Chapter 2

Ella's POV

I winced in pain as the blow struck my head again. I could feel the wound there.

The smell of blood began to waft up my nose. But my mom didn't stop swinging the baseball bat.

"Mom, stop." I pleaded in a low, stifled voice.

I could no longer bear the pain that was getting worse.

I knew my mother hated me so much, I couldn't get rid of that fact.

My face would only remind her of my father, the Alpha who left her for his Luna.

But, Mom's anger this time went beyond the limit. She hit my head so hard. Too strong. Until I was sure that if no one stopped Mom, my head would break from her blow.

"Mom, I'm sorry. Please stop." My voice is getting weaker.

"I told you, don't embarrass me in front of Beta Ron. You're just like your father. Disgusting. You're acting like a bitch. You deliberately ran so that Black would chase you, didn't you?" Mom's words came out of nowhere. Her eyes still glowed with anger.

I held my breath and my heart throbbed with pain. Even my own mother said I looked like a bitch. Was I that low in Mom's eyes?

I couldn't move. Mom tied my feet and hands with rope so I couldn't run away from her.

My wolf didn't accept that I was being hurt. Alice, my wolf woke up and allowed me to break the ropes that bound my feet and hands. The ropes broke into several pieces.

"Ella, stay where you are! Or Mommy will really kill you." Mom's voice stopped me before I made it out of the house.

I froze in place when Mom flicked the spiked, wolfbane-laced whip across my back, giving it a pretty deep laceration there.

My dress was torn. The flesh on my back lifted as the whip was pulled tight by my mother.

Every time the whip struck my back, I howled in pain. How long would my suffering last? Did my mother really want me dead?

Just as my mother was about to whip me again, my stepfather and Harmony, my stepsister came out of their room. It seemed their sleep had been disturbed by my howling.

After my father—the Alpha—left Mom, Mom remarried one of the Betas in our pack. That man had a daughter around my age. So I had a half-sister. But I never felt any love from them. Instead, they treated me very badly.

"Honey, what are you doing at this time of night?" My stepfather approached Mom, and touched her shoulder. He gave me a quick glance, and flashed a smile at my pathetic state.

"You'll be exhausted, Dear. Shall I punish her?" My stepfather offered, which meant he would take over to punish me.

My stepfather was a Beta who was known to be nice in front of the rest of the pack. But, he wasn't that nice in real life. He was a very bad and heartless man.

Mom's body relaxed. She sat on the floor crying. "You can do anything to her, Dear. I can't educate Ella anymore."

I frowned. I wasn't really surprised by what was happening now. My mother was angry and hit me. Then, my stepfather made things worse.

And Harmony, she just stood there looking at me like I was a spectacle not to be missed.

This happened almost every day. Until I got sick of it.

But what I didn't like was when I was treated as if I were a wild, defiant, disobedient, and difficult child to teach. In fact, I always obeyed everything they said.

When I was hurt like this, my thoughts flew to Black and Jaena. They were the most important people in my life and they were the ones who made me survive until now. They are my happiness. But, I have lost them.

There is no one I can hold on to and rely on now. It's just me. It's just me and my wolf, Alice.

My stepfather said again, "Honey, you better go to your room with Harmony. I'll take care of Ella. I'll make sure she doesn't act up again. I will educate her well."

Mom smiled and nodded. The tears that had come out earlier had now disappeared. She rose to her feet with Harmony's help.

When Mom and Harmony had disappeared from my sight, they were swallowed up by the closed bedroom door again. My stepfather approached me and immediately grabbed my hair.

He pulled my hair back until I looked up and found his terrifying gaze.

"It's just the two of us, Ella." My stepfather's smile appeared on his dark lips. He pulled my hair tighter until a few strands slipped out and fell unceremoniously on the floor.

"Dad ...." My words were cut short as my stepfather pressed his lips to mine.

I tried to struggle, but he firmly held me under his huge body. In an instant, he pulled my shapeless dress off my body, leaving me in only my underwear.

This was a first for me. My stepfather was abusing me. I never seemed to know him as passion filled his big, dark eyes.

"Hush, don't shout. If you scream, your mom will wake up. You know what she'll do if she finds out you've been flirting with the man she loves." My stepfather whispered into my ear, making me cringe with disgust.

My stepfather's warm breath hit my bare neck. I closed my eyes, and let Alice take over me.

Alice growled sharply. She pushed my stepfather until he fell backward. This was my chance to run away from my stepfather.

Alice led me out of the house. We ran fast without looking back, penetrating into the darkness of the night.

The streets were deserted, lit only by the lights that glowed dimly on each side of the road.

We stopped our steps when we had run three miles from home.

At least we were safe. My stepfather couldn't possibly catch up with us.

I looked around and found a hut whose roof, walls, and floor were made of wood. It looked old, but it could still be used for temporary shelter.

Alice and I walked slowly toward the hut.

On closer inspection, we could catch some scratch marks on the floor of the hut. Then, there were some holes in the wooden walls.

The hut wasn't very secure, but there was nowhere else we could stay tonight.

I was already bleeding profusely and my energy had been drained. Walking a few more kilometers to find an inn, I couldn't take it anymore.

Alice signaled that we should go inside the hut immediately. Nights like this are very dangerous as rogue wolves are often on the loose.

Rogue wolves are werewolves who do not belong to a pack. Usually they choose to leave the pack because they lost their mate, want to live freely, were hurt by their Alphas or because they are dissatisfied with the rules in the pack.

They do not hesitate to kill other werewolves they encounter. Some even go so far as to eat their flesh out of hunger.

"Alright I'll go in now," I said to Alice who was increasingly urging me to go inside the hut.

It was so dark inside the hut. The only source of light we could find was a candle still burning in the corner of the room.

It wasn't very big and was only half-lit, apparently left by someone who had previously stayed in this hut.

Alice purred as the fresh scent of mint greeted our smell. A soothing scent that even Alice, my wolf loved.

Alice howled in delight. "This is our mate's scent, Ella."

That scent must have been left behind from someone who previously occupied this cottage.

I closed my eyes and fell asleep enjoying the scent. Whoever he is, I want to meet him soon. He is my destined partner.