A/N
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"Salva animam tuam, Apollo."

Save yourself, Apollo. I was not certain where those words came from, but it was my voice and my lips, I was sure, that certainly uttered them. It scared me to think that I understood the words I spoke. How? How did I just speak such strange language?

I could tell by his reactions that Apollo was taken by complete surprise. He released himself from our strange position; his adam's apple bobbing up and down in a rapid movement. Somehow, it was the first time I witnessed such indefinite reaction from the bearer of death.

"Do you understand me?" he asked, furrowing his brows; probably unconscious that he was demonstrating another side of him.

He was still terrifying but a hint of that one emotion I thought he never possessed was peeking at that moment. There was a bit of fear in his eyes... was it?

"Yes." I sighed, propping my elbows on the bed to support my weight. A weird heaviness deluded my chest and brought a turmoil of pain in my brain. The ache was weakening my entire body.

"Clearly?" He probed as I sat up, pinching the bridge of his nose as he allowed his eyes to close for a moment.

I was no longer questioning everything with the pain coiling my entirety. I understood him... Yes...

"I'm not certain how but I do understand every single word," I replied, "Clearly."

"What language is it?" I blinked, clearing my vision. Biting my bottom lip in suppression of pain, I felt the flow of blood travelling down my chin. I wanted to cry and to destroy things with my claws. And the first thing in contact was my belly, gaining a rash scratch from myself.

My body ached to shift but my wolf was nowhere to be found. I could not even reach her.

"Latin," Apollo walked toward the nearest wall, clamping his fingers tightly before releasing one fist on the wall. I gulped my confusion as I watched him create that staggered crack with the dark collision.

How strange, I thought.

This revelation had him losing his composure. It perplexed me to no end that he had that force as well... It was nothing ordinary at the very least.

His eyes gleamed back at me— dusted in gold and silver. He...

...was beautiful, no matter how much I despised his whole being.

"You shall speak that language only to me, Freya. No one else." He hissed.

Was it a tinge of possessiveness and warning that rolled in his tongue? He was compelling me to agree with him and his every word. I should probably stop staring straight into his eyes before I lose my rationality.

"You don't own me." I spat. The burning sensation of my tattered skin was painful but it kept me sane.

"I owned you the moment you dropped everything in that battlefield and surrendered yourself to me," he said as a matter of fact. "It was your choice to save those weak excuses of our kind in exchange of your freedom."

"I don't need a reminder." I slammed the words on gritted teeth.

"But you need something to regret," was his quick response. I glared at him but it only fueled his anger.

"If you deny my claim, I will make sure those wolves you vowed to protect will receive their early death sentence." He hissed.

"Damn you!" I swore in his language again.

His... Why does everything have to boil down as his property?

"You will eat your words soon." He scoffed.

If he thought that was some witty retort, then I would rather think he was born and raised an arrogant lunatic in a den full of filth.

"You cannot touch any of them for as long as I live, you monster!" I was at the brink of my patience. He was pushing and pulling me to defy him.

Getting up on my feet was the hardest thing to do but I struggled with my paper weight riling me to stay in bed. I hated how weak I was physically.

What was I going to do in that state? I was fresh from a suicidal gone wrong because of my mate's 'innate' and mystic ability to revive my drowned corpse. My wolf had most likely abandoned me but my mind kept on pushing forward that Alpha instinct of protecting my pack.

I watched helplessly as he glared down at me. I must have insulted his ego by my very 'charming' endearment.

"You're not capable of being Alpha. You will be my bethroted. Nothing else."

I was oblivious of the fact that he could morph back into his emotionless state like an easy task. He did master the art of being void and dominant... and I was mated to him and to those qualities.

And bethroted? His luna? I would rather rot in hell than be the tool for his conquests. Who was he to call me his moon when he himself had those despicable motives against the goddess?

I am an Alpha female... with or without him!

I gave him a sharp look of retaliation. Disobedience was becoming my favorite thing because of him. That sick bastard needed someone to keep him in place. Mate or not, I would gladly do it for him.

He robbed me of that right to a peaceful death. I will rob him of his peace in return. An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth.

"Stop showing me that face. You are only convincing me that you are a rightful mate. Must you always express that ferocity? If you ever wish to ask, I am amused by it." He smirked, holding my sight as he said it sadistically. But he wasn't going to win this quick.

"Good thing you are," I replied. "I guess that's because I have my soul in you. 'Vos anima mea, Freya.' Doesn't that make me an Alpha like you?"

I smirked internally. It was my sweet revenge; my sweet mockery. I heard the voice of reason hiding beneath my consciousness. My will to live came across my mind, urging me to accept the reality of my life.

