2

      Avalyn POV

I couldn’t tell how long I was there, only that water was provided through a small slot in the door every so often. They didn’t give me food. My stomach ached. I grew shaky and desperate.

Eventually, they hauled me out of my solitary cell and put me back with the others.

Tara was leaning against the wall, curled up and silently staring into nothing. She was skinnier. She was curled into a ball, weeping to herself with a slowly healing bruise around her neck.

Had they been treated worse because of me?

The thought infuriated me. I turned to glare at the guards.

“Cowards!” I yelled, rushing at them and slamming into them.

“Crazy bitch!”

The guard struck me across the face. I fell and got back up, furious and desperate. I spat in his face.

He sneered at me before slamming his fist into my stomach. Pain exploded through me as I flew back, hitting the wall, and fell unconscious.

I woke up, slumped against the wall in the dungeon just where they’d left me, but weaker. Hungrier. I had no idea how long it had been since I’d eaten, but I couldn’t take much longer if I meant to survive.

Tara had gotten skinnier, yet the little scrap of clothing she’d been allowed was stained with blood between her legs. She didn’t seem hurt. Horror washed over me as I realized that she had started her period. My stomach turned as a guard approached her. The others jeered.

“She’s a real woman now!”

“Leave her alone!” I said, lunging at him. Another caught me and shoved me back as Tara was hauled away. She didn’t speak. She didn’t fight, and she didn’t answer me when I called for her.

They didn’t take anyone else, and they didn’t give me food. Everyone else was given a few pieces of bread and meat, but no one ate or spoke.

“Ungrateful bitches,” one of the guards cursed, grabbing one of the girls. “Eat!”

He shoved the meat into her mouth. She gagged and threw up in his face. The guards laughed at him before he threw her to the ground and kicked her away from him. She didn’t even yelp as she rolled across the ground.

She didn’t move and he sneered down at her, “Another one?”

He grabbed her by her hair and dragged her out, and I never saw her again.

Tara? Please answer me.

She didn’t answer and I began to fear that she had been kicked or slapped too hard and had been dragged off to her death.

They’d brought meager rations three times before Tara returned. Her clothing was more ragged, hanging off her. Her eyes were dull and tear streaks marked her face.

Blood and white fluid streamed down her legs and the guards hooted and jeered as they dumped her across the room.

Tara? Angelia, please answer me.

She didn’t stir and she didn’t answer.

My jaw trembled and I closed my fist tight.

He was going to pay for this.

I would kill him if it was the last thing I did. He’d never hurt her like this again.

I promise he’ll pay for this. I promise.

Sometime later, one of the guards looked down at me.

“Boss says you’ve got a chance to apologize and earn a meal.”

I looked up at him, meeting his gaze and I said nothing. I wasn’t going to humor him by making him think I was agreeing or grateful.

He grabbed me and hauled me away. My legs were so weak. My stomach cramped with hunger, but I didn’t resist.

Dan was seated in his chair like he always was, naked and disgusting.

“You ready to apologize to your Uncle Dan?”

This sorry fucker was going to regret what he’d done to Tara. I walked across the room and kneeled. He flushed looking down at me.

“See, boys. A little starvation turns even the wildest ones docile.”

I shifted his robe aside and pushed down the disgust as the guards laughed nearby. His cock was soft, hiding in his pubic hair. While he enjoyed forcing himself on us, he didn’t have much of a cock to use.

But it didn’t matter. I grabbed it firmly, squeezing and stroking until he started moaning, tilting his head back with a sigh.

“That’s a good girl.”

It grew hard in my hand and a bit bigger, but not by much.

“Get on with it,” he said, his voice trembling. “Show me how sorry you are. Show me how grateful you are for me saving your life.”

I swallowed nausea and focused. I thought of Tara being dumped in a corner of the dungeon and how she didn’t even sob anymore, just curled up and closed her eyes. I thought of my mother's’ bodies swinging in the breeze.

I opened my mouth and lowered my head until his cock filled my mouth.

He shuddered and moaned above as my lips met his hip.

Then, I bit down straight through the flesh.

He howled in agony, shoving my head away, and shrieked as I didn’t relax my jaw, taking his cock with me. A guard grabbed me and dragged me back as I chewed the hard, bloody flesh to pieces and spat it out.

Dan writhed around, screeching for a doctor. His body jerked and wiggled as blood dripped down to the floor. I spat out the blood and rolled away, dodging the guard that lunged at me.

The door burst open and more guards stormed in. One of them struck me across the face before hauling me up. I struggled, hoping to get free and do a bit more damage, but what little strength I had saved up was gone.

