CHAPTER 01

AVA:

"Barren witch, what exactly do you think you're still doing with my son? Did you get yourself into his life to destroy him? Answer me, witch!" Clara, my mother-in-law barked and slapped me and I could feel my cheeks heat up as I cupped my cheeks.

Damien's sister, Sydney chuckled up beside me.

"Mum, she looks like we are treating her badly. Why don't we wait till this time next year before we kick her ass out of Damien's life."

Then my father-in-law walked in and everywhere went silent. He was the past Alpha and he was supposed to leave the pack on vacation but he had vowed that he was going nowhere till he saw a grandchild.

"What is going on here?"

I turned to him with teary eyes, expecting him to ask me what transpired but I was just about to meet another shocker.

Before I could say a word, Clara cleared her throat. "We were just teaching this hag here how to do her business as a woman, we need a pup to retain our son as the Alpha of the pack." She said it like she was doing me a favor talking to me.

"If you don't do your duties as a woman and give birth, you'll be worth no more than a slave in this pack and I'll make sure no one regards you," Chester said as though giving birth was not a gift of the goddess and it was my fault that I haven't given birth all these years.

"Did you hear me?" Chester asked, expecting me to answer but I kept mum, the insult and abuse were becoming too much to bear.

"Answer him will you!" Clara slapped my cheek again and I took two steps back, my left hand instantly flying to the left side of my cheek as I tried to rub away the pain.

Damien, my mate had walked in when he saw his mother assaulting me and I at least expected him to defend me but his next statement was to my bewilderment.

"Mum, she is still my wife and you shouldn't be doing this to her." He took the matter too lightly when he was supposed to vehemently defend me.

Clara snarled at me as if I was a disgusting sight to behold, averted her gaze to Damien, and smiled.

"Son, we were around the neighborhood and we couldn't pass by without seeing you, so we called in here. It was so unfortunate that we had to meet this non-living thing." She pointed at me.

I was there but I felt I wasn't part of the people they called family simply because I was said to be barren.

"Since you all are heading out, I'll escort you people." He said and without glancing at me, walked out, followed by his family.

Damien and I have been married for the past three years and everyone in his family hated me because I have been unable to give him an heir this made him cold and distant towards me, even though I know he isn't supposed to blame me entirely and let me suffer alone instead of joining me to find a solution to the problem.

Damien didn't care much about my predicament at first but the next Alpha coronation was near, the problem was not made any better when he became an object of mockery among other Alphas and his parents began pointing out that he badly needed a grand pup to secure his throne.

In the coronation ceremony, he would be stripped off his power as Alpha if he still had no heir.

I spread my arms wide as I sucked in a deep breath. All I ever wanted was peace. Peace from all the insults, abuse, and cruelty that came with being barren.

How I wish that I had a pup, then all these wouldn't be happening. Then, I'd never have to lower my head in shame each time I heard a mother talk about their baby.

I just wanted mine, was it too much to ask?

I walked towards the window, opened the shutters, and stared out for a while. The arc-shaped moon came into view and then I looked down, weighing the height from where I stood to the ground floor.

Then that evil thought that I found solace in, slowly crept into my heart and the innermost parts of my being.

End it all. That still small voice was telling me to end it all, right here and right now.

But then I shook my head in refusal for two reasons. If I died here, then, Damien would mock me. I could imagine him saying "Useless barren woman, look what you did to yourself."

And secondly, I wanted to die searching for peace, not disturbing anyone. The waters were where I usually found peace and right now, I'm going there.

On getting there, I stared at the river and it stared back at me, tears welling up my already tired eyes.

I got down on all fours and transformed into my wolf form, faced the moon, and let out a long guttural howl. That howl contained my sorrow for years, all the heartaches of neglect, and mostly, the cold lonely days.

All of a sudden my furs stood on end and I could sense that overwhelming feeling that came with surrendering.

I had no one, I had become the shadow of myself over the years and the only feeling that was left in my memory was pain.

Slowly, I walked towards the river bank, feeling the sand deep under my feet. It felt so nice that it would soon be over with me.

It was none of my fault, the world was against me and I couldn't bear it anymore.

With one last glance at my back, I threw myself over the bank of the river and let it be.

A strong hand caught hold of me just before I could fall lower and I opened my eyes, wondering what such a person was doing here by this time of the night.

"Do you hate yourself this much?"

Immediately my feet landed on the floor, I nodded in the affirmative. "No one loves me and I can't keep sacrificing my sanity for those people."

I raised my face to look him in the eye, "Why did you stop me, I was on the verge of everlasting peace." I said and that was when I noticed he was putting on a mask.