He was forcing me to live and I was going to grant it with my head held high. This second life would be his living hell. That... I promised.

He walked his way to me just at the same time I sat up with my feet touching the cold floor. He was impossibly close, parting my thighs in one swift movement before inserting his legs in between.

Gripping my hair, he pulled my head back and forced me to look into his darkened eyes. Amusement turned bemusement? What a terrible liar?

"Don't you think it makes you lucky, little wolf?" He was seething. "Never mock me with your own source of life. It was me who breathed life into you." He nipped the shell of my ear, causing an unwanted burning in my lower region. I cursed the stupid bond for the unnecessary sensation.

Those earlier assumptions were confirmed right then. I was an empty vessel he filled with a part of his soul. Does that make our connection intimate?

"Who... are you, Apollo?" I questioned in a stoic expression. I wanted to harden the flurry of emotions; to take away the pleasure I could sense my body was reveling with.

"Your other half," he muttered. "Your Alpha."

He eyed me darkly, taking my chin in between his fingers to level our gazes. Whatever would slip out of his lips, I knew would make me cave in despondently.

"Your god."

A wave of fear and shock vanquished my first impressions. It was worse than I thought. Kill me if that did not sound blasphemous and straight egotistic. He was claiming an unearthly position.

God? Not even an Alpha could challenge God. He was gravely insane!

"This conversation's over." He mulled.

In a string of strong conclusions, I could only imagine how our ends would meet. Both of our souls would come crashing against each other until we tire and die like candle flames extinguished by our very own breaths.

"Sleep." He whispered. "Salva animam tuam, Freya."

It was that strange language— no, spell— which left me limp and unconscious against Apollo's hold.

The night was still young when I peeled my eyes open from a very deep and dreamless slumber. Moving towards the edge of the bed, I sat up, kneeled, and then bowed my head in search of her existence.

According to old traditions, our wolves would come forth once we meditate in this form and position. I was calling for my wolf to come and take over by singing a hymn to the moon from up above the heavens; an age- old song that stood the test of time.

Come, sweet moon;

Renew my senses.

Spill light in my path;

Fortify my heart in the darkness.

Come forth, Mother Luna,

My walk is far from over.

Come, sweet moon;

Let your light take over.

A searing heat crashed through my heart and sweat dripped continuously down my forehead as time ticked by. It seemed like eternity had passed but my wolf still had not surfaced.

Did she die with me and never returned?

It was sickening to think she was erased and I could be... human. Without her, I felt powerless, physically weak, and mentally disturbed. She was part of me from day one. She was the missing piece to my crazy life puzzle.

There was that hollow part throbbing deep within my heart where she was supposed to be. Could she be playing hide and seek? I would prefer that than have her permanently erased. I would rather have her dormant than gone for the rest of my life.

There were no answers to my qualms. No amount of moonlight in my wake sufficed the gap she had left in me.

The gentle breeze sounded from the windows, a sharp creaking of the door alerted my senses though it was weak. I sniffed the caramel scent of the intruder.

"G- ood evening, My Lady." It came out as a short gasp at the end of her sentence. She almost squeaked at my sudden narrowed look when I heard her.

"Who are you?"

The inquiry was immediate. I snapped back into my conscious state. She shivered under my presence as she walked inside that door.

I stopped my stare but held onto that suspicion when I soon realized just how much of a monster I had become due to the issues lurking inside my head, brought about by the series of events in the past few days.

"I apologize for the d- disturbance," she stuttered.

I believed that wasn't her name yet I did not say a single response. I must have looked like someone who would eat her whole while I was wallowing in my thoughts.

Hal used to say I was threatening when angry. The more people taunt me, the more I step up and rub them with indignation.

I scoffed deep inside. My mate could have found pleasure from that rude side of me. The pain- loving Apollo indulged in it. I could fully tell he did.

Stretching my numbing muscles, I swayed my legs repeatedly and carefully managed to stand up. I winced when my body excreted blood from three gashes drawn by my own claws on my stomach.

Claws... Why didn't I realize that earlier? My wolf was still with me. No human could elongate their claws in a flash.

My palms got sweaty; the taste of blood on my lips had me squirming from my position. The pain was hitting home and I couldn't do anything about it. I blamed him for everything. That damn wolf should've just let me die!

"Oh! Careful, my lady!" The wolf caught me before the impending fall. Without a thought, she lifted the hem of my dress in a split second.

My hands instinctively bunched around her slim throat. The foreign touch caught me red- handed. I suddenly felt as if I couldn't be touched by anyone— like a newly born child would only want her mother's attention— not anyone else's. Her widened eyes turned silver in fear.

"Please let me help you," she choked.