They took me back to the solitary cell and shackled me up against the wall.

Another werewolf came in, one I didn’t recognize. His eyes were hard.

“Defiant still,” he said as he stepped inside. “We’ll see how long that lasts…”

The other guards left before another guard brought in a basin of hot coals and a black chest. They closed the door behind them. Leaving me alone with this werewolf.

“Obeying that flabby bastard,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady as I spat more blood from my mouth. “Help him rape children. You’re as sick as he is!”

He chuckled, picking up a metal rod and shoving it into the bed of coals.

“I could give a fuck what he’s done. As far as I’m concerned female wolves aren’t good for much but breeding and cooking,” he pulled it out, eyeing the glowing red end. “I’m just here to make you obedient.”

He pressed the end of the hot rod against my skin. I tried not to scream, but the pain was too much. Then, he swung it. His face flushed and his breath heavy as I cried out in agony.

I realized with a chilling disgust that he was enjoying this. I strained against my bonds, but the shackles didn’t even creak. He returned to the basin of hot coals to reheat the rod. His cock strained against the front of his pants as I slumped in my bonds.

He left the rod in the coals and went to the black chest.

“You… sick… fuck,” I panted. “I’ll kill you…”

He laughed, pulling out a wooden rod and licking his lips.

“Why don’t you try not to die first?”

He crossed the room with a feral leer and wrapped his hand around my throat.

“Be sure to scream real loud so the others know better, hm?”

I shuddered as I felt the rod sliding up my leg and froze.

“Stop! Stop!” I thrashed as he chuckled and shoved it hard into me, ripping through me. I screamed as pain consumed me and the scent of my blood pulled into unconsciousness.

Yet, I didn’t die. I woke up in agony in a cot with no understanding of where I was.

A man leaned over me, “Hm, awake, are you? You’re a werewolf, right?”

“Where… am I?” I asked.

Tara? Can you hear me?

“A brothel. And you’d better be worth it, or I’ll have to make my money back on the black market.” He eyed me. “It’s not like anyone will miss you, Cherry.”

“How did I get here?”

“What does that matter?”

I glared at him, “I’d rather kill myself.”

He shrugged, “We have thigh warmers for the necrophiliacs.”

His response shocked me and told me that I was in a very different world now. I was no one. A faceless, nameless prostitute that could disappear without a trace.

Death would have been a comfort, but I remembered what I told that man, and the faces of every guard were burned into my mind. I had to get Tara out, but I had to get myself out first.

“How do I get out of here?” I asked and he laughed.

He smirked, “Make me enough money.”

I nodded my head, at that moment I saw my dad. At first I thought it was all a dream but it was reality. He paid a huge sum of money to the man and took me away to another pack where we began to live in peace.

My dad tried to train me but he couldn't because my late mother was the one doing that perfectly. So he decided to marry another lady for my sake, so she could take good care of me and offer me the necessary motherly love.

Although, I didn't like the idea of him bringing a stepmother for me, I couldn't object and had to agree. But I know my life would never remain the same again.

So my dad finally found a Luna and settled down, hence she became my stepmother. But my life changed after my stepmother blackmailed my dad and turned him against me.

I didn't know what I did to her, but she just hated me for a reason best known to her. My sight irritated her, but I know this was the moon goddess plan for me, hence I accepted it.

Not only that, she made my dad hate me and he began to maltreat me while she made him adore her son Andrew(my step brother). This made me miserable.

You might have heard of stories of rejected child, that was in my own case. I lost my mother and my father who I adored and cherished a lot was also taken from me. As a child growing up, there was nothing I could do, I didn't experience happiness like every normal child but had to grow up in pain and misery. My life was full of ups and down.

..........

“Dad, I need to go to work now!" I yelled one morning as I hurried out of the house. I couldn't afford to be late cause my boss had zero tolerance for lateness.

Thank the moon goddess that I was able to get a job at the restaurant in the outskirts of the town,  as a cleaner and singers. Since the lost of my mother, my father had struggled to feed me so I decided to work to at least support him. I couldn't become a burden to him anymore.

“Alright Avalyn, please ensure to come back early because I need to tell you something important." My dad, Alpha Jax said to me, calming and I was surprised because he wasn't always like this. I was however happy that he didn't scream at me like he always did.

I nodded my head as I placed a kiss on his cheek and made off. I was able to get to the restaurant in time luckily.

