CHAPTER 2

Karla's Pov

Alpha Darwin. He was here already.

“You're not saying anything? Well, you're smarter than I thought you were, what a pity for you that you could not escape very soon, isn't that it?” Darwin ‘tsked’, puffing out more smoke.

My lips trembled as tell tale signs of tears and smoke began to make my eyes burn. The smoke was too much, and I couldn't breathe. Although my body had already begun to fight off the effects of the smoke, it was coming in faster than I could fight it. And just from one cigarette? That couldn't be possible. There had to be other places that the drug was burning from, it was coming from all directions.

And until it finished burning, I had to keep him away from me. I had to take the risk. It was almost morning, someone had to come and save me.

“What do you want with me?” I questioned, finally releasing my breath. I coughed instantly when the rush of smoke entered my head, my eyes dizzy.

“Ah… She finally spoke.” Alpha Darwin's smile widened as if he had been waiting for me to speak, savoring the moment like a predator enjoying his prey’s final moments of freedom.

"I want you, Karla. You’ve got something very valuable, something that could make me unstoppable." He took another puff of his cigarette, the thick smoke swirling around us, making my head spin, "Your healing abilities… The Moon Goddess may have cursed you to be an Omega, but she blessed you with something even more important. And soon, you’ll be mine.”

His words sent a chill down my spine. I had to stall for time, midnight was only a few hours away. Maybe if I could last until then, the bond, the mate pull, would kick in and someone would come to save me. But even as the thought flickered through my mind, doubt crept in.

Who would want me as their mate?

I was nothing but an outcast. The pack despised me, and if anyone found out I was their mate, they would reject me instantly. I would be left with the pain of rejection and no escape from Darwin's clutches. The reality hit hard, and for a brief moment, the hope I had clung to wavered. But I could not give up, never.

“Healing abilities? Who told you about that?” I questioned, shifting slightly, “If you know about that then you should know that those abilities are useless if tried on any other person. It works only on me, even if you cut my flesh and take my blood, you won't be able to use it.”

Alpha Darwin’s smile faltered, just a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he quickly masked it. He took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke, but I saw the way his jaw clenched.

"You think I don’t know that?" He said, his voice low and dangerous, "You think I haven’t done my research? Your blood may not work on its own, but if it’s combined with the right magic, the right rituals, you could be the key to unlocking power beyond imagination."

My heart skipped a beat. Rituals? Magic? This was bigger than I’d thought. It wasn’t just about me being an Omega; he wanted something far more sinister. He wanted to use me to gain unimaginable power, I could see it in his eyes.

“No. No matter what you do to draw out my power, it won't work. You'll kill me in the process, and the power will be lost forever. You don't want that, do you? It's a very irrational decision.”

Alpha Darwin narrowed his eyes, his expression hardening. He stepped forward, the cigarette falling to the ground and crushing beneath his bare feet, "You think you can trick me, Karla? I know more than you think. And if you won’t come willingly, I’ll take what I need by force but first, I'll let you know that you have a very nice body. You might still be a mere high school student but I assure you, I'll let you finish school until you get pregnant, I won't have my woman becoming an illiterate.” Darwin stepped closer, and the smell that oozed off his body made me gag.

I swallowed hard, my body tensing as Darwin closed the distance between us, his words disgusting and vile. But I had to keep calm, had to play along, if I acted terrified and helpless, maybe I could lure him closer, and then catch him off guard.

"Please..." I whispered, my voice shaking, the tears I forced to the surface trickling down my cheeks. I shifted back, letting my body slump as if I had given up, as if I were submitting to his twisted desires, "Don’t hurt me. I… I’ll do whatever you want."

He grinned, a dark gleam in his eyes as he took another step toward me, "That’s more like it, Omega. You see, things will be much easier if you just accept your fate.”

I felt my stomach churn with disgust, but I held my ground, lowering my gaze as if I were too frightened to look him in the eye. He was mere inches from me now, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off his body. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against my arm, and I had to fight every instinct to flinch away.

"Such a good girl." He murmured, leaning in, his breath hot and nauseating against my skin, "You’re going to make a perfect addition to my pack."

