CHAPTER 1: BRANDED

             HAZEL'S POV

    Opening my eyes to my small, old, dirty, and tattered room, I felt my body bound to the rickety bed I was used to and I whimpered as my eyes captured the tiny ropes that were used to bind me to the bed. 

      My eyes blurred, I felt like I was dreaming. Everything seemed unreal to me as I tried to stand up from my bed but it was difficult for me. 

   

   I kept on struggling to stand, despite the pain I felt and my body trembled.

      My rusty bed cracked as I continued to struggle.

         F**k! 

     I had been locked in this room for a year now and this was the same bed I was trying my best to pamper hoping it wouldn't crumble on me one day. 

    "I don't want to ever sleep on the cold floor."

   Being a weak wolf, a pathetic Omega after being locked alone in a dirty room for a year and being fed only once a week, A light rope like the one tied to my hands and legs was things I knew I would be unable to tear off... That was how weak I was.

   My lips were pale, my throat was parched, and my legs were sore I could barely feel them anymore.  

     "Is... Is someone there?" I called gently, my weak voice so tender that it could hardly leave my throat. 

    Why wasn't I so surprised about being tied to the bed?

   Because that wasn't my first time ~

   Being a wolf with no parents, I faced a lot of cruelty from my vicious stepmother whom I lived with and I was used to it~

    Well... She wasn't the only one who hated me, everyone in the pack hated me too. They despised me and mistreated me like a piece of garbage. 

       "Is someone there?" I asked again, My voice a bit clearer.

   I could feel the presence of someone outside the room but it was a completely strange person, a person I had never seen before!

   Powerful! ... Yeah, The person seemed very powerful and it scared me! The aura exuding from him was powerful, resulting in me trembling in fear. 

        Who is he? 

      My frail body quivered involuntarily and the pang in my vulnerable legs increased ten folds. 

   "W... Where is my stepmother?" I panicked. 

   Though she was a wicked person, I still preferred her to any stranger there is!

   Will he kill me? 

   My heart raced and fear washed over me... I felt like crying. 

   "You seem very impatient, huh?" The voice sounded menacingly in my head and I whimpered!

    My eyes shut on their own, I tried to force the rude voice out of my head. 

      "Get the fuck out of there, You Villain!" 

    I cried while I continued struggling as my lips cracked and I could feel blood dripping down my chin. 

    Menacing laughter echoed outside the small room. The person was yet to enter but they were so powerful that it felt like they were beside me already. "What is this?" My heart raced faster against my chest. 

    "Do you want to see me first or him first?" The voice asked but I was already pissed. 

   Power or no power, just get the hell outta my presence!

   I wanted to scream out loud but heck! I wasn't so bold and I was too weak... So weak that it scared me that I might collapse if I screamed a little louder. 

   I closed my eyes again and opened them back while releasing the breath I had held for seconds now. "Anyone... I just want to see someone." I replied calmly, trying to lick the blood on my lips ~ I was thirsty. 

    My throat hurt with each word I spoke and the pain only increased~ Overwhelmed by the pains, I closed my eyes instead of whimpering. 

   I might be a weak wolf and an orphan but my father was once an Alpha and my mother was one of the most powerful Luna. I didn't inherit their powers but I was endowed with their aura, their wisdom, and their integrity.

    “I'm coming.” The voice said in a demanding tone, it was scary. 

     I shivered immensely as I peeled my eyes one after the other and before I knew it, a piercing ray of sunlight illuminated my room and the once-dark place became extremely clear.

    My eyes tinged and I closed it immediately. I wasn't used to this sudden brightness. Although, I had longed to see it for a year now. 

   I had my eyes closed for a few minutes before I got the courage to open them back and thankfully, I was okay now. 

   "The person..." I mumbled as I frantically searched for the person that entered my room. I had felt it, I knew the person entered but where did they hide again?

   "Where are you?" I asked, still acting calm even though I was scared... My head banged. 

    "I'm here." The voice finally replied and a figure appeared in front of me. 

   Looking at the structure, He was a man, someone with a modeling figure, tall and muscular with a broad chest. 

   While I was wordlessly scrutinizing his physiques, He removed the mask covering his face and ~

   Holy moly!

   He was the exact example of beauty! No... I meant, Natural beauty! He was so beautiful that he caught my breath, causing me to be entirely breathless!

    I swallowed hard as I continued staring at his perfectly shaped face, forgetting what to say. 

   "You seem to be shocked, right?" He joked as a grin formed on his face 

   Seeing the grin, I was stupefied for some seconds but I was quick to compose myself too and I sighed. I let out a deep breath and frowned "Who are you?" I asked shyly, feeling ashamed of my dirty tattered self in front of such a beautiful man.

   Somehow, I felt relaxed after seeing his handsome face as if there was a rule that handsome-looking guys weren't bad boys ~ Hehe!

   Dreaming bitch!... I kinda knew I was ~

    "I'm Alpha Luke, Alpha Asher's cousin and his attendant." He replied but his reply made me confused. 

    "How could an Alpha be another Alpha's attendant?" I thought I had said it inside but my unrestrained mouth refused to keep my secret and somehow... unfortunately, it was said out loud!

   "I know you will be surprised. Everyone does when they don't know who Alpha Asher is. My cousin is the most powerful Alpha on earth with no one who can challenge him. He is the ALPHA OF ALL ALPHAS. The ULTIMATE KING!"

    

    All of a sudden, the ground and walls started to shake rebelliously, and a roaring sound boomed thunderously! 

     The once bright room turned brighter as the ground seemed to be caving in. 

   It was like an earthquake but it seemed so powerful that I felt like something was pulling on my soul. 

    The Alpha of all Alphas?

   The Ultimate King?

   Hell, NO!

   Amidst the sudden powerful earthquake, the air started turning heavier and my powerless body became even more powerless.

      Even Alpha Luke also seemed to be losing some color in his face... He was turning pale!

   "Am I going to die here?" I was frightened.

    Boom!

   Like it never happened, Like it was all a bad dream, everything returned to normal in a blink of an eye and when I opened my eyes, I saw a lean muscular and tall person standing right in my bed!

    "You..." I quickly shut my mouth, I needed no one to tell who he was as I already knew he was Alpha Asher...

       The most powerful Alpha, insurmountable and indomitable! 

  

    Ungodly drop-dead gorgeous king whose got the purest beauty among all Alphas. 

A psychopath Alpha rumored to kill his mate every two years, and change Mates like paper.

     "I've been introduced to you, right?" Alpha Asher asked me, his voice angelic yet cold. 

  Though, it was obvious he wasn't expecting a reply from me. 

   A spine broke down my spine, his piercing eyes bore into me as if searching my soul. I was terrified. 

      He simply waved his hand, and I gasped shockingly as the rope bound to my skin was set loose. 

     “Time to go home." He growled, and for a moment I frowned. 

“Home?" I asked, confused. 

“Yes, you are my Mate from now henceforth!” Alpha Asher snapped. 

        I froze.