My heart pounded in my chest as Ardiane and Dalia walked into my room. Their smirks and looks of superiority sent a shiver down my spine, and I instinctively huddled into the corner of my bed. I could taste the fear on my tongue—the salty and bland sensation.
My heart was a racing mess, and my mind frantically searched for reasons as to why they were here. Despite my fear, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of anger towards Ardiane.
"What a pitiful excuse for a mate!" Ardiane scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Look how scared she is!"
Dalia laughed cruelly, her icy blue eyes glinting with malice. "He must have done it out of pity for his mate."
"Yeah right." Ardiane nodded with a sinister smile. "I almost forgot that she doesn't deserve to even be saved by him; he should have left her there to die in the hands of her family."
Their words pierced through me like daggers, searing my already fragile confidence. What confidence was I talking about? Waves and torrents of sadness washed over me with every word they spoke. I wished I could disappear, become invisible, and escape their judgment. But I was stuck, bound to their torment by an unbreakable chain of servitude.
"What's the matter, little Dusk? Cat got your tongue?" Ardiane taunted, stepping closer towards the bed; her eyes glistened with hate and anger. Her lips were tugged up into a tiny smirk.
I tightened my grip on the edge of the mattress, my knuckles turning white. "Please, just leave me alone," I whispered, my voice barely audible. I wish Selina hadn't left. She should have waited a bit longer. Dread pooled up in my stomach as fear robbed me of my sanity.
Ardiane smirked and reached out to grab my chin, forcing me to look into her cold, merciless eyes. "She thinks she can talk back to us now. How cute," she mused mockingly. "Well, let's see how tough she really is."
Dalia joined in the sadistic game, circling around me like a predator stalking its prey. Dalia had her hands placed on her waist; her tone dripped with displeasure, and her eyes held disgust. "You know, Lucius expects a strong mate. Someone who can protect and support him. But what can you offer? A weakling like you wouldn't last a day by his side."
I flinched at the harshness of their words, tears threatening to spill from my eyes. They were right, of course. I was weak, both physically and emotionally. I was a weakling and didn't deserve any love. I must be dreaming to expect someone like Lucius to seal a forever bond with me. How well could they drive that in? My father and sisters have done their very best to make me get that fact and stick it to my skull. I didn't wish for anything other than to be safe and loved by my mate. Every day I spent here was a constant reminder that I wasn't close to achieving that dream.
As if reading my thoughts, Ardiane sneered, "You should be grateful Lucius even considers you a thing. But mark my words, little Dusk, one day he will toss you aside because of how much of a nuisance you are. He would break every mate link you both have and make me the one and only Luna and chosen mate."
"Of course, Ardiana." Dalia laughed with an exaggerated clap of her hands. She scowled at me as she spoke, "Not this scum bag. He should have rejected her.
Ardiane crossed her arms, pointing her gaze towards mine. "I know, right, but my Lucius isn't so cruel to leave such a fragile creature with those monsters. At least, this should be a big dream come true for you, right, Dusk?"
No! I wanted to scream. Being treated this way in my mate’s pack was nowhere near my destiny. I wanted to be loved, and my wolf yearned for our mates touch and the love they should show us, but no. All I felt was a strange quietness in my head, slowly reminding me of how weak my wolf had become.
"Remember this Dusk. Don't dream big. You would only hurt yourself in the end." Dalia said it like she was giving the best advice ever.
Before Ardiane closed the door behind her, she turned to me with an evil glint in her eye. "Oh, I almost forgot," she sneered, producing a small bottle from her pocket. "We wouldn't want those little wounds of yours to get infected, would we?"
Dalia chuckled darkly as Ardiane unscrewed the cap. My weak nasal strength caught the faint scent of salt, and my eyes widened with fear. I shifted back into my bed, waving my arms frantically as tears pricked my eyes.
"N-o, please." I begged, but it only fell on deaf ears. Their laughter implanted a horrific memory in my brain. Why? why me? Why am I so defenseless every time?
Adriane pepped the cap off of it and poured the liquid on the open cuts and bruises that covered my body. The intense stinging sensation caused me to whimper in pain. It felt like my body was on fire, and my brain seemed to stop functioning.
'Hold on in there, Dusk.' I heard my Wolf’s weak voice say in my head; it felt so reassuring to finally hear her talk to me again, but this wasn't just the time to relish that.
"Remember, Dusk," Dalia murmured, her voice filled with sadistic pleasure. "This is what you get for your pitiful existence."
