Chapter 1 ~ Nothing Good

{Ciril’s POV}

“Take your dress off and lie on the plank!” The tall and scruffy-looking He-wolf standing before me throated. He was standing before me with a trench knife in his hand and his goal was to imprint his name— or any other vile word he could think of, on my back using the knife.

I didn’t even know the bloke’s name but I knew he was one of the natives of RawHowl Pack— the same Pack I have been imprisoned in for twenty freaking years!

True story, but I digress.

I took my teary eyes off the blood-stained blade and rested it on the other person in the room. 

The devil herself.

“Ivanka, please forgive my mistake. I promise I will mind my business and won’t spy on you ever again.” I pleaded while my tears made their escape, abandoning me in this unfortunate situation.

Ivanka grew a satisfied grin as she folded her arms under her breasts. “Forgive you? Where’s the fun in that?” She said. 

“You want to know what will be fun?” She smiled scornfully now and replied to her rhetorical question. “Getting your skin adorned with, not only Ozias’ name, but the name of every important person in this Pack— because we own you.” She said.

She then turned to the rugged he-wolf. “Do it! Carve out the letters on her skin while I call out the names for you.” She commanded him and he grew a crooked grin.

With his hand clenched on my hair now, he forced me down on the plank. I struggled to pull his hand away but it was useless as I only worsened the pain on my skull as his grip on my hair was tight.

But then I didn’t stop struggling even though I was no match for his brutal strength.

This was my punishment for overhearing Ivanka’s convo with her she-wolf friends earlier— which had been an unfortunate coincidence!

As per my daily routine duty, I had been cleaning the hallway that led to the Alpha Mansion’s East wing when I heard a loud nattering coming from the Guest room around there.

Impulsively, I had stopped and listened for a while to ascertain what the sound actually was but then after a brief moment, I heard a voice that told me exactly what was going on.

— Ivanka’s voice.

“He’s coming tomorrow to serve as my entry ticket into the Palace. And once I’m finally there, I start making my advances towards the Prince. Prince Landon wouldn’t be able to resist my sublime beauty and charms and will have to make me his Queen! Soon, Alpha Queen Ivanka is what you minions shall address me as!” I heard her say before I tensed and backed away. 

Realizing that it was one of her gossip sessions with her gang, I had tried to make my way away and even abandon my cleaning of that hallway because I knew the repercussions of being caught erring by Ivanka— But then, I had been too late.

The door to the Guest room had flung open with laughter and bodies pouring out of the room before Ivanka’s quick and vile eyes caught sight of me. 

She had caught me standing a short distance away from the door and had immediately concluded that I had been eavesdropping on their conversation… and with that, I knew no excuse in the world would save me from being tortured in the worst way possible today.

And I had been right.

Having my skin tattooed with cruel names that would forever be seen on me was the worst form of torture I could think of. 

And the worst part is that I don’t freaking deserve it!

I kept struggling with the he-wolf now but then I was slowly losing that battle. Ozias had his wolf’s strength while I had…

Well, we’ll talk about that later. Right now, I have a piercing problem to deal with— literally. 

I remained persistent in my struggle and I groaned as I tied my fingers around his other hand to stop the blade from reaching my skin. 

It was really close now and the dread it struck me with was immense— I was shaking in fear. I may be a freaking maid or slave girl but I loved my skin very much and the idea of it being carved upon like a log of wood was pure horror to me.

Unfortunately, I soon started to lose the fight as the tip of the knife pierced into the side of my belly. 

I felt my body leaking as Ozias started to slide the blade across my skin to form a letter. I could imagine Ivanka smiling in satisfaction on the side where she stood. 

It was time for plan B.

Plan A was to plead in fear and struggle to stop him.

Plan B…

Plan B was a brutal bite to his arm. 

And so I bit him— hard.

He was still clenching my hair so I swiveled to the right and bit into the flesh of his hand… I didn’t let go until I tasted blood.

— which meant that I almost bit off that chunk of flesh. 

As expected, the he-wolf’s cry filled the room as he bounced around grasping the area I had maimed. He was bleeding badly.

That’ll teach him a lesson.

I spat out the taste of his blood as I watched him. He was practically jumping around and screaming like a Cub— I had turned the monster into a man baby.  

It was a really amusing sight to watch and I was almost laughing, but then all my amusement vanished when Ivanka crept into the scene, scowling and heaving with heavy breaths.

I grew uneasy again.

“Get out!” She yelled at Ozias. “You’re useless!” She told him while he cried like his life was about to end. 

Once Ozias had thrown himself outside, Ivanka turned her glare to me and I gulped.

Being alone in the same room with Ivanka is the worst thing that can happen to anyone— I say this from past experiences. 

“You, wretch!” She threw her claws out and crept closer to me. “You scoundrel!” She dumped a strong slap on my face, sending me crashing to the ground. 

I cupped my jaw and realized I was bleeding— her claws had torn me. The Ozias scrote had injured my scalp with his rough grip on my hair and Ivanka’s smacking just added to the pool of my pain as my cheek leaked out blood now. 

I was on the ground so I attempted to rise and rest on my knees but then Ivanka sent me back down with a heavy stump to my stomach. 

“Stay there you, filthy dog!” She bawled and then she squatted down beside me.

“You know what?” She smiled a bit now with an elated tone. 

I don’t like it when she uses that tone or that line or smiles.

“Since your stupid self was so keen on knowing what I was discussing with my girls, I’ll tell you everything.” She said.

“No. No, Ivanka. I don’t want to know anything else. I should never have eavesdropped. I’m sorry! I really am…” I muttered, knowing that this was a dire trap.

