Riley’s POV   I was only six years old, but my father had drummed many cardinal rules. I never thought the day I broke the rules would get so awful.   Lost in the warmth of the summer’s sun, enveloped by the cheerful atmosphere as pack members and other children ran around playing recklessly, my spirits had risen and unbeknownst to me, my father had watched from the pack house as I skipped forward, my voice rising in majestic angelic tones as I sang from a space in my heart, where all of my pain and all of my hurt was washed away in a sea of calm and serenity. I had never felt so at peace or so in tune with myself. A hand clasped itself around my throat, strangling me in mid-song, effectively cutting me off. I clawed at the hand, trying to frantically break its grip, my nails scratching and gouging, my legs kicking futilely as I was lifted or rather hoisted off the ground with remarkable ease. He turned me to face him. I was speechless. I had never seen my father so furious before. A child singing should not be enough to warrant a punishment. At least, that’s what I imagined. I was young, foolish, and hadn’t realized the extent of my father’s rage or hatred of me. I was still innocent. I was still naïve. My eyes slid to my brother Damien, beseeching him to help me, but he shook his head and looked away, a resolute expression on his face. It was not the first time my brother had failed to come to my aid, but it was the first time I realized how much he hated me as well. In this instance I was well and truly alone.   Tears poured down my face, while I struggled to gasp in air. I could feel my heartbeat racing, my forehead beading with sweat. I couldn’t breathe. My eyes b****d in panic. My father’s eyes narrowed as he brought me close to his face, his l**s inches from my ear. “What did I tell you about singing? I told you before that it’s expressly forbidden” he snarled, shaking me like a limp rag doll as I silently cried, my eyes begging for forgiveness. “I’m sorry Father” I wheezed, as his hand loosened ever so slightly, allowing me to draw in some much-needed oxygen. “Sorry” he roared, the pack members turning to face us all with curiosity, some even shocked by the Alpha’s animosity towards his own daughter, something that would no longer shock them in the years to come “You’re sorry?” he repeated dangerously while still holding me firmly in his grasp, his eyes glittering “You have no idea what you just came close to doing” he breathed. Confusion warred inside of me. How could singing be considered so dangerous? Why did it warrant such a strong reaction from my father? I didn’t understand. The other children could sing, why couldn’t I? Was it because it reminded him of my mother? He never spoke of her, and I had no photographs or clear memories of the woman who had died giving birth to me. My father refused to answer my questions and eventually I stopped asking about my mother altogether.   “It won’t happen again” I stammered, as he slowly lowered me back onto the ground, his breathing heavy and his eyes blazing “I promise. I won’t forget next time.” He continued to study me, his eyes darkening, an indecipherable expression on his face. I wrung my little hands together, feeling anxious. The pack members went back to their business, but my father never took his eyes off, off me. My brother Damien left, heading for the pack house, as though he had some inkling of what was about to happen and couldn’t bear to witness it with his own eyes. Only two years older than me, but Damien was by far the favorite of the two of us. My father never had an angry word for him, only for his daughter, me. “It can never happen again” my father murmured, a strange gleam in his eyes “The power you yield, can only end in the destruction of our pack. You are an abomination. A disgrace to my family name. Your temptress mother fooled me but you, you will not” he vented out loud. Tears trailed down my face. I struggled to comprehend what he was saying. What he was telling me. I took a step back and fell, grazing my palm on the ground and letting out a cry of pain.   It stung. My father’s body towered over me. I could feel my thin frame shaking as he tightened his l**s. I held up a hand, desperate to prevent him from doing something to hurt me. He knelt, shaking his head. My breath hitched. His eyes flashed between his normal color and black. His wolf surged to the surface, only to be brought back under control. He was struggling internally with something. As young as I was, even I could sense his wolf’s distress at whatever he was about to do. I slid backward, but my father grabbed my arm, stopping me from running away. I couldn’t move. My eyes slowly slid down as I heard the distinct sound of his nails growing into claws. Fear turned my mouth dry. I began to panic.   “What are you…” I whispered, my voice shaking. I gave a shriek as I saw his hand raise up high in the air. I saw him clench his jaw and grit his teeth. “This is for your own good and the good of the pack” he warned me solemnly. “Don’t” I screamed, the sound bloodcurdling and loud, echoing across the grounds. I felt the pain first. The excruciating pain as he plunged his claws into my throat, aiming directly at my vocal cords. It felt like my throat was on fire. My screams were abruptly cut off. I felt blood as I swallowed, my throat convulsing. I felt him drop me hа'rd-on the ground, my hands scrabbling uselessly at the hard grass. I thought I was going to die. I thought for sure that he had killed me for real this time. There was so much blood, so much pain. My father never said a word. He just watched as I curled up in a fetal position, in so much agony that at one stage I wished for death in order for the pain to be over.   Eventually, it stopped. My wounds had slowly healed. The pain faded until there was nothing left. I gingerly sat up, weeping. I touched my throat, surprised to feel nothing shredded or torn. My father watched as I opened my mouth. Fear took over. I tried to form a sentence, a word, a sound. Nothing. Utter silence. The harder I tried to speak, the more my father looked amused, satisfaction taking over his face. “You can heal but even your body has limits” he murmured “I guess you’re too young to be able to heal something as extensive as vocal cords” he added nonchalantly. I stared up at him feeling betrayed. He looked pleased as he straightened up. My mouth opened and closed. He chuckled. “We no longer have to fear you forgetting my rule,” he said as I began to awkwardly climb to my feet “and you’ve seen what the punishment is for forgetting the rules I have in place. If you think that this is unjust” he paused and pinned me with a gaze so hostile that it paralyzed me “then consider what might happen to you, if you forget any of the other rules I’ve told you.”   Silence. I understood the implications of what he wasn't saying. I shuddered. In one day I had lost what little childish innocence I had and what stood in front of me, resembled nothing more than a monster, instead of my own flesh and blood. He looked at me impatiently and waved a dismissive hand, wrinkling his nose “Go and get cleaned up. You’re covered in blood and smell disgusting” he grunted. I began to hobble towards the house, aware that everyone’s eyes were on me, some of them sympathetic, but the majority of them were cold or suspicious. I thought that day was the worst day of my life, but as the years passed, there were so many of them that it was impossible to pick out which day was worse than any other. By the time I turned sixteen, not only did my father torment me, but so did my brother Damien and the rest of the pack as well.