It wasn't a big restaurant and the pay wasn't good enough but I didn't have any options but to accept it. That way, I could give the money I earn to my dad to support him financially.

****

By the time it was evening, I had attended to all the customers, and as soon as they left, I washed all the dirty plates and cleaned the whole surrounding. After I was done,  I went to Becky, my co-worker and senior in the restaurant and told her I was through for the day, so she marked the days attendance, gave me my earnings for today and I went back home.

My dad, Alpha Jax must have been waiting for me because I recalled clearly that he had told me he wanted to tell me something important. I couldn't keep him waiting.

Checking the time, I saw I was already too late. My heart began pounding in my chest as I quickly made my way back to the house. Although our house was far from the place where I worked, I always trek back home and today was no exception.  

I hated this rushing back home, but this was no time to argue. Rushing past the motor cycle packed in the room, I nearly hit an old woman but I balanced myself before I could do that, hence I was lucky not to do that. I struggled with the nylon on my hand, it was very heavy but not like there was something I could do. I just had to keep moving.

“Hey eyesore, watch where you are going!" An angry man yelled at me when I hit him with my nylon while rushing past him.

"Am very sorry." I said quickly not wanting to cause any commotion.

I was having this unbearable pain all over my body which was hard to bear, yet I know there was nothing I could do rather than to hurry up despite it. 

I recalled going home late the previous time I came to work and this anger my dad and stepmother that they had to beat me. So going home late again would mean that I was going to face the same fate again. I wasn't some lunching bag or something anyone could hit hard on.

The tension within me had to calm down when I got closed to the office of my dad, Alpha Jax. I was so happy that I finally made it home, knowing fully well that I wouldn't get punished by him or beaten in anyway.

There was a time he used to adore and love me and I recalled him treating me and my mother his late Luna as a happy family, not until the day my mum died and my world came crumbling down. 

I thought he was still going to love me as he used to, but that was when he brought another woman along her son to the house. I became disappointed in him that he couldn't even morn my dead mom for a while before bringing in another woman, but there was nothing I could do rather than to accept her as my stepmother.

At first, she treated me so nicely that I didn't feel the presence of my late mother, but after a while she changed drastically and became an evil woman that I could not explain if she was truly the woman I knew, who once treated me nicely. She began to maltreat me, I thought my father would stand up for me but I became even more disappointed when he didn't do anything but only watched her treated me like I was an animal. Whenever I tried to report her to him, she would blackmail him telling him I was telling a lie and age would never maltreat me and of course my dad would believe her. 

This went on and soon I became a slave in my own father's house. Yara, my stepmother began to maltreat me even more and treated her son Derek as a prince. Wasn't life unfair.

I quickly rushed to my father's office but had to stop in my track when I saw my father with some men, they were there in number. They looked scary that I almost wanted to run away, but had to calm down. Their face was familiar, and I tried to recall where I have met them but I couldn't. Whatever they came here to do, it wasn't my business.

The scary men shake my father as I heard one of them said, "alright Alpha Jax. Sure, we will definitely do as you have said, just get her prepared okay." 

And I saw a smile on my father's face.

"You don't have to worry about that Xavier, Just make sure to carry out the job perfectly and I will reward you handsomely." He told them.

What was he talking about? I wanted to go back to the house first so it wouldn't seems like I was eardropping to his words, but the next words had me in shock. 

"How old is she? Has she shift?" Another of the men asked.

“She is eighteen years old and will shift In a few days, after we sell her she won’t be our problem anymore. I am already fed up with her.” the way my dad said it and smiled made me to reason what he said. Who was he talking about it not me? I was eighteen years old and I know I hadn't shift to my she-wolf, so why would he discuss me to this scary men.

I certainly knew made me aware that they were talking about me.

What did my dad mean? 

My heart was pounding not only from running to get here but also from what I had just heard. This only mean one thing, and I prayed it wasn't what I was thinking.

I wanted to walk quietly to the house but my instinct told me to hang on and listen to what this conversation was all about since I already got a few clue which was related to me.

“Okay we will contact the buyers, if they agree they’ll take her, and we’ll have the money shared among us. We own 50 percentage of it Alpha. Agree or not?"

My eyes widened and my body began to shake uncontrollably.

What was they talking about? Was I about to be sold? I know my father never loved me, but I didn't expect him to want to sell me off just like that out of desperation. Was this how my life would end. I felt hot tears coming out from my eyes. I tried to stop myself from crying but I could not, this was too painful to bear. I had loved him, and even though he maltreated me with his new wife, I still loved him knowing it was the influence of Yara that made him go change towards me.

