The Substitute Mate: Rise, luna! Rise!

VIENNA’S POV The cold, unforgiving wind of winter sliced through the thin rags that passed for my clothes. Each gust felt like needles against my skin, but I didn't dare slow down. My hands, raw and blistered from scrubbing the floors of the Lockheart Pack's pack house where the Alpha resided, were covered in frostbite. Pain was a constant companion, one I had grown used to in my new life as a slave. Since the day I was dragged to this place, I had known no comfort. My bed was a cold, hard floor in the corner of a dank basement. Every morning, I woke up to a list of chores that seemed endless—cleaning, cooking, fetching water, and anything else the pack members deemed beneath them. "Hey, wolfless," sneered a warrior named Marcus, tossing a filthy rag at me. "Make sure you get every speck of dust, or you'll be scrubbing with your tongue next time." "Yes," I whispered, my voice hoarse from the cold and constant degradation. I bent down to continue my work, my body aching with each movement. Even the children of the pack treated me with disdain. They threw stones and laughed as I hurried about my tasks, their taunts echoing in my ears. But it was nothing compared to the torment I faced from Alpha Luther. "How dare you have the same face as my angel?" He spat one evening, his eyes blazing with hatred. His words cut deeper than any physical wound. Every time he saw me, it was as if he was reminded of the loss of Victoria, and his fury knew no bounds. "Get out of my sight, you wretch!" He roared, and I would scurry away, his voice chasing me like a nightmare. One particularly brutal winter night, I was summoned to the Alpha's quarters. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol as I entered, my heart pounding in my chest. Luther sat slumped at his table, a half-empty bottle of whiskey before him. "Pour me some more," he slurred, his eyes glazed over. I hesitated for a moment, then quickly moved to obey, my hands trembling as I poured the golden liquid into his glass. As I turned to leave, his hand shot out, gripping my wrist with surprising strength. "Victoria..." he murmured, his eyes focusing on my face. "You're back..." "Alpha, you've got the wrong person," I whispered, trying to pull away. But he was lost in his drunken haze, pulling me closer. "Victoria, my angel," he breathed, his lips crushing against mine. Panic surged through me as he pressed me onto the table, his weight pinning me down. I struggled desperately, my voice a frantic plea. "Please, stop! You've got the wrong person!" His eyes suddenly cleared, realization dawning on him. With a snarl, he shoved me away, his face twisted with rage. "You bitch," he spat, slapping me hard across the face. "Get out of here! Who allowed you to appear here? Disgusting." Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled out of his room, my cheek throbbing with pain.

VIENNA’S POV I stumbled back to my shabby room, a small, dark space with nothing but a thin, worn blanket on the floor. The icy cold seeped through the cracks in the walls, but it was nothing compared to the chill in my heart. Curling up under the blanket, I let the tears flow freely. It was all bullshit. He was the one cornering me and yet... I was hurt. What did I do to deserve this? My parents, my twin sister, and everyone from the Ambersy Pack never treated me like this before! "Mother, Father, Victoria," I whispered into the darkness, my voice breaking. "I miss you all so much." The memories of my family surged through me, each one a stab to my already broken heart. I remembered Victoria calling me by my nickname, "Sunshine," as she saved me. It had been so long since I heard her call me that. Before we turned 13, she always called me Sunshine. We were inseparable, the best of sisters, doing everything together. We used to be happy, playing around, supporting each other doing our hobbies together, but then... she changed. Flashback "Sunshine, wait up!" Victoria's voice rang out as we raced through the meadow, our laughter blending with the rustle of the wind. She was always faster, her wolf's spirit giving her an edge even before she awakened. "Hurry, Victoria, or I'll beat you to the tree!" I called back, my legs pumping as fast as they could. We reached the old oak tree at the same time, collapsing in a heap of giggles. "You cheated," she pouted, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Did not!" I stuck out my tongue. Those were the days of innocence, when the world was just the two of us against everything. We spent hours playing hide and seek, climbing trees, and pretending to be the greatest warriors of the pack. One day, when we were twelve, Victoria came to me with excitement in her eyes. "Sunshine, let's go hunting in the forest!" I yawned, still sleepy from our late-night adventure the day before. "I think I'll stay home and sleep, Victoria. I'm too tired." She patted my head affectionately. "Alright, little lazybones, I'll go by myself then." I watched her leave, never imagining that it would be the last time she looked at me with such warmth. She went missing that day, and the entire pack was thrown into a frenzy. For two days, we searched, our hearts heavy with fear and worry. When Victoria finally returned by herself, everyone was surprised and overjoyed. I ran to her, tears streaming down my face. "Victoria! You're back! I was so scared!" But something had changed. She looked at me with a cold, distant expression. "I'm fine, Vienna," she said, her voice void of emotion. Even her smile seemed forced, a shadow of its former brightness. From that day on, she was different. No more games, no more shared secrets. I thought she was angry because I didn't go with her that day. I tried everything to make it up to her. Handmade gifts, cooking her favorite meals, but nothing worked. She never called me Sunshine again—until the day she died. End of Flashback I clutched the blanket tighter, my tears soaking the fabric. "I'm sorry, Victoria," I sobbed. "I should have gone with you that day. Maybe things would have been different." The guilt weighed heavily on me, a constant reminder of my failure. I remembered her cold eyes and distant smile, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened in her missing two days. What had changed her so drastically? And why did she wait until her final moments to call me Sunshine again? As I lay there, the pain of the past mingled with the agony of the present. My body ached, my heart ached, and the future seemed like an endless tunnel of despair. Tonight, all I could do was cry and remember the days when I was still Sunshine.

