5

BLOOM’S POV

The storm was raging outside as I walked down the corridor. Drenched from being outside, my hair plastered across my face, and my dress hugged my body like a second skin. Aware that it was midnight and I had been working in the rain from evening until now, I walked forward, needing to rest before the day broke, but because my body was weak, my movements were slow.

As I walked, my chest began to ache. I ignored it cause it was subtle, but as it got more intense, I stopped so I could breathe. That made it worse. As I sucked in a breath of air, I hissed in pain and fell to the ground on one knee. I clutched a hand to my chest, wheezing as I thought, What the heck is this pain, and where is it coming from?

My breathing became heavy and I couldn’t even open my mouth to call out for help. Not that anyone would come anyway. I was thinking that when suddenly I heard a sound. Moaning sounds.

Right away, I realized what it was: A connection with my ex-mate. The one who rejected me because I didn’t agree with him. He felt no ache or pain because he already had it in mind that he was not entitled to me but to somebody else.

He was with someone else.

My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest.

The slapping of skin, the groans, grunts, the whimpering, I heard them all. No. I had to stop this… I needed to stop them before he claimed her as his. With excruciating pain, I dragged myself off the floor and began to run as fast as I could, stumbling several times but still not stopping as I moved toward the sound.

He can’t claim her. If he does, it would kill me. I continued ahead with that thought on my mind, getting closer to the sound. Only when I got to the door where the sound was coming from did I stop? Not giving it a second thought, I pushed open the door in time to see my ex-mate with his fangs out ready to bite the woman’s neck.

“No!” I fell to my knees as I watched the girl with him raise her head in pleasure.

Lightening struck at that moment, giving the room a gothic look.

It was only two of them, and the girl’s hair caught my eye. Even though the blond was hard to miss, I hoped she wasn’t the person I suspected, but at that point, she turned in my direction with eyes closed in pleasure, and my heart dropped.

My heart clenched and I felt like I was about to give up on my life at the moment. I was so hurt. He could have at least waited till I was over it. Could have considered that it would hurt me, no matter how in need of release he was. Also, the fact he was with a girl wasn’t what hurt me the most. What did was the fact that the girl was Cecily, my rival. The last person I ever wanted my ex-mate to choose over me.

I had lost my voice, and even though the pain had become unbearable, I stood up and ran, not caring that they had most likely seen me. Not looking back, I ran out of the Omega’s chambers and to the gate. I heard the bell ring. It only rang during an emergency to warn when an omega was trying to escape.

Cecily. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that she had rang the bell.

I ran as fast as I could, not looking back, all the while trying to call on my wolf, but I received quietness in reply. Then the bell to the palace rang. Damn. They had caught me trying to escape. Being the Alpha’s daughter wasn’t something that did me any good.

Being barefoot, I stumbled and pricked my legs on the stones numerous times, but I couldn’t stop. Not when I knew that getting caught meant I would be thrown into the dungeon. If I thought my life was hard before, the dungeon would make it look like child’s play. At that, I couldn’t pay any mind to my legs bleeding and hurting. The rain was not helping matters. It was hard to even see in front of me, plus I was freezing.

Turning to look back, I found that I was being followed by a couple of hefty-looking men. You’re doomed. Although that thought came to mind, I wasn’t willing to give up.

Now I had reached outside of the Pack territory, I headed into the forest, praying to the moon goddess as I ran not to let my wolf fail me.

Under the glowing light of the moon, I felt a surge of energy and tried to awaken my wolf. She staggered within me like she was drunk.

When last had I run into the woods? When last had I let my wolf free?

It wasn’t as though I hadn’t wanted to, but my father didn’t allow me. The first time I shifted was the last time I did. After that day, I was maltreated and given little to eat. I endured all that—the pain, the wounds, the abuse—I tolerated it all, but I wanted to be free, to be loved, but where was I going to receive that?

The man that birthed me didn’t give me that love. The people around me didn’t show me that love, but still, I longed for it.

I heard their footsteps chasing after me, but the newfound energy in me caused my wolf to growl. That was when I knew that I was ready to shift. Wasting no time, I let my wolf take over.

My wolf came to life, and I heard and felt my bones crackling as I shifted. In wolf form, I ran faster than I had in human form, feeling alive and free. I heard growls behind me and figured that the men chasing after me had also shifted.

I ran deeper into the woods feeling great, unlike anything I had ever felt before. Now, I felt like nothing could ever stop me. Never before had I felt this free with myself or my wolf. I had forever been in a cage.

And just when I thought I was about to get a breakthrough from all the torture and pain, a brute force pushed me to the ground. My wolf howled at the pain of her skin crashing against the harshness of the ground.

Tried as I did, but I couldn’t escape and was held by the neck. Looking at the other wolves, I was smaller compared to them, so I was carried effortlessly back to the Pack.

From the sharpness of the fang and canines, I knew it was my father. He was the largest wolf in the Pack, so I didn’t dare to move and succumbed to him. He dropped me right in the middle of the Pack and growled ferociously at me.

I was dead meat, I knew, even as more wolves gathered, snarling at me, in support of the Alpha.

With the way my father was glaring at me, I immediately shifted to human form. He and the whole of his crew shifted into their human form staring down at me while I lay on the ground.

“Take her to the torture room,” my father ordered.

Wasting no time, his guards jumped to follow his orders and dragged me to the dungeon. They pushed the door open, dragged and dumped me in a corner of the room.

My eyes widened as I looked around, and the realization hit that I couldn’t escape from their clutches this time.

The room was full of torture tools, and I knew from the dried blood splattered all around the room that I was doomed. So many people had died here. I was beyond terrified.

When my ruthless father came in, fear struck me hard. I didn’t know what he was going to do to me as punishment for my trying to escape.

I watched him walk up to where the weapons were hanging and pick a whip.

I sat there, horrified. I knew what my father could do but to the extent of disgracing me in front of the entire Pack without caring about my mental health. It made me freeze. I felt nothing but terror at what my father was about to do.

As he moved closer, I felt more ashamed, hurt, and alone than I had ever felt.

My father raised the whip, and the moment it connected with my skin, it didn’t feel like any other hit he had given me before. This was more unbearable. My scream couldn’t even leave my throat. My whole body slacked, and I couldn’t move. The feeling was like broken bottles piercing into my fragile skin.

“Get the cloth.” My father turned to one of the guards with an order. Collecting the piece of fabric the guard gave him, my father moved nearer to me, and with a look of contempt, he rubbed it wildly over my bruises.

I let out a scream.