“Oh, you’ll have to know.” She giggled wickedly. “So that afterward, I’ll have full cause to punish you however I please.” She let out that last part in a menacing whisper that made her sound very frightening.

I attempted to apologize again but then she held my neck and started choking me.

Normally, my first instinct would be to fight back and free myself, but then there are two limitations to that.

One, Ivanka was the daughter of Alpha Gregor, the alpha of this well-known Hellhole Pack— RawHowl. 

Ivanka’s father was the Alpha of RawHowl so if I disrespected her in any way, the consequences would be - let me put it this way - very similar to fatal.

Two, Ivanka was a trained, strong she-wolf who had her wolf, while I was…

Okay, I think I should say it now.

I’m cursed— I’m cursed with my wolf’s rebellion.

I mean, I can’t consciously shift or wolf out. It only happens in rare instances and out of my control.

Strange?

Yeah, there are a lot of strange things about me you don’t know yet, so for now, let’s focus on why I can’t fight Ivanka.

So she’s a full werewolf female while I’m nothing— or worse. Hence, if I attempted an attack on her, I would only be giving her a reason to finally kill me off.

I gasped loudly for air now as Ivanka let go of my throat.

“That’s right!” Ivanka slapped my face again while she laughed. “Gasp for air, you animal!”

I continued my call for oxygen until my lungs could finally work properly but then Ivanka gripped my hair and made me look at her.

“Now, since you were so eager to get a peek into my personal life, let me tell you how my destiny is better than yours will ever be!” She spat at my face and then lowered her volume to induce drama. 

“An Alpha will be coming tomorrow to ask for my hand in marriage— this part you probably heard, but what you aren’t aware of is that this Alpha is no ordinary bloke. He’s actually one of the Top War Generals in the Royal Army of the werewolf country— the Reigns, and more importantly, he’s the best friend of the Alpha Prince, Prince Landon. He’ll be coming for a contract marriage with me where my mother would offer him half of the districts of RawHowl for the marriage agreement while I’ll be offered his name and the grace to tap from his high status.” She made a pause as she smiled into space and then she continued dramatically.

“But then once we’re married, things will get even better!” She muttered skittishly. “Give me a few weeks and boom!” She voiced, opening her eyes for more emphasis. “I’ll climb my way up the heights of power and become the most revered female in the entire Canine Reigns while you’ll remain here and rot in your hopelessness as a filthy maid for the rest of your wretched life!” She said and laughed teasefully.

I didn’t really understand what she was saying but I couldn’t help but feel the stinging weight of her words regarding the part about me. Even though I didn’t understand what her words meant, she sounded really optimistic and hopeful and with that same energy, she told me my own fate which was the direct opposite of hers. 

And the worst part was that she was right. 

Fresh tears streamed out of my eyes now. 

Ivanka ridicules me a lot and I’ve never taken her words to heart but something about this new development made me realize how far away I was on the spectrum of hope and happiness. 

Nothing good ever happens to me.

And even my biological parents knew this. That’s why they bailed out early on me and abandoned me as a baby in an eerie forest to rot. It was bad fortune— but then I was met with a more cruel fate. 

I was found by Ivanka’s father and mother, the Alpha and Luna of this godforsaken Pack.

I would wish for any Cub out there to die from starvation and cold than to be found by Ivanka’s parents because they are ruthless, bloodsucking—

“So with that being said.” Ivanka called my attention back to her as she rose to her feet. “It’s time for your full punishment.” 

“Ivanka, please, I’m sorry. I made a mistake.” I pleaded, sitting up to rest on my knees. 

As much as I hated giving her the satisfaction for her scorn, I was genuinely scared this time around. She’s beginning to get creative with her torturing method— as minutes ago, I nearly had my skin permanently tattooed with names I despised.

So it’s safe to be scared of what “full punishment” would be.

“Rufus!” She called, turning to face the doorway.

Rufus was Ivanka’s beck-and-call buddy— her personal slave boy, only that to him, they were best friends.

“Yes, Mi berry.” Rufus appeared in the doorway, grinning with his brown rotten teeth.

Ivanka smiled back at him. “How would you like to have sex?” Ivanka asked Rufus and his smile lengthened. 

Wait!

Sex? With.. with who?!

I panicked.

No no..

“I will like that very much, Mi berry!” Rufus throated, nodding excitedly in response and Ivanka smiled at his reaction.

My reaction?

I was trembling. 

As I had predicted, Ivanka had become more creative with the ‘full punishment’. But that wasn’t totally why I was shaking.

I was shaking because I knew the grim reality of my life here in the RawHowl Pack. Ivanka could do anything she wanted to me and nobody would stop her— because they all hated me. No one likes the orphaned weirdo.

You can nickname me a punching bag if you may and you’ll be very accurate as every Werewolf in this pack sees me as an item to pour their anger on and ease their stress anytime they want.

They all hated me and Ivanka and her parents were at the front of the line on that cause.

“Ivanka.” I muttered, my voice trembling now. “You don’t have to do this! I promise I’ll wash your clothes, I’ll run all your errands, I’ll clean your floorboards— I’ll do anything you want! But please, not this.” I cried, jamming my hands together in my plea.

Ivanka smiled, satisfied with my alarm and uneasiness. “Well, if you’ll do anything I want, then I want you to spread your legs for my boys to grind you tonight.” She said with a wicked tone and smiled at Rufus.

“Oh, it’s this one?” Rufus mouthed, referring to me in his sudden happiness. “Me has been wanting to taste her for a very long time now!” He said with his barbarian accent and licked his lips in a very irritating manner.

I’d rather die than have him inside me!

I turned back to Ivanka who purposely wasn’t looking at me anymore.

“Ivanka, I—”

“Rufus, go call the other boys. Tell them fun is waiting for them in the lower guest room.”