My body didn't feel like my own. I just wanted to lie down for a moment and rest my head. Even if it was just for a little movement. My body needed rest. That much was evident in my sluggish movement and tired face.
Anyone could tell but yet nobody would say a word because they didn't care about me. Born as the daughter of a mistress, my life had never been easy. Occasionally I wished I died along with my mother or that she had never crossed my father's path but it wouldn't change anything. I can't undo the mistake that brought me into this cruel world.
Every day was hell for me and I longed for an escape but I was too much of a coward to try. I stopped the large bag of grains that I carried on my back. The dropping made a loud thud and I winced. That sound will definitely attract some unwanted attention.
It was still very early in the morning and the time for them to wake up was still far. If I awoke Lady Bianca before the appropriate time, I would receive a whopping. I opened the back door and stepped into the kitchen. There was no sound in the house. I moved quietly, grabbing pans to make breakfast for the morning.
An hour later I heard the creaking noise of the stairs. I cleaned faster even though I knew I wouldn't make it out of the kitchen before they arrived.
"Morning lady Bianca," I said, keeping my head down as soon as she stepped in front of me.
"Serve the breakfast" she commanded and walked to the chair, I dragged my finger out of the way, narrowly missing the pointy heels of her shoes. I moved immediately, serving the hot breakfast of all of them.
Jonathan, my stepbrother arrived just as I finished setting the travel and plopped down on the chair.
"Is this all of it?" I heard a loud clang and flinched.
"Y-yes my lady" She said nothing and stood up, matching to the pot and opening the lid.
"Then what is this"
"Sorry," I dropped to my knees, feeling instant regret for leaving that little bit for myself.
"I wanted to eat a little" I cried.
"Eat a little? What gave you the right to eat a little?" She pulled my hair, her sharpened nails digging into my scalp.
"Forgive me" I cried harder.
"Stupid bitch" she struck me across the face. I couldn't hold myself up and ended up falling to the ground.
Tears clouded my visit but I studied my sob. All I wanted was a little to eat.
"Mother....you should be nicer" I heard Jonathan's mocking voice.
"Nicer? She doesn't deserve anything from me. Did you scrub the entire basement like I asked you to?"
"No, my lady"
"And you think you deserve to eat?" She stomped her foot repeatedly on my fingers and I bit my lip to stop myself from crying out in pain. It would only anger her further.
"You haven't completed your duties and as such, you are not allowed to eat until I permit you to"
I bit my lips harder so a sound couldn't escape. I couldn't scrub the entire basement without eating a thing. But I didn't dare say that out loud.
"Next time you want to steal from me, remember that only I determine what you do and don't. Remember that you don't deserve to live but I let you. You are dirt like your mother and you should have died with her but I let you live. So you are only allowed to eat whatever I deem suitable. If I say you cannot eat, then you cannot eat" I cried harder as she finished speaking.
What wrong have I committed to suffer this cruel torture? Being born? I never asked to be born. Why did u have to suffer for the mistake my parents made on their own? I heard the creaking of stairs and she glared at me.
"Pick up your pitiful self from there. If your father finds out what happened, you know what I'll do to you"
Lie against me and have me thrown out of the pack. It was a threat I heard one too many times so I quickly got up. I didn't want to be a rogue or banished from the pack. The close relationship with the alpha made anything possible. Just a word from her and I could be removed.
Father arrived and walked past us, not sparing a glance in my direction. He never bothered to acknowledge me so I didn't understand why she was desperate to hide her maltreatment from him.
"Oh honey" she moved to his side and I continued cleaning, packing up the discarded food that I could have eaten.
From the corner of my eye, I watched her serve his meal while petting him with her hands until she returned to her seat. It was silent for a full moment until she broke the silence.
"I'm so excited" Lady Bianca's voice rang loudly.
"Jonathan is getting mated in two days" I heard all about it. He was getting mated to the alpha's daughter.
"I can't believe that'll finally be getting the recognition we deserve" Lady Bianca added. The prestige of the family would be increased and the tight bond between the two families will only become tighter.
"Yes. As Alpha, I'll be in charge and all the wealth belonging to them will be ours. We will be the rulers of this pack soon" Jonathan said with a distant look in his eyes.
They were both already imagining taking over the wealth and control of the pack.
"The ladies will look at me with respect. Nobody will ever talk down at me" Lady Bianca added.