I couldn't bear it anymore but as I made to run out of there, I saw my stepbrother Derek coming behind me. He was like his mother, both devil and they took pleasure in hurting me.

“ What are you doing here Avalyn. You’re late again, yet you are listening to Dad's conversation,” he said behind me.

I shiver in shock, what was I going to do now? I know no matter how hard I try, I could not escape now that Derek was here. I was in a hot soup now and with him, I was sure I wouldn't escape from here alive without dad seeing him.

How will get feel when he knows I was listening to his conversation??

Derek, my evil and mysterious stepbrother’s gray eyes were looking me up and down in my stained clothes full of dirt, as if he wanted to peel them off with his gaze.

Ever since he first met me when I was seventeen, during the time my mother died and my father had brought them in, he had been trying to lay his hands on me. I didn’t even want to know what he would’ve done had my stepmother not forced him to leave me alone—only because I was the one who had been making money for the family.

I tried my best to avoided his gaze, and what I did angered him even more. This was carrying the reason why he got the huge pleasure seeing me beaten by my father or stepmother.

But at this point, he wasn’t my greatest concern.

I noticed that the voices in the office had fallen silent. They had heard what he said. With a snap, I saw my father and the scary men rushing to the spot where I stood.

“Avalyn!”

My father’s voice set my nerves on edge. I was done for. I almost tried to flee, but I knew Andrew would stop me.

Nothing like a good beating to end the night.

Gloating, Andrew moved around me and pushed me to where my father stood with the scary men.

I had to take a deep breath, suppressing my fear, not daring to look up at the people before my father.

“Dad I…” my voice trembled.

“I told you she was a green snake in green grass, eavesdropping go conversations and hiding like a rat,” My stepmother Yara quickly came out also from the office. I wasn't surprised because she was the devil herself and must have backmail my father into the idea of selling me. 

She said with a smirk. “Who knows what she’ll do when she grows up?”

“So you were eavesdropping on us all this while?” my father growled.

I smelled the familiar whiff of alcohol and began to tremble uncontrollably. I knew how horrible my father could be when he was drunk, I was done for.

I lowered my head, afraid to look him in the eye because I know should I do that, I would have myself to be blamed for.

I had to change his attention one way or another so he could forget what he was saying before. Moon goddess, I pray I succeed!

“Here is all the money I earned today father…" I said as I took out all the money from my bag and gave it to him. Although I wasn't sure how he would react, I was glad he took it quickly and glance back at him. This was what made me know that I didn't escape from him.

Yara, my stepmother hissed badly. It seems she wasn't pleased by it. As far as I know, if she has set her mind on something she definitely will go at any length to get what she wants and I know I could not escape from her. . Her tiny voice was like nails on a chalkboard as she spouted out hardly.

“See how wise you think you are. Are you trying to cover up your crime with just a few bucks huh? Not only are you late, you’re also eavesdropping like a rat… Looks like you needs to be teach a little lesson so you would know your place in here,” she said, wrapping her long-manicured nails around my father’s upper arm. I shivers in fear for the unthinkable that was about to happen. How I wished I could scratched her face off.

My father raised his hand right hand while the other one was on Yara's own hands. Out of fear, I lifted my hand  to cover my face. Trembling, I bit my lips so that I would not scream out screaming would only bring more brutal chastisement.

One second, two seconds… the expected pain did not come.

Instead, I felt my wallet being pulled out of my hands.

I opened my eyes to see my father with money in hand, gloomily surveying me. Instead of feeling relieved, I felt even more scared.

The look in my father’s eyes told me that something worse was going to happen.

He hefted the wallet in one hand and frowned. “Is that all?”

I shuddered and whispered, “It’s raining hard today, so not many customers came to the restaurant… I’ve given you every penny I’ve earned…”

Slap!

A heavy blow struck my face, knocking me backward and onto the floor.

I slumped to the ground, hearing my father’s angry roar faintly over the ringing in my ears.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that I’m dependent on you for support? How dare you mock me?”

Fists fall down on my head and back like a heavy rain.

I cradled my head in my arms and cried out, "No, I am sorry...so sorry...please stop."

The intense pain put me in a trance, and my vision began to blur.

“Father… please stop…”

“You’ll kill her.” My stepmother’s voice sounded like it was coming from a very far away place.

 “darling Jax, remember… That her pretty face and voice of her are her biggest assets. We don’t want to ruin things, do we. We can't afford to get them damaged so the buyers wouldn't complain. Get it?”

