chapter one

Pov Eleanor

"You useless thing, look what you've done to my favorite dress!" Emily shouted angrily, veins bulging from her forehead. Her slap hit my face, causing me to instinctively flinch to the left. My cheeks burned with pain, and I raised my hands to shield my face as Emily continued to unleash her fury upon me, delivering more kicks and blows to my weak, frail body.

"Darling, what's going on? Why do you seem so stressed?" Johanna questioned with a serious expression, her gaze fixed on me, her jaw tense with concern. "Has Eleanor prepared our breakfast?"

"Just look at this! This useless girl ruined everything! She can't even wash a piece of cloth properly! She ruined my favorite dress, all embroidered in lace and studded with crystals! A custom-made piece exclusively for me, and she destroyed it!" Emily ranted like a spoiled child. "We should punish her severely, give her a hundred lashes until her skin is raw, so she never forgets the mistake she made and dares not to repeat it." She pointed to the almost imperceptible stain on her dress, with an expression of indignation and disdain.

It was evident that she had ruined the dress herself while getting ready to go out with her friends to the club. That stain, probably makeup, was a ploy to deflect blame and avoid a deduction from her allowance. Johanna smirked cynically and approached Emily, taking the dress from her hands and tossing it in the trash with disdain. They didn't miss any opportunity to humiliate me daily.

"This will be deducted from you later. You'll go three days without eating!" she snarled, her eyes flashing with anger as she glared at me with contempt. Emily smiled victoriously, relishing the idea of seeing me suffer. She always got what she wanted, no matter the price I had to pay.

"Yes, ma'am," I replied, swallowing my pride and trying to hold back the tears threatening to escape. All I wanted at that moment was for Emily and her mother to go to hell and pay for all the harm they had done, from the moment they entered my life.

"Come on, darling. I'll buy you a new dress, one much prettier than the one that filthy girl ruined!" Johanna said, taking a good amount of money from her purse and handing it to her daughter. Emily smiled upon realizing there were at least five hundred dollars there. I widened my eyes in surprise; this was more than I earned during these eight years working as a maid for my stepmother, but at least I had water and a roof to sleep under at night.

"Thank you, Mom," she said with a smile, running towards the door and eagerly heading out to buy new clothes at the mall. Meanwhile, I remained dressed in old rags and scraps of clothes that seemed to shrink every passing year. No matter how much I washed, the pieces remained dingy and dirty-looking. In winter, the situation worsened; I felt every hair on my body bristle, and there wasn't a single comforter to warm me.

"Clean up this mess, now!" Johanna pointed to the broken dishes and glasses on the floor, and all the utensils Emily had thrown at me in her rage. "I'm going out to have breakfast at the mall with Emily, and when I return, I want to see this house spotless. Otherwise, you'll go without eating for a few more days!" Johanna replied harshly and spat on my face, leaving me behind as she drove off with Emily to indulge the whims of her spoiled and reckless daughter.

As I watched the door close, the cold of the empty house enveloped me like a shadow. I knew Johanna's order was not just to keep the house clean, but a cruel way to keep me under control. I took a deep breath, determined to face another challenge, even if it meant going days without a proper meal.

As soon as they left, I ran towards the trash can, where the eggs I had prepared for breakfast lay among the unwanted scraps alongside excrement and filth. Emily, enraged, had thrown them there with contempt. However, for me, it was a feast. After days of eating only fruit peels and the leftovers meant for the dogs, my body was frail and skinny. I bore cuts and bruises, purple marks, silent witnesses to the relentless beatings I received from my stepsister and stepmother.

***

"Ellen... are you there? Can we meet tonight? I miss you." I received a message from Asher on my phone. My eyes instantly lit up, and my heart raced at the thought of him.

"I've prepared a surprise for your birthday. Come meet me at my house tonight, with love, Asher!" My phone buzzed again, making my stomach churn.

There was only one thing that could brighten my days: my secret boyfriend, Asher Bennett. A few months ago, I found out that I was paired with the son of the Blood Moon pack's alpha. Initially, when he recognized me, I thought Asher would reject me outright because I was just a wolfless, orphaned girl, but he embraced me, bought things for me, and has been helping me ever since. Asher promised to publicly acknowledge me as his mate on my eighteenth birthday. I could hardly wait for that moment. Asher would be the future alpha of our pack, and I would be his Luna, the one chosen by the moon goddess. This blessing would change my miserable life forever.

At eleven o'clock at night, the clock marked the moment when the anxiety peaked. I looked at myself in the mirror again, making sure everything was perfect. I didn't have any special clothes, except for a dress that belonged to my mother. A fine white satin with silver sparkles and lace details that, after being washed, fit perfectly to my body. Although a little worn, wearing it made me feel like a princess. I grabbed my purse and put away the bag with the special surprise that I had prepared for Asher.

"I'm waiting for you outside the window of your room!" I received another message from Asher on my phone.

I made sure once again that Johanna and Emily were sound asleep. If I were caught sneaking out at night, I would face lashes and brutal torture, but Asher was worth every risk I was willing to take.

When I found him outside, Asher commented, "My love, you look beautiful!" Our lips met the moment we saw each other. I had to push him back a little, signaling for us to move away from the window of my room.

"I missed you..." I mumbled as I saw him again. His presence always left me ashamed, enveloped by his strength and helplessness, which sent shivers down my spine.

"What's this on your arm?" Asher's eyes narrowed as he saw the cuts on my wrist. "What is this, Eleanor? Did someone hurt you?" he asked with a serious expression, observing the bruises on my arm.

"It's nothing, really. Emily caused a fuss over an old dress, it's not worth talking about!" I replied, avoiding his gaze, not wanting him to see me crying.

"In the future, you won't be bullied by people anymore. I won't allow anyone to hurt my mate; I'll take care of you!" he said, sealing our lips again.

After a few hours of driving, Asher led me to his house, a path adorned with rose petals. My heart was pounding; I had waited for this moment for so long... finally, he would mark me as his mate so everyone would know.

"Close your eyes, darling!" Asher placed a blindfold over me and carefully guided me along the trail of roses scattered on the ground. Anticipation pulsed in my chest. "What you're about to see will change your life forever..." he whispered in my ear, sending shivers down every inch of my body. In a matter of seconds, Asher removed the blindfold, and a shrill voice sounded in my ears.

"This will be the best birthday you've ever had, my love!" I almost fell backward; my lips parted, and my forehead creased in confusion. I could hardly believe what I was seeing; it was as if the ground was collapsing beneath my feet.