愛の業火

Jane 

"Please stop!"

I screamed out in pain as his kick to my stomach sent me flying across the floor, my back colliding with a wall. I gasped, clutching onto my belly while wheezing.

"Bitch! C'mon, Jane … what were you going to do before because it looked like you had some nerve walking past me like that." He sneered, yanking me by my hair while I struggled to break free with tears trailing down my cheeks.

"Please… you're hurting me." I begged, choking on a gasp when my head was shoved against the wall.

A high-pitched ringing set off in my ear as I blinked at the blurry environment. My vision had grown hazy and what he was saying remained unheard. I could only blink at him, dazed from the impact of the hit.

He grabbed my face that had blood trickling down my nose, tightly and continued to say words that I knew were born from hatred and disgust. I was disgusted at him as well for choosing to be a thorn wedged in my neck. He was the reason one of the major reasons why my life was a hell here.

I heard snickers from the back, looking up to see other pack members within my age range, gathered around, looking at me with feigned pity. Majority of them were actually mocking me. The predatory look in their eyes said it all.

"Now get your butt up from there and leave." Kieran Black, gritted yet another order at me.

I picked myself up, having difficulty steadying my balance due to the concussion I was sure I had developed. My head spun, a heavy feeling encasing me. I tried to tuck my sandy strands behind my ear, eager to get as far away as I could from him.

I quietly dragged myself away from him, stumbling when he kicked me in the back. I swallowed the pain, telling myself that it'd all be fine some day. There'd come a day when I wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. A day when I'd finally be free.

Kieran Black was the younger brother to Kian black. He was the second most sought after male in the pack and honestly, my least favorite. His short blonde hair grazed his forehead as he grinned wickedly at me.

I had no idea why bullying me was his hobby, but then again, I figured it was due to the rumor that had spread about him being attracted to me when I was supposed to be the ugliest piece of shit to him.

He might be handsome but to me, Kian was hotter and he was considerably nice to me. It surprised me how his brother was a total jerk.

As I quietly walked down the path that led to my home, I gulped, visibly shaken up. I tried as much as I could, regardless of the pain, to hide my limp because I feared what my aunt would say the moment she noticed it. 

My house was what one could describe as hell on earth. After my parents died when I was seven, my uncle Sullivan and Wife Elise took me in. I knew they did it begrudgingly. They didn't want the whole pack to gawk at them like monsters who refused to give a little orphaned child a home and every fucking day, they made sure I never lived it down.

Sullivan was the ruthless Alpha king of the Red-valley pack . He ruled with an iron fist, infecting the pack members with the ideology that the weak always remained as bottom feeders. 

He treated me like toilet paper had more value than I did, never batting an eyelid at the new bruises and injuries I always came back with. 

In fact, it irritated him whenever he took in my weak state because according to him, his brother was too strong to have a worthless wimp like me.

As for his wife Elise, She was as evil, devious and dubious as the demons we were always thought to hate. Left for me, I believed she was just a monster in the form of a tall caucasian Brunette. She was beautiful indeed, with captivating amber eyes and to others, Elise was the ideal Luna but within the confines of our home, she was beyond heartless.

Elise would hit me, given any slightest provocation. She'd say very hurtful words at me with a glare etched on her face or a wicked grin. She always made sure to remind me that I was worthless. 

Elise had a daughter, Hilda and despite her being a replica of her mother, she inherited Sullivan's gray eyes and her hair was a beautiful ombre–a mixture of her mother's chocolate curls and her father's blonde locks. She was beautiful but for some reason, my pale skin, dark red hair and light green eyes, triggered her jealousy.

I could see it in her eyes whenever she looked at me, the scorn and undiluted dislike. She hated my curvy body and it puzzled me because as far I could see, she owned more bust and ass than I did. I only had curves that rested on a petite body with minimal ass and a sprinkle of breasts. Literally, I was that skinny and it was as a result of the countless times I went the day without eating.

Hilda was very abusive. She'd hit me at every chance she got. In fact, I had lost count of the countless times I nearly died because of her. Pushing down the stairs almost every time was her favorite thing. She'd sometimes ambush me in the kitchen and the end result would be a bruised body with burn marks and cuts.

 It pleased her to watch them verbally and physically abuse me, screaming to my face that I was an orphan because my parents got tired of me and chose death over me.

The multiple times their words broke my dam of tears when I was younger but as I got older, I grew thick-skin. They didn't hurt me anymore because what more would you say to a broken soul to break me further?

They showered Hilda with love, admiration and gifts while I was shown nothing but scorn. I always wondered what I ever did to obtain their hatred but till today, that question will forever remain a mystery.

