Marietta's Pov
I 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?” I muttered, wringing water out of my hair.
“Why not?” His red lips curved into a smile. “It's entertaining.”
You're sick.
He leaned forward and grabbed my chin.
“Let's try this again, wolf. Who are you and what were you doing in my territory?”
“I already told you,” I said in a hoarse voice. “I don't know how I got here. I was just trying to go home when your men kidnapped me.”
His eyes darkened. “Lies!”
“I am not lying!” I screamed this time. “Do I look like some kind of trained infiltrator to you? I can barely survive my own pack let alone spy on someone else.”
His gaze flickered with something I couldn't give a name.
“Then you're useless to me.”
A chill ran down my spine. “Wait — What?”
He stood up, towering over me. “I don't keep useless things, little wolf. And I definitely don't let them live.”
My blood turned to ice.
Okay.
Think, Marietta.
Think!
“I — I'm not useless!” I blurted out before he could signal his men to do whatever he was planning.
He arched his brow. “Really?”
Crap!
I swallowed hard. “I — I mean, you don't even know what I'm capable of! What if I have hidden talent?”
Silence.
The dark-haired man stared at me. Then to my absolute horror, he laughed.
A deep, rumbling sound sent a shiver down my spine.
Oh great. Now, I'm a joke.
“Marietta, was it?” He said, amusement dancing in his crimson eyes.
I frowned. “I don't remember telling you my name.”
“I have my ways,” He smiled, tracing my chin with his fingers. “And I suggest you start learning my name. It's Kyros.”
Kyros.
It suited him.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Super infuriating.
I pulled away. “Noted. Will you… kill me?”
He smirked. “It's tempting but no. Not yet.”
I blinked. “You won't kill me?”
Kyros straightened, and stuffed his hands in the pockets of his dark trouser. “I'm letting you go.”
That definitely surprised me.
I narrowed my eyes. “Just like that?”
He tilted his head. “Well, almost just like that.”
I knew it.
There was always a catch.
I crossed my arms, ignoring the way my dress clung to my body like a second skin. “What's the condition?”
He smirked. “You're going to be my spy.”
My heart dropped. “Ex — Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Kyros stepped closer, smiling. “You'll return to your pack and report to me every single thing that happens. If you refuse…”
He brushed my cheek and his next words — “I'll kill you.”
I sucked in a breath.
My pack never wanted me. My own father hated me. And Hunter rejected me. And now, Kyros was blackmailing me?
I wanted to tell him to go to hell.
I wanted to spit in his face and tell him I'd rather die than be his little informant.
But the truth was…
I didn't want to die.
I clenched my fists. “And if I agree? You'll let me go? Just like that?”
Kyros’s lips curled into a satisfied smile. “Yes. But if you betrayed me…”
He leaned in close. I could feel his breath against my skin.
“You'll wish you never made it out of this dungeon alive.”
Shivers run down my spine and I almost tremble but I don't want to.
“F – Fine.”
He smirked. “Good girl.”
Don't call me that.
Kyros’s smirk widened. “You are terrified. Excellent.”
Oh, I hate him.
“Get her cleaned up,” He ordered. “Then send her back to her pack.”
I exhaled shakily as he turned to leave.
“See you soon, little wolf.”
And just like that… my life became hell.
****
One thing about returning home was that I hated it.
I never feel relieved whenever I come back here.
I never felt safe.
And stepping into the house made it all worse. The walls shrunk in around me, suffocating me with the same old coldness.
The second I walked through the door, covered in bruises and exhaustion, father and his wife, my step-mother, were waiting for me.
Not with concern.
Not even with relief.
But with disappointment.
Rachelle folded her arms and scoffed.
“Finally. We thought you'd gone off to shame us even further.”
I swallowed. “What?”
“Where the hell have you been, Marietta?!” Father thundered.
I flinched.
Now, I regret it.
Why was I scared?
I was used to this.
I should've expected this but still, a stupid, pathetic part of me had hoped that he'd be worried. That he would care. But of course, he doesn't. He never will.
“You embarrassed me at the mating ceremony and ran off!” Father said with disgust in his tone. “When will you ever stop being a disgrace to this family?!”
Something inside me cracked.
The pain in my chest was worse. Far worse than Hunter's rejection and the pain in my back.
This was my father — the man who was supposed to protect me.
Rachelle heaved a dramatic sigh. “You should've never dreamt of becoming the Alpha’s King son mate in the first place. Honestly, why would you think someone like you could be Luna? What a joke.”
I could barely breathe.
Rachelle just sighed. “I think it's better Marietta ran away. Just Imagine if she had stayed. She would've humiliated this family further.”
Rachelle was cruel but father didn't even disagree.
I guess to him, I was not worth defending.
“Get out of my sight!” Father hissed. “You're lucky I even let you back in here.”
I turned without a word.
They'd never see me cry.
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