  Riley's POV   Sixteen. A sweet birthday for most girls. A time when most dream of boys and a future as they get prepared to leave the pack for college. A serious birthday, especially for shifters, as it's the day when we transform for the first time into our wolf. Usually. It was approaching midnight however and I had failed to shift, something almost unheard of in a pack. It was considered the ultimate betrayal, worse than being human, to not possess your wolf. Tears shimmered in my eyes. I had suspected, when the morning light had broken and I remained whole, that my wolf would not appear, for I had never heard her, not once, in all the years I had spent in this pack. When midnight passed and it became the next day, we would know for certain. I would have given anything to have heard the sound of my wolf right then as the pack glowered at me as a whole. Bruised, battered, beaten. I can feel the pack's eyes on me as I'm dragged to the center of the crowd. My hair covers my face as I fall to the ground, my knees hitting the hardness of the floor with a loud thud. My brother sneers at me as he spits on my prone form. "We should have known that you would always be a worthless and pathetic little bltch" he said loudly, the crowd echoing the same sentiments, while my father observes in the background, making no move to stop them. I keep my face covered. I hurt all over. My frame is thin, painfully so. My hair is a bright dark blue with tinges of black in it. No matter how much I dye it, it never changes color to my father's disgust. He forces me to wear contacts, covering up the glacial blue of my eyes and making them a dull brown color. I awkwardly get to my feet, the moonlight shining down upon my pale skin and causing me to look almost transparent in nature. I look nothing like my brother and my Father. Something else that my father abhors. I stand, shivering in the cold, my arms folded tightly across my chest. The pack forms a circle, keeping me confined in the center. Their gazes are filled with hatred and hostility. My own brother looks triumphant as he eyes me coldly. There is no love lost between us. He has always hated me, courtesy of my father's influence. I'm grateful that he hasn't hurt me worse than he already has tonight. "It looks like we have an unwanted in our midst," Damien said loudly, as the pack continued to watch me, some glancing uneasily at the night sky as the minutes passed by "A shifter with no wolf. By rights, my sister here" he drawled, holding everybody's eyes as they looked to him, the next Alpha in line for the title "should be killed for being a hindrance to our pack."   I stared him in the eyes, my hair moving to reveal mine. Part of me wishes to beg for death. It would be a Dam sight better than anything I have to endure in this pack. My brother's l*p curls and I know that he's not going to let me get off the hook so easily. My father clears his throat and glances down at his wristwatch, tapping it pointedly with one finger "It's now past midnight and Riley James has failed to shift as witnessed by the Crescent Moon Pack" he announced solemnly "As Alpha it falls to me to deem what should now be done with an unwanted shifter. Unfortunately, she also contains Alpha blood, meaning that her life must remain whole" he added snidely.   Who would have thought that being the Alpha's daughter would save me from certain death? It was almost laughable, it was that unjust. My brother looked at my father, disappointment on his face. The pack was silent. Anticipation flooded through the air. I knew this was not the end. The pack began to murmur amongst itself. "What good is she if she can't shift?" "She can't defend our pack." "She's useless. Even more than an omega is!" "At least an omega can shift. This girl has been weak since she was born."   My father held his hand up, demanding silence. The murmurs slowly died down. Anger was palpable in the air. The crowd was restless. I stood still, waiting for the verdict. I felt hatred curdle inside my heart. This pack was filled with nothing but cruelty. I had suffered at the hands of everyone here, one way or another. There was no mercy, no sympathy and no kindness to be found in this pack. My father was ruthless and so was the pack. There were times I even found myself wishing that the pack would be taken over by another Alpha, just to give me a chance to prove I was worthy of something more than this miserable existence.   "Now, now, settle down," my father said sharply. The pack shot mutinous looks at me. My father gestured for the women with children to take them to bed. They hurried away, without a second glance. This left me with the males, the warriors, and the omegas. The elderly never attended pack meetings. "I understand your frustration" my father continued as Damien winked at me, a smug expression on his face "and I sympathize with how you are feeling. I despise having such a blight upon my impressive lineage and am thankful that I have Damien to show off how impressive my bloodline is. I will not allow this girl to go unpunished, simply because she is an Alpha's daughter."   The pack already knew that. I knew that. Damien was grinning widely now, almost rubbing his hands together in glee. I glared at him. Of all those that hurt me, he and father were the worst. "Damien" my father called out, causing Damien to reluctantly turn his head and regard his father with a serious expression on his face "as the next Alpha in line, I hand over the punishment to you. I believe that you will find one suitable for this, this disgusting piece of trash" he spat out, visibly shuddering as he looked at me.   My brother chuckled. "Of course Alpha Maxwell" he was careful to use my father's title in this instance, out of respect. My father nodded "I leave you to it then" he said nonchalantly and then turned around, striding back to the pack house without another word while Damien stepped closer, a look of satisfaction on his face. I could see the vicious gleam in his eyes. I swallowed hard. Damien eyed the pack, of which there were still a considerable number. "Everybody line up in single file" he ordered, putting a random pack member at the beginning of the line, facing me.   