Chapter 1 Prologue

Astoria POV

I barely had time to react before his rough hand seized my jaw, tilting my face upward with just enough force to see his sharp features.

Cassius' height towering over me, making me feel so small in his presence.

My heart slammed against my ribs as I met his crimson orbs.

His cold bloody eyes filled with resentment as he stared down on me.

“You dare?” he growled, baring his teeth. “You dare stand before another man, dressed in white and gold when you utterly belong to me?”

I winced when his grip suddenly tightened.

“Cassius…” I whispered his name, my voice barely audible beneath my breath.

He didn’t speak when I called his name, but the sheer force of his power and authority as an Alpha pressed me down, making me stifled from his grasp.

The room, once enormous and spacious, felt smaller. The air was too thick to breathe.

His piercing gaze felt suffocating, like an invisible force tightening around me, making it harder to breathe.

I never thought he would come for me, not after all these months had passed since I saved him.

I never expected him to show up here, least of all, on my wedding day.

“Cassius—” I repeated again, almost choking out, but the words felt hollow.

His fingers tightened against my cheeks not enough to hurt, but enough to remind me of the power he held over me.

“You were mine the moment you set foot in my lands,” he murmured, “And yet, you ran. Did you think I would let you go so easily?” He asked, his red eyes glowing like a predator ready to hunt his prey.

I swallowed hard, forcing my back to straighten. “I am not some of your property, Alpha. What we had before was nothing but a mere couple in contract.”

His expression darkened, “You think that matters?”

“It does. So please, let me go and don’t ruin my wedding,” I replied with calmness, even though I knew every single nerve in my body was trembling.

His eyes narrowed, flickering with the raw intensity of rage. It was so fierce that my knees felt weak.

Cassius leaned in, so close that the warmth of his breath brushed over my lips.

“You should have known this, Luna,” he murmured. “There is no altar in this world that can keep you away from me.”

“What do you mean—”

“What I’m trying to say, that I would burn every altar and kill every man who dares to make you his bride,” He grunt, his hand which had been gripping my jaw, slowly traced its way to my lips.

“You’re insane…” I whispered while staring at him.

“And you are the very reason for it,” he replied, a smirk tugging at his lips.

Suddenly, a crash sounded outside the room followed by muffled shouts that shattered the tense between us.

My breath hitched, fear consumed my body as realization struck me.

Cassius didn’t come alone, he brought his entire pack to come here.

“What have you done?” I asked, my eyebrows knitting together, unease crept into my voice.

Cassius pulled back slightly, tilting his head as if the chaos beyond these walls was nothing more than an amusing distraction.

“Nothing, just making a small ritual.” He replied like deadpan.

All of a sudden, the scent of blood reached me before the sight of it. My stomach twisted as the heavy wooden door burst open, revealing a figure slumped on the threshold.

Blood. So much blood…

A strangled sound left my throat as I tried not to scream.

The Beta stood before us, drenched in blood. In his right hand, he clutched Elliot’s severed head, his lifeless eyes staring into us.

In his left hand, he held the limp mangled body of Elliot, brutally torn apart as if it were nothing more than a discarded rag doll.

And Cassius seemed pleased by the gruesome sight before him. A dark, merciless smirk curled on his lips, it was utterly unrepentant with brimming satisfaction.

His eyes gleamed with a chilling intensity as if the bloodshed before him was nothing more than a mere spectacle for his enjoyment.

Elliot Scavariot, my supposed to be husband, was now dead in front of me. His lifeless body is a grim reminder of the brutality Alpha Cassius can do.

“You were never meant for each other, mi reina,” he simply said. “Now, come with me. Before I decide to completely wipe out this little tribe of yours.” He whispered as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me even closer to him.

I stared at him, trying to make sense.

What had gotten into him? Why was he so obsessed with me?

This wasn’t the same Alpha Cassius who I once knew. Before, he was so distant, cold, and indifferent yet… Why now? He acts differently, far from the Alpha whom I used to know.

I couldn’t quite comprehend this situation. I knew I was nothing but a merely temporary wife of his. A contractual one who pretends to be the Luna of the Raventhorn until the real one returns.

However, after I left the North, he began to chase me. He hunts me as if I were nothing more than his prey.

Slowly, I felt his hands trail down my arms, his touch lingering before sliding down to my wrists in a possessive caress.

“It’s time you return to the north, Luna,” he murmured, his grip tightening around my waist. “Or shall I continue to burn down every place you try to hide?”

Luna? I am his Luna? But I am just a substitute. Has he completely lost his mind?

A sharp inhale caught in my throat.

I yanked at his grip, my body shaking with anger and fear. “You’re a monster.”

Cassius chuckled, it was low and unbothered. “You say that as if it will change the truth.” He leaned in, his warm soft lips brushing against the shell of my ear.

The way his warmth breathes touch my skin sends shivers through my body.

“You belong to me, Astoria. Running away only makes the hunt more interesting.” He whispered, as if he was certain that I couldn’t run away from him forever. 

My gaze still fixated to him, glaring at his cold eyes.

I wanted to slap him, to scream, and to curse the moon Goddess who had bound my fate to his.

But I knew what he was capable of, I can run but I cannot hide away from him forever.

“How many wolves are you going to kill?” I hissed. “How many more will suffer because of your damn obsession?”

He tilted his head, considering my words. “As many as it takes.”

Every nerve of my body trembled with horror with his reply.

He’s insane… absolutely gone mad.