And then they were gone. Alone with my pain and my tears, I clutched my battered body, my spirit broken beyond repair. In that moment, all I wished for was an escape, a glimmer of hope to guide me out of this living nightmare. But there was none, just an endless turbulence of pain that didn't seem to end. I stuffed my teary face into the pillow, and the tears poured out freely from my eyes.
------
My eyes shot open with a start, and I immediately regretted it. The blinding lights from outside the room were so binding that I covered my eyes in a bid to pull off the headache that suddenly formed in my head. Memories from last night flooded my mind, and I sat up immediately, my chest heaving. I placed a hand on it and calmed it down after looking around and finding out that no one was in the room. I made a move to get my body out of bed, but the fierce burn on my skin made me take things slow.
I wasn't like your average wolf, who heals immediately when an injury appears. Years of suffering had weakened my ability to heal as fast as I would have wished to heal now. The chamber hallway was so quiet and perfect for me. I hoped I didn't encounter any of those devils today.
I slowly dragged myself to the bathroom, soaking myself in the hot tub and slowly rubbing my pale and slender body. When I was done, I strapped a tiny hand gown on my body for flexibility. I didn't want to clog the wounds up, making it difficult for them to heal.
I stumbled towards the garden, my body limp and weak. The sun kissed my skin, bringing a glimmer of warmth to my cold existence. As I reached out to pluck and replant the flowers, a hand forcefully pushed me away. I looked up, and there stood Ardiane, towering over me with her signature sneer. Just great, how I thought I wouldn't have any encounter with any of them today.
"What do you think you're doing, Dusk?" She spat, her voice dripping with venom. "You have no right to touch these flowers. They're reserved for those who actually matter. Didn't you get enough warning last night?"
I felt my heart sink, and the brief respite shattered in an instant. I raised my voice, my tone filled with defiance. And suddenly I felt this urge to respond—not just an 'urge, because I found myself spewing the words. "Why? What did I ever do to you guys to deserve such treatment and demeaning words from you?"
"How dare you?" Ardiane screeched, her hands going up to smack me. I sighed, shutting my eyes and waiting for the impact.
"What do you think you are doing? Haven't you done enough harm already?"
I turned and saw Selina walking towards me with a determined expression on her face. She stood tall, ready to defend me against the cruelty that had plagued my life.
At a point, I felt a bit proud to have someone to defend me.
Seline turned to Ardiane, her voice commanding yet tempered with concern. "Dusk has just as much right as anyone else to touch these flowers. You have no authority to take that away from her."
Ardiane glared at Seline, the fire in her eyes slowly extinguishing. "Fine," she said. "But don't think this changes anything, Dusk. You'll always be beneath us, no matter what."
Ignoring her taunts, I focused on Seline, gratitude and relief flooding through me. Together, we replanted the flowers, letting the act of nurturing nature heal our wounded souls. In that moment, I felt a renewed strength and a determination to rise above the cruelty and prove my worth, not just to Ardiane and Dalia but to myself and to Lucius.
As I lay on my bed in the packhouse, Selina came in and sat beside me. "Dusk, you shouldn't allow Ardiana and Dalia to treat you that way," she said with concern in her voice.
"I know," I whispered.
"You shouldn't let—“
I shook my head. "I can't do anything. I can't defend myself, and the one who brought me here hates my presence too."
Selina sighed. "I understand, but you have to stand up for yourself. You can't let them walk all over you."
I wanted to argue, but Selina's words hit me hard. She was right. They were obviously walking and trampling over me, and I was helpless. It would be futile to argue with her because I knew there was no way I was going to say a word in my defense when it came to my bully. I nodded.
Selina smiled and patted my back. "That's the spirit. I have to go now, but remember, you're stronger than you think."
After Selina left, I decided to take a quick nap. But as soon as I closed my eyes, I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I knew what was happening. My mate was having sex with someone else.
Tears streamed down my face as I tried to process the pain and betrayal I was feeling. How could he do this to me? Wasn't I enough for him?
I cried myself to sleep, feeling broken and alone. My heart ached with a pain that I couldn't describe. How was I going to face him after this? How was I going to face the pack?
I hoped that the pain would go away, but deep down, I knew that it was going to stay with me for a long time. And I didn't want that. I hoped for a strange and sudden redemption that could bring me out of the sorrow that I felt. It was choking and clouding my vision; every second that passed was a moment of searing pain shooting through my spine.
I took calming breaths and willed myself to sleep. A temporary escape.