VIENNA'S POV It had been a year since I became the slave of the Lockheart Pack—a year of relentless suffering, humiliation, and pain. Today was supposed to be a day of celebration for them, the day their Alpha, Luther Casimir, turned eighteen and came of age. It was his coming-of-age ceremony, the day he was supposed to awaken his wolf and his mate. But Alpha Luther had awakened his wolf earlier than expected, just like my sister, Victoria. She was always stronger, always more special, even in death. Luther had made it clear to everyone that he believed his true mate, his beloved Victoria, was dead and that today would bring him nothing but a hollow reminder of what he’d lost. I stood in the shadows of the grand hall, my hands shaking as I arranged the silver platters. The guests were arriving, their laughter echoing through the room as they gathered to celebrate their beloved Alpha. “Move faster, slave!” One of the pack members hissed at me, shoving me aside as they passed. I bit my lip and kept my head down. I could feel their eyes on me, the way they all looked at me with disgust as if I were something vile, something unworthy of even existing. I had grown used to it, the cold glares, the whispered insults. It is my daily reality now. But today… today felt different. As the full moon rose, casting its pale light over the gathering, the ceremony began. Luther stood at the center of the room, his presence commanding, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with that same cold, detached expression he’d worn since the day Victoria died. I forced myself to breathe as I approached the table to serve the dishes. My heart pounded in my chest, the air thick with tension, and the scent of wolves on the cusp of something monumental. And then it happened. The moment Alpha Luther officially turned eighteen, the atmosphere shifted. Something crackled in the air, a tangible force that made every wolf in the room tense with anticipation. I felt it too, the electric pull in my chest, the undeniable connection that snapped into place like a taut wire. My breath hitched as a scent hit me—something rich and earthy like pine and cedarwood mixed with the fresh scent of rain on the forest floor. It wrapped around me, filling my senses, and I knew without a doubt that this was the scent of my mate. But that couldn’t be… I looked up, and my eyes met Luther’s. His expression was no longer cold but stunned; his gaze locked onto me with an intensity that made my heart stop. For a moment, the world narrowed down to just the two of us, the mate bond pulling us together with a force neither of us could ignore. But then, as quickly as the shock came, it was replaced by fury. "No..." Luther whispered disbelief etched on his face. "No, this can’t be. The Moon Goddess… she wouldn’t… she wouldn’t make this mistake." My heart clenched at his words. Of course, he would think this was a mistake. I could see it in his eyes—the anger, the denial, the sheer disbelief that someone like me could ever be destined for someone like him. He took a step back as if repelled by the very idea, his lip curling in disgust. “My fated mate is you?” He snarled, the words dripping with venom. “Ridiculous!” The room went deathly silent, every eye on us, on this spectacle of the Alpha and the slave. Whispers rippled through the crowd, a wave of shock and disbelief. The guests from other packs exchanged glances, murmuring among themselves, their eyes full of pity and scorn. But I barely noticed them. All I could feel was the crushing weight of humiliation bearing down on me, the sting of Luther’s words like daggers piercing my heart. Tears welled up in my eyes, unbidden, and I clenched my hands into fists to stop them from falling. Enough. I’d had enough. I’d been broken down, humiliated, and stepped on for too long. I lost my parents, I lost my sister, I lost everything that ever mattered to me. And now… now, this? Being rejected, humiliated, by the one person who was supposed to cherish me above all others? Why? Why me? Why must I suffer endlessly? I straightened my back, lifting my head slowly. For the first time in a year, I forced myself to stand tall, just like I did in my own pack. My gaze sharpened. I wouldn’t let him see me crumble. Not today. Luther sneered at me, his voice cold and sharp as he spat out the words. “Don’t even think about it. I will never accept a slave as my mate.” His eyes hardened, and he took a step forward, his jaw set with grim determination. “I, Luther Casimir, rejec—” “Stop!” My voice rang out, clear and strong, cutting through the air before he could finish. The room gasped, but I didn’t flinch. I met his gaze head-on, raising my chin defiantly. I’d endured enough. If this was how it must end, then so be it. I would rather die on my feet than live another day on my knees. “I, Vienna, reject you, Luther Casimir, as my mate,” I declared, my voice echoing in the silent hall. The words burned as they left my lips, but they were the truth—my truth. “I reject you, your pack, and everything you stand for. You are nothing to me, and I will never accept a mate who sees me as less than nothing.” I stood there with no fear in my eyes. After all, I had nothing to lose, nothing except my cheap life. I knew what was about to happen to me. Go ahead, kill me. I was ready for it. I was ready to leave this living hell, forever.