PROLOGUE

                  VALERIA

          Pain. Anxiety. Terror.

It seeped through my veins. I cried out in my subconscious mind, but I have no idea what is going on.

           "Wake up bitch!"

          Jerking up as I was awoken by a slosh of cold water. My heartbeat hastened, gasping, my eyes fluttered open as the water cascaded down my hair, drenching my shirt, revealing my lacey bra.

          Confusion washed over me, I tried to catch my breath. Bound to a steel table, surrounded by darkness, my sight blurred. I struggled to move, but my hands were tied.

In the abandoned manor, I realised I'm not alone.

           "Argh!"

           "It worked tremendously,"

Lifting my head, I heard a dry laugh close to me, certain that the voice I heard was familiar.

          My throat tightened at the sight of Emilia, my stepsister, walking and squatting in front of me, holding up a bottle to my face.

"Emilia," my voice weak. "What's going on?" 

Smirking, she dangled the bottle, touching the tip of my nose before allowing it to fall on the floor, slicing my lap causing me to bleed.

I remembered that bottle, and I remembered Emilia forcing me to gulp down the contents of the bottle.

I insisted, but she claimed she was just helping me since I was still recovering from the illness I had. I had reluctantly drank from the bottle, unaware that reality was on its way.

          Sensing that something was wrong when I felt an odd kick in my 34-week-old stomach and water streaming down my legs. Shiver ran down my spine as my legs wobbled at the realisation that my water had just broken.

Lowering my head, "My baby," I whispered.

Tears stung my eyes as they cascaded down my jaw. "Why are you doing this to me?" My voice rose above a whisper as my hair fell over my face.

Tears streamed down my face when I saw my clothes stained with blood.

What have I done?

"You should have known!" Emilia chuckled dryly, tracing her fingers from my chest down to my stomach.

"You thought I would wait for you to get due before I get that thing out of you! Huh?" 

          My sight blurry as another wave of panic hit me. Pushing me to the floor, my feets are wide apart with my knees bent. I see nothing, I feel something surging through my veins.

She dragged me by the hair, blabbering words that I couldn't hear, then pushed me away.

"Ahhh!" I groaned, clutching my stomach. "Emilia...please help. My stomach... I feel my baby is coming, and now isn't the right time."

My dim green eyes, now glassy and desperate as my skin grew pale, the relentless movement of contraception made my bulging stomach contract, and every surge of excruciating pain made me grumble and scream.

          "The baby's coming,"

Her lips twisted into a malicious giggle, and her eyes were gloomy with envy. Driven by an insatiable desire to have something for the Alpha.

 Emilia's sneer evolved into a nasty giggle as she peeled off my pants, throwing them across the room.

Without any medical skills, "Push!" she ordered as my contraception hit harder and more excruciatingly this time.

Subconsciously, placing my hand on hers. My eyes rolled back in my head. "Please take me to a doctor. My baby isn't due yet." I cried out.

"Shut the hell up and push along with your contraception before I put my entire arm into you and pull the child out!" Emilia warned me, glaring as she spread my legs further apart.

I shut my eyes tight, trying to bear the pain but my agonising screams echoed all through the manor.

"Push! Push harder!!" Emilia ordered me as she slapped my ass for the fifth time.

           "Ahhhh!" 

With every push I made, hot tears streamed down my face as I grasped the material of my dress.

Feeling something huge coming out of me. I took a deep breath, aching my ass as I pushed my hardest.

I sighed deeply as the delicate cries of a baby finally echoed throughout the manor after my last push. Staring at my little bundle of joy in Emilia's arms, my heart raced as I felt happiness and love for my baby.

"She's a girl," Emilia whispered, probably to herself because she didn't say it to my ears.

I watched as Emilia rubbed my baby's face, pushing her blonde hair away from her face. The weak smile on my face disappeared when she began to walk away with my baby.

My heart pounded in my chest as I watched Emilia walk away. "Please, don't take away the only joy I have from me," Whispered, as my voice failed me.

Without giving ears to my pleas, Emilia kept walking away.

          "Please, give her to me."

I lunged towards Emilia, stretching out my hands, desperate to take my daughter back.

Tilting her head, "You must be very stupid! How dare you place your filthy hands on me?" She flared up, gritting her teeth.

"Get out of my way and remain quiet! If you say a word about whatever happened here," Lowering her eyes to my baby. "She gets to suffer it!"

Shoving me away, I landed on the floor, my skin bruised and ached. The sound of my baby's cries filled the room.

"Ahhhhh!" My petrified scream echoed through the house.

My heart tightened and shattered as I felt another wave of tears well up in my eyes. Emilia's devious laughter echoed and I heard the door of a car close and zoom off.

She was leaving me in this isolated place to die after she'd gotten what she wanted—my child.

Abandoned on the chilly, hard floor, bound and drained. My heart bled heavily, and my body felt sore.

The little strength in me had faded away as my sight and thoughts became dark. My eyes began to flutter subconsciously, my knee buckled as my mere body couldn't bear the assault. Crumbling to the rough marble floor, unable to save myself or my child. I lay lifeless on my blood—the blood of my child—as I slipped into an unconscious state.