Chapter 3

Jaselyn's POV

“Jaselyn, Jas? Jas!” Nila called, breaking me out of my shell shocked state. “You have to get up, we have to go.” She said and I scoffed.

“Why? What's the use? It doesn't matter what he does anymore, does it? He betrayed us, he rejected us.” I remind her.

“Yes, all of that is true but it's not the end of the world. I understand how you feel, I can't explain how hurt I feel right now, it's like a part of me was stripped away. The precious connection nurtured by Selene was suddenly broken away but it doesn't mean we should wallow in self pity. Have you forgotten the plans we had? Let's save a lot and leave the Pack, I'm sure we'll find happiness somewhere else, mate or not.” Nila tried to encourage me but I could tell how pained she actually was.

It's times like this that I'm absolutely grateful to have a wolf like her.

It hurts, it hurts like I could have never imagined but she's right, I need to pick myself up. As long as I'm alive, there's hope for a better future. Besides, he already had someone else but still chose to take my virginity and then have the audacity to tell me it was a mistake. If he was able to reject me so easily, why should I cry for him? A douchebag like him doesn't deserve my tears or even my love. He deserves whatever karma's going to cook up for him. 

I won't fall apart, I won't give him a chance to see me miserable. I'll go on living like nothing happened. 

“That's the spirit! It's gonna take a lot more to break us.” Nila cheered and I slowly crawled out of the bed.

My legs were unstable for the first few minutes, I was so sore it felt like I'd been hit by a truck. After regaining my balance, I picked up my clothes and put them on. I wove my hair into a braid and washed my face. I took a deep breath before finally leaving the room.

The hallway was mostly empty except for employees here and there tidying up from yesterday's extravaganza. They barely spared me any attention as I passed by, something I'm grateful for.

I try to find my way to the exit but only end up getting lost in the huge palace. I rest beside a door for a moment to try to retrace my steps but the door suddenly opens and I fall backwards. I close my eyes and brace myself for impact but the pain never comes. Instead, I feel strong arms wrap around my back securely and pull me flush against a hard body, successfully breaking my fall.

I don't even need to look at the face to know who it is. His encroaching scent wafts into my nostrils and I have to stop myself from mock gagging, already having gotten more than enough of a healthy dosage.

I pulled back but his arms never left my body, he just stared at me blankly, like he was waiting for me to do something. Perhaps he thinks I've come to beg to be taken back. Like hell.

“Despite being the Alpha, the rules of the rejection also apply to you. You should follow your own advice and refrain from touching me.” I taunt and push him off of me, finally freeing myself from his grip.

His brief look of confusion satisfies me more than it should. 

“You say that but you're the one falling into my arms. If you've come to plead with me, I suggest you save your breath. I already told you everything I needed to.” He states and I pull on a mocking smile.

“You know Alpha, being indecisive doesn't suit you. If you're looking for a girl who will fall at your feet, crawl, cry and beg just so you can take her as a side piece and dump her whenever you please, do carry on with your search, I'm not the one you're looking for. I happened to lose my way and ended up here and on that note, thank you for saving me from falling.

Even though we're not mates, you're still the Alpha of this Pack and as a Pack member, I'm entitled to your assistance. So if you would be kind enough to have someone show me the way out of here, we won't have to endure each other anymore.” I said in a sickeningly sweet voice and he frowned.

“Ask directions from any of the staff you find around, I have better things to do.” He said and stormed off while I counted down from ten just to be able to stop the flood of emotions swirling within me from bursting out.

Facing him again, speaking to him, being in his arms, it all still affects me. I can pretend all I want but I fear this pain might never go away.

I finally get directions and make it out of the palace. I head straight home and I'm barely able to close the door before I break down crying.

All the pain I'd bottled up just came bursting through and I let the tears flow, unable to stop myself. 

I hear the sound of a door opening and footsteps approaching me but I don't bother to look up, already knowing who it is.

The feet stop right in front of me but I make no move to get up. 

“You finally decided to come home, eh? I assumed you'd finally run away with some delinquent.” My uncle's biting voice rang through the room but I remained silent, too taken by my own grief to pay him any mind.

“Bitch!” He spat out angrily and I felt an iron grip on my hair, pulling me up with it and nearly ripping it from my skull. I screamed out from the pain and forced my tired body up, following the movement of his hand and trying to alleviate the excruciating pain.

“I'm fucking talking to you, how dare you ignore me?” He yelled, pulling on my hair some more while I whimpered in pain, more tears pouring down my cheeks as I tried to free his hand from my hair.

“You're still not saying anything, uh? I haven't taught you a lesson and that's why you still have the nerve to disrespect me.” He curses and delivers a heavy kick to my side and I could swear for a moment that I heard a sickening crack.

