GARA-GARA DIMADU, AKU JADI NYONYA, KAMU JADI BABU.

Drenched in sweat, water, and fatigue, Ariel expelled a huge sigh for what ought to be the one hundredth time. It was way over that anyway, but sighing so much could not do a thing to change her circumstance.

Being a slave was her life now and nothing she did and no matter how many damaged bones she got, she was still what she was. It would be repaired, and her suffering would continue.

She let out another sigh and wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

She stopped for a moment and stared at the sink. The dishes kept coming in. The pack was hosting a triumph party, and they invited an abundance of people.

Not to add that, the alpha had conquered a different and small pack and blended them into theirs, making the numbers available, twice higher than what it used to be, and she was the only one in the kitchen doing the dishes.

Her stomach growled, indicating how hollow it was, and her wolf whimpered in pain of her own. It’s been how many days already? She asked herself and smiled bitterly at her unfortunate life.

Three days! Three days and no food had been able to touch her lips.

She drank water until she could no longer entertain any more liquid, and why was that? Because she had bumped into another slave and made her break a dish.

The head maid had clearly not been a good one and everyone had despised her, especially Ariel, for a long time.

Who wouldn’t? When she was the cursed offspring of the rogue wolf that changed the fate of their pack? Their once harmonious pack, where she could laugh, play and be just happy, had turned into one filled with fury, hate, and rage over her and life itself.

Why was that so? Her father. Her father had carried out the greatest brutality of all time and had slaughtered the one he shouldn’t have killed. The alpha.

He eliminated him in cold blood, while the other rogue wolves he involved, went into the village and eliminated as many wolves as they could, leaving that night a blood filled one.

They cut her father off that same night, but even after his death, she suffered for his sin and so did the other slaves.

Her family was a big one and her father was the head, but when he went rogue and caused such a mess, causing the downfall of her family, the entire family was evicted, and she was the only saved one, probably to inflict the pains on her.

The Alpha must have planned everything years back; how to make her suffer for something she doesn't even know about.

She suffered at the hands of everyone for being the daughter of a traitor and a murderer, even her fellow slaves treated her poorly for what her father had brought against them.

Ariel had thought that they were simply furious and that it would pass. She was a victim too and had suffered as well, she lost her father. But, they were still family and would treat her better in the future. She was twenty-one now. It never changed.

So, when the head slave had noticed that something had gone wrong with her hands, though it was as little as breaking a dish, she didn’t hesitate before punishing her.

She banned her from eating, tasting, or leaving the kitchen. She could stay and see food, dishes and even leftovers, crumbs on the floor and the ones wasted in the dustbin, but she could not taste them.

What a despicable life! She thought again.

“What are you doing?” a voice suddenly barked at her, waking her from her numb mind, and she jerked.

Fierce, dark eyes stared right back at her, and fear gripped her heart.

Ariel whiffed her head with fear and turned back to the dishes she was washing. They placed more on the sink, and it was growing by the seconds.

“You sick little thing!” Courtney sneered with viciousness and hate. It dripped from her voice like the very air she breathed, and Ariel shuddered. Tears burned the back of her eyes, as she cursed her life.

“Were you slacking off on your duties?” Courtney grabbed a handful of her black raven hair and pulled fiercely.

Ariel screamed loudly and grabbed her hand to ease the pain and burning in her scalp, as she shook her head at the maid.

“No… no… please, I didn't… I…”, she pleaded.

The head slave pushed her off and wiped her hands against each other in disgust. She glared at Ariel, wishing that she could drop dead and die, but even that wish could not come to pass, not when the alpha wanted to see her alive.

Ariel disgusted her. So much.

“Don’t even think that you will have anything to eat when all this hasn’t been done with. Do you understand?” she barked at her.

As tears ran down her cheek, she nodded her head vigorously and started with the dishes again.

Ariel cursed her wretched life. She cursed her father and what he had done, she cursed everyone and, more importantly, she cursed that man and wished he could die, the alpha, whose greatest pleasure was to see her suffer. She really wished he would die.

He was bent on making her life a living torture.

Ariel fisted her hands into a ball. Until when would all this torture and torment end?

Speaking of which, a powerful presence suddenly washed all over her skin and fear gripped her heart as a sharp, icy gaze penetrated her skin and very bones, making them grow cold, numb and lifeless.

Speak of the devil himself. Alpha Damien!