The Beast And The Blessed

Natalie's P.O.V. I felt uneasy as soon as I entered the pack house. The way my pack mates were smirking at me, laughing behind their hands... I knew they were up to something. Their pranks and bullying had been getting worse and more painful each time they managed to get me alone. My bruises still hadn't gone away from the last time. My body ached from the beating I had taken two days ago, but I was only a few hours away from it all ending. I just needed to get to Jake before they set their plan into motion. Jake was my boyfriend of four years. He was the only one that cared for me, and the only one I could trust. We were high school sweethearts. He was also the next in line to become the Alpha of our pack. That didn't matter to me, but it did matter to the other women in the pack. They hated that he was with me. They felt that they deserved a stronger Luna than I would be, and they all wanted to be his chosen one. I hadn't even shifted yet. To them, I was no more than an omega..

Natalie's P.O.VI could feel my heart breaking all over again the longer I stayed in the pack house the next morning.Haylee never came home last night, and I knew she was right upstairs, sleeping next to the man who claimed he loved me just two days ago. The man who had promised me forever.The dryness in my mouth and throat made it hard to swallow, but no matter how much I drank, I couldn't seem to get past the utter devastation flowing through my veins.As little as I wanted to be here, I had chores to do. The Lycans would be arriving in a matter of hours, and as the lowest-ranking pack member, I was stuck with cleaning up the mess from the party. My goal had been to get in and out as soon as possible, but when I heard footsteps hit the stairs, I knew I had taken too long.The pile of vomit I was cleaning up had me ready to gag, and I knew if I didn't get it off the floor, depending on who was about to join me, there was a good chance my face would end up in it. But I had stupidly

Natalie's P.O.V. I had never been so happy and terrified at the same time. The house was empty, and everything was free for the taking as I collected a bag with clothes, money, and food. Every few minutes, I would hear the creak of the house shifting or noise outside, and my heart would stop. I was waiting for them to come home and find me stealing. Even worse, I was waiting for a Lycan to pop out of the walls and rip my heart from my chest. They had already made their way onto our land. Even without my wolf present, I could feel them. Their power was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. The hairs on my neck and arms were sticking away from my body, and my stomach was rolling with nerves. I threw my backpack over my shoulder, keeping my bad arm as close to my chest as possible to prevent irritating the damaged appendage further. I had to make it three miles to the border and another six before I reached a human town. Once I was there, I could hop a ride and go anywhere I

Natalie's P.O.V. Several hours had passed before I had mustered up the courage to help myself to a shower. I was glad that I had my get-a-way bag with me when I was taken from my pack. Clean clothes and a warm shower did wonders for me and my injured arm, and I was ready to test the limits of my new captivity and learn my place. If I wasn't allowed to leave 'our' bedroom, then I would find out very quickly. I paused at the door briefly, wondering what would happen if he came back and I wasn't there. What kind of punishments did human breeders get? Were there other human breeders here? I shook my head, glancing back to the room, admiring the glow of the mid-afternoon sun on the gold detailing that decorated the bedposts. It made me wonder what other beautiful designs were waiting for me to discover in the rest of the castle. The bronze handle was cold beneath my touch, like a warning that I should just back away and stay where I had been left. Instead, I pulled the door open, jumpin

Natalie's P.O.V. It was a difficult thing, sleeping in a strange place. But it was the awe and excitement that came with the realization that things here would not be the same as they were in my old pack that kept me awake. Even if I was just a breeder, I would still be treated as the King's mate… or at the very least, I would one day be the mother to the heir. No more would I be an omega. No more would I be beaten or abused. It was empowering. But it was that rush of adrenaline that made it hard to sleep. Each time I fell into my light slumber, I would wake up only minutes later. Then the excitement would hit me again, and I would struggle to fall back asleep. I wanted to go explore to see the rest of not only the castle but the kingdom. I also wanted to try more of the food they had here. The dinner had been a tense affair with only myself and the king. Joselin had made herself scarce when the food arrived and had taken my guard with her, leaving us with a smug comment about how