"There's so much to do, so much to prepare. We have to get rid of the old furniture. Anything unpleasant to the eye..." she paused and I felt her eyes boring holes into my head. She didn't have to say it because I had an idea about what she wanted to say.
I couldn't attend. I was unpleasant to look at. Besides, I'll be too busy slaving away in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning all day.
I listened to them as they discussed preparations and whatnot. Nobody remembered that in two days, I would also be twenty years old.
I managed to find some almost spoiled food and filled my stomach with it.Lady Bianca wouldn't notice it so I ate it because if she knew about it, she would rather discard it than let me eat it. Hell if she found out that I ate it, my back would be sore by tomorrow from a whipping.With some food in my stomach, I was able to function properly for the rest of the day without running into any trouble. I did my duties while managing to stay out of their line of sight.Night came and I did all I was supposed to. After dinner, I scrubbed the kitchen clean. I was supposed to retire to bed and have a good sleep but I wanted to go to the forest.It was the only place in the whole pack where I could be free where I could spend hours alone and forget the horror my life was. Where nothing mattered. Not any mother, father, or the rest of the pack who hated me. I made sure they were all asleep and I crept out of the house. I didn't want anyone to find out about that place because once they realize
After my encounter with Jonathan in the forest and the days to the party drew closer, each day felt like hell to me. Not because of the physical pain I felt, but because I was dreading the words he had said to me. He was capable of making it happen especially once the mating to the alpha's daughter is done and he becomes next in line to be alpha. But I couldn't give in to him. I was waiting for my mate. He'll be disappointed in me if I ever did something like that. And what's worse, Jonathan is my brother. It was wrong but he didn't see that. He couldn't see past his desire to get what he wanted no matter what.The thought of the slave camp made me shudder. It was a place of horrendous activities. Female slaves were captured and sent there, made to serve the men repeatedly by choice or otherwise. None of the girls who were ever sent there made it out alive. I feared being a rogue but I feared going to the slave camp even more."Run away" a voice screamed in my head but I couldn't. I c
ALPHA THORNE's POVThe night was slow and I was already having regrets about coming here. I didn't want to be here. The daughter of an alpha getting mated to a nameless boy wasn't reason enough to drag me out of the comfort of my pack but here I was, all because my uncle was a stubborn male who wouldn't leave me alone. Alliances he said but looking at these people I didn't need them and they wouldn't be of any help if I needed one.I was going to return to my pack. I wouldn't even spend the night like they had planned for me. It would be a miracle if I even lasted until the end of the night."Alpha Thorne" a high-pitched voice drew my attention and I turned slightly, coming face to face with the alpha, Mathew. His daughter is by his side with a trail of people standing next to her."I wanted you to meet my daughter," he said eagerly, pushing her forward. I didn't spare her a glance and kept my gaze on him. He looked like he was waiting for my approval or something. But when I said not
I couldn't believe what I just heard. He was my mate? How was that possible? The Alpha Thorne was my mate? It didn't sound right when I repeated it in my head."Who are you?" His voice was gruff and insistent, demanding for a response immediately."Ava" I answered immediately, submitting to the alpha command in his voice."Who are you and why are you here like this? Who are your parents" he grabbed my arms tightly and I jerked back instantly. He let me go but his focus stayed on me."My father is Jackson Coleman" I mumbled. I saw the shock in his eyes."Jackson? I didn't know he had a daughter" I wasn't surprised. How could he know? They didn't take me out like they took Jonathan. I was always introduced as a slave so even if he wanted to, he couldn't know me."Why are you like this? What are you doing here?" He asked again.I didn't know how to answer his questions. How do I tell him that I was the daughter of the mistress, so hated by her family that they treated me like the help? M
Alpha Thorne's words resounded in the room and then I heard a collective gasp ripple through the environment, followed by a murmur of astonishment and chaos. I felt a thousand eyes on me, their gazes burning into my skin, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from Alpha Thorne. His expression was unreadable, a storm of emotions wrecked through me as I stared at his emotionless eyes holding mine."No!"Jonathan's voice rang out, filled with outrage and disbelief. He pushed his way through the crowd, his face twisted in a snarl. He was vibrating with so much anger. "Ava is not going anywhere with you. She is our servant and you're not taking her anywhere"Alpha Thorne's gaze shifted to Jonathan, his eyes narrowing with a cold, calculating fury."You dare try to stop me?" he asked, his voice low and threatening. I never thought silence could be so loud."You must have a smart mouth. You dare challenge me" he took a step forward and the silence deepened.Jonathan's face turned red with rage,