“Where is that bitch? Is she still sleeping?” A harsh voice resounded in the background, piercing through the darkness surrounding me.
“Yes, Alpha.” Another sickly sweet voice sounded, “Now that she is going to turn eighteen, she has sprouted wings. She thinks that a charming mate will appear magically and save her.”
“Omega!” The harsh voice sounded again, this time louder with a tinge of controlled anger. “Come down this moment!”
I groaned and tossed to my side, covering my ears. Why were they shouting so loudly? Another groan left my lips, followed by a whimper.
“Omega! If you don’t come down in five seconds, I will kill you!” The voice held such vehemence that it shattered the darkness around, bringing forth flashes of memories.
My eyes snapped open, and I sat up with a gasp. He was calling for me. I was the omega of this pack. The momentary effect of adrenaline ebbed a bit soon, and I was made aware of the bone-breaking ache that consumed my body.
My entire body seemed to be burning. It took a great deal of effort to stand up. Drawing the little strength left in my body, I scrambled down the stairs; my breathing labored and my steps shaky.
I heaved as I finally reached the last few steps. Licking my dry lips, I tried to raise my head. A sudden wave of blood rush caused me to stagger. My steps faltered, and I stumbled.
A gasp left my lips, and I grappled to hold the railing; my fingers brushed against the wooden surface as my body lunged backward.
I swerved and bumped straight into the man standing next to the staircase. He flinched and stepped back as if he had touched something gross. This loss of support made me lose my balance, and I landed on my knees with a thud.
My palms pressed against the floor and I remained crouched; gasping to draw air into my lungs. A pair of shiny heels came into view. Clip! Clop! Clip! Clop! The sound resounded in the hall as the girl drew closer.
A shudder coursed through me as the person came to a halt a mere inches away from me. I hissed as her cold fingers brushed against my burning scalp. She wove her fingers through the tangled strands and, with a sharp tug, she dragged me to my feet.
“How dare you throw yourself at our Alpha?” The sickly, sweet voice dripped in my ears as she pulled harder.
“Ouch! Please, no…” I winced as the grip tightened with every passing moment. “That hurts.”
“It is supposed to hurt, my lovely Omega. I was thinking I should pull out all your hair. That will make it easier for your mate to reject you.” Her words dripped with hatred and spite.
The man I had bumped into earlier glanced at me with Disdain. “I don’t think there is any need for that, Victoria.” His discerning gaze raked over me. “She is already hideous as she is. I don’t think even the sewage cleaners would accept her.”
Tears of humiliation rolled down my cheeks at his words. He must have said this a million times, but that didn’t reduce the impact of his words. Every time they called me ugly, the hope of starting a new life faded a little. I didn’t know how much disdain I could endure before that hope would be crushed completely.
Smack! Slap! Two slaps landed on my cheeks in quick succession, jolting me as if she had branded my face with a hot iron. “Who do you think you are? How dare you zone out while we are talking to you!”
Blood trickled down my lips, and I whimpered. “You are becoming bolder with each passing day.” Victoria snapped, shaking me up, “Alpha Azarel, you must punish her lest she gets out of our hands.”
Something flitted in his eyes and he shrugged. “I don’t have much time, Victoria. I need to meet The Lycan King today.” His face contorted in a scowl. “I will deal with her when I am free.”
With these words, he started walking away and a sigh of relief left my lips. Right when I thought I had dodged the bullet, he spun around, grabbed me by my neck, and punched me right in the face.
A loud snap resounded in the room. My jaw bone had probably dislocated. The impact left me reeling, making my head feel woozy. Victoria released my hair, and I fell to the ground like a rag doll.
A kick landed on me as she scowled, “Pick yourself up and go back to work lest Alpha Azarel changes his mind.”
This was how most of my days began. Azarel and Victoria didn’t need a reason to abuse me. No matter how hard I tried, it had become a norm to get beaten up several times a day.
