Larissa: My World Shattered

Living in the Pack House feels more like living locked in a prison than settling into a home.

It's been nearly a week since I married Alpha Mark, and I haven't seen him once.

The only proof of his existence comes from the maids who regularly clean my room—they say he's been away without telling anyone where or for what reason.

Honestly? I don't care if he never comes back. I feel more at peace in his absence.

The only thing that truly torments me is the command he gave me the night of our wedding: Do not leave this room unless I say so.

So here I remain, trapped—a prisoner in silk sheets.

But even in this gilded cage, I find moments of escape. The window becomes my solace, offering me a glimpse of a world I'm forbidden to touch.

And the two young maids who come in to tidy up have become the only source of comfort in this cold, unfamiliar place.

They speak freely when they think I'm asleep, gossiping about the pack and its secrets. Their voices are the only reminders that life still exists beyond these walls.

As for Pepper, I've only seen her once.

She came to deliver a message from my father.

That short visit was enough to crush the last flicker of hope I clung to.

My father still refuses to abandon his plan. His words were carved into my memory: 'If you don't succeed, death will await you, useless daughter.'

Since then, I've been doing everything I can to survive here. To stay alive.

And to find a way—no matter how humiliating—to sleep with Alpha Mark.

Because Pepper was right.

If I get pregnant with his child... maybe, just maybe, he'll start to care.

...

Just as I finished my dinner, a soft knock echoed from the door.

I wasn't expecting anyone. When I opened it, I was surprised to see Pepper standing there instead of the usual maid who came to collect the empty dishes.

"Pepper?" I blinked. "Did my father send you?"

"No," she said simply. "I'm here to warn you. Alpha Mark has returned. He'll be here soon."

A storm swirls in my stomach. My heart began to race, not with anticipation but fear.

The last time I saw him, he struck me across the face and swore I'd never be his Luna.

'Would he hurt me again?'

"Don't worry," Pepper said calmly, her tone far too composed for what she was suggesting. "Focus on one thing, Luna—your goal is to have his child."

Her words twisted my stomach into knots. Again!

It wasn't encouragement—it was a command cloaked in cold strategy.

She wasn't guiding me. She was throwing me into a storm and expecting me to find my way without a compass.

"Luna, put on the alluring nightgown," she said, pulling out a silky, crimson piece from the wardrobe. "And use this like perfume."

I frowned as she handed me a small crystal bottle filled with shimmering liquid.

"What is this?" I asked, confused.

Pepper didn't answer. She simply smiled—that same mysterious, unsettling smile that always left more questions than answers.

Before I could press her further, she patted my shoulder and leaned in.

"Alpha will go crazy if you wear this," she whispered. "He'll touch you tonight. You will finally consummate your wedding. Be brave, Luna."

Then she winked and left, the door clicking softly behind her.

Her departure didn't bring relief. It is only adding to my fear.

'No!'

I stared at the bottle in my hand, my stomach coiling with disgust.

'I can't do this. I won't stoop that low.'

I tucked the bottle into a drawer, out of sight.

Instead, I chose the most comfortable, modest nightgown I could find and sat at the vanity, brushing out my long hair.

My deep red waves spilled over my shoulders.

My hair had always drawn attention—some admiring, most cruel. I'd been mocked more times than I could count.

But in moments like this, when shame clawed at me, I clung to my late mother's words.

"You have the most beautiful face and hair in the universe, Rissa..."

Her voice—soft, loving—echoed in my mind, wrapping around my broken heart like a warm blanket.

That memory calmed me, just enough to keep breathing.

I was still staring into the mirror, lost in thought, when I heard heavy footsteps outside the door.

Then his voice—Alpha Mark.

My entire body jolted.

I stood so quickly that the chair nearly toppled.

My heart pounded against my ribs like a war drum.

I rushed to the door, breath shallow, nerves crackling under my skin.

Fear and something else—something sharp and tangled—tightened around my chest.

Not anticipation.

Not hope.

Just survival.

...

Before I could reach the handle, the door slowly creaked open.

The sharp stench of alcohol hit me like a slap.

And there he was—the man I feared—the man I was forced to call my husband.

Alpha Mark stood in the doorway, his face twisted in the same disgusted expression he wore the last time we met.

"A-Alpha, yo-you back…" My voice trembled, barely audible.

Then I saw her.

A breathtaking woman stood beside him, wrapped in a sleek red gown that clung to every curve of her flawless body. The plunging neckline exposed smooth, radiant skin. Her presence was undeniable—confident, seductive, intoxicating.

I stared, frozen in place.

Without a word, Alpha Mark strode into the master bedroom. She followed closely behind, like she belonged there.

"What the hell are you doing there? Move!" he barked.

I flinched at his voice, instinctively taking a step back.

The woman looked at me with mocking eyes, her expression a twisted blend of scorn and false pity.

And in that moment, my world shattered.

It felt like a thousand invisible daggers sliced through my chest, each one carrying betrayal, humiliation, and pain.

Then I saw Alpha Mark climbing onto the bed with her.

Their bodies tangled together as if I didn't exist.

I stood there, trembling, heart torn open.

I wanted to scream. To run. To disappear from this cursed place.

But his command echoed in my head like a cruel chant: 'Don't leave this room unless I say so.'

It paralyzed me. My legs were made of stone.

All I could do was curse him silently and swallow the torrent of anguish that threatened to consume me.

Unable to endure the woman's mocking gaze a second longer, I dragged my heavy limbs toward the bathroom—the only place I could hide.

As I shut the door behind me, I heard him growl, "Damn it, stay focused on me."

Even with the door sealed, her moans pierced through, taunting me, scraping against my sanity like claws on glass.

'This torment… this insult…'

It shattered my spirit.

I collapsed to the cold tile floor, my body folding in on itself.

Tears slipped from my eyes, silent but endless.

'How could I ever have a child with a man who only has eyes for someone else?'

'I'm his wife… yet I mean nothing to him.'

I sucked in a shaky breath, trying to ease the ache in my chest, trying to distract my thoughts from the moaning echoing outside.

But it was hopeless.

Time blurred as I curled up in that bathroom, along with my grief.

Drowning in it.

...

When I finally opened my eyes, Alpha Mark was standing in front of me.

His gaze bore down on me—sharp, irritated, and filled with hate.

"What the hell are you doing here, slut!?" he growled. "Why are you still in this place?"

"Alpha, I…"