I screamed from the unbearable pain and he finally let go of my hair. I curled up into a ball, nursing my bruised rib, my vision blurry with tears, as I tried to catch my breath. The pain was so severe that breathing became difficult.

He didn't stop there, he kept delivering kick after kick all over my body, each one more powerful than the last while I tried to protect my vitals, already in too much pain to care about anything else.

“You're such a whore, where the hell were you last night? You pretended like you didn't want to go to the Ball but the moment I let you out of my sight, you went on an escapade. How many men was it, slut?! Your parents must be so proud, they raised a cunt for the Pack to fuck. You should have died with them, you're nothing but a curse. Your bad luck is the reason why your parents are dead.

I was kind enough to take you in but you've been nothing but trouble. I'm not your fucking dad, I won't take your crap. I would happily send you to those parents of yours, you useless piece of trash.” He spewed out, never stopping the assault on my body.

He lands one final strike on my back before stepping away from me. I can hear his heavy breathing but I don't raise my head in case he's planning a surprise attack.

“Stupid bitch, you still won't apologize. I wonder why I waste my energy on you. The chores better be done and food better be ready for me by the time I arrive or you'll wish you died with your parents.” He ordered and I heard footsteps once more before the sound of the living room door closing followed. Suddenly, the house was plunged into complete silence, except for my erratic breathing and the gnashing of my teeth from how much everything hurts.

“Jas, are you OK?” Nila, my wolf asks with concern. “I'll be fine, it's not like we haven't been through worse.” I try to say lightheartedly but a heavy cough racks through my body and I taste blood on my tongue. Shit, he must have punctured something. It'll take a few days to heal but I'll live.

“Why do you take all of his bullshit? Why don't you let me take over and teach him a lesson?” She asks and I chuckle bitterly.

“Have you forgotten what happened when we tried that?” I ask and she suddenly goes quiet. 

I used to be so much better than this. The first time Uncle Dan had hit me, I stood up to him. He insulted my dead parents and I shifted, ready for a fight but that was my biggest mistake.

I've never been trained in combat so he easily took me down in less than a minute. I was lashed daily with a whip soaked in wolfsbane and starved for three days. The damage that caused to my body, especially my wolf, was almost unrepairable. I would never put myself through that again. I can endure any injury, any damage done to my body can heal but I cannot bear the thought of losing Nila. I'll bear anything, as long as I can live.

“How long will this go on for? There's only so much you can take.” Nila argued, I could tell she was simmering with wrath. The pain of the rejection still lingered on but this was more from her genuine love and care for me from the bond we shared.

I'd probably only stayed this long because deep in my heart, I wanted to believe that my uncle cared for me. I deluded myself into believing that Uncle Dan had even just a little bit of love for me because the reality was far more devastating. I didn't want to believe that I had no one in this world, that I was truly all alone and that no one loved me or ever would.

It's funny and sad every time I remember it. Uncle Dan only started calling me a whore after he tried to make a move on me and I turned him down.

It had been about three months when I moved in with him. He came home really late one night and he was drunk out of his mind. He couldn't even stand straight without falling over and I had to wonder how he managed to make it home. 

I helped him to his room and proceeded to help him lie down but he pulled me down with him. He wrapped an arm around me and felt me up through my clothes with his other hand. I pushed him hand off but he went ahead to tell me how much he wanted me. I was so grossed out that I nearly threw up right there and then. I pushed his hand away and left, deciding it would be better to talk about it when he was sober. I brought it up the next morning and instead of apologizing and blaming it on the alcohol like I expected him to, he shut me down and claimed I had tried to seduce him. 

That was automatically the birth of the demeaning names. That should have opened my eyes to his true nature but I turned a blind eye to all his red flags and chose to endure because I needed to feel wanted.

I'm such an idiot. In these months, I've only let him tear me down completely and rip me of any self esteem I had.

“But it's not the end of the world, we can start over. There are good people out there, I promise, we just need to find them.” Nila encouraged me. I sat up and wiped my tears.

She's right, I can't keep living like this. At my parents' funeral, I promised them I'd live long and well. This isn't the kind of life I want. 

It's now or never; I have to make a decision.

“What do you want to do? You always have my support.” Nila asked.

“We're leaving Nila, we're going far away from this fucked up place. Anywhere but here will be better.” I told her and she nodded, satisfied with my choice.

I have absolutely no reason to stay in this Pack anymore. I have no family and no friends so there will be no love lost. I especially need to go far away from that man because then I won't have to bear seeing him with someone else, I won't question my worth and I'll finally be able to move on.

I deserve better.