Chapter 2: Derek’s betrayal

Serena POV

 

On my way to the hospital, my phone began to blare with a call from my stepmother and my body immediately tensed up with dread.

 

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate my stepmother, and I don’t think she hates me too, our relationship was quite cordial at best, but anytime she or anyone else in my family, went through the trouble of calling me, then you knew that there was a very very big problem.

 

My family didn’t usually speak to me, infact, I was more of a casual acquaintance to them than someone they cared  about. And it had been that way, ever since my mother died, and my father remarried.

 

When he married Luna Louise, my stepmother, she came with her daughter Stephanie who was already my age. The minute my father saw Stephanie, he transferred all his time, energy, and fatherly love to her.

 

He said since I was just a useless Omega, there was no point wasting time training me when it was my husband that would inherit the pack not me.

 

I was immediately pushed to the background. I became a guest in my own home. Most times, I even felt like I was the unwanted guest who had over stayed her welcome, but no one knew how to make me leave.

 

So as soon as I became 18 and was able to raise some money for myself, I left, and they never cared to stop me.

 

My phone started blaring again, snapping me out of my thoughts. I decided to answer it this time.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Serena. Where are you?” My stepmother snapped with irritation in her voice.

 

“I’m on my way to the hospital. How’s my father?” I asked.

 

She gave a depressing sigh that made my tummy fill up with dread. “He suffered a heart attack. The doctors say he has a ten percent chance of surviving it.” She told me, and I felt my heart clench with pain.

 

I and my father might have never been close, but he was still the only living family I had, and I loved him. I didn’t want anything bad to ever happen to him.

 

“What happened? Why did he suddenly get a heart attack?” I asked, and I heard my stepmother pause for a moment.

 

Then she spoke with surprise lacing her tone. “Don’t you know already? Haven’t you heard the news?”

 

I frowned in confusion. “What news?”

 

Her voice suddenly became cold as she replied. “This is all your fault Serena, we warned you but you wouldn’t listen, now your father is going to die because of your foolishness.” She snapped.

 

I gaped at the phone. What was she saying? She wasn’t making any sense. How could I cause my father’s heart attack when I hadn’t spoken to him in the last six months?

 

“Luna Louise, I don’t know what you’re talki—“

 

“Your father lost everything Serena!” She snarled impatiently. “There has been a coup in the pack, all the council men and noble men turned against him and stripped him of his position. He is no longer the Alpha, and we are going bankrupt, we have over a hundred million in debt, everything we have worked all our lives for is crashing down, and it’s all your fault!”

 

Her words felt like a slap to my face, but what made matters worse, was that I didn’t know what’s she was even talking about.

 

“Check the news.” She snapped and ended the call before I could say another word.

 

I quickly put on the radio of my car, tuning it to the news station. I was instantly bombarded with a news that made my heart almost stop from shock.

 

Everything my father had worked for in his entire life was going gone! We were losing it all, and it was all because someone from the inside had betrayed us and connived with corrupt council members to kick my father off the throne!

 

And that person was none other than Derek! My ex fiancé, who I personally brought into the pack to help my father!

 

He had betrayed us! He was taking everything of value we ever owned, and the people were calling him the most powerful Alpha in the region! He was the new Alpha of my father’s pack.

 

I couldn’t believe it! He was a thief, a cheat, a traitor and a liar! He had ruined us all, and it was all my fault! I was the one who brought him into the pack when everyone warned me to stay away from him!

 

I was the reason my father was dying!

 

Sweat started pouring down my neck as my heart started racing faster. I couldn’t let this happen. I couldn’t let him take everything from us. I had to do something!

 

I quickly dialed his number on the car’s phone and he picked up after one ring.

 

“Hello darling.” He answered with a smirk in his voice. “Are you calling to congratulate me on my new position?”

 

“You heartless bastard!” I snarled. “Why are you doing this? Haven’t you done enough?!” I screamed but he just laughed like I told a joke.

 

“No my love, I won’t stop, until I take everything single thing you own. Including you my sweetheart.” A shiver of fear went down my spine at how threatening his words were. He would do it, he wasn’t joking, he would destroy us.

 

I broke down crying again. “Please Derek, please I’m begging you, please don’t do this. You’ll kill my father, you’ll ruin me.” I begged. “Please don’t do this.”

 

Derek burst out laughing again. “Oh sweetheart, don’t beg, begging won’t get you anything. But… out of the kindness of my heart, I will make you a simple offer that will clear all your fathers debts and save you from poverty.”

 

Immediately he said those words, hope flared in my heart. Maybe he wasn’t a monster after all. Maybe he still had a heart.

 

“What’s the offer? Please tell me anything and I’ll do it.” I begged.

