One

Livia

Anything would have been better than this.

“Leave me alone, please,” I sniffled as the knock on my door came again. Inside this mansion, this glittering world of glitz and glamor, there was nothing but pain left for me.

Over a year ago, my life, my freedom. It had all been taken from me.

And now I live only to please one person…

“Alpha Zach asked you to wear this,” The maid walked in, bearing a package in her arms. I looked up, my eyes swollen and my nose and cheeks red.

I wanted nothing to do with him, with this.

Couldn’t he see that?

I didn’t respond as the maid began to speak of having to get me ready. I knew that Zach, Alpha of the Crescent Pack, was likely gallivanting around with Bella, who used to be a friend. If I had known that she would be the spy to bring my life to ruin, then I would have not gotten so close to her. Now my life had been destroyed. Now she got to enjoy the world of luxury as his lover while I stayed as his secret bed warmer and slave, barely regarded as his wife even though we were legally married.

If only I wasn’t his mate. If only the Moon Goddess had been more kind.

“Miss. Alpha Zach gave you his orders, and you must obey them,” the maid was not sympathetic at all to me. No one here was. To them I was just some slave girl taken in by the Crescent pack, not knowing I used to be the daughter of an Alpha.

Not like I cared anyway. Not like anyone did.

I didn’t have a choice—

I got up and let the maid undress me and take me to the bathroom to have a bath.

I was oblivious to time passing by, instead letting my acute werewolf senses take me away from this room, and I listened to the sound of music outside, to cars driving through the roads that formed the borders of this pack, and more.

I was jerked awake by the feeling of stinging on my head, and I hissed out loud.

“Wha—“”

“I see you’ve become so used to being treated like a Queen, slave.”

My blood ran ice cold. Zachary was back.

I rushed to cover my chest which was bare as the bath water was see-through. The maid bowed to Zach and stood to leave as he gestured silently.

“Oh don’t act like you don’t like my gaze on you. You aren’t some blushing virgin, are you Livia?” He chuckled.

There, in all his glory, Zachary, billionaire CEO, and Alpha of the Crescent Pack, mocked me. I flinched as he took a step closer. He was dressed formally, in a tuxedo, and I could smell the stink of alcohol on him.

I couldn’t believe I once saw him as a rescuer. What Zach and no one even in the Starlight Pack knew was that my father, the Alpha of the Starlight Pack, hated me. All my life he treated me like shit because my mother, his true mate, died in childbirth because of me.

The day the Starlight Pack had been attacked had been the day of my 18th birthday. I had not been sad for the Starlight Pack being destroyed. I had felt the mate bond form the moment I locked eyes with Zach. And I had hoped he would give me a better life. Oh how naive I had been. I didn’t know then that he had only married me due to pressure from the Elders. If I had known them I would have run away forever, never to be seen again.

“Stay away,” I reached my hand out to stop him as he neared the tub. I shrank away from his gaze. I knew how much he hated me, pitied me, loathed me, and had no choice than to use me. He didn’t want me and could never love me. I knew that now.

He had cursed my name every night after he shared the bed with me. And every morning I woke up with tears in my eyes.

“Don’t tell me you’re upset. Your husband came to greet you, and you’re acting so sour. What man will ever want you like this?”

I sniffled, a tear making it’s way down my cheek.

“Please stay away from me. I don’t want anything to do with you. I don’t want anything—“

“Of course you don’t want anything. Even if you asked I would never give it to you. So shut the fuck up with your sniveling,” his eyes glowed in the dark with a menacing aura.

“Then set me free. If you know you don’t want anything from me, set me free. End this farce of a marriage,” l begged with tears in my eyes.

I had enough of him, enough of this place.

He chuckled.

“Is that so?”

I nodded, eager.

He scoffed openly.

“Like you’ll ever make it that easy. Someone like you, who is nothing more than a leech, can never know anything of living on your own.”

He turned away, and walked towards the doorway.

“Get dressed and show up for dinner now. The Elders would be visiting and I don’t want your silly statements spoken in front of them.”

I felt nausea roil within me, and I choked on the air, unable to stop the flow of emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.

I wasn’t going to stop trying to get out of here, I promised myself.

I stood, alone in the cold bathroom and lukewarm bath water. I shivered as I reached for the robe, wrapping it tightly around my midsection.

I moved on autopilot, trying to gather up my courage.

Zach didn’t seem against the idea of ending this farce of a marriage, I thought whilst putting on my earrings with trembling hands.

I just had to convince him a bit more. Just a little more.

And maybe I’ll get to leave, to hide away from him.

I placed my hand on my belly, gently, feeling the life I knew was growing inside it.

I could save my baby from this wretched fate.