Before I could move, he stepped quickly behind me and I felt my arms being wrenched above my head and held firmly in place. I struggled silently. He chuckled lightly in my ear, as we watched the pack line up. "Hit her as hard as you can, one at a time, while she can't defend herself" he ordered the pack, keeping my body still "Let's see if she lives through this," he said smirking. "The Alpha said we couldn't kill her" one of the pack members tried to protest. Damien grinned "He did, but if Riley dies, he's hardly going to complain" he shrugged  "And she's survived all manner of beatings, I doubt she won't survive this. It's freaky how she manages to heal without a wolf" he muttered under his breath, the pack members nodding in agreement.   I saw the first pack member move a little closer. Damien wrenched my arms higher and I felt the first punch as the pack member hit me deliberately in my rib cage. I felt the bone break, my mouth opening in a silent scream. My vocal cords had never recovered from what my father had done to me when I was six and I was mute, further compounding Damien's joy. Tears pricked my eyes as the pack member moved to the side and the next one moved up to take his place. My side throbbed in pain, and I could feel a bruise forming already. "Pathetic little bltch, I hope this breaks you" Damien whispered in my ear, his voice venomous "You'll be wishing for death by the time this is over" he added gloating.   I looked at the long line of pack members waiting patiently for their turn, all with wide grins on their faces, and forced the tears threatening to fall down my cheeks back. Weakness would only encourage them to go even harder on me.  The second pack member reached back and then punched forward, hitting me in the sternum, and causing me to lose my breath for a moment. He flexed his knuckles and stood to the side. By the time we reached the end of the line, Damien was the only thing holding me upright.  As the last pack member took their shot, Damien allowed me to drop bloody and bruised to the floor, tears flooding down my cheeks. I was in agony. I curled up in a fetal position, unable to move.  He stood over me and grabbed my hair, yanking my head up to face him "Shame you're still alive" he grunted "But maybe you'll do us all a favor and die in the next few hours" he added, dropping me back down. He walked off without another word, while I lay there, wondering what I had done to make the moon goddess so angry with me and contemplating whether death was preferable to living.  

Riley's POV I survived. The next few hours were spent wallowing in pain and spitting up blood. Eventually, my father grew curious enough to come out and check on my condition. I felt him pick me up. His arms were not gentle as he carried me roughly back into the pack house. I was carried to my room. If you could call it that. Technically I live in the basement of the pack house. Where the dungeon primarily lies and where we put our prisoners and the rogues that we catch. My room is nothing more than a cell that contains a threadbare mattress, a blanket with holes in it, a dresser with clothes piled in it, and a small bathroom in the very back corner of the dungeon itself. They never bother to lock the cell door on me and keep me confined. What would be the point? I had nowhere to go. No family besides my brother Damien and my father. Once before, I had tried to escape and been caught. I had spent two days, chained up outside like an animal, while the rain poured down on my open wounds and scabs. The pain had been excruciating. The pack members had spat on me, thrown food at me, and even hit me when the guards hadn't been looking. I had learned a valuable lesson that day. Escape was futile. The only way out of this pack was death. At my hands or theirs. I wasn't ready to greet the moon goddess personally yet, but at this rate, I wasn't sure if it was going to be much longer. My father threw me into the cell that I called home, my body landing haphazardly onto the mattress with a soft thud. I guess I should have been grateful he didn't throw me onto the ground, with all the bruises and broken bones I had. As it was, I tightened my l**s, glancing up to see him looking at me with darkened eyes and a strange expression on his face that I couldn't quite decipher. For a moment he surveyed me. Strange. His normal behavior was to look at me and then shake his head in disgust before walking away. My head turned and I eyed him curiously. I could not speak, but my eyes could speak volumes without even trying. He pointedly ignored my gaze. "You look more and more like your mother," he said, narrowing his eyes and looking me over even more carefully. It was not a compliment. I had heard on more than one occasion how much he despised my mother. How much he had hated her. That he had fought against the mate bond for so long until eventually, he took her life after she gave birth to me. I hated him for that. He could have just rejected her, like other shifters did. He didn't have to end her life, but he was cruel and a bаst3rd. He chose to take something that was valuable and dispose of it. I stared at him defiantly. His l*p curled. If I looked like my mother, I took it as a compliment, because it meant that I did not look like him or Damien. It meant that I had a part of somebody who did not possess the same qualities as them. I liked to think that my mother was kind and caring, even if the pack had nothing good to say about her, or nothing at all really. My mother was an enigma to me. A mystery and I would have given anything, to lay my hands on a picture of her, but my father had destroyed every single one of them in a fit of rage and none had survived. "Mark my words, If I didn't have a use for you" he murmured, coming closer and coking his head, a strange light in his eyes "I would put my hands around your throat and kill you myself." A use for me? I wanted to laugh. There was nothing useful I could do. I possessed no wolf and could not shift. He had