He came closer, so close. It was now or never. In a flash, I grabbed his wrist and twisted with all my strength, hearing the sickening crack of bone as his arm bent at an unnatural angle. Darwin let out a roar of pain, but I didn’t stop, I slammed my elbow into his stomach, sending him stumbling backward, then delivered a swift kick to his knee, forcing him to the ground.

For a brief moment, I thought I had done it, I thought I had a chance. I darted for the door, adrenaline surging through my veins as I reached for the handle. But before I could make it, a strong hand grabbed me by the back of my neck, yanking me backward with such force that I nearly fell, Darwin had recovered quicker than I’d expected.

“You little bitch!” He snarled, his voice full of rage. I struggled, kicking at him, clawing at him, anything, but it didn't work. His grip was like iron, he shoved me against the wall, my head hitting the stone with a painful thud. The room spun for a moment, my vision blurring and before I could register that pain, his hand swung through the air and connected with my cheek in a brutal slap.

I tasted blood as my lips split open, and I gasped, the breath knocked out of my lungs. I wheezed, trying to find my bearings, but it wasn't over yet.

“You thought you could escape me? Me? Do you know who I am, Omega? You belong to me, you'll never escape me now. I'll make sure that you regret ever being born. I'll break you so much that you will beg for death. Someone, bring the whip to me!”

As Darwin bellowed for the whip, my vision blurred further, the blood pounding in my ears. I tried to steady my breathing, but every breath I took felt like I was swallowing shards of glass through my lungs. My head throbbed, my body already bruised and broken from the earlier blows, the room was spinning now, and I could barely keep myself standing. Darwin’s words rang in my ears, the door creaked open, and I heard the heavy clink of chains.

The whip.

It smelled like itnwas laced with poison. Poison that was made for wolves, something designed to burn like fire and rip through flesh with every strike. And I knew, without a doubt, that this time Darwin intended to break me.

He grinned maniacally, raising the whip in the air, Oh, Karla. You should’ve stayed down, now you’ll learn the hard way.” He snarled.

The first lash hit, and agony exploded across my back, the poison seeping into my skin immediately, making my muscles burn and seize. I bit down on my lip, trying to hold in my scream, but when the second lash came, I couldn’t. A scream tore from my throat, loud and raw, “Please.” I gasped, “Please stop.”

But Darwin laughed, a low, cruel sound, “Oh, we’re just getting started.”

The third hit came harder than the first two, and this time the pain was unbearable. It felt as though my flesh was melting off my bones, as if the poison were coursing through my veins. I couldn’t fight it anymore, the tears streamed freely down my face, my body shaking uncontrollably.

Just as I thought I couldn’t take any more, just as the last shred of hope left me, I heard it, the chime of the clock.

It was midnight.

But, there was no one left to save me. No one would come for me. Another jolt of pain shot through my body as Darwin continued to hit me, laughing manically. I was going to die, after everything that went through, I was going to die.

But… I didn't want to die. I really didn't want to die, no matter what. I was ready to face it, so I could live a better life in the future, but I didn't want to die. The years kept on coming, coming so much that it dripped into my already torn clothes. I was so out of the world that I didn't even hear anything, all I could feel was the pain in my body, the feeling of my flesh tearing, tearing faster than my body could heal.

I didn't register when the pain stopped. However, my heart suddenly pulsed, making my stumble forward, and it began to burn. Not the bad kind of burn. A good burn, a burn that made me ignite all over, ny neck began to tingle and I felt like throwing up. It was too much. It was too much!

A gurlge came from my side, and from the haze, I turned, and there he was. Darwin was in the group, his neck twisted in an odd angle, blood at the corner of his lips.

“W… what?!” I managed to speak, and there was a rustle behind me, I instantly turned to look, fear filling me. But then, my eyes widened.

“W… what are you…” In front of me was Axel, the eldest son of Alpha Joan. His eyes were red, his fang elongated and his handsome face was morphed into an angry expression.

Beside him were his brothers, Alaric, Lysander and Kai. The quadruplets. And the all said one thing.

“Mate.”