When my father had brought my stepmother Yara home, I used to be happy that my father found someone after my mother death, and she seemed to make him happy. I used to wish I could make her happy, too. I had naively hoped that, one day, things might get better between us.

“She obviously isn’t working hard enough! This money is nothing! Pennies compared to what

I was expecting. Why did the moon goddess give her such a talent to begin with?” my father roared.

I leaned against the wall and cowered on the floor, looking at my father in fear, afraid he would raise his hand to strike again.

“Well, sweetie,” Yara stopped my father, “she obviously is more of a disappointment than we expected. No matter. You already spoke to Xavier this morning. You know what the plan is for her. In a few days, we’ll have all our financial issues sorted and she’ll be one less problem for us to worry about so just relax a bit.”

My father’s drunk expression turned from anger to amusement. There was something sinister lurking in his eyes, giving me goosebumps.

“You seem confused, daughter.” My stepmother looked back at me with a subtle smile. “Do tell her, Jax. I bet she will be excited about the news. I know I am.”

Yara's grin had me terrified. If she was happy at this moment… it wasn’t for a good reason.

My father squatted down to my level, and I couldn’t help but flinch backwards in fear. He raised his hand and pressed it on my head—which sent a shiver down my spine.

“You are going to do a big job for me. In fact, one that will change our lives forever.”

My heart was pounding with fear, but I remained silent waiting for my sentence.

“You are going to serve the Alpha of Draco. It seems he is in need of a… maid, and is willing to pay a lot of money to obtain one.”

I gasped in disbelief.

My father! I called him father, but he sold me, as if I was just a sheep… How could he?

I was terrified, shocked, and speechless. This couldn’t be happening!

My eyes frantically went back and forth between Yara and my father as he stood up. The look on Yara’s face showed nothing but amusement and confirmed the truth of what he was saying.

“Don’t look like that, Avalyn,” Yara said. “You should consider it a huge honor to work for the wealthiest and most powerful of all Alphas. He may have done his fair share of killing and hurting people, but he is well renowned, and to be a part of his pack… well, that’s the greatest of honors,” she added with a smile.

The Alpha of Draco, the ruler of the most powerful pack of the West.

He was known for his cruelty and hatred for the ill-mannered. Rumor had it that he killed most of his servants, and his reign was steeped in blood including his own father’s.

There was nothing that man wouldn’t do to make sure those around him followed his every command. Manipulation wasn’t something he had time for. He would rather slaughter the weak and bathe in their blood under a harvest moon.

Even his wolf was said to be a monster,with red eyes that glow in the shadows—watching its victims before tearing apart their bodies limb from limb.

And I was going to be sold to that ruthless killing machine, by my own father!

I gathered all of my courage and begged. “Father, please don’t. Please, I’ll work harder. I promise. Let me stay!”

Yara seemed to be in a fairly good mood.She smiled at me, but her smile was vicious. "Avalyn dear, don’t stress your father like that. Begging gets you nowhere in life.”

They couldn’t be serious. I was his only child. The only one to carry on his bloodline!

“There’re many things I can do here to help make you more money… Please, give me another chance to show my worth to you,” I pleaded with tears in my eyes.

I even turned to Yara. “Yara, please… say something…”

The hits that came next were harder than the previous ones.

I let the tears roll down my cheeks.

“Don’t you dare speak to her like that!” my father yelled.

“Father, please don’t do this to me…” I sobbed on the floor. “Don’t send me to him, I beg you…. If mother were still alive….”

But I could not finish my words.

The defiance drove my father crazy. I watched his gaze turn murderous as he whirled around and grabbed me by my throat, lifting me into the air.

“You will do exactly what I said you will do!"

He screamed at me, and before I knew it, my back hit the wall, hard. All the bones in my body felt like they were broken, and the intense pain made me almost pass out.

Sliding to the floor, I began to cry. I no longer cared if he saw me. I missed my mother more than anything right now.

My father, the Alpha of our pack, had changed when she died. He was never like this before. I had been his pride and joy, and so much more. He used to let me ride on his shoulders and call me his “little lark.”

He loved me, once upon a time, and thinking about it broke my heart.

“Andrew!” My father ordered.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Take Avalyn upstairs so she can clean herself up. Our distinguished guests are arriving soon, and I don’t want her looking the way she does.”

My entire body was in unutterable pain. I could not breathe. My vision blurred.

As Andrew got closer, the last thing I heard before I passed out in a heap of tears was Yara persuading him not to ruin my face or my voice, the two assets of mine that might get them even more money from the buyer—The Alpha of Draco.