Chapter 2

CATHERINE.

"Ugh."

I grunt as I am kicked in the stomach again.

"What more do you want, Tammy, " I scream before I receive another slap. "I have already accepted the rejection," I cry out.

"Luna!" she shouts. "I am your Luna!"

She repeatedly kicks me in the face before pulling me up by the hair.

"As for what I want, I want you dead."

What?!

"Dead? Luna, please. I am sorry," I begin to beg.

For what? I do not know.

What I do know is that I don't want to die.

"I am sorry. I am sorry," I chant over and over again.

"What are you all still waiting for?" she snarls at the men. "Beat her up. I want her to be unrecognizable."

And before I can say another word in protest, I am once again assaulted by blows and kicks.

There are cuts and blood stains all over my body, and slowly, everywhere begins to darken.

I lose strength and stop struggling.

Looks like Tammy is going to get her wish.

I am going to die here.

"Don't think like that," my wolf scolds me.

"Why won't you help me?" I whine as I receive another kick in the face.

"We can't reveal ourselves to them."

"They are going to kill us," I gasped.

"No, they can't. They are not capable of it."

"What does that even mean?"

She doesn't respond.

Instead, I am kicked in the gut.

I don't even react. My body is so broken that I don't have the strength to make a sound, much less move.

"Luna..." I overhear one of the wolves start.

"Quick, throw her body into the river. Vance must never see her again. From now on, there will be no Catherine for him. Only me. I will be his only mate."

"Yes, Luna."

They think I am dead.

Oh my god.

I feel them pick me up and begin moving.

They think I am dead.

They are going to dump me in the river.

"What do I do?" I ask my wolf but receive no answer.

What can I do?

I am broken and beaten within every inch of my body, and even if I can still move, what could I do?

They are pack warriors trained to fight.

What could I do against them?

I am suddenly aware of the sounds of rushing water, and my heart picks up even faster.

This is it.

This is my end.

It's not fair. I don't deserve this. I can't die like this.

"Please... help me," I whimper.

No response.

Suddenly, I am thrown high up into the air, and for just one glorious moment, it feels terrific.

Free, like I am flying.

And then gravity steps in.

I fall so fast that I can't breathe between my aching ribs before submerging in the frigid, ice-cold water.

The force at which I hit the water is so jarring that I swear I feel a bone crack.

I can't swim; my limbs are useless, but somehow, I manage to float on my back.

I don't know how long I float downstream; I am aware of the jagged rocks that bump and scratch at me, the sun moving through the sky and finally setting, and the crickets coming out to sing.

But as for being consciously aware of all these, no. I am not.

I float in and out of consciousness, never fully passing out.

As if something was stopping me from doing so.

And I know, the moment I do lose consciousness, I die.

So I hang on.

For as long as possible.

Vance, my heart aches for him.

Ever since I can remember, I have dreamt and prayed to the goddess that my mate would come and save me.

I didn't pray for him to be part of my tormentors.

But what was I even thinking? Everyone in that pack hates me.

For a crime I didn't commit.

And now I am being punished for being mated to Vance.

It's not like I wanted him as a mate in the first place.

How is this my life?

What did I do to end up like this?

I am alerted to the sounds of howling. Lots of howling.

Wolves.

They found me.

Again.

I am going to die.

As the steam pushes me forward, I become aware of running paws, running alongside the current, keeping pace with me.

Many paws.

I hear a loud splash, followed by little ones.

Someone is coming for me.

Soon, I am cradled into the arms of a man.

Gently.

Which sets off all alarm bells in my head.

No one in the pack treats me gently.

Who are these people?

We move through the current until we get to the bank of the river, where I am carefully set down.

I still can't move, and I think I am paralyzed.

They hit me everywhere.

From the corner of my eyes, I see the wolves shuffle away as someone's footsteps can be heard walking closer.

A pair of sleek black commando boots come within my eyesight.

The man beside me bows his head to the person before stepping back.

"What is this?" a female voice, filled with authority, demands.

An unfamiliar one.

This is getting worrying.

Who are these people, for goddess's sake? And what do they want from me?

"Patrol picked up her scent a few minutes ago. She is still breathing but wounded," the man answers.

The woman bends down to me, and I am met with the most beautiful woman I have ever met.

I didn't know they made eyes that blue again.

She looks me over, prodding a finger at my muscles, legs, hands, and neck.

"Someone wanted her dead," she remarks.

I make a humming sound, and she snaps her eyes to mine.

A small, genuine smile splits her face.

"Why hello there, what's your name?"

I don't respond.

I can't respond. The pain is suddenly overwhelming.

I fall into darkness.