Chapter 8 The Luna

"So she just started hating you for no reason?" He asked me. We were almost done with eating, and not wanting to seem greedy especially since he was the owner who was benevolent enough to let me join him, I stopped eating.

He looked at me inquisitively. "Why did you stop eating?"

"I'm done, I'm okay." I lied, smiling. "Thank you for the food."

"I don't believe you." He pushed the food closer to me.

"But why? It's your food, you should eat more." I told him, trying to steer the food towards him.

"I don't agree with you, let's both keep eating until we both see the end. I don't care who brought the food."

He was being stubborn, and it was in a good way though. I would not lie, the way he was showing concern and care was overwhelming but I was too scared to let myself get involved with him. Not for any intimate reasons, but even for the sake of simple friendship, I was scared.

I did not have any friends and I was used to it. The Luna did not want to see me happy with anyone, not even a fellow girl. I was always on my own. See how she'd reacted when she'd heard I was mated to her son, the Alpha. She'd insulted and humiliated me. I was getting used to my people-deprived life. And it was as though people got the gist and didn't bother with me for fear of having issues with the Luna.

Though I was young when I lost my mother, I knew the same fate had met her. But I used to wonder about my father, who he was? If he had also been captured like my mother. Whenever I'd ask my mother, she would find ways to avoid the question or break down in tears. I got to realize that asking her always increased her pain and sadness, so I stopped.

Her death had come as a shock to me. One minute the Luna had her thrown in cell for something that was not even worth it, and while I anticipated her release as usual, she was released alright, but not alive. My mother's corpse was brought out of cell and that was when my own torture began.

"You're very kind to me." I said, finally giving in and continuing the food with him. "Though I wonder why." I stared into his face, maybe I'd find answers there, but his expression was calm as he ate.

"Well, I saw what happened back there." Sympathy masked his expression.

"What did you see?" I was hoping he was not talking about what had transpired between Zaryn and I.

"Between you and the Beta's daughter." He clarified, expectantly waiting for a response.

He saw that? Unconsciously, my gaze roamed the entire area, watching people, wondering who else saw Zaryn bully and hit me? That was quite a humiliating sight. If Fagel saw, then others possibly had too.

"It's n-nothing." I lowered my head, staring at the container of food between us but my mind was barely on food anymore. Tears were welling and I was struggling to swallow them back. Imagine someone knowing me due to the mistreatment the Luna meted out to me, and soon, people would also me as the slave girl who was not just mistreated by the Luna but also the daughter-in-law to be.

He raised my face, his fingers wiped away the first tear that I could not control. Soon, I was sobbing, I was unable to control my emotions. He laid a comforting hand on my shoulder and offered words of comfort.

"Hey Tasyra, it's okay. Stop crying, everything will be fine."

I did not think he understood what I was going through. It was hell, I wished I had a family somewhere, even estranged ones, so long as they were ready to take me in and treat me nice, I had no problem. I would be happy moving there, but I had no one. Nobody to take me in and I didn't want to go rogue.

I could not even tell this kind fellow the things I was pass through. The challenges. I could not tell anyone, else the Luna would surely have my head.

"I won't say I understand, but at least I feel the pain you're going through. Everything will be fine, Tasyra." He consoled.

"Thank you." I sniffled, willing myself to stop crying. I was a very emotional person, and because of how soft-hearted I was, everyone took advantage, and all I could do was become a spectator in my life. Watch how beaten, broken and bruised they carved me, and laugh over it because I could do nothing.

"It's okay. Now, let's finish up and go steal some berries." He suggested, playful glint in his eyes.

"Steal berries?" I smiled, understanding he was trying to take me out of my depressed mode.

"Those berries are delicious, we can steal." He winked.

I chuckled. "You might be given a slight punishment, but I bet you I'll be skinned alive."

"That's quite exaggerating it." He chuckled softly.

"I wish I was." For some reason, I found his chuckle funny and I laughed.

"I'm glad to see you laughing." He said, and there was sincerity in his tone.

"Tasyra, what are you doing?!" I would recognize that voice anywhere. The chill it sent up my spine and the fear that clenched my stomach tight.

I gulped. The Alpha was here. He had seen me talking and eating, I knew I was not supposed to take a break. I saw him coming, he had Zaryn on his arm. What would he do this time? What punishment had he prepared? Was I going to receive the humiliation from all three of them today?

I noticed everyone's eyes were darting from me to the Alpha. They had stood, and quickly I stood too. Fagel was already standing beside me. I didn't spare him a glance, my gaze was focused on the Alpha, and my mind filled with thousands of possibilities of what he would do to me.

And the glare he was bringing with him, almost made me want to disappear into thin air, never to be seen again.