"If you wish to continue, then jump in right now." He said and I saw that as a challenge.

I couldn't believe I almost died right now. I mustn't have been in my right senses.

I sniffled and mumbled a "thanks" before turning around and heading home, feeling dejected.

Later that night, I fiddled with the paper the doctor had given me, impatiently waiting for Damien to come home so I could share the good news with him. Who knows, the news of my pregnancy could be the end of my problems with Damien.

While I was heading home earlier, I had begun to feel nauseous and feverish and that was when I went to the pack clinic. The doctor said I was two weeks pregnant and now, I am so elated.

Come to think of it, what if I had killed myself? Then it meant that I was not gonna be able to hold my bundle of joy. I can't stop thanking the moon goddess for sending the man who saved me even though I have no idea who he is.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity and Damien still wasn't back, I sat down on the couch, resigning myself to fate as tears began rolling down my cheeks in torrents.

This wasn't the first time Damien was keeping late nights while cheating on me and I'm afraid it still isn't going to be the last.

He is my mate so I can feel him touching another woman, I hear him moaning her name while diving in and out of her in quick movements. He even promised her heaven on earth while I, his wife, was at home wasting in the feeling of loneliness.

I wiped my tears and crossed my hand to my shoulder while using the other hand to cover my belly. Although I know I'm only two weeks pregnant, I can feel the pup's essence. It was going to be my hope in this cruel pack.

Suddenly, the door burst open and I got up, startled. Damien was now back home. He sat on the couch without saying a word to me and when I looked at him, his eyes were cold and distant just the way I'm used to it.

"Your food is ready." Although we were not on good terms, I always tried to save what remained of the relationship by being a good wife.

He didn't say a word, so I took his silence as consent and served him the food.

After he put a morsel in his mouth, he spat it out almost immediately. "What's this trash you gave me?" He frowned and pointed at the food like it was the most disgusting thing he'd ever seen.

At a loss for what to say, I replied, "It's the food I made for us."

In a feat of unexplainable rage, he stood up and threw the tray at me, making its contents spill on my body.

I gave up a shrill cry, the food was so hot, that it burned my skin.

"Clear this trash you call food. It's not enough that you can't give birth, you want to poison me with your food, huh?" His face spelled contempt and I glared back at

him and that was when he lost it.

My ears thundered with a resounding slap and without noticing it, tears began cascading down my cheeks. My soul was so sad.

All of a sudden, that resilient part of me arose and I decided I couldn't take this anymore.

"What did I ever do to deserve the worst treatment from you? Is it my fault that we are unable to give birth all this while." I uttered, I was already fed up with him treating me like a non-entity.

"Look Ava, don't you ever mention 'us' in matters concerning your inabilities, is that clear?"

Without thinking, I spat on his face. "You are a beast Damien, a cruel beast!!" I was all out tonight to tell him to his face that I didn't deserve everything he did to me.

Then he glowered at me and I got so weak, I begged.

"Please Damien, please spare me tonight." My voice was quaky as I started sobbing because I knew what was coming. My body was already used to the same pattern of pain.

He threw me to the wall, I crumpled down and couldn't feel any part of my body anymore.

Lifting me from the floor, he formed his hand into a tight fist and sent uncountable blows to my midriff.

I wasn't able to retaliate. Even as Luna my strength was no match for Damien's.

He began dragging me towards the room and at that point, I knew that was the end of me.

He carelessly threw me on the bed and pulled out his warrior belt. He lashed it at me and Its Iron head tore at my flesh, ripping at it till the pain became a rhythm in my fast-beating heart.

My blood stained the sheets as he ripped me off the nightdress I had on, baring my numerous scars.

If Damien wasn't a monster, he would have stopped whatever he was doing to hurt me but he didn't. I tightly pressed my legs together as I protectively cupped my breasts when he stared at them, earning me another slap.

He towered over me and scoffed, staring at me like I was a disgusting sight even though I knew he desired me. "Resisting me huh? I'm only doing you a favor so you can have a baby in your barren womb."

I sniffled, I was barren but I knew he wasn't supposed to treat me this way. He had no right to.

"I'll go have my bath and come back for you." He said, and rolled off me and I breathed out in relief even though I knew it was short-lived.

I felt a warm liquid present down there and stared down at my body and I noticed blood flowing in between my legs.

I broke into a short bitter chuckle. Is this my fate?

I had lost even the tiniest hope I had in a miscarriage when Damien killed my pup.

I bit down on my lower lip to stifle my loud wail when the bathroom door opened, signaling that Damien was coming for me, to finish off where he started.