Seeing me humiliated and bullied, satisfied their disgust. They thrived on it and loved to trample on me. I just couldn't wait to find my mate and finally leave this hell. I was tired of my dreary days. 

I sighed when I saw the big black gate of our mansion. My anxiety had soared. I made a detour for the back, stuffing the little bag I came home with down a small burrow I had made when I had a pet rabbit who's now dead because Hilda found out about it.

According to her, I didn't deserve any source of happiness. I shook the thoughts away, managing to smile as I looked at the little bag. It was a little white dress that I had been eyeing for a while and Mrs Jones was the only one in this pack that treated me nice enough. I had saved every nickel that I had earned from doing menial jobs in her shop and today, I finally had enough to buy a black heel that wasn't really all that fancy but still pretty for me. 

Today was the annual mating ceremony and I had promised myself that I'd go. I never got to be opportuned to attend the others because I always got locked inside but this year, it was going to be different.

I walked to the door already about to knock when the door opened. Hilda stood in front of me, wearing black leggings and a big t-shirt. Her perfume harshly invaded my nose and I looked away. Her slim lips were glossed and her hair looked fresh out of a salon and so did her manicured nails.

"Where have you been, idiot? Dinner won't make itself, now would it?" She eyes my bruised form and messed up hair and stifled a laughter, pinning me with a mocking gaze as I quietly walked into the house.

It was no news that Hilda couldn't cook but that wasn't a surprise. She was the beloved princess of Red-valley and how many pampered princesses could actually cook? 

They had servants but even at that, they still made the servants order me around and gave them early hours off because they always wanted me to slave in the kitchen and cook difficult meals to serve up.

"I'm talking to you." Hilda called after me and her annoying soft voice that I knew was anything but soft, had my right eye twitching.

She was irritating me to my bones and anger was rising to my surface. I could feel my wolf, Nala, get infuriated.  I turned to Hilda as I dipped my tongue to moisten my dry cracked lips, wincing when my tongue ran over my busted lip, the metallic taste of blood, staining my mouth. 

"Did you say I was late to start cooking dinner? I was going to start cooking it." I hoarsely rasped.

I saw her jaw tick and she eyed furiously before walking past me, making sure her shoulders dug into mine.

I sighed and headed into the kitchen, hating the sight of vegetables and whatnot scattered around. I figured Hilda had come into the kitchen to try and make a snack but from the burnt pots lying in the kitchen sink, it was an epic fail.

"C'mon Nala, let's cook."

***

Sullivan ate in silence, his fork and knife digging into the roast duck I had prepared. He chewed quietly and so did the others.

He had queried me on why I had served them late. Apparently, what Elise had asked me to prepare was a meal that took a lot of time so by the time I was done, it was quite late.

I was starving. I had only bread in my stomach and I couldn't help but fantasize about having a little taste of the meal that I had cooked.

"We're going to be attending the Pack's mating ceremony." Sullivan began with a mild clearing of his throat.

"Hopefully, Hilda finds her mate. Alphas far and wide will be bringing themselves. And to the mated ones, their children, with the hope that they'd find a mate." Sullivan said.

Elise cleared her throat upon seeing the hope in my eyes, gently putting down her fork and knife. She gulped down her glass of wine and wiped her mouth with the napkin.

"Hilda will be coming with us but uh…" she tapped her manicured fingers against the table, sucking her cheeks and smacking her lips in an elegant manner, "... You on the other hand will have to stay home and arrange the storehouse. Greta told me that she suspects a rat had invaded the storehouse and you know we can't have food going to waste here, now can we?" She opened her hands, gesturing her palms like she was in a helpless position.

I couldn't believe my ears. Every year, she always did this. She'd come up with a stupid excuse for me to stay home and I didn't care then because I was not yet of age but now I am. 

I stared at her with tears brimming in my eyes because it was seriously beginning to look like she didn't want me to find my mate. It looked like  she was scared I'd find my mate before her precious daughter.

Hilda hummed in her seat, obviously enjoying my misfortune. Elise quietly stood up, beckoning on Hilda to come along with her. 

Sullivan soon excused himself from the meal when a guard came to inform him of something urgent, leaving me standing shocked on the floor with quaking lips. 

I closed my eyes, imagining another stuck in this hell and my resilience broke. The heart ache surged through me, leaving my lips through a pained cry.

"Why me? Why? I've done nothing but serve you diligently with the hope that you'll come through for me in my darkest days so why are you doing this to me?" I cried out, feeling my heart ache at the extent I was hurting.

I wasn't sure how long I remained a weeping mess on the floor but I did know that my head suddenly snapped up at the next set of words I heard,

"And who says you need permission to attend a ceremony, hm?" Nala wiggled her brows at me.