chapter 1

Isabella's pov

“We finally found you,” A chilling shiver ran down my spine as these three surrounded me, like predators closing in on their prey.

I gulped

How did my life end up like this

It all trailed back to the past, eight years ago when I became an adult.

“K-kyle, isn't this skirt a bit too short?” My adoptive brother sent a warning glare my way as he saw me adjusting it, trying to at least get it to properly cover my bum.

“Don't be such a prude, Ella, that skirt is all the range now. A lot of girls your age could–would–kill for it. Now stop acting like a pup and let it be,”

I sighed in resignation, releasing my grip and it rose quarter an inch with every step that led me to the bar.

Kyle signalled for the bartender and ordered our drinks–two shots of whisky neat.

He caught me nervously rubbing my fingers together, “What is it now?” He said, simmering with irritation. My head fell, “Kyle, is it fine if I just get juice?”

His tone was derisive, “Of course it's fine–do you need some milk afterwards to sober you up?”

I shook my head, my cheeks flushed. “No,” my lips mumbled out.

Coming here, with Kyle, was a mistake. I knew it from the moment we walked in and my throat clogged from clouds of cigarette smoke. The patrons of the bar were mostly shady men that openly leered at me with toothy grins adding to my discomfort.

When the drinks came, I wished I'd stayed home, cuddled with Mr Fluffy, my beloved stuffed rabbit, and dozed off watching my favorite show. If the cost of that was being called a pup I wouldn't mind so much compared to being here.

“Make sure you drink everything, I don't want my money to go to waste,” Kyle threatened me as he pushed the glass into my reluctant fingers and I knew he meant it.

Kyle was always short on money despite the huge allowance that clicked into his account every month as the Beta's heir because he'd gamble it away in the blink of an eye.

That's why I'd been so giddy when he said he wanted to ‘celebrate' my transition to adulthood.

But after being forced into this flimsy excuse for an outfit and dragged to this dingy bar and any semblance of excitement had died away, I'll just have this one glass and be on my way.

Kyle's heated gaze was burning my face, he watched me with an odd curiosity as I forced every drop down my throat and when the glass was empty he finally let out a smile.

“Good job,” his smile unsettled me. I grabbed my purse and slipped off the barstool.

“Kyle, I'm going to be going home now,”

“Alright,”

That was it. No complaints or jokes, he just let me go. I was relieved at first, but I noticed my body growing heavier with each step and before I even reached the door it felt like I was carrying invisible weights.

My vision grew blurry and I slumped back to someone's waiting chest and arms, it was a man’s. Good thing he caught me in time, it was…almost…like he knew…that I'd …pass…out ….

Morning came and I woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom with a hammering feeling in my head and my entire body ached. What horrified me though was that most of the pain was coming from between my legs.

“No…no…no…” I tossed off the duvet and stared at the sheets with bulging eyes.

They were stained with blood–my blood!

All this time I had been saving my virginity for my mate, only to lose it like this? I couldn't even remember who I'd done it with. My last memory was blacking out into a man's arms and nothing else and…and…what about Kyle?

Didn't he notice? Even if he didn't, he must have gone home that night and realized I never made it there. Didn't anybody come looking for me?

I found some cash laid neatly under the nightshade and with it was a note that read; Enjoy the cash, I kind of felt bad since you were a virgin, but just take this as a life lesson that you can never trust too much, even your own family.

Over and over again my eyes scanned through the note, the contents remaining unchanged. Tears rolled from my eyes slowly dropping on the piece of paper.

I cried quietly like this for a moment, then took a deep breath brushing off my remaining tears with the back of my hand.

“No way, Kyle wouldn't do this to me!”

Whoever wrote this note must be messing with me, sure Kyle has never been fond of me…in all honesty neither were my adoptive parents either but they were much kinder than he was and didn't show it all the time. But still, he wouldn't do something like this to me.

I found my clothes rumpled and thrown on the floor, my underwear had been ripped into shreds and one of the straps of my bra cut off so I had to rewear this revealing outfit without any underwear making me feel practically naked as I stepped out of the hotel room.

I took the money and the note, but as evidence not because I had any intention of spending it. How could a measly amount like this ever compare to what had been stolen from me?

My mind kept trailing back to last night, desperately trying to remember what had happened but I found myself always staring at a black screen. There was nothing, as if my memory had been clipped away, but the pain that vibrated from every inch of me told me it wasn't my imagination, it screamed into my ears that I have been violated in one of the worst ways possible.

And that someone I viewed as my brother might have been responsible for that.

I had to walk all the way home, by the time I arrived my feet were wobbling out of physical and mental exhaustion but I managed to work into the living room before collapsing on the nearest couch.

The house seemed so calm, was nobody looking for me? Just then I heard thumping footsteps and the next thing I knew my cheek were met with a stinging slap.

“You shameless whore! What are you doing back here?”