpha, but I need your help since you are very skilled in direct combat. And I would like to ask for you to be my mate if you say yes to training me." He uses his dazzling smile to try and win me over and almost succeeds.

"If I say yes," I blink a couple of times to remain unfazed, "how do I know you will be a good mate to me and try not to take advantage of me and try to for me into having children or prohibit me from doing anything? I would like to know my options before I make any rash decisions and end up with the wrong person." Not that I have many choices because no one will take me if they think I'll kill just for my chance of escaping. Not that they're wrong about me but then again, I've only talked to John.

"Well, there is the Omega, Beck, who hasn't taken a mate yet. He's the one who's got blue eyes and black hair." He must be talking about Big Guy #2 I saw the other day. I wonder why he doesn't have a mate yet with all the women here.

"Does he want children in the future? I don't want children just yet. And how are the women here? Are there women my age here? What do you do here as a village?" I have many questions, but I try not to irritate him further but instead he chuckles.

"Well, we all trade with the other villages that will accept us, and we live separately from other nearby villages. The women here make clothes, food, and children. In return we provide them with protection, meat, and our souls for life. Also, there are many girls here about your age." He answered as if he knew what I was gonna ask but I try to hide my surprise. In my mind I bury the voice in my head that is screaming for me to run for my life and not to trust anything he is saying now. I clear my throat to say something next until my eyes run over his chest, colors of black and blue from the other day. I put those bruises there and now he looks in pain while breathing even as he hides it in his smile. I suddenly feel guilty for attacking someone who is trying to help me in this situation, though he's the one who brought me here. I remember my promise to my father saying to have me mate with a man of his choosing. I didn't allow myself to react to this choice but deep down I didn't want to settle down fast after being trained as a warrior in secret. I wanted to be a savior and find the right mate and eventually try to have children.

"Let's say you win as Alpha and I say yes to being your mate, how would we be compatible with each other after everything I've done?" I wonder how a whole village is going to accept me after I killed their leader.

"We all have people that will either hate or love you, it depends on how are we gonna win them over together? Everyone was scared at one point in their life, you have to show that you are only defending yourself." He sounds so wise, but I've already thought about explaining my reaction to being kidnapped in the night by the enemies. No, not the enemies, my new village.

I stand up and try to gain balance on my newly recovered feet. John stands in front of me, almost touching me but resists the temptation. I decide to act on impulse and close the space by wrapping my arms around his waist. "Okay. First let's seal the deal before anyone else tries to steal me away." I pull him down to my height and look into his dark blue eyes gleaming with excitement. I have no idea what has come over me, but it almost feels like I've been possessed by the man in front of me. I want to be happy and free, and I want to start with John will be a promising idea.

"Please Minerva, don't tease," he says in a deep voice as I try to get him closer. He's not pulling away and he's not saying no either. I plant my lips on his neck since it's the only spot I could reach without wincing from the sore joints in my feet. "I won't be able to hold back if you keep doing that." He wraps his arms around me and gently holds me as if I'll break from his touch.

"I don't want you to stop," I whisper in his neck that causes him to shiver, "I want to be your mate and for you to be my Alpha." His breathing becomes irregular and decides to pick me up with his arms. His arm wraps around my waist and the other lifts my head to his to sneak in a little kiss.

"Minerva, what if—," I shut him up by locking my lips to his and wrapping my legs around his waist. My fingers are entwined in his hair while my lips are glued to him. While he stays standing, he turns toward the wall and let's go of my head to undo his cloth from behind. His hand comes back to my waist and hesitates before entering me.

"Are you sure," his eyes are wild with lust but restrained and his body is clearly wanting me. I'm touched that he asked again but I can't hold back any longer.

"Yes please, John," I moan as holds me just inches away from his pulsing erection. After I utter those words of approval, he slides inside of me ever so slowly as if the relish in the pure joy of ecstasy. His warmth surrounds me as he starts to move in a steady pace. Up down up down as I cling to his body and succumb to the pain and foreign feelings I've never felt before. It must be love if I'm overjoyed now.

"Ah ah ah ah mhmm," that is all I'm able to mouth as coherent words while he increases speed. My body is starting to tremble, and I can no longer think for myself except for what is happening. He grips my waist tighter to prevent me from falling now that my legs are limp from his thrusts. John supports all my weight as if I were as light as a feather. Our breathing is so irrational yet so coordinated with each other, I gasp for air, and he exhales deeply in my hair, keeping me warm all over. I shiver from the heat, and I notice he starts to move his arms to hold me from my arms as our foreheads touch. He looks at me as he thrusts hard while beads of sweat drip on the tip of his nose onto me. My eyes shut closed as I feel my body convulsing as he stops his moving and holds me in place while I spasm in wave of passion. My body go limp from exhaustion and covered in our sweat while John holds me up, still inside me.

