Chapter 02

AMELIA

“ Look at the audacity of that whore. ”

“ She is so shameless. She should have killed herself by now. ”

“ I know right? She is such a slut. I am sure it was all her fault. She is pretending to be innocent now. ”

I could hear the whispers among the girls standing in the corner but I pretended to be deaf. Ady was by my side, but she was too busy looking around in awe to pay attention to what people were whispering about me.

I told myself it didn’t matter. It shouldn’t.

But, it did.

Every time they called me a whore, a slut, a bitch…a part of me agreed with them. I deserved all that.

It had been my fault after all.

They were right.

But, they should have said that straight to my face instead of hiding in the corners. I appreciated brave people, not irrelevant people who whispered among themselves.

“ Amelia. ” A hand landed on the small of my back.

I turned around abruptly and looked up at Daniel. He was a handsome boy. With his light brown hair and deep grey-green eyes, he could steal anyone’s heart. And seeing him up close was not a bad sight.

But, I couldn’t help the shiver of disgust that rolled down my spine at his touch.

His handsome face didn’t make up for his rotten personality. If Adelia was not a problem and at stake, I would have probably broken his hand. But, right now, it was only possible in my dreams.

“ Daniel. ” I breathed, unconsciously stepping away from him.

“ Hey, Daniel. ” Adelia waved at him as an innocent smile formed on her lips.

“ Hi, Deli! ”

Daniel’s hungry gaze flickered to her face, a wicked smirk gracing his lips. Dread coiled around my insides.

“ Daniel. ” I stepped closer and grabbed his arm to divert his attention to me.

He couldn’t look at Adelia. That was not good. I couldn’t bear his dirty eyes on my innocent sister when she couldn’t even decipher the meaning behind his smirk.

“ Amelia. ” He tore his gaze from my sister and looked at me.

I glanced at Adelia. “ I am sure you are hungry, Ady. Why don’t you go ahead and help yourself? We can join you later. ”

“ Of course. ” Her cheeks flushed red. “ Have a good time, Amy! ”

I sighed in relief when she left the space. Daniel placed his hands over my waist and pulled me in.

“ You finally came to your senses? ” He grinned.

“ I am sorry I…I didn’t know it bothered you so much. If I knew, I wouldn’t refuse you. ” I whispered, as my eyes stung.

If only I could punch him and knock all his filthy teeth out right now, I would have been the happiest woman to die an early death after that.

Daniel gripped my right wrist all of a sudden and started dragging me away from the main hall where the crowd for the event was gathered.

People shot us curious looks. I ignored them as much as I could and kept my head down. The whispers of disgust followed me until I was in the secluded corner close to the throne room.

Daniel pushed me against the wall before placing his hands beside my head and leaning in.

I curled my hands into fists and looked down. I couldn’t meet his gaze when I knew what we were here for.

His lips landed on my cheek. Tears of anger and disgust welled in my eyes.

I hated this.

I hated him.

My head turned to the side unconsciously just when his lips were about to touch mine. The repulsion was not something I could control when he was near.

He gripped my jaw and forced me to look at him again. The playful grin was gone. His eyes were spitting fire now. It was enough to tell me that I had infuriated him once more.

“ Why do you always act so innocent? ” He hissed, squeezing my jaw hard.

I winced as the pain hit my neck and face due to his harsh grip. He would be crushing my jawbone if he didn’t release me right now.

He dived in and pressed his lips to mine. My body jolted with the intensity of anger I felt at the move.

I placed my hands on his chest and pushed him away instinctively. Daniel stumbled a step. His hand fell from my jaw.

“ What the fuck? Did you just push me away? ” He whispered, glancing at his chest in disbelief.

“ I—Anyone can come here. We are in the open. This is not appropriate. ” I blurted to cover up the blunder.

If he told Dad, he would surely not spare Adelia this—

I yelped as Daniel’s hand landed on my throat and made all thoughts disappear from my head.

“ You slut! ” He growled in my face.

I placed my hands on his, ready to throw him away but the thought of hurting him in the process scared me. It wouldn’t end well for my sister. I knew.

His face neared mine again, but this time, anger was dominant over his filthy lust. He squeezed my throat so hard that my vision blackened.

I opened my mouth to breathe. But the grip on my throat didn’t allow it.

“ D—D… ” I choked.

His fingers dug into my skin. My legs weakened as I struggled for air.

My heartbeat sounded in my ears. My eyes closed as tears slid out of them and rolled down my cheeks.

‘ Fight back! ’ My wolf who was always usually mad at me and opted to remain silent, growled inside my head.

‘ I can’t fight back. Now—Now is not the time. ’ I hissed back.

