Prologue

Ruby’s POV

(Six years ago)

A burning pain on my cheek jerked me awake.

“Argh!” I screamed, rubbing my cheek to reduce the pain.

“You are still asleep by this time?” my mother shrieked, glaring down at me on my ratty bed.

“You seem to have forgotten your place in this pack, you murderer!”

“I’m sorry, mother.”

“I was only too tired from having to do all the pack chores yest-”

I tried to explain, but my mother cut me off with another resounding slap.

"Thwack!"

“You should be grateful we even allowed you to live after killing your brother,” she said, sneering at the tears dripping down my face.

“What is going on here?” my father’s voice came from the narrow doorway.

“What has this silly girl done again?”

“Can you imagine that she’s yet to start her chores for the day? I met her here, sleeping like an innocent baby!” Mother said, pointing an accusing finger at me.

“At past 5 a.m.? How dare you?!" Father thundered, striding angrily into the room.

I shrank back on my bed as my father advanced on me, making the already small room even smaller.

“I will teach you a lesson, you little witch!” he yelled furiously, removing his thick leather belt from his trousers.

There was no use begging, so I curled further into myself to prepare for the beating that was sure to come.

My father whipped me with all his strength as he added more bruises to mar my already marked skin while my mother gloated and egged him on.

I couldn’t hold in the pain anymore, and I burst into howls, pleading with him to stop; to end my pain. However, my pleas fell on deaf ears as he continued to mercilessly beat me with his belt.

After ten minutes of torture, I was on the verge of passing out when he finally stopped.

“Let’s go, Sherry,” he called out to my mother, his face reddened as he breathed heavily from his exertions.

“She must have learnt her lesson by now.”

“Get downstairs in the next five minutes if you don’t want a repeat of this beating,” he menacingly sneered as he strode to the door, followed by my mother.

And my parents, the Alpha and Luna of the Grayhedge Pack, left me bloodied and weeping on my bed without a second look.