Chapter one

Ashley’s P.O.V.

“I, Alpha Vincenzo Anderson, reject you, warrior Ashley Miller, as my mate and Luna. You are banished from my Enchanted Gardens Pack.”

When my mate uttered those words, I knew that my life would be another name of suffering. Ending up in a rogue’s pack was just the beginning of my nightmare. Five years had passed, and I was stuck in an endless cycle of misery. I had lost the hope of having a moment of peace long ago.

However, the rogue king’s recent increased interest in me had made every day a new challenge!

Cooking a three-course meal for one hundred wolves on his order, I was lost in the painful memories of the past. The wound of Vincenzo’s heartlessness was still fresh in my heart even after a long time.

Disregarding the sacredness of our bond, my Alpha mate didn’t hesitate to reject me, severing the red threads of matrimony. In just one day, I was turned into a convicted criminal from a soulmate, banished from my homeland. Vincenzo didn’t even consider that I hadn’t stepped out of our pack in my whole life.

His cruel rejection snatched everything from me, turning me into a rogue. Staying in the rogue pack was my only option, as there was no place for criminals in the world.

Rogue King Ralph was kind enough to let me be a part of his pack, but his lecherous intentions weren’t a secret from anyone. He had fixed his eyes on me this time. His bizarre requests were increasing day by day. Yesterday, he gave me two options.

“Sleep with me or cook a feast for one hundred warriors!”

Although he was confident that one would never sign up for such an inhumane workload, I chose my dignity. My only option was to crush my bones with hard work and earn my living expenses.

Sighing dejectedly, I rushed to serve the dinner on time, moving as fast as I could.

“Here’s the pack’s slut. Who else are you banging, Ashley?”

One warrior smacked my ass, laughing hysterically as if my helplessness were the joke of history. I blinked my tears away and focused on work. Living in a rogue pack as a maid, I had learned to lower my head to save my life. It was the secret to surviving in this lawless community.

As this feast was my penalty, I had to do everything alone from cooking to serving. No one was allowed to help me at work. However, when I was scrubbing the stains from the floor, my friend, Jenna, came to me.

“Hurry up, Ash. The kitchen must be closed before nine. King Ralph is really pissed off tonight!”

Gazing at the mess in front of my eyes, I calculated the time required in my head. The heaps of dishes and cleaning gave me a rough estimate as I cried out.

“I need at least one more hour to wind up the kitchen, Jenna.”

Jenna looked around and closed the door, whispering cautiously.

“King Ralph has arranged a drinking party at the ceremony hall. I have heard that he will call you tonight.”

Jenna told me that Ralph was looking for an excuse to punish me, increasing my workload. That playboy was furious about why I wasn’t ready to be his mistress like other girls. Despite being married, he was sleeping around freely. This new task must be his latest plan to trouble me.

Taking a deep breath, I shook my head. The news of the night shift turned my mouth bitter.

“What will be, will be, Jenna. I won’t give into his tricks. King Ralph can go fuck himself.”

After Jenna’s heads-up, I finished the work, preparing myself for another round of distress. I was closing the kitchen when a guard called me from outside.

“Ashley! King is calling you!”

The moment I was dreading was there, challenging my sanity. I didn’t have the choice to say no, as I was just another discarded shadow, scraping out a living in the filth. This pack was a joke, a makeshift kingdom of outlaws and exiles, ruled by the monster drunk on power and his own delusion of royalty. Ralph would skin anyone alive who dared to defy his command.

Whispers followed me as I walked behind the guards to the party hall, feeling the suffocation in the air. My skin prickled with warning as I grabbed the tray and went inside.

Ralph was sitting on a gold-plated high seat, with his legs spread wide. His smile was all teeth when I served him the glass of stolen wine.

“Ah, my little favorite stray! I thought you must have collapsed after preparing the feast.”

I quickly stepped back as he stood up, approaching me. The crowd of his loyal warriors went silent as he continued in a sultry tone.

“But you are here, serving drinks. You have great stamina to take my big d*ck, doll.”

My heart pounded like war drums in my ears as he eyed his companions to leave, circling me like a vulture slowly.

“I have been patient, offering you to live in comfort. But still, you played hard to get, doll!”

King Ralph stopped in front of me, his eyes gleaming with lust settled a chill in my bones as he said.

“It ends tonight, doll. You are mine!”

*Trigger warning: Sexual assault*

“No!”

An involuntary gasp spilled my lips as he seized my chin, nauseating me with his touch. He forced me to look up and growled.

“You will submit to your king! I will tame you into a dirty little whore like you are!”

“No, please leave me!”

The tray landed on the floor with a loud thump as I held my hand out to maintain the distance between us. But that drunk man didn’t listen to me. He grabbed my wrists in one fist, holding me forcefully. I squirmed against his iron hold as he tried to tear my shirt.

“Save your strength for later, doll. You have to please my wolf!”

He extended his claws, scratching the flesh of my arms to silence me. His hands roaming on my skin made me feel sick to the stomach. I screamed at the top of my lungs.

“Help! Somebody, please help me.”

Fighting against his mighty Alpha wolf, I was begging for mercy when the door flew open, followed by a loud thud.

A fierce voice questioned, “What the hell is happening here?”