CHAPTER 1

Fiona

“Get over here, you worthless bitch!" 

Logan’s hand struck my cheek, a slap hitting my face before I even had the chance to move an inch. 

"Do you think you can escape from me?"

Tears welled up in my eyes as Logan, my step father dragged me roughly to the middle of the courtyard. I didn't even try to fight back because I knew it would only make things worse. 

"Get on your knees!" He barked and I obeyed immediately. "I'm going to show you your place in this house." 

I watched as my step sister, Martha appeared from the corner with a whip. She had a smirk on her face, which worsened the pain I was feeling. 

Martha had made it a point of duty to make my life miserable. No matter how much I tried to avoid her, she found a way to ruin my day and get me punished by Logan. 

"I can't believe she tried to run away," she said, handing my step father the whip. "She's just as useless as her mother." 

I felt compelled to rise up and hit her for talking about my mother. The urge to make her feel so much pain for ridiculing my dead mother overwhelmed me greatly. But I couldn't do anything. 

I couldn't because I was weak from trying to escape. I couldn't because I knew it would only make things worse. I was never able to defend myself since my mother died. 

My life had taken a tragic turn at a young age. My father, once a powerful and loving man, died when I was only five years old. My mother was ruined after his death. The mate bond and the weight of the pain crushed her spirit greatly. 

She tried to take care of us despite the emotional distress and things weren't so bad for us then. But it wasn't long before my mother fell for Logan's charms. Logan was a cruel man who hid his evil intentions behind fake smiles and false kindness. 

I tried to warn my mother, to get her to leave him alone but she didn't believe me. After months of dating, they got married and Logan moved in with Martha, his daughter. 

For two years, I tried to get along with Martha but she was rude and bitter. But no matter how cruel she treated me, my mother would never believe me. 

Two years later, my mother passed away from an illness, leaving her fortunes and status in the hands of my stepfather who was a beast. 

Logan changed immediately after my mother's death, revealing his true colors and my life worsened. Like the death of my mother wasn't enough, he unleashed his evil plans on me, turning me into a slave in my own house. 

I had no one to turn to and decided to endure his harsh treatment. Even though I was stripped of all my rights and dignity, I remained hopeful that my condition would change someday. But now, I was beginning to doubt that. 

Before I could utter a word of explanation, the first lash of the whip landed on my back. I screamed out in pain and crashed on the ground. 

"Get up!" Logan yelled, yanking me from the ground. "I'm going to make sure you never forget this day!" 

I pleaded with him, tears streaming down my eyes and my voice echoing across the courtyard but he didn't listen to me. 

He continued to whip me till I almost passed out. My eyes were blurry and my clothes were soaked with blood from the injuries all over my body. 

"Now, will you try to run away again?" He asked, when he was satisfied with the marks on my body. 

"N-No.." I stammered, unable to force my mouth to speak freely. 

"Of course, you wouldn't be so foolish to try that again. Or I will kill you and make sure you join your mother." 

The occasional reminder that he never loved my mother caused anguish to crash through me. He had only used her because of her wealth and status. 

"You're so pathetic." Martha said, giggling as she walked away. "I hope dad gets rid of you so that I don't have to see your face ever again." 

I wanted to tell her how happy I would be if I was sold off as a house slave to some other family but my strength was gone. 

"Get out." Logan said. "Go and get my bath ready. I expect you to do that quickly."

I tried to stand up but my legs shook beneath me. I collapsed back to the ground and Logan hissed. I knew that if I didn't get up, he would kick me or whip me again. With the little energy left in me, I rose from my position and walked weakly to his room. 

I cleaned up the bathroom and got his bath ready like he instructed. 

"Everything is ready, Sir." I informed him once I was done with the assigned chore. "Please can I go and clean up myself?"

"Clean up? You little brat!" He spat. "Who do you think would do your chores?"

"I can— " 

"No buts. Your chores must be finished before cleaning up. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," I answered meekly before walking away to finish my morning chores. 

I joined the other servants in our assigned area and tried to hide my pain from them. I could hear them whispering amongst themselves about my escape plot and tears burned my eyes. 

There was no escape for me. I was trapped forever in my own home as a slave.  

After scrubbing the floors and completing my chores, I decided to have my bath and wash away my pain. I walked into the bathroom I shared with the servants and my reflection caught my attention in the mirror. 

I stared at my naked body, covered in brutal marks and rage coursed through me. Rage that I was unable to stand up to Logan. Rage that my mother didn't believe me and left me to suffer. 

My natural blue eyes were hidden behind a layer of dark circles. My chin was swollen from the slaps I received from Logan this morning and my collar bone was so visible. 

However, my beauty still radiated through these circumstances. My shiny golden hair stained with drops of blood fell across my face carelessly. My lips which had burst in places still looked succulent and full. 

The moon goddess had blessed me with beauty and I knew that. Logan and Martha were unable to change that about me. I dismissed my thoughts and had my bath. 

One of the servants was waiting for me outside the bathroom when I finished. 

"The master wants to see you," She said. 

My heart skipped a beat as I wondered what Logan might want from me again. I dressed up quickly and went to his room. 

He sat in a chair waiting and only glanced up when I announced my arrival. 

"Since you've decided to run away, I'll find a better use for you." He said, his voice laced with disgust. "There's an auction happening in three days time at the BlackMoon pack. You're on the list."

My eyes widened with his words. "What?"

"I'm selling you. You're of no use to me so you might as well fetch me some money." He said. 

I could hardly contain my excitement as I listened to him. I had finally seen a chance to escape from him. I could be sold to a better family and become a house slave. But my happiness was short-lived when Logan chuckled. 

"You think life out there is better, don't you?" He asked. "You'll be disappointed to find out that it's worse. When you're sold, you'll beg to return here. You'll beg for the scraps I give you here because you won't get that out there." 

His words sent cold chills down my spine and all my hopes for a better life were dashed. 

"I'll make sure you're sent to a hell hole." He added and my knees weakened.