She looked helpless and sincere. The audacity to kill diminished; subsiding back to its den. The animalistic side should not resurface. I observed my retracting claws, shocked by my own loss of control.

I twisted my gaze away from the she- wolf while releasing my hold against her. Guilt devoured me. This was sick and mind- boggling. Something wrong was going on inside my body. It was as if my nerves had been controlled by someone else.

Impossible.

Silence dominated the room as the she- wolf tended my wounds, wrapping them up with a bandage— immediately soaked in blood. I was not fazed by the scarlet rush as I still could not spare a glance at the girl who helped me despite my sudden feral show- off.

The earlier event irked me to no end. Why was I becoming 'fearful' of everyone?

"Did he send you?" The question hung in thin air as more and more questions bombarded my brain.

Where is he?

What did he do to me?

Why can't I reach my wolf?

"Yes, my lady." Her voice exerted that calmness I thought would never be heard before me. "My lord specifically wants you clean and dressed before the High Court tonight," she added.

My lady. My lord. High Court.

What are we? Royal Figures revered by a pack of wolves?

He lived in a castle and had acres and acres of land I hadn't seen before. His pack defied the old traditions openly and in unison as well. He had statues of himself in bronze. His men called him their lord instead of Alpha. And now he had a High Court for what?

God. This was all so absurd and hard to swallow.

It was as if he built a strange world for himself. Why was I even so surprised? I should no longer be. He brought me back to life!

"He said you could ask me a few questions regarding his command." Maybe my confusion was plastered all over my face. Every minute here was mentally exhausting.

So I took the chance she was giving. "What do you mean by High Court? I had never heard of a pack having one. And please stop calling me your lady." Truly discomforting. Only my beta had the courage to call me that. I hated the sound of it but Hal's forward respect got me used to it. Only him.

"I apologize for that... Uh..." Her trailing off urged me to finally look at her face for the first time.

Her hair was short like a pixie's in golden blonde shade, framing her small face. Green was the dominant color of her eyes; cat- like in shape. Her cupid- bow lips hid a perfect set of teeth that I saw as soon as she smiled at me genuinely.

"Freya. Call me by my name."

"I- I can't, my lady! My lord would chop my head off. I'm only a servant... a wolf of low ranking," she held my hands, dropped on both of her knees as she pleaded.

It made me feel sick to look down on a frail wolf who degraded herself in front of me. "Low ranking? You mean an omega?"

"No. My lady, we have our own designations," she simplified.

"Elaborate," I ordered using my Alpha tone.

She must've been oblivious of my status when she flinched and blinked with uncertainty.

"We've been rated by Lord Apollo himself. Our qualities define who we are... in the social ranking," she explained, looking down as if she was a failure in that test.

How could he do this to his own people? And what about this 'social ranking'? Did he think he could dictate his subordinates by giving them definite spaces in his tyrannical pyramid?

"Shame on him," I muttered under my breath. I pressed a palm on my temple and sighed. The matter had to be dealt with soon. Ha! Why should I? I wasn't going to be his Alpha female.

The she- wolf stared at me; her widened eyes told me she heard my wicked thoughts about her master. "The High Court. Tell me about it," I returned to my first question to avoid her reaction.

She nodded, snapping out of her thoughts. "The high court is a tribunal formed by Lord Apollo patterned to that of the 16th century court of the lords, they say. I am a mere servant, my lady, all I know is that the seven appointed landlords of this territory gather in the Chamber of the Sun each week to discuss the issues of our land with Lord Apollo."

A social hierarchy from mid- century England... I have read of them in Maria's books before. Some of our ancestors carried English blood and were born from families in between the upper and lower class.

Now it somehow made sense why he was not following the most ancient traditions. His customs date back to the period of werewolf conservatism.

"My lady, I think we need to get you ready." The she- wolf sounded nervous.

I held my breath and released in one fraction. "Stand up," I ordered. It was uncomfortable to see her on the floor as if she would kiss my feet without a second thought if I said so.

"As you wish, my lady." It seemed impossible to stop her from calling me that. I resigned from the small issue.

She scrambled on her feet and opened a large door to a room I didn't even know existed. She went inside and for a few minutes I sat beside the large window, staring blankly at the rigid trees around three- stories below the room.

A medieval castle... How come I had not seen this large territory before during my journey with my father three years ago? It couldn't be new. The texture and color of the stone and concrete walls gave it away— it was old.

The castle interiors weren't medieval though, adding up to the mysteries of the place. The history books I loved reading way back when I was sixteen, had pictures similar to the intricate designs of this room. If I was not mistaken, in the 18th century they had the same style. French and English—

"Excuse me, my lady, I need your opinion of which dress you would prefer wearing before the High Court," she said with a small smile.