ensured that I could no longer speak. My eyes had to be changed with contacts and he had tried to dye my hair on numerous occasions only to give up when it changed back to its normal color within hours. "You have no idea what you're capable of" he muttered, that strange light still in his eyes "What your mother was capable of. She was dangerous," he said with a snarl "and so are you. If you had shifted today, you would be dead already" he added, causing me to stiffen. The irony. I was alive because I hadn't received my wolf, but he'd had me beaten and threatened to kill me because I hadn't shifted. Did he realize the hypocrisy? Either way, I lost. "If you had been a shifter and the other, it would have been perilous for us" he continued to mutter in a low tone. What other thing I want to scream at him, even as I stayed curled in the fetal position, my heart hammering in my chest. What was I? I was only a shifter, wasn't I? But the way he acted, the way he spoke to me, indicated that I was more than that. He almost made it sound as though my DNA was something to be feared and that made no sense to me at all. He came closer and I cringed. His hand moved to tuck a loose tendril of hair behind my ear. I shuddered. His t***h was gentle, which was even more frightening. "So much like Andrea" he murmured, his voice filled with a hint of longing that made me glance at him sharply. Andrea was my mother's name. Was he confusing me with her? I held my breath, as he knelt next to me. He stroked my cheek and my hair. I blinked up at him, not daring to move or break the spell he seemed to be under. I didn't want to be hurt for reminding him of who he was speaking to. I was hoping that he might let slip something about my mother that he hadn't told me about her. "Why did you have to lie to me?" he murmured regretfully "If you had told me what you were, I may have accepted you in time. I may have loved you instead of fearing what you could do" he muttered, sounding slightly angry. I'm not Andrea, I wanted to shout. I'm your daughter. His hand drifted down my collarbone. I began to feel uncomfortable. This was not the t***h of a father, but rather the t***h of a man and his mate. This was not his usual behavior. His eyes were blank. His expression chilled me to the bone. "So beautiful" he whispered "But that's part of your tricks isn't it" he snarled suddenly out of the blue, gripping my throat as I struggled in his grasp "Using your beauty to lure men. I won't fall for it" he growled ferociously "you will not lure me to my death you disgusting creature" he roared. I beat at his hands, my eyes b*****g. He continued to strangle me, his hands tightening even harder, staring down at me, and then suddenly his eyes began to focus and become clearer. His expression changed and he looked bewildered. He let go of me hastily and stood up, retreating backward. I looked at him, struggling to draw some air into my lungs. I was confused as to what had just happened. I was certain that he had thought I was my mother. He gave a low growl. "Be grateful that your punishment was not worse. Your brother did well in choosing and you got no less than what you deserved" he spat out venomously. He slammed the cell door shut. I heard the loud clanging noise it made, but he made no attempt to lock it. He sneered, as I remained helpless on the mattress, my eyes watching his every move. I was wary of him now. More afraid now that his behavior had turned so peculiar. "You're expected to resume your normal duties the moment you're able to move properly" he snapped "If I find you down here loitering then I will further punish you" he threatened "and it won't be a lenient one." It never was. I nodded slowly. He looked as though he wanted to say something else, opening his mouth, hesitating, and then slowly closing it. Whatever it was, it appeared he had changed his mind. "I guess I don't have to worry about you saying anything about what happened here tonight," he said mockingly. What had happened? He clenched his jaw and turned around, moving away into the pitch darkness. I heard his footsteps moving steadily away from the cells and then making their way slowly up the stairs. I heard the basement door open and close. Then all was silent. I gazed around the darkness of the basement, feeling a sigh of relief. I was in pain, my body throbbing and I was barely holding onto consciousness but at least my father was gone. He had frightened me when he called me Andrea. I knew that I bore a passing resemblance to her, but I didn't think I looked so much like her that he would grow confused between the two of us. I tried not to shudder, tried not to think about the way he had touched me. It had been almost loving. But he had hated my mother, hadn't he? Despised her? Why had his voice been so gentle then and so remorseful? Did he regret that he had killed her all those years ago? Did he miss his mate? I rolled over onto my back, wincing at the pain. The mattress had springs in it, some of them broken and digging into me. I was used to it and ignored the discomfort. I stared up at the ceiling. I could hear the sounds of mice nearby scurrying around as they looked for food. I was grateful there were no prisoners in the other cells to share the basement with. At least I would not have to deal with the sounds of screaming and crying as they were tortured for information or because my father enjoyed it. There was nothing but the sounds of the animals and the sounds of the wind outside. I would take one day to recover, at most. I gritted my teeth. My bones would knit together, my bruises would fade till they disappeared. The heat in my stomach would eventually dissipate and the throbbing would lessen. But the pain in my soul would never fade. The pain in my heart would remain along with the desire for revenge against those who hurt me. I close my eyes, and it seems like only seconds have passed before I hear the sounds of the basement door open again and feel the freezing cold water as it's tossed all over me, waking me up from a deep sleep and causing me to jerk into a sitting position in a panic.

