Marietta's Pov
30 minutes earlier
I don't know how long I ran.
The cold air burnt my lungs as I ran and my feet stung from.scraping against the rough forest floor but I didn't stop.
I couldn't.
If I did, the weight of everything that happened tonight would crash down on me, and I wasn't ready for another break down. But my body betrayed me.
At some point, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the damp earth.
The world around me spun and the sound of crickets filled the night air. The scent of pine and soul surrounded me but all I could smell was shame and humiliation exuding from my own body.
Before I knew it, tears filled my eyes and a broken sob rumbled from my throat.
I pressed my forehead to the ground, my fingers curling in the dirt.
Why?
Why did it have to HIM?!
I had spent my entire life dreaming of my mate.
I had endured years of insults, cruelty and cold glares, thinking that one day — just one day — that my mate would come and save me.
But the Moon Goddess had given me Alpha Hunter Greywood.
Hunter, who had called me the daughter of a whore.
Hunter, who had humiliated me in front of the entire pack.
Hunter, who had looked at me like I was filth.
I squeezed my eyes shut, but the memories wouldn't stop rushing back.
Father's cold, indifferent face flashed through my mind and I could literally feel the pack's sneering gazes on me. The way Faye and the others laughed when Hunter had rejected me. I felt it all. I could even taste the pain.
I did nothing to deserve this hardship.
If anyone was at fault, it was my mother.
The woman who had given birth to me.
The woman I barely remembered.
The one who had ruined my life before it even began.
“Your mother ran off with her lover and left you behind.” Father would always say to me when he was angry.
“Melissa was selfish and weak to leave Beta Drayton and her little daughter.” The pack believed.
“Face it. Your mother abandoned you, Marietta.” Faye would always say to tease me.
I was beginning to think she was right because just like mother, I was alone.
A choked laugh escaped my lips.
Maybe Hunter was right.
Maybe I was just like a mother.
Maybe, I should just disappear.
No one would even care if I returned.
Father won't mourn me.
Hunter will never feel guilty.
No one would.
Not even my so-called pack. Not the people who'd spent years making me feel less than dirt. They'd never regret treating that way.
NEVER!
I scrubbed my face with the heels of my hands. The moon above was full and glowing, unbothered and unfettered. I'm pretty sure the deity is up there watching me suffer.
Maybe my father was right.
Maybe I should've never been born.
If I hadn't existed, he wouldn't hate me.
If I hadn't, mother wouldn't have left.
If I hadn't been born, Hunter wouldn't have rejected me.
For a second, I let myself sink into the thought.
For second, I let myself imagine a world where Marietta Drayton never existed.
And it was peaceful.
Because peace was never meant for me.
I sniffled and wiped my nose with the back of my hand.
Great. Now, I look like a mess. Not that it matters anyways.
“Alright. Enough self-pity, Marietta,” I told myself, my voice cracking. “Time to go home and pretend none of this ever happened.”
It wasn't like I had anywhere else to go or anyone to rely on.
I had always been alone.
I pushed myself to my feet and my body screamed in protest, exhaustion rolling in sheets. My dress was torn in several places and dirt smeared across the once-soft blue dress. I probably looked like a ghost.
I heard a familiar howl and heaved a sigh.
If recognize that howl even in my nightmares —
Father was looking for me.
I took another deep breath and turned back towards the packhouse.
So much for finding a safe haven.
I had barely taken a step when I felt it — A shift in the air.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on their ends.
A low growl rumbled from the bushes and my stomach sank.
Holding my breath, I slowly turned my head towards the direction of the noise.
And what I saw made my blood run cold.
Glowing red eyes were staring back at me in the darkness.
One pair.
Two.
Three.
Holy SHIT!
I took a careful step into the backyard, my heart hammering so loud I could hear it in my ears.
Another growl, deeper this time, echoed through the night air.
They aren't regular wolves.
Rogues!
Without blinking, I turned and ran.
Benaches slapped against my face as I zipped through the forest. My legs screamed in protest with each step but it was pointless to stop. If I did, I'd die.
In the blur of a moment, a massive wolf tackled me to the ground.
Sharp pain exploded in my ribs as I crashed to the ground.
My vision spurned and I screamed.
I barely had time to get up before rough hands grabbed my arms, yanking me up.
“Let me go!” I panicked, kicking and thrashing.
A gruff laugh echoed in my ear. “Feisty one, isn't she?”
“She smells like a pack wolf.” Another voice sneered. “You think she's anyone important?”
“Not with the way she was crying back there and the way she looks,” the first one laughed. “She is obviously a rejected pup.”
