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ELEANOR

PRESENT DAY...

"Eat you filthy human! EAT!!" I choked as she shoveled a thousand meatballs into my full mouth. Barbara pulled my hair back harshly while Paula held my arms tightly from the back. Her foot pushing me on the back of my legs to the cold hard floor. I couldn't move and my knees were starting to hurt badly from being forced to kneel when they had decided to intentionally throw my food tray and pass the blame to me for knocking it over. I could feel the tears that had escaped from my eyes fall down the sides of my face.

From the corner of my teary eyes, I saw Sabrina standing frozen in one corner nearby. She's my best friend. WAS my best friend before what had happened. She suddenly averted her eyes and turned to the other table where her new friends were sitting at. She sat down and laughed with them while they all pretended to be ignorant of what was happening around them.

Their nonstop laughter grew louder and blended with Barbara and Paula's chuckles, clearly relishing in looking for multiple ways to humiliate me and crush the dignity I have left. My life getting more and more painful with each passing day, yet I continue to cling to that little string of hope my father promised me back then.

"Listen to me, Barbara. When I become the Alpha next to my father, Alpha Victor, I will have my revenge," I swore, gritting my teeth as I spoke and shooting them both a glare, one thing I knew was they hated from me so much. Apparently, they hate my guts.

They then burst out laughing, catching the attention of many people in the dining hall. Their eyes turned to me. Since the pack knew I was “wolfless” like my dad told them that night, everyone just…changed. Their treatment towards me wasn’t the same as it did before.

Squeezing my fists into balls, I shoved away the leftover meatballs that were smudged around my mouth using the back of my hand. I tried to balance my feet and straighten myself up in front of them, refusing to give up my pride as the Alpha's Daughter in Blue Mountains Pack.

I glared at each one of them who just laughed, looking at me like I was some sort of idiot.

"Didn't daddy tell you?" Barbara folded her arms, leaning backward before eyeing me mockingly.

I furrowed my brows.

"What?"

Barbara smirked at me, swaying her hips as she placed a finger on her right cheek, lifting her head up to look at the ceiling, and pretending to be in a middle of a reminiscence.

"Your father won't be giving you the title of Alpha," She snickered.

"And how do you know that?" I stepped backward. Mirroring her own gesture.

"Are you sure you want to know, Eleanor?" Barbara teased.

I was about to answer that when I found myself suddenly glancing at the round clock hanging by the wall. Seeing that it was 8:30 AM, my eyes widened. Shit.

"This will have to wait," I muttered whilst Barbara just stood there, watching me in pure disgust as well as disapproval.

I quickly dashed out of there and ran towards the hallway. I was about to turn in one corner when my head dived into a wall. I know every corner of the packhouse and am sure there isn’t supposed to be a wall in here.

I looked up, groaning.

“You’re late, fucking bitch.” The sound of a man’s raspy voice instantly made me stop. He snarls.

It’s Beta Mike. I lowered my head. I couldn’t bear to see the disgusted look on his face anymore.

He growled at me, but I don’t dare to move in case that would irritate him.

“You’re lucky I don’t get to beat you up today, Eleanor.” I gulp.

“Sorry, Mike. I’ll go do my chores now.” I said then spinning around to go the opposite way. Since that bloody night, he started giving me all the chores and beat me to a pulp. Mom and Dad didn’t know because my wounds healed pretty fast.

Beta Mike abruptly caught my arm, squeezing it tight.

“I’m not finished!”

I yelped under his grasp as he spun me around to face him.

“The Alpha gave orders for me to make sure you’re well-prepared today.” A wide grin was plastered on his face.

I furrowed my brows, confusion stirring inside me.

“For what?”

“The Alpha of the Red Silverwood Pack has accepted our invitation for the peace talk. Currently, that dick doesn’t have a mate. There will be an alliance between our packs, and you, our dear Eleanor, will be offered—

He looks at me in disgust.

--as a peace offering.”

A tight knot twisted in my stomach.

“What the hell is he talking about? Peace offering his ass’ My wolf snickered.

‘I don’t know Ares. We should ask Dad. What if Mike was lying? This won’t be the first time he’s done it just to poke fun at me’ I thought.

‘I don’t understand why you don’t tell your father about Mike beating you up and abusing you. It hurts to see you like this Eleanor’ Ares shook her head.

‘You know I tried and he didn’t believe me. The bruises and wounds were gone instantly before I could show them to him. He regards Mike as his loyal friend”

“Did I tell you to space out, Eleanor? You obviously don’t have any respect for your superior” Mike growled contemptuously as he gave me a pointed look.

His demanding voice forced me to straighten up and look him in the eye. I gulped nervously and dropped my eyes to the floor.

Mike suddenly grabbed my arm harshly and dragged me from the halls toward my room. I tried keeping up with his footsteps but every step was about two meters wide, making me stumble repeatedly on the way. I knew Ares hated us being treated like this. But we have no choice. I can’t risk shifting into my wolf here and now, especially not in front of Mike. If he made my life a living hell after discovering I was wolfless, imagine what he would do if he found out I’m the cursed wolf?

He will kill me. That’s for sure.

I shivered at the thought.

The wolves we passed by were running about as if in a hurry. They were getting the fancy utensils and glass cups and plates to the dining hall, making me think they were preparing for this alpha from another pack.

