01 Unintentionally (Prologue)

Scarlett. 

The slap came down hard on my face. I had been tied to a post for display. I could not look at their faces. They were angry. I knew they would never forgive me for what I had done. I had no choice, but I needed to get away. The suffering and mixed emotions I was forced to endure were too much. I had reached my limits. Lucian had humiliated and hurt me the most. He had caused me to go through unspeakable pain, and Clay and Maxwell had let him get away with it.

Even though I knew My father was a terrible person, I wasn't like him. Why was I being forced to pay for his crimes? They had taken everything from me. All I had left was my life, and I knew they would take that too if I weren't careful.

They claimed to be Valkin Alphas, but they were cowards. They were taking out their anger and vengeance on an innocent girl with no wolf. I hated them, and I hated the fact that I was fated to them. I do not regret what I did and would do it again if the opportunity presented itself. 

"Why did you do it?" Clay asked me, with rage in his eyes. He was the kindest to me, but I doubt he would ever be kind again after what I had done. I wondered how they expected me not to fight back after all they had done to me.

Forced me into a false marriage, took my pack and territory from me and confiscated everything that would have been mine. They turned me into their maid and maltreated me. Especially Lucian, he was never kind, not even for a day. I hated him the most. The thought of him touching my skin made my skin crawl.

They later turned around and showed me love, but it was short-lived when Gregory, the merchant, framed me. They reverted to their old ways and were worse than before. I just couldn't take it anymore.

I lost my virginity to them; that was all I would lose to the three arseholes.

"Why did you do it, Scarlett!" Clay asked me again, and I was fighting his authority with all my might. 

"Strip her," Lucian said, and people began to cheer.

I was shocked and looked at him with pleading eyes, but I knew my pleas wouldn't touch him. His eyes were void of emotion. The love they used to have for me was gone completely. I looked at Maxwell and then Clay, pleading with my eyes, but I knew I had hit a brick wall.

Before I did what I did, Clay and Maxwell would have prevented this, but they were on the same page now, thanks to my stupidity. 

I only wanted to get away. I was suffering, and I couldn't take it anymore. Lucian blamed me for everything that went wrong in his life. He blamed me for not having relatives and for losing Stasia, his first love. He blamed me for everything and always took his anger out on me. There was a limit to the abuse a wolfless wolf could take, and I had reached mine. 

"I pleaded with you to let me go, but you wouldn't," I told Clay, holding my tears. "I only wanted to get away from this place since no one believed me," I told him, and Lucian slapped me hard across the face. 

"Strip her bare and let the world see what is left of the Vladislav bloodline. Let them know that the king of the south is no more, and we own it all!" Lucian ordered, and I held my tears, trying to be bold. 

I thought one of them would be the one to strip me down, but I was wrong. A guard was made to do it, and the moment he touched my skin, it began to crawl. I wanted Clay or Maxwell to stop it, but none of them moved to do it. I fought my tears.

I looked at Clay, and he looked away, I looked at Maxwell, and he was angry and looked away, and then I looked at Lucian. I knew I had gone too far this time, but they were my mates. They should protect me and hide me. I looked at the crowd, and they were angry. I knew I was done for. What I did was unforgivable. I would have wiped out the entire settlement. All I wanted to do was get away. I had betrayed their trust, and now I was in trouble. 

The Guard began to take off my clothes. I fought the tears because I knew what would happen to me there. 

"Please," I begged as the tears began to fall. 

"It was an honest mistake. I just wanted to get away. I wanted to run away. Please," I pleaded. All I was wearing were my undergarments. 

"Clay, please," I pleaded. 

"Don't you ever call my name again! I trusted you, I loved you, and you did this. Maxwell, Lucian and I showed you so much love. We went against our better judgement for your sake. We tried to look past your father's crimes. We tried to separate you from his actions, but you chose to throw our effort back at us. You chose to show us that you are Nickolay Vladislav's spawn. You did exactly what was expected of you. Look around you, Scarlett. Some people lost their lives yesterday, children to be precise; I hope you can live with yourself," he said and looked away. 

His words cut deep. I didn't mean to kill anyone. I only wanted to get away, but after what he had said, I knew nothing I could say would make them change their minds. The only reason I was alive was because of the mate bond, and I knew it. 

"Please kill me," I asked them, looking at Lucian because I knew of all three of them; he would easily grant me my wish. 

"Please kill me. I do not want to live here anymore. Please let me die. Take my life. After you do this, you have to kill me," I told Lucian, and he was angry. 

"I cannot have your blood on my hands, Vladislav; none of us can." He said with anger. Tears were dancing in his eyes. He loved and hated deeply.

"Killing you is a mercy we are not willing to give. Strip her!" he yelled, then looked at me, " let me see how you will survive in the cold without a wolf. Even though I am not willing to kill you, the weather will do it most painfully and excruciatingly," he said, and my tears flowed freely. 

Everything was going well until they thought I had given myself to someone else, a wealthy, noble merchant from the east that claimed I seduced him and asked him to take me away because I was wolfless.

That was when the coldness became impossible, and instead of trying to prove to them that I didn't do it, I opted to run away. I did not know how the bastard got into my room and why he said I had lured him there.

How could they believe him over me? Someone had drugged all of us with wolf's bane so we would be out of it. Because of that, they could not tell if I was telling the truth or lying because they could not feel me for the duration Gregory claimed we fucked.

Lucian believed I had drugged them to get away with sleeping with the man unnoticed because, as Luna, I was in charge of food and drinks. Yes, Gregory was noble and wealthy, but I never did anything with him. I had no reason to.

I was content with my alphas. Everything was still a blur, but they had found him in my bed. Pack members had seen them chase him out of my room. The law had to take its cause, and  I knew no one would believe me because I was a Vladislav.

Instead of waiting for my name to be cleared for them to realise I was set up, I opted to skip town. I shouldn't have done what I did, but people always watched me. I just wanted to ensure they were not watching while I slipped away. I had outdone myself and destroyed my chances with my mates and the people. The Guard stripped me bare, and the cold brushed through me, making me shiver and shake.

"Clay, please, I am begging you, don't leave me here! Maxwell!" I pleaded, and they walked away, "Please!" 

"It wasn't intentional. I just wanted to leave!" I cried out loud but doubted if that would get me out of this mess.

I had killed people with my action. It was beyond the allegations of infidelity. I was a mass murderer. I watched their backs as they left. I turned, and the crowd dispersed. I was alone. Naked, cold and afraid. 

"Please!" I cried. "Please!" I knew no one was listening. I prayed for darkness so I could die in peace, but I knew it would take a bit before I got there.