Chapter One: Shattered Glass Martha’s POV

The glass bottle came hurtling toward me. I ducked just in time, my heart slamming against my ribs as it shattered against the wall behind me. But before I could react, a sharp sting burned across my cheek, and my vision blurred. The force of the slap sent me crashing to the floor. 

Pain shot up my ankle as I landed awkwardly, and I bit back a scream.  

“You dare dodge that?!”  

I barely registered the voice before a foot drove into my stomach. The air left my lungs in a choked gasp, and I curled up instinctively, shielding myself.  

“I’m sorry!” My voice trembled, broken and weak. “I didn’t mean to! Please, stop…”  

But the words barely left my mouth before another kick came, this time aimed at my side. Two more girls stepped forward, joining in like vultures circling prey. Their laughter slicing through the fog of the pain clouding my mind as tears burned my eyes.

“You’re pathetic, Martha,” one of them sneered, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking my head up to face her. “You wouldn’t even be here if your worthless excuse of a mother had aborted you like she should’ve!”  

I lifted my head slowly, feeling my body trembling as heat surged through my veins, and my vision blurred. My eyes locked onto hers, and the reflection in her widened pupils confirmed it. My irises were starting to glow an unnatural blue.  

“What did you say?” My voice came out low and guttural, a sound that didn’t feel like my own.  

The girl froze, her lips parting, but no words came out. 

Neither she nor her friends had the chance to react before my body moved on its own. My arm lashed out, striking her and the other two in one swift motion. The impact sent them flying, their bodies crashing into tables, glass displays, and shelves. 

Almost immediately, the glow in my eyes vanished as I came back to my senses and took my surroundings in.

My knees buckled, and I staggered back, clutching my mouth in horror at the destruction around me. Broken glass and shattered wood littered the floor, and the girls lay groaning in the wreckage.  

What have I done?  

Suddenly my head began aching badly and I clenched onto it as accusations echoed in my head. 

“She stole the jade pendant!”  

“She killed him! I swear she did!”  

“Your mom was banished because of you!”  

“You’re responsible!”  

“Your father hates you!”  

“I, Logan Paulo, reject you, Martha Howard, as my mate!”  

The words kept resounding, slicing through my mind until my head spun. I gripped a nearby table for support, my breaths coming out in ragged gasps.

I hate them and most importantly my wolf. 

 It was never there when I needed it, only surfacing during moments of danger before receding again, leaving me more broken than before.  

I couldn’t even talk to it like other werewolves. I was defective. Wolfless.  

I was nothing but a pathetic Omega’s daughter. The daughter of a murderer.  

“Martha!”  

The sharp voice jolted me out of my spiral. I turned and froze.  

Mrs. Smith.  

Her sharp eyes scanned the mess—the broken displays, the scattered products, and the three girls sprawled among the wreckage. Her gaze shifted to me, and the disgust in her expression made my stomach churn.  

“What is going on here?” Her voice was sharp enough to cut glass.  

I opened my mouth to speak, to explain, but nothing came out.  

“Security!” she barked, and two men in uniforms came running.  

Panic seized me. My feet moved before my mind caught up, and I bolted past Mrs. Smith, shoving through the guards as they reached for me.  

“Stop her!”  

I didn’t wait to hear more. I burst through the doors, sprinting out of the ShopRite and into the open air, my heart pounding in my chest.  

Footsteps thundered behind me and I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me that they were gaining on me.  

I ran faster, my ankle screaming in protest, but I couldn’t dare stop or slow down…I'd be a goner if I dared.

 My lungs burned, and the sound of shouting filled my ears as I turned a corner, only to skid to a halt.  

A black car screeched to a stop in front of me, blocking my path. The tinted windows rolled down, revealing the dangerous-looking men inside.  

“Get in,” one of them ordered.  

If I ever needed to get help from anyone it would definitely not be criminal looking men who look as if they could tear me raw in seconds.

I took a step back, ready to bolt in the opposite direction, but before I could move, I was suddenly yanked backward by one of the men and then his hand clamped over my mouth.  

I thrashed, kicking and clawing, but the strength of my attacker was overwhelming. A damp cloth pressed against my face, and the sharp scent filled my nostrils.  

No…  

Darkness closed in as my body went limp. The last thing I saw was the car door opening. Then, everything faded to black.