When we were at my door, he shoved me inside, closing the door behind him.

“Strip.”

My eyes instantly flew open at that moment.

“W-What?” Incredulous, I looked at him like he'd grown two horns.

“You heard me. Strip.” He told me again.

My blood ran cold, frozen in my spot as I stared at his mischievous face in disbelief.

“N-No.” I wrapped my arms around my chest tightly, attempting to block my body from his watchful eyes, smothering me with a combination of lust and disgust.

Mike growled and took a step forward, making me create jump steps back until I stumbled on the foot of my bed.

He reached out his filthy large hand and pulled my arms out of the way, disclosing the cleavage. The next moment, my body was stripped of all my clothes and there, I was standing completely naked in front of my father’s own beta.

He watched hungrily as my clothes slipped to the floor without a single blink, and gazed upon my body gloriously.

He stopped for a second, taking in the sight of me as if it was too good for him to be staring at. My eyes burned as tears brimmed in my hurting eyes. I could barely open my eyes to this shame and humiliation I am being subjected to, I couldn’t.

Raising my chin a little, my confidence and pride crushed, I glare at him defiantly while his jaw dropped, his eyes darkening with pure, obvious lust.

I quickly placed my hands over my breast and private area, biting my lips until the metallic taste of blood swirled on my tongue.

‘This bastard!’

Ares was at her wits’ end and was about to shift this time around. I was going to let her when suddenly, something was thrown like a banana at my face. I grabbed the thing by instinct and examined it.

“Put that shit on. You’ll be wearing that in the peace talk.” He gave me a smirk, looking me up and down in the most irritating, disgusting, and disrespectful way.

“Did you really think I wanted to get into bed with a worthless human bitch like you, Eleanor?” He said those words in a mocking tone, snickering in between.

No doubt, he was trying to cover up his gruesome intent when he stripped me off my clothes and saw me naked. That lust in his eyes obviously said it all. But I didn’t dare tell him that.

Werewolves belonging to higher ranks have an unreasonably high pride.

I bit my lip. Staring at him blankly, as if my eyes were not burning with tears that threatened to unfold.

I was tired. Tired of this sick game he’s playing. Tired of wasting my life in this living hell I’m stuck in. I’m just too damn tired of hiding under my shell, for a long, long time.

I dropped my eyes to the floor and tried breathing in and out, hoping that would at least give me calmness and some inner peace to deal with this asshole of a beta my father hired. Only thoughtlessly.

‘Breathe Eleanor. Just breathe. One day, we will teach this motherfucker a lesson he will never forget. One day’

I couldn’t help but smile at Ares’ threat.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I did as I was told, making deep breaths before looking back up and facing Beta Mike, who was still standing there smirking at me like an idiot who doesn’t have anything better to do than fuck with me every second of the time.

“I won’t put it on unless I’m comfortable with you watching me. Apparently, I’m not” I said in a terribly sarcastic manner, which made him furrow his brows angrily and glare massive daggers at me then at the red velvet dress on my hands.

He growled and was about to launch at me when his eyes suddenly shone bright silver. A sign someone has reached out to him through mind link. I waited for a few seconds as Mike stopped in his tracks, giving me one final glare before turning his back towards me.

“Lucky for you your father called me. Because if he hadn’t, you may not even go to the talk without breaking a bone or two. Show me this disrespect again, and you won’t like what I will do to your pussy if that happens.” He spat, glancing at e over his broad shoulders.

My whole body shivered violently at his words. Ares rolled her eyes, mocking him before me. I watched him close the door with a loud bang.

When I knew I was finally alone, I flopped down on my bed, My feet hurt from Mike dragging me here too harshly.

Closing my eyes, I stifled a sob. But the tears that I held back all these years unknowingly streamed like waterfalls from my own eyes. I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore. All of it. I just can’t go on living like this all my life. No matter how much I wanted to stay for mom and dad, I just couldn’t bring myself to say I wanted to stay here any longer than I should.

My life was over the moment I turned that night, on my 13th birthday. Slowly, without realizing it, I shifted to my blood-red wolf for the first time in a long while. Perhaps my human self was the one who retreated for Ares to take control. I was too weak to handle everything on my own. Without Ares’, I don’t know what else to do. The once-perfect life I knew before disappeared like a flash of lightning before my very eyes. And just now, I thought my virginity was going to be ripped away from me too.

‘Eleanor, we need to leave this place. It’s not good for us to stay here for the rest of our lives. Not shifting. Not running. And worse not living life to the fullest.’ Ares spoke softly but with firmness.

‘But what about mom and dad? Ares, we owe everything to them. They loved us even when they find out we were—"

“Cursed? That’s exactly the reason why we need to leave this shithole, Ellie! Think about it!’

At that moment my tears came to an abrupt halt. I envisioned my mom sitting on the couch with eyes red from tears, and my dad who will probably start searching frantically for me after we’ve gone.

‘We’ll be 18 soon. Only then will the curse take effect. Will mom and dad really see us in the same light after bringing some kind of misfortune to the pack? Tomorrow we’ll find out mate. Do you really want us to kill him and fulfill this stupid curse?’

I can feel Ares’ heart thumping violently inside me.

In the legend, the blood-red luna wolf killed her mate. An image of my hands stained with my mate’s own blood suddenly popped up in my mind.

I shiver.