"Are you okay," he whispers in my ear, and I nod in response. "Hold on, Minerva." Still keeping himself inside me, he carries me to the bed and lays me on my back with his body over mine. I open my eyes and his eyes are the most perfect shade of blue with specks of green inside. John kisses me gently on the lips and starts to move his hips at a slow pace penetrating deeper. We hold each other's hands as our bodies rock back and forth as one. I moan as his erection hit a wall inside me that feels on fire. He picks up the pace and grunts as the bed moves from his thrusts inside me. I start to shiver and spasm from the friction between us and he starts to moan inside my neck. I feel pulses of heat radiating inside me about four or five times before John removes himself from my body. He decides to lay beside me with his arms around me.

"Minerva," he says in a groggy voice, "are you sure that you're, okay?" I lay my arm on his and try to fight the sleepiness.

"Yes. That was…. new for me." I look up at him and try not to dwell on the fact that I mated with a beast who hasn't become Alpha yet and stole me away from my home. All I know is that I don't have to be alone anymore. I can start brand new without any worries or concerns about my past life. Deep down though I really hoped to see my father again.

. . .

After I got ready and cleaned up, John led me out of the hut to go and ask for approval from the Beta and Omega. All the women were knitting clothes while their little boys were chasing each other and the little girls learning how to knit clothing. We walked by them, and they all stopped what they were doing and looked at me. I can't blame them after what I did to their leader a few days ago, but here I am, trying to be accepted in the new village. Some girls looked afraid while others looked like I was a threat for existing. The kids looked at me and went to their mothers while pointing out how I wasn't bound in rope. The men came back with bountiful meat and fish and looked as well, only like I was an option to find a new mate. I've seen the men in my village do the same to the remainder of the women because of their mates aging faster than they could produce a new daughter. It was also one of the reasons why I didn't want to become a mother to countless kids and being tired all the time along with my youth disappearing.

"John," I whisper, "do they hate me?" I look at the women and notice how they all look content and healthy apart from the staring and dirty looks.

"It's hard to say," he said while looking at the crowd of people. "Just give them time and I'm sure you'll be in their fold in no time." We turn the corner and enter a hut with green flowers planted in the entrance. As soon as we enter, I feel a sense of leadership and warmth as we walk up to the Beta and Omega. They sit on a throne each of it's unique style. The Beta's throne is made up of wood with little decorations of distinct colors as if they were painted from the past. The Omega's however was the same wood but plain without decorations.

"Enzo. Greg." John nods to both men and looks at me to do the same. I nod in respect as well. The Beta, Enzo, chuckles at my attempt of my gesture.

"So, you decided to stay," claims Greg. "I can't believe you haven't tried to leave again. Let's just hope that—"

"It's not like I had a choice to begin with," I interrupt, "but I am willing to try as long as John becomes my mate and respects my wishes to not become one of those breeders in attempt to conceive a female."

"We know what your village is capable of which is why you are here. We do not need breeders; we bring women here to live their own life and do as they please."

"Prisoners trapped in their own paradise," I point out as they sit on their thrones all humble.

"What's so wrong about that," asks Greg, "At least you women have the luxury to remain content. We literally try anything to make all the women feel satisfied with the life we provide. That should be enough for anyone."

"So, what you are saying is that you and all the men here are prisoners to making women happy even though you steal them. Tell me if I'm wrong," I said as I cross my arms. No way I was gonna be intimidated by a couple of imbeciles that act like they're superior above everyone.

They stare back at me clearly irritated with my quick comeback until Greg clears his throat. He stands up and walks toward John and I, with his nose flared up to smell the air. His eyes widen and looks straight at John in disbelief and then at me again.

"You have mated already," he exclaims. "You allowed him to get near you before the battle? She is the only one who was destined to be the mate with the next Alpha."

"He will be the next Alpha," I say sternly. "He will be the next leader for the Children of the Moon." They stay silent and then laugh as if they heard the best joke of the season.

"He has two weeks to train and somehow defeat the other men that have been around longer. They have to fight to the death that night."

"There's a great chance that John, your mate, will not survive the night," says Enzo as he stands up and joins Greg by his side. "Either way you will be a widow and have two choices: stay a widow and become mates with the winning Alpha or stay a widow and raise John's children alone."

"We will see," I reply as I grab John's hand and turn to leave with the final word. I will train John all that I can to make him my Alpha. We walk back to the hut in silence until we are alone.

"Are you willing to fight to the death for this village?" I ask him as I turn towards him. "I need to know how far you are willing to go in order to win."

"I'll do anything that you ask of me and I will learn whatever you throw my way. I am yours for life." He hugs me and kisses me on my forehead which causes me to blush.

"Okay, let's begin." I take him outside behind our hut to begin his basic training. We have two weeks for preparation and until then, the least I can do is train to his full potential before the next full moon.

"Thank you, Minerva," he says with a warm smile on his face. I chuckle at his gratitude.

"Don't thank me just yet, John. Your training is going to be painful but beneficial in any battle." He sighs but gets in his stance before I land a punch in his arm.