NEVAEH's POV
I ran as fast as I could. Not looking back even for a second. My body hurt and I craved a moment's rest but if I didn't leave, I'll only hurt more.
I had to go far away from here or my life would be over. They hadn't noticed I was gone just yet. If they did, then there would be hell to pay. But I planned to be far by the time they discovered I was gone.
Eventually, my body couldn't take it anymore and I came to a stop, collapsing against the tree. I panted heavily as I tried to catch my breath.
"Why me" I cried to the goddess. I've asked this question so many times and I've lost count.
Life has been unfair to me from the beginning. Abandoned by my family and adopted by the cruelest couple. I couldn't remember my earlier years so I had no memory of them ever being nice to me.
All I remember was from when Eunice was born. I was happy to have a sister but they didn't feel that way. They didn't want me around. They didn't want me touching her. As Eunice grew, she became like her parents. She hates me so much and she didn't hesitate to show me.
I was used as a slave. Worked like an animal and treated like the worst trash. My body was used as a punching bag and my body was littered all over with bruises and cuts from the treatment I received.
The worst of it had happened three weeks ago when they threw a bonfire and I was forbidden from attending.
I was at Eunice's house, cleaning and scrubbing while the pack had fun. I thought I was alone until I saw Kaden, staring behind me and watching me creepily.
Kaden was Eunice's mate. They lived together and I often came over to their house to clean and tidy up the place. Kaden had a strange air about him and I didn't like him. I often found him looking at me and watching everything I did with a creepy smile on his face.
He never tried anything until that day. He watched me without me knowing and when I saw him, he drew closer.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. But he didn't respond and only drew closer. I had an eerie feeling just staring at him. Something was wrong.
"This is my home. I can be here whenever I want to"
Then I should just leave. I tried to go past him but he grabbed my arm, forced me onto the wall, and pressed himself against me. I felt sick as he touched me and I tried to struggle against him but I was no match for him, an alpha.
That day, he stripped me of my innocence. I felt dirty and sick. Disgusted that something like that had happened but there was nobody I could tell.
He was alpha and it was my word against his. Nobody would believe me anyway. So I swallowed the abuse and tried to avoid Kaden. But it wasn't as easy as I imagined.
That first day would only be the beginning of true hell for me. Kaden took every opportunity he had to assault me and I couldn't do anything about it.
My life was miserable and I had nobody to run to and nowhere to run to. Eunice's attitude only worsened towards me and it was a literal living hell for me.
I couldn't stand it anymore. I couldn't stand to live like that again so I decided to run away.
I felt rested enough and I had to be on the mine again. I was careful not to accidentally run into another pack or my alpha would be contacted and Kaden would find me easily.
I picked up my pace again, running as fast as I could through the thick forest. A noise caught my attention and my heart raced. Did they discover that I was gone? I couldn't let them find me.
I pushed myself harder, sweat pouring through my body and my legs quivering but I didn't dare to stop. Do I find somewhere to hide? No. That would only increase my chances of being caught.
I didn't pick up on the noise coming from my side until it was too late. A heavy weight forced me to the forest floor and I realized somebody was laying over me. I struggled under the weight but the attacker pressed harder.
Unconsciously, my mind took me back to the time Laden had me pressed down like this while he assaulted me. And betraying me, my body went stiff.
I became unmoving under the weight. My attacker must have realized I was no longer struggling because he lifted his weight from my body and moved away. I couldn't see his face, the sun blinded my eyes.
"Is that her?" I heard an all too familiar voice.
"Yes alpha" Tears flowed from my eyes. It had all been for nothing. I had been found.
"I want her on her knees" he commanded and I was forced to my knees.
Kaden squatted to my level, staring at me with a sick look.
"I told you many times. If you act like a good girl then I wouldn't have to punish you" My stomach churned the longer I stared at his face.
"All you had to do was be obedient and I wouldn't punish you"
"Why did you have to run away?" When I didn't respond, he grabbed my hair.
"Answer me"
"I would rather die than stay in that pack willingly" he laughed and let go of my hair.
"Death? You cannot die unless I've given my permission Nevaeh. I own every inch of you and only I will decide when you get to die. But that will only happen when I get tired of you"
"No" I screamed and jumped at him, only getting as far as his face and scratching him. I was immediately pinned to the floor by one of his guards.
"Let me go" I yelled but they ignored me.
"Take her back to the pack and lock her up in the dungeon" he commanded and shifted into his wolf before disappearing into the forest.
"Wake up" a stern voice yelled before a bucket of ice-cold water was dumped over my head.I was awake but I couldn't move because my body was exhausted. And I couldn't tell them I was awake."You bitch" he grabbed my hair and yanked my head up so I was looking up at him."You're awake. That's good" he let go of my hair and my head dropped because I couldn't hold it up."I don't know why Alpha Kaden will go this far to punish you but I must tell you that I enjoy it"If there was anyone as bad as Kaden, it was his beta, Philip. Philip had authority as a beta and he liked to show it in every way. He went out of his way to torment those he considered weaker than himself but was a complete pussy when he had to talk in front of the other men.It was stupid for Kaden to have such a weakling as a beta but since they were long-time friends with the same shitty character, they stuck together."The Alpha is waiting," a guard said and the chains holding me up were loosened. My body was falling bu
KING THANE's POV"Is it necessary to attend the banquet?" I asked my beta, Hermes."It's thrown in your honor. Kaden is throwing this banquet for you""He wants to get on my good side""You should attend. You've kept away from the people for a long time and I think this would be a way to show the people Grace you still care about them. Other Alphas will be in attendance""That makes me not want to go at all" I grumbled and Hermes sighed."It's just this one time. If you won't go then can we at least have a party here in the castle?""No" my answer was instant. I hated parties, especially after what had happened.They all knew it. There was no way I would be throwing a party in the castle for any reason."The people are talking""It'll interest you to know that I do not give a fuck about what they have to say""They are your people""Enough with the talk Hermès. I have no interest in attending a banquet but if I happen to change my mind, I'll let you know" I snapped angrily at Hermes.
