THE HEIR'S MATE

CHAPTER ONE

Her father's voice beamed with desperation, but Luna could not do anything. She couldn't move her body even an inch; her tongue stiffened in her mouth. She lay on the cold, damp stone floor of a dimly lit castle basement, watching helplessly as her father was mercilessly stabbed. His anguished cries for her, each one more desperate than the last, echoed off the walls. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision. The only thing she could do was watch the horrific scene unfold before her.

The basement was a haunting place, with shadows dancing on the walls cast by the flickering torches. A sweet yet sickening fragrance lingered in her nose, an odd contrast to the dank, moldy scent of the underground chamber. It was as if someone had spilled perfume to mask the stench of death and decay that permeated the air.

Luna's mind struggled to stay conscious, fighting against the overwhelming dizziness that clouded her senses. Her head throbbed, and her vision swam with dark spots. The flickering torchlight in the castle basement cast eerie shadows that danced mockingly on the damp, cold stone walls. The stench of mold mixed with the sickeningly sweet fragrance in the air, a bizarre contrast that made her stomach churn.

Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain struck her chest, as if something were being forcefully driven into her body. Every attempt to resist made the agony more intense, like being stabbed by dozens of swords, over and over again. She wanted to scream, to release the torment inside her, but her voice was trapped in her throat, unable to break free. Her body felt heavy, every limb weighed down by an unseen force. She could feel the cold, rough stone beneath her, but it seemed distant as if she were floating above her own body.

Her breaths came in shallow gasps, each one more labored than the last. Despite the excruciating pain, Luna fought with every ounce of strength she had left. She couldn't let go; she couldn't give up. Her father's voice, now weak and fading, spurred her on. She had to fight. She wanted to fight, but her body refused to obey her desperate will.

Each passing moment felt like an eternity. The torches' light grew dimmer, the shadows longer. The last pain she felt was so unbearable, a final, torturous spike of agony that seemed to tear her apart from the inside. The last thing she remembered was Rafe's triumphant smile, a sinister grin etched on his face as he loomed over her miserable body. His eyes glinted with a dark satisfaction, reveling in her suffering.

In the midst of her agony, she heard someone screaming, a sound piercing through the haze of pain and darkness. She didn't know who it was, but the voice, filled with raw emotion and desperation, somehow comforted her. It was a lifeline, a beacon of humanity in the sea of torment she was drowning in.

......................

Arhh.... Hh.... Hhh..." Luna woke up from her tortured dream once again. It had been a month since she was thrust back in time to the years before her death, but the nightmares never left her alone. Every night, sleep eluded her, replaced by haunting memories and relentless torment.

She sat up in bed, her body drenched in sweat, her heart pounding in her chest. The room around her was shrouded in darkness, save for the faint glow of moonlight filtering through the small window. Luna took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, but the echoes of her father's desperate cries and Rafe's triumphant smile lingered in her mind.

Perhaps this was the price she needed to pay. Despite the endless nightmares, Luna considered herself fortunate. She had been given a chance to return to the past, even though she didn't know why or how. Those details were inconsequential now. All her energy, all her focus, was now directed toward one goal: revenge.

Luna swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up, her resolve hardening with every step she took across the cold floor. The room was sparse, a simple chamber in the castle she once called home before everything was torn away from her. Walking to the window, she looked out at the vast expanse of the castle grounds stretching beneath her. The moon hung high in the sky, casting an eerie light over the landscape.