Pits. Of. Hell.

Amelia felt like she was in the pits of Hell, until one of the pack guards found them lying on the ground, their clothes almost dried, threatening each other like children. He looked confused when he saw Amelia and frankly she was a little insulted.

Did they really think it was that easy to kill her off. Whether she liked it or not, she was technically now their Luna for heaven's sake.

He bowed respectfully when he looked at Isaac. Just saying his name made Amelia's heart beat go crazy. So she hit her chest, trying to make it start acting normal again, but all that did was make her look like she was having a seizure.

The men talked about some pack business that Amelia tuned out. She was worried she'd unintentionally get herself involved into another criminal offense. Her first one- being forced into leading a pack of what some would call 'moral less, callous dirtbags'.

Isaac went back to his cold, calculative self. He subtly nodded at the guard and asked him to escort Amelia to the house.

"I can walk myself," She scoffed.

"You'll have to earn the privilege," Isaac mocked "oh and unless you want to go back to the dungeons, you might encounter some of the pack members. Be careful. They can be a handful with fresh meat."

Amelia wouldn't have thought that was too bad if he hadn't said that with such a devious smile.

"You have too many anyway, I'm sure you won't miss a few of them." she batted her eyes as she was dragged back to the mansion they called a pack house.

The guards, on Isaac's command, had gotten her something to eat in a small store. She accepted the food this time. God knew she would need it. She chewed the chicken quietly as pack members passed by and whispered in each other's ears. Burning holes through her skull. They hadn't forgiven the impudent brat for what she had pulled earlier with their Alpha.

The guards then led her to what she assumed was the pack house. They opened the massive doors and looked at her. A look of pity and amusement evident on their faces.

Amelia suspiciously walked in, taken aback by the beautiful tapestries, elegantly carved walls, chandeliers and expensive art work, she was confused as to why a pack of savages like blood hounds would be interested in such fancy décor. She had expected blood stains and dead dissembled bodies.

The corridor was filled with stoic faced guards and led to a massive hall with a huge chandelier, three different fire places and what looked like twenty women around her age, some older, wearing silk and sitting on various satin covered antique sofas placed in the grand hall, chatting. One thing they all had in common was their reactions when they saw her. Everyone froze. She was met with complete, utter silence.

Amelia was not used to so much foreign attention. She felt out of place in her dirty, torn off, skinny jeans and dirt smeared white shirt, while these woman looked down on her.

She pushed a strand of her brown hair behind her ear and walked in until she found a place to sit.

'Well this is strange. I wonder how many different windows this place has and which one's the easiest to fit through...' she pondered.

The women continued looking at her, sizing up their competition.

Amelia knew what was happening. It was in their nature and tradition to have the strongest female mated with the Alpha and since Amelia couldn't transform into a wolf she was already at a disadvantage.

Some of the females sneered at her, not believing she was worth being Luna. This was nothing like her old pack, where everyone was soft hearted, where everyone would bow down to you simply when they heard your status. They never questioned authority. Here, Luna or not, respect was a privilege- not a right, it had to be earned.

Amelia didn't care. This wasn't her pack and she wanted nothing to do with it. The silence continued until a beautiful red head with a small pointy nose and emerald green eyes walked towards her. Her high heels clicking with every step. She gave a smile Amelia knew was calculated.

Don't respond to her. This doesn't involve you. You're not going to be a part of this pack's politics. Amelia repeated to herself.

The red head batted her eye lashes "so you're the Silver moon everyone's been talking about," she inquired, a cunning look in her eyes,  "I'm so happy to finally meet you."

Sure you are Amelia caught her bluff. "Although you're scrawnier than they described," the red head continued.

Ahh there it is Amelia thought with a smile, she just found the Queen bitch.

Pun intended.

All the other women observed her through the corner of their eyes as they sipped on their tea served in elegant little teacups. Wolves in sheep's clothing, all of them.

For the first time she didn't want to start another fight- she was too far from home and she was absolutely exhausted. But she couldn't afford to show weakness. One little stutter, or flinch and these female wolves would chew her up.

"Although, I shouldn't be surprised. They probably don't feed you properly in silver moon. Do they even risk leaving their houses long enough to hunt? Better to endure starvation quietly than risk a fight right?" The red head ridiculed.