Eunice's face morphed into an angry one while Camilla looked at us in shock. Kaden slowly disentangled himself from me and buttoned up his pants."You fucking bitch" Camilla marched towards me and grabbed me by my hair."After everything Eunice did for you. You had to guts to seduce her mate"Seduce Kaden? Did that look like a seduction to her or did she just want to act blind?"You ungrateful whore" Eunice joined the attack, pulling at my hair. Both of them dragged me from different directions and I just wanted to get away. I had been lying on the floor with my clothes torn, Kaden over me and holding me down and I was the one they attacked?"I've had enough of your slutty ways in this pack. I'm going to kill you with my bare hands" Eunice dragged me outside while Camilla kept hitting me. There was a small group of people outside and the spectacle instantly caught their attention.I wasn't liked by anyone in the pack. The moment Camilla let it know that I had been with Kaden, the rest
I didn't know when I slept off. I felt so tired and cold. If it wasn't for the coat Hermes had given to me, I wouldn't have even a little warmth. My thoughts drifted to my mate and my stomach turned.He was a powerful man. A very powerful man. I had hoped for a mate but I didn't expect someone with so much power. From his stare, it was obvious that I disgusted him. And what they had said, he believed them completely.His attitude already gave me the impression that he wouldn't be accepting me. But why then did he want me to go back with him? I was unsure about everything, but grateful that I was far away from Kaden and his evil pack. Where they would never be able to touch me again.The coach came to an abrupt stop and I fell forward, hitting my face against the wall of the coach.The door flew open and Hermes was standing in front of me. I caught sight of my mate, he was walking away from the coach at a very fast pace. He didn't even look back for a second to see if I was down from t
I didn't get much sleep throughout the night. I was turning and tossing all through the night. My situation seemed bleak to me and I couldn't get the look on his face out of my mind. The looks on all their faces. I had been assaulted constantly in that pack. And even tonight…the way they had seen us. They knew…Eunice knew that it wasn't consensual but she acted like that to save face. I couldn't even defend myself in front of all those people. I sighed deeply. It was already too late to think much about it. They had all made their conclusions about me. There was nothing I could do to change how they thought about me. Again…my mate. If I'm being honest, I'm still bewildered that I had gotten one. 'He's not so much to us' my wolf reminded me and I sighed again. I forced my eyes shut but the sleep didn't come still. By the time the rooster crowed, I figured I had to get up. Since I was still in the tattered clothes from yesterday, I grabbed the cloak Hermes had given me and put it on ag
I never got the chance to see that girl again or ask her to explain her words from that day. Roughly a thousand servants were working at the castle. That was almost ten times the size of Kaden's pack. I would never meet all of them one-on-one and the chances that I would meet that girl again was very slim. There was no one else that I could ask about what she had said so I let it go. That day, it took me six hours to scrub the laundry room clean on my knees. By the time I was done scrubbing and washing, my knees felt sore and my arms were trembling. My stomach had been cramping because of the lack of food and I remember feeling very dizzy as I tried to find my way to the kitchen after my tedious work. A meal was waiting for me and I gobbled it up. One of the women was nice enough to inform me that I could ask for my meals whenever I wanted it. The days went by and I healed completely from the attack of that night. I didn't run into Martha and only received the list of my duties at t
As expected, the issue from dinner didn't end there. I knew there was no way I would get out of a punishment after my reaction. And even though I shouldn't feel disappointed or let down by my mate's reaction, I still was. It was so disgusting to hear. That it was okay to be touched against my will because I was wearing clothes that were too tight or too short. And it wasn't even my fault in the first place. I had nothing to wear. I had been taken from my pack with no belongings. The only thing I had on me was the tattered clothes and the coat beta Hermes had given to me. Martha didn't want me to wear that and gave me little clothes. Maybe it was my fault for not speaking out and requesting for new and better clothes, that could size me perfectly. But who could I have possibly asked? Anyway, I was given the tiniest brush ever to scrub the whole of the ballroom. So on my hands and knees, I scrubbed the massive ballroom. I didn't get anything to eat because I was upset at everything an
KING THANE’s POV Hermes couldn't stay at a place. He kept pacing the office and muttering something. His agitation was upsetting my wolf and my wolf couldn't be calm. "My lord we need your approval on this" One of the men in the office handed a paper over to me and I glanced through it. "Why do they need my approval to hunt?" "It's crossing into another's pack territory" "And they can't discuss it with the alpha of that territory?" I snapped at him. "I'm not giving permission to intrude on another alpha's land. He can if he discusses with the alpha of that territory" "What next?" Hermes chose that as the perfect time to say something. "I don't get how mates act crazy" There was a long pause as we all stared at him. He probably didn't realize that he blurted that out loud. "Out everybody" I commanded and they grabbed their things, fleeing from the office. "What was it that you were saying about mates?" "It didn't use to be like this in the past. Everyone loved the mates