Chapter 2

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.