Chapter 5

Willow POV

After climbing the stairs down to the dungeon I find my way through the dimly lit hallway. It always seems like a maze down here. And it smells of feces and mold. Most of the cells are empty because most prisoners are put to death quickly after being placed here. So it’s normally quiet which I don’t like. Quiet means I have to be alone with my thoughts. My thoughts always lead me back to the past. I relive my past daily.

I shake my head to rid myself of those thoughts as I come to my door. I see the guard standing nearby stare at me but does not move.

“Umm...I am ready to go back in now. I have finished my chores.” I whisper as I look down so I do not make eye contact. I hear his heavy footsteps as he comes closer. I brace myself in case he decides to hurt me.

He opens the door and shoves it open. “Hurry up you whore!” He spits at me as I walk past to enter.

I quickly enter my cell before he can do anything. I rush to the other side and turn around to face him. I have to keep an eye on him in case he tries anything. He just slams the door. I hear him lock the doors before retreating to his post. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Most of the guards just insult me. Sometimes though they attack me when they are having a bad day. It can get really bad though. They have left me for dead a few times in the past. It is normally when they get scolded because I was doing something I did not know I wasn’t allowed to do.

Once when I was 10 I went out to the garden behind the pack house. I always had seen other kids playing there so I went outside to see if I could play. I finished my chores early. There was a little girl who was being very mean and said I couldn’t play with them because I wasn’t good enough. They told their parents I was being mean and hurtful. The parents told Alpha I was too dangerous to be around other kids. He punishes the guards for not keeping a closer eye on my location. They came and dragged me away. I pleaded with them that I didn’t do anything wrong. They just beat me with whips, metal rods, and even a mace. I just lay there curled in a ball until I blacked out. I thought I died that day. When I woke it was a week later and someone had bandaged my wounds. I even had fresh food. I figured maybe the pack doctor came to see me and Alpha King was nice enough to feed me. That was the worst one but other beatings have been brutal too. I have never stepped foot outside the pack house since.

I go to my sink and splash some water on my face. I take a look around my cell. I have a cot made from an old wooden table in the far corner no blanket or pillow, I have a sink with a smudge mirror, and a bucket for a toilet. I go under my cot and grab the bars of soap and rag I have stashed underneath. I have to steal soap so I can make myself somewhat clean. I go to the sink and begin to undress. I run the water to get it as hot as possible and begin to scrub my body. I do not want Seth’s scent on me. I scrub until I feel my skin burn. I wash my hair the best I can with the bar of soap. It’s still frizzy and dirty but it’s the best I can do. Wash my underwear and bra in the sink. I hang them up on the mirror. I put on the shirt that Greyson gave me taking in his scent as I go to lay on my cot.

I decide to maybe get a bit of rest while I wait for breakfast to be done. I do not help with serving during breakfast because the Alpha King hates to see my face. I have barely seen him since he brought me here. I mostly see him from afar when he enters the room and I quickly make my exit. I do not mind this since he is the one who has caused all of my suffering.

I close my eyes as my mind drifts back to the past. My mother was my father's fated mate. When they met my father already had his chosen mate and Luna. This is common for Alphas and some other higher-ranking wolves. They choose mates if their fated mate is not of equal or higher rank. This is so that the heir can be strong. They keep their mates as mistresses on the side because the mate bond makes them stronger. Most women find it an honor to be a mistress. I find it disrespectful. The Moon Goddess made this person for you they make you stronger for a reason. Any children you have with your mates do not get the title of whatever rank you have and no chance at it. This is because the Alpha marks and mates his Luna. This law is the reason my mom suffered all those years.

My father kept my mom hidden away for 10 years because he did not want anyone to know of his weakness. He would visit her throughout the week. Since my mom was connected to him through the mate bond she could feel every time he was intimate with another. This was very often. This slowly drove my mom insane. By the time I was six, I mostly took care of her myself. Whenever my father would come my mom would have a moment of clarity and become the person I love again. So I enjoyed him coming even though he never paid me any attention. I would welcome his visits because I thought it meant my mom was getting better. But I was wrong.

My father was slowly killing her. Many fated mates of high-ranking wolves die young because of the mate bond. Either they kill themselves or just die of heartbreak. Some Alphas stop sleeping with their chosen mates after producing an heir. This is so they can keep their fated mates. When an Alpha-fated mate dies they slowly start to go crazy and quickly become very short-tempered. Their wolf starts to take over little by little making them irrational. I am not sure if this could be said about my father though he seems well put together. But seeing him after my mom's death made me wonder.

When I was eight I found my mom in a pool of her blood. She had slashes along both arms she had cut herself deeply with a silver knife giving herself silver poisoning. My father came shortly after screaming. I didn’t listen to a word he said though. I couldn’t take my eyes off my mother praying she woke up. He brought me back here to the pack house and told everyone that I was a rouge. He said my parents tried to attack him and he killed them but spared me. I became their slave from that moment forward.

I cook and clean for the pack to earn my keep. I do any dirty or hard jobs that others do not want to do. I clean all bathrooms (except for the Alpha’s), scrub the floors, do laundry, and cook all meals for the pack. The Omegas help with everything else which is not much. I have a few that help me with the floors and laundry. But if something is wrong it comes back on me. So sometimes I like to do it myself to make sure it is done correctly.

The Packhouse is large and has five floors. I am allowed on all except the top that’s the Alpha’s floor. He does not like to see me I think it is because I look like my mother. The second floor is for the Beta family. They are not mean to me mostly just indifferent. Then the Gamma family has the third floor. His family is somewhat nice to me except for the daughter. She hates me because she thinks I am trying to seduce Seth. Her name is Jessica and she loves to make my life hell any chance she gets. Everyone thinks she is the most perfect person but they haven’t seen her ugly side like I have. The fourth floor is for unmated warriors and young adults who do not want to live at home. The ground floor has all the recreation rooms, dining room, and kitchen. It also has a ballroom, music room, and formal dining area for when the Alpha King throws different parties.

It seems like a lot to keep everything clean but nothing gets dirty that much. The Alpha King likes to keep a clean house. He does not tolerate messes. So it makes my life easier since it is just mostly upkeep. The laundry is what takes the longest. I normally wash linen and warriors' uniforms. This can be tedious work.

———BANG————