Chapter 1

Davina's POV.

“You are going to do something really naughty for me, Davina.” Alpha Atlas said as he trailed his hands down my cheek. I shivered under his gaze, my skin burning with an unholy sensation.

“What is it, Alpha?” I muttered breathlessly, “I will do anything." His eyes trailed down to my lips, the corner of his lips twitched in a slight smirk.

I quickly looked down, but he lifted my chin back up, his eyes met mine again, both aroused and embarrassed. I tried to avert my gaze, but he looked too perfect.

“I want you to seduce me, show me how charming you can be.”

**One week Earlier**

"Beta Andrew, please, all I am asking for is my salary, the same thing you gave everyone who worked in the coal mine today, nothing more." The sound of my plea resounded in the room.

I quickly fell on my knees. "See, I don't mind working for another week on no pay, but I need today's own. My life depends on it," I begged, tears blurring my vision.

"You know how the Alpha is, he doesn't play with debtors. He would banish me if I didn't remit my installment.” I begged, trying to reach for his garment, but he pulled away immediately.

"Don't touch me with those filthy hands of yours, Davina," Beta Andrew yelled, but I didn't listen. I reached out to him again. This time he slapped me.

The sting of his hand on my cheek made everything around me silent. For a good five seconds, everything around me went slow and blurry. Then two hard hands held my sides as I was pulled out of the office.

I saw Beta Andrew smirking at me as he had his thugs haul me out of his office. He did it purposely, he knew about my debt. He wanted me banished?

The next time I regained awareness, I was thrown on a pile of warm coal outside the coal mine, bruised and heartbroken.

"The Alpha is going to banish me." I muttered to myself in disbelief as warm tears fell on my cheeks.

What will I do?

Today marked the end of the grace the Alpha had given my family to pay up our debt. For three months my father had not been able to work. He fell from a hilltop while carrying bricks and broke his back.

I had no other relative to help out. Just me. Just me carrying a debt I didn't spend.

My chest tightened even more when I realized I had about two hours before the Alpha's guards came looking for me.

I thought of going back to Beta Andrew's office to beg for my payment, but I knew too well he wouldn't give me anything, he had always had resentment for me. I just didn’t know he would go this low.

Today he was letting workers go, and my name came up on the list.

He paid everyone, and when it got to my turn, he said I didn't deserve pay.

That I wasn't lifting heavily like the rest of the male workers, so I didn't deserve equal pay. When I told him I did equal work and equal effort, he demanded I apologize.

My reluctance to apologize led him to fire me and refuse to pay.

He knew I could not report him to the Alpha. He knew I could not report to anyone. No one would fight for me.

My chest tightened again.

I wiped my eyes, braced myself, and stood up from the pile burning my skin.

If I don't get that money, only the goddess can save me. I needed to ask someone for it or take a loan if I must, but I had to pay the Alpha today.

Refusing to feel sorry for myself for too long, I wiped my eyes and dusted the dirt off my body.

There was only one person in all of the Morningfall Pack who I trusted to give me a little money, and that was Crest, my boyfriend and mate.

He too was working in the western coal mine. We had the same paydays. I had never asked him for money, so he would understand that I needed it today.

He knew about my family's debt and how much I had worked to pay off all the interest accumulated over the years.

He would give me something, even a little. His family was not as financially broken as mine. Needless to say, he was working because most young men are advised to work, not because he needed the money.

So he would give me something.

At least that was what I thought as I walked tirelessly toward his house, trying to think of only positive things rather than all the bad outcomes that might happen today.

"Davi, why don't you show us those perky boobs of yours? Come put them on my mouth!" A boy in a car cruising beside me yelled as he stuck his tongue out.

My stomach dropped.

"What?"

Looking as they drove by, pointing and laughing at me, confusion held me, followed by a wave of sadness.

I didn't want to think much of it. Boys like that had no real responsibility. They were irresponsible perverts.

I finally reached Crest's house and spotted some of his friends outside. Jude and Chris.

I waved at them before reaching the gate, and they waved back. "Isn't it Davina the pack whore?" Chris said, smirking down at me.

Something cold moved through me.

"Yeah, I didn't know underneath those rags you always wear you had a body like that," Jude added.

Both of them grinning down at me, their eyes glimmering with something that made my skin crawl.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, don't act so holy now, we know how much of a horny little thing you are." Jude tried to pull me in, but I kicked him in the groin in panic. He doubled over holding himself in pain.

"Hey!" Chris tried to hold me but I slid out of his grip and ran straight to Crest's house, pushing through the living room then straight to his room.

"Crest! Crest!" I called out his name, panicked and confused.

He wasn't anywhere. I ran back to the living room. "CREST!"

Tears had started pooling in my eyes again. I ran to the backyard, and there I saw him coming out of the family garage with his car keys twirling around his finger.

The sight of him alone made my entire body calm. I ran toward him and crashed into him in a tight hug.

"Eww, you should have at least showered before touching me." He teased, but I laughed at his remark.

"I couldn't go home. I came to look for you." I pulled myself off him and wiped my eyes.

"I have two hours before the Alpha's guards come find me at my house. I need a loan from you to pay them off today." His brows creased.

"What happened to your salary?" he asked.

"Beta Andrew didn't pay me."

"Why? It's month's end," he blurted.

"Story for another day. Just help me. I promise when I find a job, I will—"

"Yo Crest, your little slut kicked Jude in the nut." Chris interrupted. I turned back to see Jude walking furiously toward me. Immediately I ran behind Crest, hoping he would protect me.

"Crest your friends are perverts. They said really awful things to me." I said, but Crest grabbed my hand and pulled me out from behind him.

"You are filthy. Stop touching me." He growled.

My insides collapsed when I looked up to see him frowning down at me.

"Crest, teach this slut of yours some respect, or I will," Jude said, walking toward me. I staggered back but instantly steadied myself when Crest stepped in front of him.

"Who are you calling a slut!" I fired back angrily.

"You." Jude said. "You can no longer hide behind innocence. Everyone knows the real you now," he said.

The real me? What were they talking about? I looked up at Crest and noticed the smirk on his face.

He was supposed to hit Jude for saying such awful things about his girlfriend, but he didn't.

"Crest." Something in my voice broke. I watched him let his friends berate me without a word.

"Say something," I whispered.

"Say what?" He rolled his eyes. "Quit pretending, Davina. I am tired of you pretending to be this innocent prude when both of us know how much of a slut you are behind closed doors."

My world came to a halt.

"What?"

"Yes, Davina. Crest showed us your sex video. Everyone in the pack now has a copy of your nudes and videos of you begging to be flogged and fucked. So quit the pretense and come give me a kiss. I promise I will treat you better than Crest ever has."

I looked up at Crest.

And in the smirk still sitting on his face, my knees grew weak as I staggered backward as the realization hit me.