 

I could hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke. “Be my mistress.”

 

I froze, feeling confused. “What?”

 

“Be my mistress, and fulfill all my needs.” He repeated. “Now that you know my true relationship with Cynthia, there’s no need to hide from you anymore. Cynthia’s father was the biggest sponsor in the coup against your father, so I’ve asked Cynthia to marry me, but I still want you too, so stay with me as my mistress and Cynthia will be my Luna. Everyone wins.” He said and I wanted to puke.

 

“Are you saying that you won’t give my father back his position as Alpha if I don’t sell my dignity and become your whore?” I sneered in disbelief.

 

Derek chuckled darkly. “It’s my position and my pack now sweetheart. And I’m doing you a favor, I know you still love me, so agree to be my mistress and I will clear all your father’s debts. It’s unfortunate that losing his position means losing his property, so now he has to pay for all the pack has given him for free. And that’s a whole lot of debt, and the debt collectors I hired are very dangerous people, how long do you think they will give you before they come to kill your father?” He asked coldly.

 

I couldn’t believe it. He was a sick twisted man! How did I ever fall in love with such a monster?

 

“Screw you Derek!” I sneered. “I will never be your whore. No matter what happens, I will never give up my pride and dignity for a scumbag monster like you!” I screamed at him in fury.

 

His voice grew cold and dark. “So be it Serena, this is just the beginning. I will destroy every single hope you have until you’re begging on your knees to be my mistress. Or else, you will spend the rest of your life in that stupid little gallery, painting that trash you call art. That’s all you are anyway. A useless pile of trash!” He snapped before ending the call.

 

I trembled with tears in my car seat. This was all too much. I couldn’t believe it was happening to me.

 

I pulled myself together and drove to the hospital to see my father.

 

When I arrived at the hospital, I met my stepmother and step sister standing in front of the ICU with the most dreadful expression on their faces.

 

When they saw me, they shot me disgusted sneers before completely ignoring my presence like I wasn’t even there at all.

 

They didn’t use to treat me like this before. Sure we weren’t the closest family, but we used to be cordial and polite to each other.

 

Then Derek walked into my life. He made me fall in love with him. He treated me like I was the center of his world. And I had never felt so cherished before.

 

Anything he wanted I gave him, my body, my time, my rights as the first daughter of the Alpha, even my seat as council member of the pack.

 

When my family found out that I gave him the authority to act as a council member, they became livid.

 

They called me a fool for letting a stranger into our family but I didn’t care. My father was already planning to marry me off to an old nobleman so what did I care?

 

When Derek told me to vote him as Council member before our marriage, my family grew furious.

 

They gave me only two options then. I was either with them or I was no longer part of the family.

 

I was in love with Derek, so I chose him. My family abandoned me since then... and now, look at where my love has brought me.

 

I quietly sat at the corner, wallowing in my sorrow and watching as the doctors went in and out of my father’s room, fighting to save his life all night long. And to our utmost relief, they won.

 

In the early hours of the morning, the doctors informed us that my father’s condition had stabilized. We could see him now, but he didn’t want to see me.

 

His rejection felt like a crushing blow to my already bruised heart, but again, I couldn’t blame him, he almost died because of me.

 

But to my surprise, my stepmother called me in, a minutes later. I slowly walked in and had to hold back my tears as I saw my fathers pale, sickly form lying helplessly on the bed with multiple tubes connected to him.

 

It is true that I had never been close to my father, but seeing the once energetic Alpha lying so broken and helpless, was utterly heart wrenching.

 

But the most devastating part was the fact that there was nothing I could do to help him now. The only thing that could cure him, was a savior that was rich enough to save us from financial ruin, and I couldn’t do that.

 

All I had was my art, and that could barely cover my rent, not to mention millions of dollars in debt. If there was anyway that I could save my father, I would do it in a heartbeat. But I didn’t know how.

 

“We have found a way for you to save your father and correct your foolish mistakes.” My stepmother snapped making me blink at her in confusion.

 

Had she heard my thoughts?

 

“Sorry?” I asked.

 

“Your father and I have found a way for you to end this mess.” She repeated with a glare.

 

“Really?” I asked with hope filling my chest. “Please tell me how and I would do it immediately.” I pleaded.

 

My stepmother then spoke in a form loud tone. “I and your father have decided to marry you off to that disabled Alpha in the news. They will pay us well if you can have children for him.” She said in a tone that told me that this was not a joke.

 

“Wait—wait.” I stuttered. “You want me to marry and sleep with a man that is paralyzed and currently in a coma?” I asked, bewildered.

 

“Yes!” My stepmother snapped back. “That is exactly what you must do. We've already signed the papers with his family. So from today onwards, you’re his wife!”