Chapter 2: Escape

IVARA

“What makes you think you should eat that when you didn’t spend a dime on it?”

“You're useless!”

“You should be dead! I blame Loyd for bringing this crap into our world!”

“Look around, does anyone here live without a wolf? Even the Omegas are above you!” My stepmother, Maybelline’s insults and taunts over the years kept echoing, over and over in my head.

Why do they hate me so much? I’m always trying. I just want to live. Is that so wrong? 

But finally, at this point, I realized that nothing I did mattered to my family. No kindness, no hard work.

After all, I was just the child from my father’s affair with a human, probably cursed to be wolfless. What did I expect?

“Families aren't allowed in the Dark Hell, so I guess this is the part where we say our goodbyes, sister.” Dahlia’s voice snapped me from my thoughts.

Together, her and Adrian turned their backs on me and began leaving. 

“Wait!” I scrambled to my feet, the weakness in me dispersing instantly.

“You can’t leave me here! Adrian!” I clung to his shirt desperately, realizing the urgency of the matter.

I expected more mocks and taunts. After all, I was used to it but instead, a punch was hurled at my face. 

The force threw me backwards. My head snapped to the side; a sharp, hot pain seared through my face, mixed with the steady splitting ache in my skull.

This was nothing like the beating and punches father had always given me. It was brutal. I almost couldn't feel my face anymore.

“How dare you?” Adrian snarled, surprising me. 

The punch wasn’t the shocker, it was the realization that he hadn’t even hesitated.

I had never seen him that mad before. The way he looked at me now was nothing like that soft, affectionate gaze I had always received in the past. Was this how much I disgusted him?

Either way, the punch and pain was nothing compared to the freedom I yearned for.

I spat out the blood in my mouth, then hurriedly crawled over to Dahlia, wrapping my palms around her ankle.

“Please, Dahlia! I promise, I'd work to sponsor your wedding and even give you my savings. Don't…” I didn't even get to finish my speech when I was kicked across the face and my body slammed against the wall.

“Please, please…” I cried out in desperation. I just needed someone… anyone, to choose me for once.

They only walked out and locked the door behind them.

Blood seeped out of my mouth, staining the ground. Even my left eye throbbed and ran blurredly. It seemed useless.

I crawled to the door and began pounding hard on it while screaming with every fiber in me.

“Don't ruin my life this way, you've taken everything already, let me out!” I sounded more like a scorned woman, hoping for what was never to come.

My self-esteem, the craving for something better, the desire to be loved, they had taken it all and left only an empty shell which happened to be me. Yet I was still scraping and clinging onto that remnant.

I didn't know how long I had knelt there screaming out my lungs, but I was forced to accept that they were never coming back.

My mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “You have to survive, Ivara. You can't step foot into that auction hall unless it's over,” I whispered, pulling my hair hard.

The auction had to be tonight and if I were to do anything, it was now!

I wiped my face with the back of my hands, then stood up. I stepped back a bit then ran towards the door, ramming my shoulder against it. 

I tried over and over again, each hit earning a groan and a whimper from my lips, but yet my attempt remained fruitless.

Then I heard the clink, something fell from me.

I gasped, realizing that I still had my hairpin up, and it was supposedly what fell.

A wave of excitement washed through me. I couldn't see because the candle had burned out, so I began tracing the floor with my palm.

Each second heightened the panic I was trying to suppress, and it distracted me a lot.

Finally, I found the pin and, without wasting any more seconds, I manipulated the lock. It only took a minute before the bolt clicked, and I slipped through the door.

My thoughts were hazed, I had no idea where I was or where I intended to go, but I was certain that I wanted to go far away from these heartless people who didn't think twice before signing me up for an auction.

Everywhere was dark, but I could see a bit, due to the rays of moonlight seeping in from the windows. 

I gulped, my hands trembling. Fvck! It was nighttime already.

I rushed to the first window in sight. I knew better than to use the door, I wasn't that stupid. I had no time to search for anything to break the window, so instead, I used my elbow.

Shards of glass pierced my elbows and even when I tried to climb they pierced different parts of my body. In short, I was a bloody mess, barefoot and shivering.

I jumped through and began sprinting across the first street I saw. 

As I ran, the screech of tires, the blare of horns, and the angry shouts of drivers all merged into a cacophony of chaos. I didn't dare look back, my gaze was fixed ahead as my heart hammered in my throat.

My breath came in ragged gasps. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through my veins. 

I tried boarding a taxi, but none would stop for me. They probably thought I was crazy. I mean, who would stop for a girl running barefoot, all bloody?

As I ran, hope, as foolish as it was, was starting to creep in. But I had forgotten how unlucky I was meant to be. Did I suddenly think my luck would change?

“Ivara!” A loud yell of my name suddenly echoed from the other side of the street.

My stomach plummeted. It couldn't be. How was father here?

“Stop right there, you useless thing!” he bellowed. 

I had barely taken another step when my hair was yanked back.

“You’ve got a wild streak, escaping and deciding to use the Dark Hell path? I always knew you were foolish but never to this extent.” Father rasped, pulling me across the street with him. 

He didn’t just drag my body to the hall, he dragged every dream I’d ever dared to hold.

It was at that moment that I found out that we were right outside the auction hall. I had threaded the wrong path due to panic.

“Please, sir...” I whimpered. I didn't dare call him father, it would only make things worse.

His jaw clenched as he threw me to the front of the building while I fell at the feet of the guards. 

“She's signed up for the auction and I want her stripped naked right here and taken into the hall.” he ordered the guards.

“Chains too, she's feisty and just tried escaping.” Father snarled, and the guards immediately grabbed me.