Chapter 1

Alana’s POV

“Here is your order, ma’am,” the saleswoman said, handing over the luxury watch Jared had always wanted.

Today was his birthday, and I had saved for months to buy it. I hurried back home, excited to continue the little surprise I had started planning. Earlier today, I told my sister, Jasmine, to come around so we could plan the surprise together for him.

“Welcome, Luna Alana,” our maid, Helen, bowed her head, collecting the box from me. “Alpha Jared is back home.”

“Why? What about Jasmine? Where is she?” I asked.

“She went upstairs not long ago,” Helen replied.

“Alright,” I said, heading upstairs. “Jasmine!”

No reply.

“Jared!” I shouted, but no reply.

An unsettling feeling rested at the pit of my stomach but I brushed it off, “she’s probably in the guest room, and Jared is in our bedroom,” I mumbled to myself, deciding to meet Jasmine first.

“Jasmine,” I opened the door, but the smell of semen mixed with a familiar scent hit me like a blast of wind. Jasmine was on top of someone, with covers all over them.

“Alana,” a familiar voice gasped from under the covers.

The unsettling feeling from earlier became gut-wrenching, twisting my stomach into knots.

I slowly turned to where the voice came from, hoping I was only hallucinating. Unfortunately, I was hit with the shock of my life. Oh no! Jared.

Lying on the bed was my mate—the man I spent most of my life loving with my whole heart, with my sister, whose hair had gotten disheveled.

My stomach clenched, and a deep pain hit my chest, making my heart shatter into pieces. My wolf growled at the sight before us.

“What. Is. Going. On. Here?” My voice cracked. The hairs on my skin rose, scared of the reply I was about to get.

“Finally, she knows,” Jasmine replied nonchalantly, rolling her eyes. “What does it look like?”

“Jasmine,” Jared snapped, stopping her from talking further.

“What! Since you won’t tell her, isn’t it better that she finds out on her own?”

I couldn’t believe my ears. My sister and my mate? I dug my fingers into my palms so hard that they started bleeding.

“Since when?” I turned to Jared, hating the sound of the words on my lips.

“Three months, eighteen days to be exact,” Jasmine replied. I could see the glint of pleasure in her eyes as she relished my pain.

Then it all made sense. Why he had always missed our doctor’s appointment in our attempt to have a child, claiming to be busy with pack duties. Why he would come home so late at times and not allow us to make love, claiming his body was too exhausted from training the warriors all day.

The knowledge of their betrayal slowly trickled into my mind. I could feel my wolf on edge, wanting control. I felt so powerless and slowly released control.

“You cheat!” Sky growled furiously, lunging at Jared, “How can you do this?”

Then he did the unexpected. He pushed us against the wall. Sky whimpers sadly.

“Give Alana control now!” Jared growled using his Alpha’s voice and forced me to take control back.

“What is all this drama?” he snapped, his eyes dilating with anger. “Why won’t I cheat? You dress like a nanny in the house, with your big fat stomach and shapeless figure. Take a look at your sister. She’s so beautiful and sexy, unlike you, who looks twice your age.”

“Jared!” I whimpered.

In the early years of our marriage, this same man would always pester me to eat well because I was too skinny. He would make sure I was always eating and wouldn’t even let me do any work so I could add up. Hearing all of this was a different level of betrayal.

He slowly walked towards me, his eyes menacing. “Henceforth, she’s going to be living here with us, and I am taking her as my second Luna. You'd better get used to it.”

**************************

It's been two months now since that day. Jared had become so cold and heartless. He had announced Jasmine to the entire pack as his second Luna and even went as far as planning a coronation for her. Some pack members made a mockery of me, while others looked at me with pity. Humiliation had become my second name.

Every night, Sky would dare to take control and challenge him, but I held her back. Whenever I tried to escape, the guards would catch up with me and bring me back to him, and I would get the beating of my life.

“Alana!” Jared stormed into my room, with panic in his voice.

“Yes, what is it?” I stand up, suddenly on edge.

“Jasmine has been kidnapped,” he said with worry all over his face.

“How? Since when?” Although I had disowned her as my sister, this news created a fearful feeling within me.

“We’ve been called to come and pick her up for a ransom. The guards are coming with me to pick her up. You stay here. I just wanted to inform you.” He said and left, not giving me any say in the decision.

“I hope she’s safe,” I mumbled to Sky, who snorted, not giving a f**k.

Since the day I caught Jared and Jasmine in bed, she had cut every connection she had with their wolves, hence why she no longer cares about them.

A few hours later, I heard the front door open and rushed downstairs to welcome them.

“Alana!” Jared’s growls filled the hallway.

Fear gripped me. “What have I done again?”

His eyes burned with rage, and he walked towards me.

“You!” He growled, grabbing my neck and lifting me. “How dare you?”

I knew this wasn’t Jared again. His wolf had taken over.

“P—please, you are hurting m—me,” I coughed, struggling to break free from his strong hold. His Alpha energy radiated everywhere, and Sky had no choice but to surrender.

Jasmine walked up to him, placing her hand on his arm. “Baby, let her go,” she replied, looking at me with a sinister smile.

He finally let go and threw me to the ground. I looked around confused. The guards mumbled to themselves, looking at me with hate and disgust. “What have I done?”

“You orchestrated for your sister to be kidnapped. You are so evil and vile.” He spat. I had never seen him looking at me with so much hatred and boiling rage.

“No! No! Jared, I wouldn’t do that.” I screamed, tears falling down my cheeks freely. I looked at Helen for help. She knew I was at home all day long and didn’t step out. “Helen, tell him!!”

“Guards!” He said, “Take her to the fourth-level dungeon. She will be given 20 strokes with a silver chain. When she’s ready to confess, bring her to me.”

“No…no…. Jared, please listen to me.” I cried, but everything fell on deaf ears. The fourth-level dungeon is a place of death. A place for only rogues.

My eyes caught the injuries on Jasmine’s body, and I realized they were all makeup. The gum she had used was sticking out, but it was too late to talk. She gave me an evil smirk of satisfaction.

The guards dragged me and led me to the dungeon. At this point, death felt like a better option.

“I might as well just die in the dungeon and put an end to this mystery,” I mumbled to Sky, who only whimpered.

The guards cuffed both my hands and legs to the wall and poured hot water all over my body.

“Argh!” I screamed as my skin burned from the impact of the hot water on my skin.

Another stepped forward, rolling the silver chain in his hands. He lifted the chain and whipped me from the back. I clenched my jaw as the impact tore my skin. Blood dripped all over my body. Another whip and I felt my life slipping through my fingers.

“Sky,” I mumbled at the back of my mind.

No response.

“Sky?” I mumbled again with my last breath.

Another whip hit my skin, and that was the last straw for me. Slowly, my eyes closed, and I surrendered to the darkness.