Chapter one

Branka’s POV

Tears clouded my eyes as I ran with all of my might through the woods. It's been a while since I have been making a run for it trying to evade the predators that were coming after me. Wiping the tears off, since I did not have the time to gloat about tears now, I increased my speed as if it were even possible.

These woods have become familiar over the past few years since the sick game of the rich people in this pack came to them. I could hear their snicker and laughter as their paws and feet pounded on the floor of the woods.

This is what I have to go through since I am the cursed one without a wolf and the lowest member of the pack. I wasn't the only omega around, but then, I was told that I was special. Since I was the only omega without a wolf and the only one that was maltreated even by the alpha of the pack himself.

Since the alpha of the pack treated me badly, the remaining people saw that as an opening to get to me and treat me like I was dirt under their feet.

“She has gotten better at running, don't you think?” One that was in his human form said. I could hear him clearly because they were near.

Fear rattled my bones and I could not bring myself to go any further, just at that same pace.

“Pl…please moon goddess. …Don't let them get me….again.” I muttered softly under my breath, tears falling this time. I didn't make any attempt to clean it.

The lake came into view and I sighed in relief. If I could just get there. Just a little bit more. I willed my legs to carry me faster. But then, it was all my wishful thinking as a big wolf came suddenly in front of me. I was not given the chance to stop, I screamed in despair and fell on my face.

I scraped my knees badly, I just knew it and my whole body ached so badly. The impact was that bad.

“My, my, my, Branka. Here I was thinking you'd get to the lake before us and get yourself out of our claws today.” Damon's creepy voice came to register in my head. He was the ringleader of the kids who bullied me in the pack. They weren't exactly kids. I mean, they were all in their early twenties and they've been doing this to me since I was sixteen and I'm twenty-one now.

I spat out the sand that came into my mouth as a result of my fall. I hated how weak I was. I allowed them to take advantage of me every single time. All of them.

They all surrounded me now and I was in the middle.

“You should be able to outrun it now, don't you think?” You don't have to be the weak girl anymore.” Sasha spat out in disdain.

She's always hated me from the beginning, since high school. Her bright red hair shone in the dim forest. Whatever she wanted from me, I had no idea. She was a beautiful girl and there were times that it struck me as if she was jealous of me but then again, it's a lie and I know it. I have nothing for her to be jealous of and she had everything. She's the future Luna of this pack.

Looking around me from the floor where I was staying, I discovered that the alpha was not here and I breathed out in relief.

“You know, I feel like you should be banished from this pack,” Damon said and they all laughed like it was funny. How he was the beta of this pack was beyond me. They were all dumb.

“You do not add any value to the pack at all. A disgrace, that is what you are. As useless as nothing.” He spat. My lips quivered as I saw his combat boots in front of me and I knew what would happen next.

I felt his hand before the pain registered fully in my head. This was all thanks to getting used to the pain. I've learnt to shut it out when it was about to come.

He pulled on my hair with force and I felt the pain down to the tips of my feet. I wanted to stand up with it but I couldn't since I was held down by another person.

“But then, giving it another thought, I'm thinking there is no use in doing away with you. I mean, who will do your chores? And I won't forgo this fun just because you're a waste of space. You're fun to toy with, Bran.” Tears streamed down my face, but I shut them tightly. I didn't want to feel and see him at the same time. He always had this leering look in his eyes anytime he was looking at me and I was sure that it was only a matter of time for him to make advances towards me.

There was no saying no to any of them. If he did, and I said no, he'd definitely rape me. And I won't put it past him to call his friends in with him, along with the alpha.

“Say something, idiot!” She screamed in my face, slapping me hard.

My cheeks burned. My hand went to the place I was hit as if to relieve it a little from the pain. There was no going back from what would happen next. He just needed to start with an intro, and the rest of them will follow.

I raised my hands to protect my face for the next few minutes as I felt them all take their turns to beat me up. It hurts, but then, I was used to it. I hated the fact that I was used to the pain. It hurts. The tears did not stop. My head hurts, my heart hurts, my body hurts. Everything hurts. But there was nothing I could do about it.

I wasn't about to beg them to accept me. The last time I did it was when they started bullying me towards the end of high school. I thought I could deal with it. But then, it got worse. And like they wanted to see me grovel, they made sure that I felt more pain anytime they wanted to attack me And I begged.

My parents did not want me, that was why they left me in the forest when I was still a child. The people who took me in maltreated me and I had to leave to live in the pack house as soon as I was old enough. They don't allow me to live that story of my life down since they all heard of it.

“You're just an unwanted bitch.” Sasha spat at me. One more kick to the stomach and I was left alone.

When I was sure that they all left, I dragged myself towards a tree and rested my head on it. I could not stand up. And I was sure that my work had piled up in the pack house. This was one of the worst beatings that I have gotten from them. They sometimes made it small and mostly abused me emotionally but this was out of their normal league.

I stared at the river in front of me with tear-filled eyes. Can I just die already? I thought. I've tried to die a couple of times. Like cutting myself so I'll bleed out, eating poison, and even falling into the river so I'd drown. But the outcome was always the same.

When I cut myself, I came back to consciousness after bleeding out and I'd discover that a scab formed over the cut and stopped the bleeding. It happened several times.

I drank poison, and it was vomited up without my own permission.

When I fell into the river in a suicide attempt, the person who saved me was a stranger I had not seen before in the pack and had never seen again since that time.

It was like the whole universe was against me being alive and against me dying. The scars I had on my body were deep. Both physical and emotional. I dread the times I see the alpha more than the times these people play their sick games with me.

For someone so young, he was sick and twisted in his head. He looked like a normal person to people outside, but I knew what he was like.

I sniffed, shaking his thoughts out of my head. He was mainly the cause of the nightmares that plague me. I need to leave this pack as soon as possible. But I was scared.

There was nowhere to go if I left this place. It was like leaving the shield of protection that this godforsaken pack offered me. Outside was worse. There are rogues and there are rogues. Ones that are predators. I've heard news of them and I don't want to fall into their hands.

I'd rather slave away and die here than be in their hands. But then, my spirit is dying little by little and it's only a matter of time before I am completely dead.