I spat out a mouthful of blood as I scrambled to my feet. Gathering what little strength I had, I scampered into the kitchen where Oyle and Daisy, two servants, were busy at work. Oyle was a middle-aged woman who did most of the cooking. Daisy, her daughter, assisted her with chores.
Oyle’s face flickered with concern as she saw the large bruise on my face. She grabbed a wet compress and rushed towards me. Cleaning up the wound, she cursed, “Those people, they are worse than monsters. How can they beat you up like this? that too when you are sick.”
I wanted to say that I was fine. But I couldn’t even open my mouth. Damn! Did he have to break my jaw? Werewolves healed fast, but for something like a jawbone to rejoin, it would take at least three days.
“Two days later, you will turn eighteen. I hope you find your mate quickly. Then, you can leave this hell hole forever,” Oyle continued to talk as she applied ointment on the bruise. “Even Alpha Azarel can’t stop you if your mate insists on taking you away.
All of a sudden her eyes widened and her hand froze, “Vicious, utterly vicious! How can someone be so evil?”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at her with a perplexed expression.
“Alpha Azarel knows that you will be eighteen in two days. That is why he broke your jawbone. That way, you won’t appear before your mate, even if you figure out who he is.”
She grabbed my shoulders; her eyes flashing with a deep sense of dread, “You must run away from here. I have a very bad feeling about all of this, Omega. You need to run away before your birthday.”
“Oyle! Where in the fucking world is my breakfast?” Victoria’s furious voice boomed from the hall.
She looked at me helplessly. I held her wrist and nodded in understanding. I didn’t want to drag her into trouble with me.
Her words kept ringing in my ears as I watched her arrange the plates on a tray and rush out of the kitchen.
Oyle was right. Alpha Azrael had always been like this. He never let me have contact with people outside or talk to guests. He could do anything to keep me trapped here. I had to run before it was too late.
That night, I lay on my tattered mattress, holding my breath; my ears perked up; listening to everything in my surrounding with keen attention. Once all the sounds in the mansion had died out, I sneaked out of my room.
The floorboards creaked softly as I tip-toed along the corridor. My heart beat accelerated, and I started sweating profusely. If Alpha Azarel caught me, it would be the end of me.
My heart drummed erratically as I made it to the ground floor of the mansion. Most of the important rooms were located here, and I had to walk through the corridor, passing right between them.
Usually, I avoided this section of the mansion, but today, I had no choice. This was the only exit that wasn’t heavily guarded to give more privacy to the Alpha’s family.
My steps faltered as hushed voices fell in my ears.
“I think you went a bit overboard today, Alpha Azarel. You shouldn’t have punched her so hard.”
“I did what was needed, Denver.”
My ears perked up, and I pressed my face to the door; my heart fluttering at the little warmth. Was he arguing with Alpha Azarel for me?
Denver was the Beta of our pack. Unlike Alpha Azarel, he was kind and generous. He had helped me escape Alpha Azrael’s wrath several times.
“What if she starts hating us?”
“Let her. Who cares? I want her to tremble in fear every time she hears my name. That way she will never….” His voice trailed off.
The next moment, the door swung open abruptly, and I was dragged inside. Alpha Azarel’s eyes flashed with rage and his grip on my arm tightened. Pushing me to the ground, he snapped, “Victoria was right about her. She has indeed become bold.”
He walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a silver whip. Running his fingers along the handle, he gritted out, “She needs to be punished.”
He threw the whip at Denver and commanded, “Strike her with this thirty times.”
Denver’s eyes widened. “But the silver whip will leave permanent scars.”
Alpha Azarel’s eyes sparkled with an evil glint. “That is the whole point, Denver.” His smirk widened as his cold gaze drifted to me. “Let us see if her mate will accept her with all these scars.”
“Alpha, please….”
“What? Are you going to defy my order now?” Alpha Azarel’s voice took an icy edge.
He shook his head; his voice choking. “I wouldn’t dare.”