4. THE CRAZY PROPOSAL

~WILLOW

Axel remained frozen in the direction I had sent his face.

Almost as if he was finding it hard to believe that I had actually slapped him.

As the realisation of what I had recklessly done began to dawn on me, I felt cold chills slowly creep up my spine.

"How dare you?" Axel's voice came out in the most dangerous tone I had ever heard.

It forced a shiver to escape me.

‘Get away from him!’ My wolf suddenly roared within me.

But I was too slow to react.

Axel lunged at me with all his rage.

I gasped and squeezed my eyes shut, brazing myself for the impact when—

Nothing.

I slowly pried my eyes open and met that he had stopped his hand in the air, halfway through hitting me.

He was breathing heavily with rage as he glared at me and it was enough to demand terrified tremors out of my body.

‘So scary...’ My wolf squeaked.

"I suddenly realise that I shouldn't ruin my reputation by hitting you myself," he spat before turning to the closest guards available.

There so happened to be one female guard amongst them and Axel smiled in satisfaction.

"Two of you, hold her in place so that she doesn't evade her punishment," he ordered the men. "And you, come forward. You'll be the one to deliver the blow."

I widened my eyes as I saw the guards immediately begin to act on his orders. I wanted to fight them off. I even began to retreat when they easily grabbed me and held me in place.

"Let go of me!" I snapped.

Of course, my struggles were futile.

So much for being fat! The dark irony.

When the female guard came forward, she bowed to Axel.

"Slap her."

She nodded once and faced me. Without any form of hesitation, she delivered it.

I gasped at the burning pain that scattered across my cheeks. Whispers and murmurs filled the hall as more people gathered in the space.

"Again."

She hit my other cheek. This time, the sting brought tears to my eyes. My teeth went numb and I almost couldn't feel my face.

"Again!"

I widened my eyes at Axel. How could he be so heartless?

The last slap hurt harder than the previous ones. The metallic taste of blood exploded against my tongue and it stained my lips.

Hot tears began to flow down my cheeks and I found myself unable to control them. My lips trembled and my hatred for Axel only grew stronger.

I wanted to make him pay.

He had humiliated me the most in this pack.

Axel then came closer to me with an eerie smile. "Willow, you can't run away from your destiny. The Moon goddess gave you to me. Which means I can decide what I get to do with you." He paused and patted my hair. "The sooner you agree to my terms, the sooner your suffering ends."

‘Jerk!’ My wolf spat.

Axel pushed away from me and faced the guards. "Take her to Lady Martha, have her assign Willow to the lowest and most degrading pack tasks."

That was how they began to drag me away from Axel. The entire time, I glared at him, never breaking eye contact.

I needed him to know just how much I hated him now!

I was taken through the hall, down a corridor and out one of the many exits of the large pack house.

A woman stood tall, strict in her posture and composed as she assigned tasks to people in the garden.

The guards instantly dropped me at her feet.

"Young Master orders that you give her the lowest tasks. That is her punishment for overstepping," The female guard announced.

Lady Martha nodded and watched as they all left before turning to face me. She looked terrifying up close and I instantly knew I was doomed.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire indeed.

"Get up!" She ordered.

With fear, I obeyed.

She scrutinized me before speaking. "You have been overly fed, food should no longer be a problem for you."

My mouth dropped.

"You are to clean all the stables and public toilets in the pack. When you are done with the day's work, you check in for further instructions."

I blinked hard at her in disbelief. My Father was a textile minister.

How could the daughter of a minister be seen doing such dirty work?

"Why are you still here?" She demanded in a cold voice.

I flinched and hurried away towards the stables. Maybe no one would see me if I started there.

When I arrived at the stables though, the smell alone was enough to make me puke.

Suddenly, I heard snickering behind me and I turned in the direction only to see some palace maids pointing at me, unable to hide their delight.

What fun did they derive from my misfortune?

Escaping was not an option. I wouldn't make it far before getting attacked by rogues. And there was no guarantee the next pack would take me.

"This is my life now. Ignore them."

When I entered the space, I stared cluelessly around before my eyes fell on a shovel and a dirty wheelbarrow. So I grabbed both and began to shovel horse poop onto the wheelbarrow.

I had no idea what I was doing but I kept going. Every few minutes, I stopped to puke or run out to get some fresh air before continuing.

I was now dumping the poop into sacks when I slipped. In order to brace myself against something, I pushed myself toward one of the stable doors.

Unfortunately for me, it had protruding sharp nails on it. By the time I realised it, it was already too late.

I scratched my arm hard against them.

I cried out as pain spread across the arm.

"Shit!" I cussed as I stared at the ugly deep red line running almost up my elbow.

Within seconds, blood started gushing out of the cut.

"Blood…" I cried as I felt myself getting pale with fear.

I hated to see blood. It only brought back bad memories about my mother's death.

That was when I felt a shadow appear at the entrance. I jerked my head in the direction and met River standing there.

I gritted my teeth.

Great, the other Hale.

"Have you come to mock me too? Well now is not a good time. I have an injury to attend to."

I began to walk toward the exit. I doubted if I would have access to first aid with Axel after my life.

"Let me see," River said instead and began to reach for my hand.

"Stay the fuck away from me. What do you think you are doing?" I snapped as I glared daggers at him.

For seconds, he watched me in silence before gritting his teeth. "It will get infected if I don't clean it now."

"I don't need your help."

His eyes got darker as he watched me. There was no sign of him ever backing down.

"If you don't come willingly," he paused as his eyes began to glow with the same intense unidentified emotion as before. "Then I'll have to use force."

I scoffed at this man's audacity. "What are you going to do? Carry me?"

He didn't back down. Instead, he took a step closer to me. "Yes."

I was done letting the Hale brothers climb over me and toy with me as they pleased. A cold evil bully on the one hand, and an ugly entitled narcissist, on the other.

I rolled my eyes the longest I ever had. "You wouldn't dare."

I doubted if he could even lift me. I weighed 230 lbs!

Yet before I could react, River swiftly came closer, lifted me effortlessly and threw me over his shoulder.

I was too shocked to react for a split second as he began to lead me out of the stable and into the trees.

How did this man lift me?

Eventually, I snapped out of it.

"Release me! You mad man!" I roared. "Let me go!"

Yet I felt my wolf dancing with excitement as if she was enjoying it.

The traitor!

River never released me no matter how hard I protested. So, I eventually gave up.

It was when we reached the river that he dropped me. He placed me to sit on a rock by the bank.

And all I could think about was how we got here so fast.

I watched him quietly collect water from the river and begin to rinse my hand. What surprised me the most was how gentle he was the whole time.

When he was done, he took out a balm from his pocket. "It will sting."

That was the only warning I got before he applied it to my wound.

I hissed in pain.

It was only after this that he finally sat beside me on the rock.

I swallowed hard, not knowing what to say to this.

Why on earth was my bully helping me?

And why was he sitting so close to me?

Couldn't he find another rock?

‘Thank him!’ My wolf ordered.

I gritted my teeth, hating that I was being forced to do something so bitter.

"T— thank you, River."

It indeed tasted bad as it rolled off my tongue.

He didn't respond immediately. He just stared at the river running by.

I rolled my eyes at the awkwardness.

I was about to rise when River finally spoke.

"I have a proposition for you." He finally turned to face me.

"Of course you do." I let out a bitter laugh. "Just like Axel, you want to use me too."

He didn't deny it, instead, his face remained calm.

"Do you want to get back at Axel?"

For the first time since he abducted me, I hesitated.

Then I nodded slowly.

"Good," his lips turned up into a thin smile. "Be my girlfriend.”