CHAPTER-1: Like a pathetic human

“You bitch!”

A sharp sound of a slap echoed through the dirty walls of the horrendous dungeon of the Shadowcrest pack.

“Do you really think you can escape the wrath of the Woodbead family, you pathetic human. You dared to betray my nephew, The Alpha king and ruin the image of my son with your whoring ways.” Victoria Woodbead snarled as her eyes blazed dark in fury.

Angela Clampitt held her burning cheek as she swallowed her tears and pride before looking up at the woman who never left a chance to torment her.

“I told you I didn't do anything. Please let me talk to Jordan..” Before Angela could say further, another slap landed on her face before Victoria gripped her neck and slammed her against the wall.

“Still not accepting your ugly crime, huh? Don't take my son’s name from your filthy mouth. I will kill you…” she growled as her eyes turned into the dark shade. Angela’s whole body trembled in terror as Victoria squeezed the air out of her. They had been tormenting her for the last few days.

“Victoria, you are forgetting she is a human, darling. That’s enough for today. Gideon won't like you doing it.” Fin, her husband warned her but Victoria growled in denial.

“Oh please, Dad, Gideon should have killed her whole family when they decided to deceive us. First she made her sister disappear to marry the Alpha king and now showed her disgraceful character of a whore. It’s good that I caught her red-handed while she almost ruined my brother. Who knows she would have done worse in Gideon’s absence!” Esther, Victoria’s daughter remarked, blowing out her hairs. “I don’t know why Gideon married her. Daniela should have been his bride!”

“Thats because he didn't have any choice to save the reputation of the Woodbead family!” Fin sighed. “But she tarnished it badly now!”

“I …iam your Luna! Leave me!” Angela wheezed out but Victoria tightened her hold and laughed out.

“Shut up you bitch! You can never be our Luna. A whore deserves to rot in ugly hell and I will show you the hell!” Victoria snapped, Angela was thrashing in her hold, her tear-filled eyes widened.

She was deprived of food and water for the last two days after they threw her in the dungeon for the crime she never committed and now this physical assault, she didn’t have any energy to fight.

“Victoria, leave her. Gideon is the current Alpha king and head of the Woodbead family who would decide her punishment, not anyone else, not even his father!” Fin warned her once again. Esther rolled her eyes at her father and enjoyed her Mother’s performance.

Victoria shifted her enraged eyes to her husband to make him shut his mouth but the next second she stiffened when the deep authoritative voice rang in the air.

“I wouldn’t have ignored the warning of Uncle Fin if I were you, Aunt Victoria!”

Victoria’s eyes widened as the next second her hand released Angela who fell on the dirty floor, coughing badly. Esther straightened and stepped back, almost hiding behind her father’s figure.

“Gideon, I was just teaching her the lesson!” Victoria said, clearing her throat. “She was boasting about her position being my Luna. She thought her position would save her from the punishment for her sin!”

The Alpha king gave a look to his aunt who lowered her gaze in submission and stepped aside in fear as she gave way to Gideon.

“Did you forget your position, aunt Victoria? Nobody has the right to punish her!” His tone full of authority lowered Victoria’s gaze before He walked towards Angela with steady steps.

Angela was paying hard when her blurred vision filled up with the black clean pair of shoes. She blinked her eyes to clear her vision and looked up to see the only man who was responsible for her state.

Her husband, Gideon Woodbead!

He should be trusting her, He should protect her from all harm being his wife and chosen Luna but He trusted those people over her.

The atmosphere around them dropped with the pin drop silence as Gideon silently stood in front of her. His eyes fell on his brushing skin, pale complexion and busted lip.

“Gideon,” Angela whispered as she swallowed the thick lump in her throat which ached before rising to her wobbly legs. Her hopeful eyes were screaming at him to believe her.

“I didn't betray you, You know I can never do that.” Before she could speak further, He gripped her jaws and got into her face.

“I thought. Just for a minute, I thought you were different but what can I expect from you, Angela!” He murmured in a husky lethal voice which roused the hair on her neck in cold. “Always seeking other’s attention, like a pathetic human you are!” His icy silver stormy gaze chilled her bones. She knew that tone, she knew He was controlling his rage.

“I went away just for a few days and you did this behind my back. You dared to betray me, cheat on me, the Alpha king?” He growled, his eyes darkened, the Alpha aura rolling off his body was making the air tight and Angela stiffened in his hold. Her heart constricted at the accusation.

“I didn’t, they are framing me. They… just want to hurt me!” She sobbed, feeling pathetic. Being the only human in the pack, nobody liked her since her childhood. Her sister and Esther always found ways to bully her and hurt her because Angela was the most beautiful and talented girl in the school and the pack who worked as a healer, who cured the pack's needed wolves in the pack with her herbal remedies, thus adding her value to the pack. But this skill was used against her.

“Is that so?” Gideon tilted his head slightly, reading her eyes, “Then I will give you the chance to justify yourself, wife!” Gideon’s hands fell on her shoulders as He stepped behind her and Angela’s eyes met with his Beta Dash and gamma Jordan.

“Jordan, please tell them it’s not true!” She cried out seeing him but he averted his gaze.

“Shhhhh.” Gideon shushed her in her ear and she stilled. “Look there, Wife!” He gestured towards his beta who sighed. Dash’s eyes held pity and disappointment for Angela as he played the video on the iPad showing her.

The ground beneath her slipped as she watched the video.

‘You know that you were my first crush, Jordannnnn!’ Angela giggled holding Jordan close. “You remember I wrote a love letter when we were in sixth grade… hehe…”

Angela froze in terror watching herself and Jordan kissing each other in some private room where both of them were in their undergarments.

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she shook her head frantically, denying it. “No..no..no. It's not true. It's not true, please believe me. That night… that I was drunk..” Angela cried and turned to her husband.

“This is not the truth. I didn't do anything. I...” She choked a sob. Her mind was all in chaos. That was the recording before her wedding night, she didn’t know how she ended up drinking that night. But who dared to record this?

Then Dash played another video where she was caught giving a drink to the maid who brought it to George woodbead which was poisoned with wolfbane. Angela couldn’t believe her eyes that she was being trapped like this.

“This is not true! I didn’t harm King George! It was herbal tea I made for his wolf immunity!” She murmured to her husband. She never imagined her skill as a healer would be used against her like this.

“You are still denying, you pathetic human. The proof is here in front of everyone. You spiked my son’s drink and baited him into the bed with you to sate your desires. You just want all men into your pants for attention because nobody wants you. You tried to kill senior Alpha. You should be begging for mercy now! Gideon, she deserves an execution!” Victoria growled.

However, Gideon’s sole attention was on his wife. He clenched his jaws seeing her denying the truth. He tilted his head and looked at her thinking, exactly why He thought she could be different from others. He took her as a chosen mate because she was gullible, obedient, a healer and competent to bear his heir but here she had another intention. Romanticizing with another man under his nose.

“Tell me Angela, do you love Jordan?" Her husband murmured, caressing her shoulders softly as his hot breath on her neck burned her skin in a way that scared her to the core.