Chapter 2: Doomed

~Storme~

“She’s been crawling into my bed every night, trying to seduce me. And while I was trying to leave the house a few minutes ago, she grabbed me and started to kiss me. I tried to stop her but I didn’t want to hurt her. She was too determined to have me in her bed by hook or crook”

My jaw dropped at the blatant accusation that danced around the room. I shook my head frantically, knowing what would happen if I didn’t dispute the accusation.

“That’s a lie!” I cried, “He tried to force himself on me. He tried to rape me!”

I think I saw the colorful stars dancing around in my vision before I felt the pain that swished through me. I grabbed my cheeks, trying to douse the hotness that came with my stepmother’s slap.

“Are you trying to call my son a bad person?” My stepmother snarled, her eyes a fiery furnace.

“But it’s true. He’s been trying to force himself on me ever since you—”

Another heavy slap sent me reeling and grabbing the air for anything to steady myself. I managed to open eyes which I was sure was going to turn black in a few hours, and saw my father hovering over me.

“You’re such a disgrace to this family, and this Pack, Storme.” He spat, irritation lining his tone. “It isn’t enough that you killed my wife or that you decided to have a dormant and useless wolf; you’ve also decided to be promiscuous to the extent of trying to force yourself on your brother?”

I blinked back tears, “I didn’t do it, Father. Why won’t you believe me?”

He eyed me warily. “Only a fool will believe you, Storme. You’ll spend some time in the dungeon to think about your actions while we wait for your husband.”

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The cold stone floor of the dungeon bit into my skin, leeching away the warmth from my bones. I lay there, curled up, shivering, as the damp air clawed at my throat. My tears had dried hours ago, leaving only a dull ache. No more tears. What was the point? No one would hear me. No one would care.

The darkness was suffocating, pressing in on me from all sides. I stared up at the ceiling, my body too exhausted to move, my mind too numb to do anything but think.

No one understood how an alpha’s daughter could be so... weak, so incomplete. I was broken in their eyes. Useless. Even as a child, I had seen the way my father looked at me with disappointment, as if I had failed him just by existing.

Perhaps that was why he had sold me to that wretched old Alpha King Marcellus. The mere thought of him made my stomach twist in revulsion. I had never met him, but his reputation was enough to fill me with dread. He was old, cruel, violent, and a tyrant among alphas. And I was to be his bride.

I let out a hollow laugh, though it was more of a sob.

Bride.

Was that even the right word for what I was? I was nothing more than a bargaining chip, something to be traded for power and alliances.

I closed my eyes, trying to hold back the sobs that threatened to break free.

As the hours dragged on, I lost all sense of time. I had no idea how long I had been down here.

And then, just as I began to drift into a restless, haunted sleep, I heard footsteps.

The door to my cell creaked open, and two guards stood there, their faces blank. “Get up,” one of them barked.

I was too weak to resist. They hauled me to my feet, and my legs wobbled beneath me. My body was sore, my skin bruised from the rough floor as they dragged me up.

When I reached the sitting room, my stepmother was waiting for me. Her lips curled into a cruel smile as she looked me up and down, her eyes gleaming with disdain.

“Look at you,” she sneered. “Such a mess. But you don’t have to worry. I’ll make you very presentable for your husband. It’s time you left this house already.”

My husband.

The word felt like poison in my mouth.

Without another word, she gestured to one of the servants, who brought out a chair. They sat me down, and my stepmother began to work, covering my bruises and scars with layers and layers of makeup.

“You should be grateful, Storme,” she said as she powdered my face, “At least someone is willing to take you. After all, who would want a girl with a dormant wolf?”

I bit my lip, swallowing the retort in my throat.

When she was done, she stepped back and smiled, satisfied with her work. “There. Almost buyable. Take her to meet her husband”

“What? He’s already here?” I asked, suddenly finding my voice.

“Did you think that I cared enough for you to waste my time trying to cover your scars?” she taunted.

Of course. But I hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

“Can I at least say goodbye to my father?”

She rolled her eyes at me. “Your father doesn’t want anything to do with you, Storme. He’s happy to sell you off. He’s content with my son and I. So, go and meet your old husband, and don’t come back here ever again”

She gestured to the guards, and they took me again, leading me outside, where a car awaited. I was shoved inside. Two tight-faced men sat at the back, and I knew better than to try to engage them in any conversation.

We rode in silence, and when we arrived at Alpha King Marcellus’s estate, the guards led me to the main hall, where he was waiting. The moment I saw him, my blood ran cold. He looked like he was in his late sixties, and had a pot belly that barely held in the shirt that he had tucked into his trousers. His eyes lingered on me sultrily, making my skin crawl.

“Prepare and bring her to my room immediately,” he said.

And that was it. No introductions, no preliminaries, just straight to the point. Soon enough, maids were fussing over my dress and hair. When they were done, they took me to King Marcellus’s room.

All the years that I’d spent obsessing about how it would be when I finally lost my V-card to my mate didn’t prepare me for this. It certainly didn’t prepare me for laying it down to a man who I found terribly unattractive and old.

As soon as we were alone, I gathered what little courage I had left. “King Marcellus,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Please... I don’t... I’m not ready for this.”

He turned to me, his eyes narrowing. “Not ready?”

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to speak. “I’m... I’m a virgin. I’ve never been with anyone. Please, I just... I need time.”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then, without warning, he grabbed me by the arm, yanking me close. “Time?” he growled, his garlic-filled breath washing over my face. “You think you get to make demands of me? You belong to me now. Your body, your soul, I’ve paid for you. Your father willingly sold you to me.”

I flinched, terror coursing through me. “Please—”

But he didn’t listen. His grip tightened, and he pushed me down onto the bed. I tried to fight, tried to resist, but he was too strong. He tore at my clothes, and I felt a scream rising in my throat, but it was trapped behind the choking sobs that threatened to spill out.

“Stop,” I begged, my voice breaking. “Please…stop!”

But he didn’t. He silenced my cries with his body, overpowering me, and the pain that followed was unbearable. Punches landed on my stomach, making me gasp for breath.

I couldn’t breathe for a while. It felt as if my lungs had been broken and I couldn’t get oxygen up there.

Not minding my plight, King Marcellus yanked my legs apart and barged into my hymen, tearing his way in without mercy. I cried out in pain but I was met with another blinding slap. He continued to force his way in until he was done violating me.

When it was over, I lay there, broken and numb, my body trembling uncontrollably. He stood, adjusting his clothes, looking down at me with utmost satisfaction. I could see the bloodstains on his trousers as he adjusted them.

My innocence, taken away in the blink of an eye. Just like that.

Tears blurred my vision, but I couldn’t bring myself to wipe them away. I felt hollow, empty. I had nothing left.

“Is anyone out there?” he called, and two men entered the room, their faces blank.

“Take her to the dungeon,” King Marcellus ordered, his voice cold and uncaring. “Let her think about what happens to disobedient brides.”

The guards grabbed me, pulling me to my feet. I was too weak to resist, too shattered to care. They dragged me back through the halls, down the stairs, and threw me into another cell.

This cell was no different from the one my father had condemned me to. It was cold, dark, and merciless. I collapsed onto the stone floor, my body aching.

The pain was unbearable, but it wasn’t just the physical pain. It was the knowledge that I was nothing. I had no wolf. No future. I’d been doomed.