Ch 2. Broken Promise.

*Aurora’s P.O.V.*

My head hung low as I stood before Alpha Griffin, the ruthless leader of the Midnight Shadow Pack, one of the most feared Alphas in the world.

"Dad, can you believe this filthy thing left my dress in the storeroom for people to use as a damn foot mat!" Sabrina seethed, pointing accusingly at me.

I rolled my eyes slightly, lifting my head just enough to glare at her. "Is this true, Aurora?" Alpha Griffin inquired, his voice low and dangerous.

"No, Alpha," I replied, my voice steady.

"Do you mean to tell me my daughter is lying when she has evidence?" Alpha Griffin's voice rose, making me lift my head to meet his gaze. Only then did I notice the soiled dress hanging on the edge of his desk.

"Damn it," I cursed inwardly, recalling my hasty exit from the storeroom. "...M-Maybe it fell when I was rushing out of the storeroom," I stammered.

"Look at me," Alpha Griffin commanded, his voice like a thunderclap. He opened his desk drawer and retrieved something, all while maintaining unwavering eye contact with me. My eyes remained fixed on his hand as he revealed a white envelope.

"Do you understand the gravity of what you have done?" His voice grew more menacing. "Sabrina was supposed to wear that dress tomorrow for her brother's coronation!" His words sent chills down my spine, and I trembled in fear.

"I-I am sorry, Alpha," I stammered.

"Sorry won't do," he roared, angrily kicking his trash can closer to his desk. With a lighter in hand, he held the flame to the edge of the envelope, still keeping his piercing gaze fixed on me. My eyes remained transfixed on his hand as he did so.

"I had intended to give this to you tomorrow on your birthday," he said. "It would have revealed who your biological parents are, allowing you to seek them out. But I have had a change of heart. You don't deserve to know."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched him set the envelope ablaze. Desperate to recover it, I lunged forward and tried to extinguish the flames with my trembling hands, but it was useless.

"You will spend the rest of your life in this packhouse, never knowing about your parents like the other slaves," he declared coldly.

"Get away from the envelope, bitch!" Sabrina spat, shoving me away from the burning remains. My vision blurred with tears as I helplessly watched the envelope turn to ash before my eyes.

I felt utterly defeated and violated, but I couldn't summon the courage to defy the Alpha. Sniffling, I brushed Sabrina's dirty hands off me and rose from the floor. Ignoring her taunts, I fled from the Alpha's office without his permission.

"Come back here, bitch! My father isn't finished with you!" Sabrina's angry voice echoed after me, but I paid her no attention.

I ran from the packhouse in tears, heading towards the massive cage at the back where other slaves like me lived.

The warriors stationed at the entrance quickly swung the door open for me, and I crawled inside, leaving behind the world of torment and cruelty outside.

The cage wasn't spacious, leaving us unable to stand, only sit. When it rained, our existence became a nightmare. All the other slaves were young girls like me, clad in tattered rags. Their eyes followed me as I entered, but I paid them no attention. Instead, I crawled to my straw bed near the grimy iron bars, burying my head in my makeshift pillow, unable to halt the flow of tears.

The memory of the burning envelope haunted me, a cruel reminder of my lost opportunity to discover the truth about my parents, my past slipping away like smoke.

"Aurora, are you alright?" a familiar voice inquired, accompanied by a comforting hand on my back. I brushed off the hand, not bothering to see who it belonged to, and squeezed my eyes shut.

***

A lash of a whip struck my back, jolting me awake. The pain coursed through me, and I groaned, struggling to open my eyes. My dream had been of a twin. He looked like me, chestnut brown hair and all.

Another lash hit, and this time I couldn't suppress a scream. I forced my eyes open, the brightness blinding. It seemed like the next day had already arrived.

The warrior who had inflicted the lashes glared at me and roughly grabbed my right arm, yanking me out of the cage.

"Come with me. Who do you think you are, sleeping like you are the queen here?" he snarled. I noticed that I was the only slave remaining in the cage.

He released my arm, and I winced in pain as I rubbed my back. "What a way to wake someone up on their birthday," I muttered to myself.

"What did you say?" he snapped. "The other slaves are already inside the packhouse, assisting with the preparations for the coronation. Go join them," he ordered.

I nodded, suppressing the pain and exhaustion, and made my way to the packhouse under the watchful gaze of the morning sun.

As I crossed the door into the packhouse, my mouth watered at the spicy scent of cinnamon. The place was a flurry of activity with slaves and workers bustling about, decorating the surroundings and ensuring everything was in order.

Unable to resist the tantalizing aroma, I followed it, my heart lifting with the anticipation of food. But then, everything came crashing down when I heard that word.

"Mate!" my wolf howled inside me.

"Mate!" she repeated, her voice echoing in my head.

I shook my head, secretly wishing that his beta was my mate instead, but I felt an undeniable pull toward the shitty fuckboy who would soon become the new alpha. He stood at the edge of the stairs, shouting at his beta.

"Alpha Finn isn't my mate, right?" I asked, my newly found wolf.

"Happy birthday, Aurora. Nice to meet you. I'm your wolf, Raven. I'm sorry I'm just introducing myself now," she said. "And unfortunately, he is our mate. You can't choose who you'd like to be your mate; the moon goddess does that for you," Raven replied.

Tears welled up in my eyes. "How can the moon goddess be so cruel to me? I have been a slave all my life, working tirelessly and enduring all sorts of hardships. Now, she decides to make my life even worse by choosing a jerk like Alpha Finn to be my mate! I'm never going to accept him!" I roared in anger.

"You don't need to," Raven cut in. "But it will cause pain. We can handle it," she said, causing me to clench my fists in rage as I marched toward Finn and his beta.

"I just knew it! I knew that prick wouldn't come!" Alpha Finn yelled. "He thinks he is better than everyone, just because he is a Lycan. He thinks he is such a big deal!" he ranted, sighing as he ran his hands through his hair.

"Even if he doesn’t come, isn't it good he sent a gift?" His beta asked, grinning toothily, obviously fearful of Finn's reaction.

"Piss off, you are fucking useless!" Alpha Finn snapped and shoved his beta away before storming up the stairs. I followed him, unable to contain my anger. When we reached the top of the stairs, I tapped Alpha Finn on the shoulder. As soon as he turned to look at me, I slapped him hard across the face. The sound of the slap reverberated throughout the packhouse.

"Shit!" He exclaimed, clutching his face and glaring at me with his eyes bloodshot. "I'm going to kill you," he threatened, grabbing my hand and dragging me away with him.