I scanned the dresses from head to toe and found the fabric and the details uncomfortable and just... too much. For Pete's sake, we weren't going to a ball but a pack meeting (which I assumed was what the high court was in our traditions).

I writhed in my chair slightly, straightening my spine before my claws elongate again. I did not want to scare the she- wolf.

"D- id he ask you to make me wear that— those?" I asked, straining my shock.

She blinked and smiled a toothy grin while nodding. "Yes, my lady. Aren't they beautiful?" The enthusiasm in her voice caused a churning in my stomach. This seemed normal to her.

Why hadn't I noticed how they dressed before? Maybe I was too consumed with the unwanted idea of being mated to Apollo that it was left unnoticed... or so I thought.

"Don't you have something less... whimsical? Is it too much... of a big deal to face the High Court? I am not accustomed to this extravagance!" I almost fell hysterical just as I announced my thoughts.

I wasn't prepared. I was panicking deep inside, knowing that I'd have to live with this if I had no chance of ever escaping Apollo. I said I would give him hell, but he... doing this was already making my resolve shrink. I knew nothing of this what? Territory? Realm?

Was I going to be ranked by him as well and fight for my Alpha title? I had to live up to my bloodline. I possessed Alpha- worthy qualities too. I grew up knowing only the oldest of traditions and I thought of living with it until the end of my days... but how? When my mate had a fancy way of life?

God, I will lose my sanity if I take this all in!

"But my lady—

"I said Freya!" I snapped, making the wolf stumble back. Good heavens! That shocked me too.

"I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—

"Please do not say sorry to me, my..." she but her tongue and raised herself from the cold floor.

"Fine. You can call me that... I'm just not used to this. It's all new to me," I consigned. The pesky issue should be between Apollo and me.

"I understand, my lady. If it annoys you that much, allow me to call you by your name when it's only the two of us. I'm afraid of the grave consequences if my lord overhears." I couldn't help but frown at her. Would Apollo kill her just because of that?

I wished not to believe but I knew he could.

"May I know your full name, Freya?" she asked. "I think it's disrespectful... I'm sorry if I'm a no good servant. I just fear the Mortifera," she stuttered, lowering her voice.

I couldn't blame her. She felt weak under his reign but I would not deprive her of respect like how lowly my mate made her feel.

"Freya Eugene White," I answered.

She smiled at me cheerfully as though I gave her something to be proud of. It warmed my heart to see her getting more comfortable with me around. All the other she- wolves of this pack I have encountered before that dip in the lake avoided me. They fed me in wolf form and no one consoled me all those times I whimpered.

"Lady White," she started. "Is that better?" she asked hopefully.

It actually sounded funny! Like if I interchanged the words, I would seem like the ghost haunting children's dreams. But it was okay.

"I think it is." I dismissed the idea.

She grabbed the fancy dresses again and held it out for me to study. The intricacy was chagrining. I cringed from where I stood, hiding the reaction from the she- wolf.

From the collar down to the hem of the dresses, I examined the color and design. Both tops were showered with laces with long sleeves sewn to perfection. The simplicity I was hoping for went down to the skirts. The midnight blue won my favor without a doubt.

"That one." I pointed to her left and turned away.

Am I going to do it? Should I see him before his officials?

I wanted to stomp my feet repeatedly and scream. I wished to elude him but I couldn't. Stupid fate!

"My wounds aren't deep, are they..." Right, I still hadn't ask for her name.

"What's your name?" I turned back and faced her.

"I thought you'd never ask, Lady White," she sheepishly mused.

I raised my chin and plastered a smile.

"My name is Catherine Garrison. Your sheep."

A/N:

Sorry for the late update. I know I'm a few weeks late from the schedule. Well, I would like to further apologize because the schedule might not work right away either. I really have to fix several things out of the worldwide web.

Meanwhile... thanks for all your votes and comments! I appreciate all of them. If you could comment more, I would be more than grateful. Votes don't matter that much to me but your opinions do.

So we're now getting exposed to Apollo's way of living :) By the way, this is fiction but I added some historical facts to make it more convincing. This is the werewolf world I weaved. They live with the humans. They have ancestors from different centuries. There is an evolution in terms of the traditions just like the one Apollo used.

I hope this made it more interesting. :)

I'm struggling to write the next chapters but it will come. I won't leave this book unfinished. Motivate me! Inspire me! I need you and your opinions!

Translations:

"Salva animam tuam, Apollo."- Save your soul, Apollo.

"Vos anima mea."- You have my soul.

See you on the next update. I've written half of it on paper.

Vale,

Lady Therese