Riley POV Despite my injuries, I managed to sleep, albeit interrupted and restlessly. The splash of cold water woke me, my body jolting upright as I heard my brother Damien laugh in amusement. I glared at him, my body shivering violently, wracked with cold, grateful that for the most part, my body had healed. He had chosen a cruel way to waken me and the ways his l**s curled into a twisted smile, told me had enjoyed it. "Time to wake up useless mutt" he snarled. I stood up awkwardly, eyeing him warily and then sidled past him to get ready. His eyes gleamed "Hurry up, the pack wants breakfast" he said with a smirk. We had omegas for that, I wanted to protest, but the words stuck in my mouth as usual. I couldn't speak. What was the use of protesting or trying to argue with my hands? It would just result in more punishment and pain. Instead, I merely strode past him, feeling the sharp rap as he whacked me on the back of the head as I walked past, making my way towards the small bathroom to get ready. "Move it, I'm hungry" he grumbled "otherwise I'll come in and drag your sorry @ss out of the shower" he threatened. I was quick. I dressed, in the small cell and rushed upstairs, where the kitchen was. The other omegas in the kitchen smirked to themselves as I began to get food cooking. Luckily I was not expected to do everything and the other omegas started plating food up and taking it to the tables. My father was not a patient man when it came to his food. By the time I had finished cooking for what felt like the entire pack, my stomach was growling loudly. I was starving. It had been a long time since I had eaten my last meal. The other omegas took a plate and began to sit in the kitchen. I proceeded to do the same, only to be halted by the sound of my brother's disgusted voice. "What are you doing?" I looked towards the doorway bemused. I motioned towards the plate, indicating that I was about to eat. He scoffed "Have you seen your weight lately? You're turning into a bit of a fat pig" he growled. Lies. There wasn't an ounce of fat on me. I was lean, undernourished if anything. I met his eyes, almost holding the food protectively in my grasp. I knew instinctively what he was about to do and my stomach revolted. He grabbed the plate from my hands and walked into the dining room. I reluctantly followed. My father raised a brow as he saw me walk in. The dining room went silent as the pack watched with anticipation, wondering how the Alpha was about to deal with this unwelcome intrusion. "Damien, what's this?" my father asked evenly as he strode up to him, holding the plate. "Riley's food," he said, putting the plate down "Considering she's an unwanted, I feel she should have to ask permission before she eats, even if she has to sign it" he said with a nonchalant shrug "or at the very least she should eat differently to everyone else who is more important than she is." I flinched, meeting my father's eyes. I already endured humiliation on a daily basis. Surely he wasn't about to inflict more on me? I could see pack members smiling at each other with glee. My hands began to shake slightly. I was so hungry, that my mouth was salivating from the smell of the bacon alone. My father rubbed his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face. My spirits began to sink. I knew that look. I couldn't fathom how things could get any worse for me, but it appeared they were about to. I pleaded with my eyes, wanting him just once to grant me a break. But Damien was looking at my father with such a malicious grin and such an expectant look on his face, that I knew I was doomed. "What do you suggest Damien?" my father asked, causing the dining room to hush. My brother shot a triumphant look at me. "Well she's an unwanted, so she's not even an omega which is the lowest ranking in the pack," my brother said with a solemn expression as though seriously considering my father's question. "I agree," my father said inclining his head, a calculating look in his eyes "even the lowliest of the omegas is worth more than what Riley is" he added. That hurt. The fact that pack members were nodding and also silently agreeing also made it difficult to keep my composure. It didn't seem worth all this fuss just to eat. I tightened my l**s and tried to turn, only to be stopped as Damien grabbed my arm in a haste. "We haven't finished talking to you yet Riley" he scolded me as I stiffened. But I was through listening. Who cared about eating? I stared at him but he gripped me tighter and I bowed my head, knowing that to struggle against him was futile. "It's against the law to starve a pack member," my father said shrewdly, "we can make you miss meals Riley, but we can't allow a pack member to starve to death, unwanted or not" he added. I tried to sign that I was not hungry while still staring down at the floor. My brother snorted and let go of my hand, recognizing I didn't dare move from my position. "Father I have the perfect solution. Please, give me a moment to get something I require from my room." My father inclined his head, a look of curiosity on his face. "By all means, please Damien." I waited, while Damien jogged out of the dining room, a look of satisfaction on his face. I didn't like the smile that had appeared as he vanished or the expression that had been on his face. He was up to something. Something that was going to humiliate or degrade me in some way. I could feel my stomach churning. Now I just wanted to vomit and the thought of eating made me nauseas. I didn't see what Damien had in his hand as he came rushing back with a wide grin on his face. I did see my father's eyes light up. I did see the twinkle in his eyes and the amusement on his face as he saw what it was that Damien carried into the room. Damien stood behind me and I saw my father give him a nod. "It seems strangely fitting," he said, "please do the honors, Damien." Something fit itself around my n**k. It was thick, course and I struggled as it enclosed, Damien buckling it behind me. I glanced down, feeling tears in my eyes. A collar. A dog collar. Damien was holding something else in his hand. I jumped as an eclectic shock burst through the collar and zapped me. Damien burst into laughter, as did the rest of the table while a lone tear trailed down my cheek. "Now she looks like the pathetic mutt she is. It's perfect. An obedience collar for a stupid dog" Damien's voice said as he looked towards our father. I tried to take it off and my father's voice rang out. "You will leave that collar on" he demanded, using his Alpha tone. I was betrayed. My hands slowly lowered