Chapter 0001

CARLA

"Mommy, will I have a mate when I grow up?"

My head snapped up to look at beautiful grey eyes which mirrored mine. Not only that. Almost all her features were similar to mine, just in a smaller version.

She was Cherry Houston, my beloved daughter. "Yes, honey. Goddess will send one to you." I answered, giving her the warmest smile. She was almost four and on the stage of having a lot of curiosity about everything. This made me prepare myself for her next question.

"I don't want one."

Her reply slightly took me aback. Girls were usually excited when talking about finding their future mates. At least, it was what I felt when the little me imagined my man in the white horse. "Why?"

"Because Daddy hurt and always makes you cry. I don't want to cry every day, Mommy."

I swallowed hard. Cherry's words were like a giant stone was thrown at me. It was like a realization that my misery had affected her deeply.

I stood up, making the screeching sound of the chair from an abrupt movement. But I didn't care, even if it fell on the ground. My daughter was more important as I rushed and sat beside her.

I extended my hand to stroke her cheek. "You won't, honey. You will get a very kind person who will treat you like a queen. He will love you and protect you with his life." I consoled her.

I always wished for her to get a different fate than mine. Having a happy life and family and no sorrow cry—something I didn't have or used to have.

Cherry stretched her little arm, mirroring what I was doing by touching my face. "Does it hurt?" She asked. Her cute finger landed on my bruise, carefully pointing it. Her eyes flitted with sadness as if she also felt the pain I got from her father.

Yes. It was my husband, my mate doing this to me.

"No, baby. It's healing now." I lied, or maybe not. All the pain was like disappearing in front of her.

"I hope Daddy won't come back so you won't get hurt anymore."

My husband, Ian Huston, an Alpha of the Lake Pack, was on a business trip to another pack. He said it was only for three days. But it was day four, and he was still nowhere in the pack house, though it relieved me because there was no beating, shouting, or crying during his absence.

My life actually didn't suck at first. Ian was kind and treated me well in the first stage of our relationship. We met at a mating party like other mates' stories. We fell in love and decided to get married there months later although, in fact, we had been living together since day one. It was just a ceremony because Ian was an Alpha, automatically making me a Luna.

Then I was pregnant, and it completed our happy life. I had all I wished for—a lovely mate and, soon, a pup.

However, everything turned upside down the moment I gave birth to Cherry—a daughter, not a son. Soon, I learned the dark side of the Hustons. They were rarely blessed with a son—Ian's mother had born to two daughters before Ian came to her, and after him, it was another daughter. So when I couldn't give the Hustons a son, an heir, my mate began to insult and humiliate me. Then one day, he started landing a punch on me, which worsened as the days passed.

His family pushed me to give him a son as soon as possible. But I couldn't do it because my body was weak due to constant abuse. I hurt physically and mentally.

Then why was I still staying after all the pain he caused me?

I wasn't. I once tried to free myself from this agony.

I offered a divorce or a rejection, but he refused right away. His ego wouldn't let him do that, as he didn't want to be the first Alpha to cut the mate bond. It would put him in nasty gossip.

I was angry, only to find myself being imprisoned in this house and becoming a punching bag whenever he vented out of his anger.

Those had been my life for the past three and a half years.

I wiped tears forming in the corner of my eyes. I couldn't let my daughter see me crying. "Mommy is fine, sweetheart," I reassured her one last time before suddenly the smell reached my nose.

Ian was back.

And I must move fast.

"You're done with your dinner, right?" I asked her while putting down the napkin tucked on her neck, though I knew her spaghetti was still half-eaten. But I couldn't wait any longer and forced her to stand up. I was in a hurry, or Ian would see us. "Let's go to your room. It's bedtime."

I carried her in my arms and ran up the stairs to reach her room faster.

"Now, close your eyes and-"

"Don't make a noise." Cherry finished my words while clutching the blanket. She blinked a few times, but her eyes still flashed with a nonstop worry. "Is Daddy home?"

I smiled despite my anxiety about my fate for the next few minutes. "Yes, and you know what to do."

"Always stay in my room and pretend to be asleep."

"Yes." I pinched her nose lightly. "You're such a clever girl."

But my compliment seemed couldn't wash her worry away. "Can you stay with me?" She was pleading with her eyes and voice.

"No, honey. But I promise I'll be here when you wake up."

She merely looked at me before I heard her little voice again. "Promise?" She extended her hand and showed me her pinkie.

I did the same and entwined our fingers. "Promise."

I stayed a minute longer, saying goodnight and sharing hugs and kisses before deciding it was time to leave her and face my fate which Goddess threw at me.

"You're drunk." I pointed as I entered our room, and the smell of alcohol swirled around. But I frowned my forehead when another scent hit me.

I smelled a female, and it was definitely not me.

I closed the door and walked to the bed as if nothing had happened. Wasn't I jealous?

Of course. But it was long ago.

I had spotted him coming home like this many times until I felt numb. In fact, I already closed my heart the moment he refused his own daughter's presence.

"It's none of your business." He chuckled in a disgusting way, which made me want to spit out. But I only swallowed it because speaking with him in such a condition was useless.

Thus, I kept walking without looking at him.

Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with him as I heard rushed steps in my direction. And before I realized the situation, he had already turned my body around, so we faced each other. His breath was fanning my face, and I wanted to vomit, inhaling it.

"That's it? You only said I'm drunk?" He gritted. Anger radiated on his face.

"What were you expecting?" I asked him back. I usually didn't respond to him, as I knew how it would end. He would beat me no matter what I said, even when I begged him to stop.

But he suddenly changed his expression and looked at me up and down while licking his lips. "You're stripping off."

I rolled my eyes annoyingly. How could Ian demand sex when he already had one with whom I didn't know?

"You're drunk." I turned around. However, it was the wrong move because I felt a pull on my arm, and a second later, I saw the anger on his face was back.

"That's not how you answer your mate. You must follow my every word."

Just as he said it, I heard a ripping sound. My eyes widened before they fell down, and I found a big hole in the front of my shirt. It caused my bra to be half visible.

Then he grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him. Without notice, he moved forward, crushing his lips onto mine. He was kissing me bruisingly hard, biting my lip when I refused to kiss him back until I tasted my own blood.

I fought back. I tried to push Ian away, but he managed to lock my hands while he continued to assault my lips. He secured my position by caging my body tightly, leaving no room for me to free myself.

My eyes watered from his actions, especially when he began rubbing his calloused palm under my dress.

No.

I had let go of myself.

So I bit his lip hard and used all my energy to push him away.

He was staggering after the link was broken. He licked his lips, and soon, his eyes became black as he realized he was bleeding from what I did.

Oh, Goddess! This wasn't going well!

I rushed to the door. My plan was, undoubtedly, to escape his wrath.

However, I had never been faster than an Alpha. He grabbed my hair, tugged it, and then slapped my face, which caused me to knock the edge of the nightstand and fall to the ground.

"How dare you fight me!" He stood before me as if guarding me so I couldn't run away while his hand started unbuckling his pants.

I blazed a glare. "Fuck you, Ian!" I shouted back but regretted it as soon as my gaze landed on something far behind him. The door opened slightly, and I saw glowing greys in the darkness.

Cherry!

I was stunned in place even when he, again, ripped my dress. And when he forced himself on top of me, the door was wide open.

"Mommy!"

The call brought back my sense. I looked at Ian, now staring at our daughter with his eyes black and rage rising from his body. He clearly hated being interrupted.

"No, Cherry! Don't come here! Go back to your room!"