Chapter 2

AVALINE

The entire pack was there, celebrating something that I had no idea about. They turned to watch as the guards basically pulled me into the clearing, their faces being illuminated by the orange in the firelight.

Some looked confused at what was going on, others were curious, but there were many more who had expressions of cruel excitement and anticipation of their faces.

A wooden stake had been quickly put together near the main fire, and there was ropes that was around its base like a sleeping serpent. The sight of it made my knees weak and I would have fallen if not for the guards grip on my arms that kept me upright.

"Avaline Cross," Dion's voice was loud enough to be heard across the entire clearing, silencing the crowd as everyone was watching with anticipation.

"You have been found guilty of attempted murder against a pack member. Your sentence is to burn."

The crowd burst out in cheers and jeers, clapping happily and their faces were twisted with bloodlust.

These were people I had known my entire life, people I had served faithfully for years, and they were celebrating my death.

"Please," I begged as they bound me to the stake, the rope tight enough to cut through my skin bruising me badly as I kept my eyes on my mates, searching for guilt or hesitance in their eyes.

"Please, I didn't do anything wrong. I swear on my parents' graves, I'm innocent!"

But my words fell on deaf ears as both brothers refused to acknowledge my words or give me a chance to defend myself. Dion came closer towards me with a torch in his hand, Alistar was standing beside him, both of their faces were as hard as stone. Behind them, Solaya watched smirking as she looked at me. She didn't even bother to hide her satisfaction from me anymore.

"You should have known your place," Alistar said quietly, his voice barely audible amongst the crowd's noise.

"You should have accepted that you would never be good enough for us."

"The mate bond—" I started desperately.

"Means nothing," Dion finished, shaking his head, his voice sounding clinical like it didn't matter to him like it did to me.

How could they do this to me? I was their mate and they were treating me this shitty.

"You're nothing to us, Avaline. You always have been."

The torch was lowered towards the leaves and papers that had been gathered at my feet, and I screamed.

"Wait! Please, just listen to me! I'll leave, I'll go away and never come back, just please don't do this!"

But Dion's hand was already moving, and the dry wood caught fire quickly lighting the whole place up.

The flames spread quickly, far faster than they had intended, I could tell by the way Dion's eyes widened in alarm.

"Just five minutes," he had told the crowd earlier. "Just enough to teach her a lesson."

But fire was unpredictable, and it didn't care about their plans.

The heat hit me first, as it made my lungs burn with each breath. Then the flames reached my feet, and I screamed as pain like nothing I had ever experienced tore through my body.

The smell of burning flesh filled my nostrils, and I realized with horror that it was mine.

The crowd was cheering louder now, their faces lit with joy as they watched me burn. Someone was throwing alcohol on the fire, making it rage higher and hotter.

I could hear Dion shouting something, but his words were lost in the midst of my screams.

This was supposed to be controlled and put off immediately they realized I had learned what they wanted me to learn.

This was supposed to be a lesson.

But no one was moving to stop it or put the fire out. They were trying to know just how much pain I could take.

Through the agony, I saw a small figure run away from the crowd. Aida, her dark hair flying behind her as she ran toward the stake with tears rolling down her face.

"Mummy!" she cried, the word she had called me ever since I found her as a baby in the woods five years ago. "Mummy, no!"

She reached the fire and didn't hesitate, pushing her hands into the flames as she tried to pull me free from where I was bond. I felt her fingers pulling at the ropes, burning herself as she fought desperately to save me.

"Aida, no!" I screamed, the pain of watching her hurt herself worse than the fire consuming my body. "Get away from here!"

But she wouldn't listen. She never listened at all when it came to protecting me, this child has loved me unconditionally despite everything I had done to her.

Despite the way I had treated her like a burden, I had been cruel to her because Dion and Alistar didn't like her one bit. I had thought that if I could just get rid of her, they might love me more.

I had been so wrong about everything.

Someone in the crowd laughed as they watched Aida's desperate attempts to save me. "Look at the little brat! She's as stupid as her precious mummy!"

Someone kicked Aida's small body, as Aida fell down in the dirt coughing out blood from her mouth. But she didn't let the pain stop her as she got up immediately, her hands burned and bleeding, and threw herself at the stake again.

"They both need to suffer," someone shouted, and more kicks followed.

I watched in horror as this tiny child, this innocent little girl who had done nothing wrong except love me, was being beaten up by people who should have protected her.

The pain of being burned by fire was nothing compared to the pain I felt seeing my daughter being beaten to death right in front of me.

In that moment, as the fire was burning my body and I felt my vision going hazy, I understood clearly what a fool I had been. I had wasted my life chasing after men who despised me, and I had been cruel to the one person who truly loved me.

If I could have just one more chance, I thought to myself as I felt the darkness closed in around me, I would do everything differently. I would protect Aida. I would stop begging for scraps of affection from people who saw me as nothing. I would be strong.

The last thing I saw before the flames claimed me was Aida's small hand reaching through the fire, still trying her best to save me while she burned as well.

The only thing I remembered as I finally gave up the ghost was the promise that I had made to the Moon Goddess herself: If you give me another chance, I will not waste it.