to the sides as I stared accusingly at my father and then at my smug brother. "Damien, you may use the shocker when she is disobedient, but don't overuse it" my father warned "think of it as training your sister to learn to be better behaved. Like a puppy," he said with a chuckle. The dining table laughed out loud. Tears shimmered in my eyes. My father glanced at the plate and gave a malicious grin. Oh no. No, no, no. My stomach churned. I had never felt so degraded. I couldn't take the collar off. Not now that the Alpha tone had been used. Another Alpha would have to counteract it to allow me to. I wanted to run out of the room, but Damien still stood behind me, blocking off any chance of escape. I felt his breath in my ear as he leaned down slightly to speak to me "I'm going to have fun shocking you over and over you little bltch. I'm turning you into my personal slave and I'm going to make your life so much more miserable than it already is." I wanted to hit him. I wanted to hit all of them. They looked so smug. They were enjoying my humiliation and degradation. I watched wide-eyed as my father picked up the plate of food with a steady hand and examined it. Then with a vicious grin, he placed it down on the floor, right next to his foot, and looked deliberately at me. "Eat from the floor like the dog you are" he ordered. I hesitated and then shook my head refusing. I still had some pride. But then I felt Damien's hands shove me between the shoulder blades, sending me sprawling forward/ I landed in front of the plate. A shock went through me. Damien was pressing the button. I flinched. My father waited. Another zap. It stung. I suspected that the voltage was higher than what would be used on an ordinary dog, judging by how painful it was. I was struggling to remain seated. This time it was an extra long zap. My body convulsed and I collapsed. My face was right next to the plate. I heard Damien's chuckle and saw my father as he put his foot right on the back of my head, shoving it closer. "Eat" he growled as the dining room continued to watch, giggles and murmurs sounding behind me. I was their entertainment. Their punching bag. The next zap caused me to see stars. With no choice and desperate to be able to leave the room as well as stop being shocked with electricity, I closed my eyes in shame and then opened my mouth, slowly eating the food off the plate on the floor. I had reached another all time low.

Alpha Jaxon Tate's POV My eye was twitching and my eyes were narrowed as I took in the sight right in front of me. My Beta Callum looked amused more than anything, but he knew how this would be taken and how this situation would develop. The other Alpha, Alpha Rowan, and his daughter Liandra seemed oblivious to the tension in the room. Or maybe they were too stupid to recognize that I was not about to be cowed into doing what they wanted. Either way, they looked too comfortable for my liking. "Alpha Jaxon Tate" Alpha Rowan began, leaning forward in his chair to gaze at me with his dark brown eyes, a solemn expression on his face "I understand that as yet, despite your age of twenty-three years, you have yet to find or claim a chosen mate as your own?" I gritted my teeth. This was not the first time that an arrogant Alpha had seen fit to be condescending or presumptuous in assuming they could make remarks on the lack of a Luna in the Blood Moon Pack. I forced myself to take a deep breath, even as I became aware of Liandra's green eyes on me, a sly smile on her l**s. I inclined my head, my tone even as I addressed the other Alpha in as civil a tone as I could muster. "I have not yet found my fated mate and I have no desire to take a chosen mate, simply for the sake of a Luna" I bit out. The other Alpha looked at me incredulously "A Luna is needed in order to help keep order in the pack and to share the responsibilities between the Alpha and herself. It keeps the pack balanced and harmonizes it" he said frowning at me, as though I was some dumb kid he could frighten into submission with just a few choice words. Moron. "This pack manages just fine without the presence of a Luna," I said, fixing my gaze on the man "My Beta Callum and my Gamma Cody manage quite fine and share the responsibilities evenly." His l**s twisted as though he found this amusing. "But an Alpha requires an heir to take over the running of the pack eventually, does he not?" he drawled. "Only if he has plans to die in the near future and I'm afraid I have no such compunctions," I said wryly, my l**s curling into a vicious grin. He looked taken aback by this. "Well, but, things happen that are outside our control" he spluttered. Liandra had remained silent as she observed this exchange between her father and me. She was a pretty girl, I was forced to acknowledge, with black raven hair, porcelain pale skin, and a body that was slender with curvy h**s and a buxom bosom. She was attractive, I had to admit. But that was as far as the attraction went. I had it on good authority that she was dumb as a doorknob and also free with her sexual favors. I tried not to shudder at the thought of having somebody like that as my mate. It would simply not do. "Things do happen" I acknowledged, leaning forward and raking my gaze over the other Alpha "but I will not take a mate simply out of fear. I have already made arrangements should I be killed in battle or taking over another pack" I said gravely. "But wouldn't you prefer your own bloodline to remain the leader of the Blood Moon Pack?" he urged, "it's been in your family for generations. Would you really let another, not of your blood, run this pack?" My eyes were glacial "Blood does not always mean family Alpha Rowan" I said tersely, "Family can be forged through the strongest of relationships and loyalty." Another stunned silence. Liandra chose that moment to lean forward, giving me a view of her cIeevage as she flipped her hair and gave me a wide smile, designed to gain my attention. "What my father is saying Alpha Jaxon, is that a Luna can be a benefit to the pack, not just a hindrance as you are assuming" she breathed, twirling a strand of hair in her hand and blinking innocently at me. "Not unless the Luna is planning on sleeping with every man in the pack," I said bluntly "I don't want a Luna in my bed and that's the only benefit I could see as far as I'm aware." She gasped, turning bright red. Her father slammed his hand on the desk. "Listen here Alpha Jaxon" he snapped as I stared at him amused "There's no need to insult my daughter like that." "There's every need," I said blithely "From what I