Daniel shook me violently before throwing me away. My body hit the floor. I coughed and grabbed my throat. My struggles for air didn’t let me notice the pain in my arm and waist for a few moments.

“ You are just a good-for-nothing whore and you think you deserve appropriate behavior from me? ” He huffed.

I sobbed as the pain intensified in my side.

“ If you wanted appropriate, why did you let the Alpha King fuck you? ” He added and crouched down beside me.

I closed my eyes, waiting for another hit as his hands raised in the air. He had never hit me before and had only used words, but I was not surprised.

Who would accept me if not a person like him in my Dad’s opinion?

I was damaged goods for the whole Kingdom of East.

“ Why don’t you ask me? ” A deep-velvety voice sounded in my ears.

My body stiffened, making it impossible for me to breathe, to move an inch. Fear squeezed my heart and froze everything inside out. But it was not only fear. There was that familiar thrill too—The thrill that brought all my nerve cells to life and left me shivering and gasping on the floor.

“ Your Highness. ” Daniel whispered, his voice growing distant and respectful.

My heartbeat quickened. I forgot about the pain, and the loss of breath, and everything else in the world.

The Moon Goddess had refused to answer my prayers. She made it clear she wouldn’t forgive me or answer my prayer even if I begged.

Because I didn’t deserve it.

“ Your Highness…It’s not like what you are thinking. She—She fell. ” Daniel stuttered pathetically.

He could beat me all he wanted, but he was just a routine werewolf when it came to the Alpha King. Because the King was a Lycan. A superior race that ruled over all werewolves. They were blessed by the Moon Goddess. They had strength and power that was not seen in anyone else.

“ She did? ” His deep voice sounded again.

“ Y—Yes. ”

“ And? ” He hummed. “ do you want to fall too? ”

“ N—No, Your Highness. ” Daniel uttered.

“ Leave then. Disappear from my sight before I help you fall. ” Tyson’s voice was eerily calm and cool.

“ Yes, Your Highness. ” Daniel’s running footsteps echoed in the space right after he was done talking.

Coward couldn’t wait a moment more.

I stayed in my position, waiting for Tyson to leave too. I knew he wouldn’t hurt me here. There were a large number of people around, but this didn’t help ease the fear and thrill which had me paralyzed in my spot.

My body was shivering while my heart remained beating in my stomach. I clenched my hands into fists as I waited for him to leave desperately.

A few moments passed. The atmosphere grew heavy with tense anticipation.

Please leave.

Please leave Tyson.

Oh Goddess, please.

“ Amelia. ” His voice shouldn’t have sounded so hot when he took my name, but the whisper had my insides quivering.

My eyes snapped open and landed on the black shiny boots in the distance. I could see my reflection in them. And maybe, that’s where I belonged too.

“ Tyson. ” My breath whooshed out of me as I took his name.

Slowly my gaze rose from his toned legs to his white fit button-down shirt, and then his neck. I couldn’t look up.

I couldn’t.

I shouldn’t.

I—

“ Missed me? ” He rasped, sending another chill down my spine. His voice was hot chocolate—Bitter and sweet and creamy—Everything that made my stomach clench.

Despite my hardest efforts, my eyes found their way to the handsome face I had a hard time forgetting. The once soft features were rougher now. The contour of his thick lips had become firm, and tempting.

And his eyes…

I swallowed.

His eyes had darkened. The light that always resided in the black holes was replaced with an evil glint one could hardly avoid.

He was not a pretty boy now.

He was a man.

A dream man. With a perfect body. And an uncommon, breathtaking face.

All this must have helped him fuck his way through half the Kingdom. Because that’s what he was famous for. He was a playboy who changed women in his bed more than his clothes in a week.

I breathed but found his scent non-existent in the air. He had it masked and that’s probably why Daniel and I didn’t know of his arrival.

How much did he see? Or hear? I wondered silently.

“ That’s disappointing. Don’t you want to answer me? I thought you will be excited to meet. Are you not? ” Tyson rested his back against the wall and stared at me from under his thick lashes. His muscles flexed, the buttons of his shirt barely holding back the tan skin from going on full display.

“ What? ” I whispered, unable to not feel the intense desire to touch him.

“ Oh. ” His lips formed an O. “ Can’t think straight when you are busy thinking about what I am hiding under the clothes? ”

My throat dried. I pushed myself to my butt and slid back until my spine hit the wall. I flinched as the stabbing pain started in my side.

Tyson’s gaze didn’t waver from my face. The darkness he held in his eyes was frightening.

Right now, I was his perfect prey. Weak and fallen. Silent and scared. Everything he would have wanted me to be.

All of a sudden, he pushed himself off the wall and let the agony of the buttons end. His tall frame stalked towards me with deliberate laziness.