Fear flooded my body. So they saw me screaming and crying?
Fan-fucking-tastic.
“Let me go. It's not me you want.” I whispered.
A sharp pain came as my reply at the back of my head.
The world shifted and my legs gave out.
The last thing I saw was the soft glow of the moon before the darkness swallowed me whole. Again.
Marietta's PovThe second the door shut behind me, I collapsed onto my bed.My body ached all over and my back burned from the whips. I buried my face in my pillows, biting down in the soft pillowcase as sobs racked through me.Why does it always end like this?I had wanted to see father and for what?For this? For him to look at me like I wasn't worth asking what had happened to me. For him to regard me like I was nothing.It was clear now.I had no one.No one except myself.I forced myself to sit up and the movement sent a sharp pain through my back and I hissed.My dress was still sticking to my wounds.I shuffled to the small mirror on my dresser and whipped out a white cloth. I dampened it in water and wiped off the dried blood. Each stung, each aching pulse, only made my anger burn hotter. I stared at my reflection, my breath shaky.I looked pathetic but this feeling brewing in the pit of my stomach wasn't weakness anymore.It was pure rage.They thought I was nothing.The
Marietta's PovI woke up to my own scream. Icy water drenched my entire body, seeping into my torn dress and clinging to my trembling body. For a brief, blissful moment, I thought I was dreaming until reality came crashing down on me like a meteor.The pain in my back, The stench of damp stone and iron,And the distant sounds of chains rattling reminded me exactly where I was.I groaned, lifting my face off the cold floor. Nice reminder.A deep, low voice interrupted the quiet. “Morning, little wolf.” The voice sent a shiver down her spine and I forced myself to sit up. There he was.Again.The dark-haired monster who had ordered me to be whipped last night. He was sitting on a wooden chair like he owned the world, legs spread lazily, fingers drumming against the armrest.A torch on the wall flickered, casting shadows over his dangerously handsome face. I hated that he looked so perfect while I looked like a half-drowned rat.“You really enjoy watching people suffer, don't you
Marietta’s PovPain.Deep, excruciating pain.It was the first thing I felt when I woke up.The pain was a throbbing ache that pulse through my skull like a child had cracked it open and glued it back together with baby hands.I winced, forcing my eyes open, which was a terrible idea.A blinding light stabbed through my skull, making my head pounded even harder.Oh my freaking God.I squeezed my eyes shut and took a shaky breath.My body felt… so wrong. My wrist ached, my arms were stiff, and there was a dull sting at the back of my head. And where the hell was I?I threw my eyes open again, this time slower, and warm, yellow, lights flooded my vision. Only the light wasn't from the sun. It was from the torches flickering against stone walls — cracked, worn, and ominously, damp walls.I stiffened and a strange smell hit me next.Sweat. Blood.Mold.Oh, that was never a good combination.I tried to sit up, but a rattling sound pierced through my brain. I couldn't move my hands. T
Marietta's Pov30 minutes earlierI don't know how long I ran.The cold air burnt my lungs as I ran and my feet stung from.scraping against the rough forest floor but I didn't stop. I couldn't.If I did, the weight of everything that happened tonight would crash down on me, and I wasn't ready for another break down. But my body betrayed me.At some point, my legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the damp earth. The world around me spun and the sound of crickets filled the night air. The scent of pine and soul surrounded me but all I could smell was shame and humiliation exuding from my own body.Before I knew it, tears filled my eyes and a broken sob rumbled from my throat.I pressed my forehead to the ground, my fingers curling in the dirt. Why?Why did it have to HIM?!I had spent my entire life dreaming of my mate. I had endured years of insults, cruelty and cold glares, thinking that one day — just one day — that my mate would come and save me.But the Moon Goddess had given me
Marietta's PovAll my life, I've always believed the Moon Goddess.And all those times, she's never answered my prayers. Not once.But tonight would be different. Tonight was my mating ceremony and the night my sufferings would end.I trailed my fingers over the fabric of my dress, smoothing out the visible creases as I stood before the mirror. The gown wasn't new. It was something I had altered from an old gown. But it was the only nicest thing I owned. The dress was soft blue with slightly worn lace at the edges. It wasn't much but it made me feel… pretty. For the first time in my life, I allowed myself to dream. My mate would take one look at me and whisk me away from this terrible pack, from father's cold stares, from the whispers of “daughter of a whore”My heart thundered in my chest as I stepped out of my tiny room in the attic and into the night. The ceremony was about to begin.The venue was more beautiful then I had imagined it to be — decorated with golden lanterns, p