hear, Liandra has been through half the men in your pack, give or take Alpha Callum? She's easy, she's stupid, and she has no business being a Luna of any pack. Just because she's from your Alpha bloodline, doesn't mean that anybody is going to be naive enough to take her as their chosen mate, unless they are desperate or broke. I'm neither" I informed him with a low growl "and quite frankly I find your daughter revolting" I added for good measure. Liandra's eyes filled with tears. Her father shot daggers at me. "I came here, to offer Liandra as a way to forge an alliance and a treaty between our two packs," he said in a scornful tone "I do not see that you have to forcefully take my pack when Liandra could be the bridge between the two. Wouldn't you rather find a peaceful solution," he said angrily. He was grasping at straws. His pack was small, only a third of the size of mine, if that. While I was willing to sign a treaty to avoid bloodshed, I was not willing to take his daughter as my Luna. That felt more like a punishment than a prize. Alpha Rowan was weak. His pack was dwindling, rogues were easily picking him and his warriors off. He needed me. He couldn't afford to offend me. I was more than willing to forcefully take his pack instead of dealing with this nonsense and extending my boundaries. "Alpha Rowan, listen to me and listen carefully. Your pack numbers are reducing each and every day as the rogues continue to pick you off, one by one. Your warrior's fighting skills are pathetic and weak. You cannot continue to defend your pack without losing a considerable amount of men and pack members. Your women and children are at risk of losing their lives. Your pride is getting in the way" I told him steadily as he leaned back and listened, his jaw clenching in anger "you want my help? That much is clear" I said with a certain amount of satisfaction "because without it, your pack will vanish within a couple of weeks and that's the best-case scenario." He tightened his jaw. A treaty would ensure that his pack survived and that I ran the rogues off, but he had offended me beyond repair. Liandra was still crying in the chair. "Either willingly submit your pack and merge it with mine," I told him coldly "or I will forcibly take it after killing off the rogues. Your pack will blame you for the bloodshed and loss of lives." "The treaty" he protested. I shook my head "the treaty is off the table. I am not willing to defend such a weak pack. Let alone one that insults me by bringing such a pathetic suggestion as this girl to me" I nodded at Liandra, disgusted at her crying and whimpering. "But what about me?" he stammered, no longer looking like an Alpha but rather a defeated and resigned old man. I raised a brow "I have no need for a Beta or a Gamma. You would be merely another pack member, the same as everybody else from your pack." "I can't do that" he continued to protest, looking annoyed and slightly panicked "I wouldn't be respected by the pack if I just did as you asked." I chuckled and coked my head "Alpha Rowan, you are fooling yourself if you think that your pack respects you now. It's only a matter of time before your people rebel or seek sanctuary away from your pack." I swiftly stood. I was tired of this conversation. My eyes darkened as my wolf surged to the surface, making Alpha Rowan and his daughter tremble. "You have two days to decide the matter. After that, I'm coming for your pack" I told him calmly "I trust that you'll give me your answer. For now, I respectfully ask you to leave and consider your options." Alpha Rowan tiredly nodded and then stood, grabbing Liandra by the arm. He turned and stormed from the room. I watched them go, feeling detached. His pack would not be the first weak one to merge with mine. My pack, the Blood Moon Pack had become one of the largest and strongest in the country. I had a reputation for being ruthless. Of being a monster. Perhaps I was. But I refused to allow others to make the decisions for me. I did not need a Luna. I never would. That subject would remain firmly closed. Women could continue to throw themselves at me, it happened often, but I would never take any of them as a chosen mate. Love was a weakness. Love made you vulnerable. It had the ability to bring you to your knees and make reckless decisions. As long as I lived, I would never take a Luna and expose myself to being vulnerable or put my pack at risk.

  Riley POV   I was shoved, hit, ridiculed, spat on, and kicked whenever I passed by someone. My father was blind to all of this, or he condoned it. I didn't try to go to him with complaints, after all, why would he care? As it was, I lived each day in fear that I would be told that he had sold me off to be a breeder or to an Alpha that required an heir. Sometimes I thought it would be preferable to living in this pack. Other times I contemplated leaving this pack, the only way I could see out, staring down at my wrists and wondering how much it would hurt to cut them, wondering how deep the cut would have to be in order to end my life without healing myself first. It was morbid, it was dark, but it was the only way I could see the pain and torture ending.   Today, my brother and father had left to visit another pack. One that was being targeted by rogues and growing weaker by the day. I had heard rumors that the pack, was being forced to make a decision. To join the Blood Moon Pack or have the pack taken by the Alpha himself. My father was going to see if the rumors were true. I didn't care. It meant that he and my brother weren't around to abuse me and while the pack members and patrol would keep a close eye, I was free to wander around and do what I wanted. A day of freedom, without the freedom.   I chose to go to the lake. Set a little ways in the forest, it was far enough from the pack house to give the illusion of privacy, while still being under careful watch of patrol. I could sense eyes on me, but I ignored them. The water called to me, as it always did. I could never get enough of the lake and the coolness of the water as it touched my skin. I stripped down to my u*******r and then slowly walked into the shallow end, shivering slightly. I closed my eyes. I jumped and dived into the deep end. I swam. For hours.   There was something about swimming in the water that soothed my soul. I had never had swimming lessons but I had been coming to the lake since I was small and I had taught myself. I swam like a mermaid. It was like I got a new burst of energy when I went swimming. I could hold my breath for an extraordinary length of time beneath the water and all my wounds would begin to heal even quicker. I loved the water. I didn't get to visit the lake as much as I liked, but when I did, it was like nothing else existed. Just me and the water. Hours could pass and I would have no notion of time.   