Amelia ignored her.

"Cat got your tongue, you scrawny little mutt? I'm speaking to you."

"It's funny how you're two seconds away from getting your face rearranged by this scrawny silver moon mutt," Amelia hissed instinctively. She was the Beta's daughter. Her pack, despite its imperfections, was her pride.

The red head shook with anger "you should be counting your lucky stars to be in the presence of the strongest pack's strongest female warrior and still be alive."

"I can't see her." Amelia waved the red head off.

"What did you say?" The red head asked venously.

"I'm saying all I see is an irritating red headed child who looks like she just wants something to bark at and start fights with. Try that wall over there, I am not in the mood."

Before Amelia could turn away she was drenched in liquid as it soaked up her shirt.

"Are you by any chance in the mood now?" The red head smiled merrily as she poured a second glass of water on Amelia.

"Well seeing as you're in the mood to die, I should probably oblige you." Amelia spoke softly before she picked up the vase on the table next to her and flung it at the red head.

The red head dodged it and gave Amelia a smug smile, that was until a drop of blood fell from her cheek. The corner of the vase had cut her.

Iris wiped the blood off with her finger, shocked. She could not believe Amelia had managed to cut her.

"If the both of you want to roughhouse, take it outside," one of the older looking women stated.

"You're not scared are you?" The red head taunted as she went outside, challenging her to a fight. All the females who had just been observing in silence stared at Amelia, their long legs crossed, eyes dancing with mischief and amused smiles, daring her to follow and followed themselves soon after.

Amelia hesitated, she was in far too deep now. She had a feeling if she didn't follow voluntarily, they would come back to drag her so she walked.

They all methodically formed a circle around her and the red head, hinting this kind of thing happened often. Amelia found it oddly disturbing how these women could go from elegant to barbarian in five seconds flat. One of them tossed two swords in between them both. The red head looked at Amelia "make your pick."

Amelia hadn't ever seen such a raw animalistic need to fight in her pack.

Usually when they had a problem they would discuss it like civilized wolves. She instinctively picked up the smaller of the swords. It had a silver carved bottom and a shiny lethal blade.

The red head picked up the other one. "The new comer..." one of the women announced.

"Amelia," Amelia answered.

"Amelia! Has accepted Iris' challenge to combat! To prove to us she is worthy of her title and our respect!."

They can take their respect and shove it up their ass Amelia rolled her eyes.

"I say we battle to death," Iris announced looking at the crowd "there's no need to hold back. The loser loses their life!"

The silence was deafening. "Nonsense," an older woman said stepping out. "She is the chosen mate of the Alpha, you certainly can't kill her now, he would be displeased." everyone nodded and mumbled in agreement.

So that's why they couldn't kill me off, and here I was, thinking it was because of common decency.

The idea that everyone here thought it was so easy to kill Amelia ended up agitating her further, the coldness of the water she had been drenched in, doing nothing to calm her down.

And she couldn't think logically when she was angry. She had never killed anyone before but she was the Beta's daughter, a leader by birth, in front of all these people she represented her pack.

There were rumors everywhere about how her pack was cowardly for not fighting because the majority of it didn't think violence was the answer. People thought it was ok to disrespect them. She had been training for years, aching for a chance to change that and now she finally had it. She would make them regret this.

"I accept!" She yelled out. The crowd looked at her, mouths agar and eyes wide opened in astonishment.

They had not expected that from a silver moon mutt.

"You know the rules around here Katherine. We've been through this many times before." Iris said "when someone accepts a match to the death, they can be slaughtered without penalty, no matter their rank! You are a dead woman walking," she continued looking at Amelia, ironically stating exactly what Amelia was going to make of her.

"And you are a demonic cactus," Amelia smiled, gripping her sword tightly.

She and Iris circled each other, nothing but the sound of the cold breeze could be heard passing through the open field into the dark forest. It was past midnight. She had walked the entirety of last night being taken to this pack and this was going to be the second consecutive night Amelia would not get to sleep.

She allowed herself a moment to wonder about what she would have been doing if she hadn't been taken hostage. She didn't have much time to do so because soon the sound of howls signalled the end of the silence and the sound of swords clashing filled the air.

-----------------------------------Don't forget to vote and comment 🖤❤️