I surged to the surface, my hair flipping back, water droplets spraying the air. I felt exhilarated. My pain was gone. The cold was gone. I tread the water and look around me, disconcerted to discover that hours have passed. I hear the sound of footsteps approaching and cringe. But they aren't as loud or as hard as my father's and I glance upwards as a member of patrol approaches with a scowl on their face. "Your father is approaching the border" he snarled "if I were you I would go and change before he sees me" he added.   Was he warning me? Was this a gesture of kindness? My l**s parted, but the patrol member shook his head and strode off before I could sign the word for thank you. I hastily got out of the water, feeling goosebumps ripple across my skin, and grabbed my clothes, donning them quickly. My hair was smooth and long down my back. For a moment, I could have sworn that it glimmered, but that had to be my imagination. I began to trudge back to the pack house, making it to the grounds, just in time to see my father striding out of the forest, a pissed expression on his face, my brother following behind silently. Both were just wearing a pair of pants, that had been passed to them by patrol.   "That Alpha Jaxon has some nerve" my father hissed, running a hand through his hair and giving a low growl "impudent son of a bltch. Thinking that he can just take over a pack like it's nothing." My brother looked nervous. "But father, he does have a reputation for being ruthless and he is one of the strongest Alphas in the country" he pointed out as my father turned and glared at him "so he isn't bluffing. Even if we offered assistance to the other pack, there's no chance that we'll win" he added. My father snorted "I have no intention of offering any assistance" he practically shouted at my brother, stunning him into silence "I just wanted to confirm the rumors for myself. That Alpha Rowan is a moron. He's always been weak" he scoffed "he's lazy, his patrol is weak at best, his warriors are not prepared for a fight and he has no Luna. Don't even mention that infuriating daughter of his" he exhaled.   "But shouldn't we do something?" my brother said as they stopped in the middle of the grounds. "What do you propose we do Damien?" My father asked with a heavy dose of sarcasm "put ourselves in the firing line? Has it not occurred to you that if Alpha Rowan's pack is taken, ours might be next? We have our own problems to deal with. Besides" he pointed out gravely, his eyes glittering, his face scowling "what has Alpha Rowan ever done for us?" My brother fell silent. I stared at the two of them, disgusted with their attitudes. They only cared about themselves, but it was not unexpected. I had met Alpha Rowan before and did not like him, so I felt no sympathy for the man losing his pack. But I thought my father might at least show some compassion towards the man who was facing a difficult decision.   My brother and father finally became aware of me and turned sharply. "Have you been eavesdropping on us?" My father snapped as I stood there and mutely shook my head, trying to deny it. I would have tried to go into the pack house, but I had been frightened that any sudden movements would have drawn their attention. "The little murderer was listening to both of us" my brother said, glaring at me. I shook my head a little more forcibly. It would have been difficult not to have heard them considering they were practically yelling at each other. Their voices had carried across the grounds. My father's eyes narrowed and he looked at me closely.   shift. He knew. I don't know how, but he knew. He always knew. His l*p curled back. When he spoke it was filled with contempt. "You've been swimming in the lake again" he said evenly. I stared at him, the blood draining out of my face. What gave it away? I was dry. The wind had dried the water in my hair and on my clothes. There should be nothing to show I had been anywhere near water. But my father looked at me with anger. "How many times have you been told not to go swimming in the lake?" he asked in a dangerous voice. I didn't understand the reason I couldn't. Why did he continue to demand I stay away? Why did he try to make it forbidden? I had tried. Really tried to stay away, but my body craved the water with such desperation that I couldn't stay away, no matter how hard I tried to. No amount of punishments or beatings prevented me from doing it. The urge to be in the water, to feel it against my skin was much too strong.   "How many times" my father said in a louder voice. I trembled and stared at the ground. He moved towards me and I waited for the inevitable. I could barely feel any of the wounds that had been on my back. In fact, I thought frowning, I couldn't feel them at all. My father grasped me by the chin. "I would beat you, but it does no good" he spat out "you continue to defy my orders" he growled "and you continue to look more like her" he paused, his eyes beginning to blaze "like her every Dam day" he growled.   By her, he meant my mother. I stared at him defiantly as he tightened his fingers on my chin, my eyes welling up with tears. I felt the hard slap against my face as he used his free hand to strike me. I blinked. He let go of me with an expression of anger. "Stay away from the lake" he roared "or I swear to god, I won't be responsible for my actions Riley" he added ominously "I will do anything it takes to prevent you from becoming..." he trailed off. Becoming what? What was he keeping from me? He shut his l**s, his jaw clenching, as though he was aware that he had already let slip too much.   darn it. It was frustrating. I just wanted answers. Damien shot me a cold glance and then strode past me, shoving me with his shoulder and causing me to stumble. "Murderer" he hissed. "Let's go, son, we need to over our defenses and strategies," my father said callously, storming towards the pack house with Damien in his wake. He glanced over his shoulder at me "Get your @ss inside and start helping to prepare dinner" he snapped "and keep your head down. I don't want to see your face if I can help it." I bowed my head and began to make my way toward the pack house after them. For the first time, I had gotten away from them relatively unscathed, but it still begged the question, what was the secret they were keeping from me?