CHAPTER 6 Years of Agony

Fourteen Years Old

I groan as the banging on my door continues to resound within my room. I knew it wasn't Blue because he was on his business trip, and it couldn't be Axel because he and Serena were also on said business trip. Today is also Saturday, so there is clearly nothing important for now. Even training is off for today since the Elite members of the pack were away. I just wanted to sleep all day. Finally, the banging stops and I find the comfort of my warm bed in the still silence. Soon, I return to blissful sleep.

I jerk awake, gasping for air as the chill of ice-cold water snaps me away from dreamland. My pyjamas stick to my skin while my eyes frantically search for the culprit until I see Mia snickering a few feet away, with Leo smirking beside her. One of their lackeys—a Hunter-in-training named Adam—stands at the foot of my bed laughing and clutching a bucket that I assumed the ice water came from.

'Of course, they would start their shit.' I cannot help but think.

"Get off your ass and start cleaning my damn car, bitch." Mia yells, her hand grabbing my wrist in a vice grip as she drags me off of my bed and throws me onto the floor. The loud thud of my body hitting the hardwood floor seems to be the sign that signals their group, as more wolves soon crowd into my room and throw torn clothes and a chore list at me, threatening to beat me up or worse if I didn't do it all on time. It was not fair that I had to be treated like their punching bag and errand girl the moment Blue and the Elite left. All I wanted was a quiet Saturday morning, sleeping in and watching movies.

"Did you hear what we said, you idiot!?" Claws rake against my face and bring me from my thoughts of depression as I stare at her with hate-filled eyes. I knew if I talked back, Mia would do worse than claws to the face. She has done worse in the past. I nod in response, waiting for her to smirk in satisfaction before the group leaves. For a moment, I sit in the now-empty room before getting dressed and stripping the wet sheets off my bed. If I did not start the list now, I would not be able to eat lunch.

…

Fifteen Years Old

I cry out in agony as the whip lashes at my back. The skin had already torn open five lashes ago as warm blood flows down my back. Two days ago, Blue and the others had to leave for another business trip. Yesterday the elders decided to take a trip to the hot springs. This left Leo, Zack, and Mia in charge, which meant I was left alone to fend for myself.

Another lash brings me from my thoughts, and tears stream down my face. My wrists were raw from the chains chafing against the skin. The chains were the only things holding me up as my legs had given out about seven lashes ago.

"Do you know your mistake now, you useless bitch!?" Leo asks, his hand grabbing my hair and forcing me to look at him. The mistake he was talking about was dropping the tray of nachos I had baked for him and his friends.

"Leo, let her go, for crying out loud. It wasn't anything serious!" A voice pleads as my eyes drift to the wolf being restrained. Maverick Night, the future Alpha of Crest Haven and Leo's cousin, looks at me with worry-filled eyes as the wolves our age mock and laugh at me. But Maverick was right. If this continues, I know that my end would be near. It has been two days since I last ate anything, and for a wolf with an insanely high metabolism, this is a really bad thing. I'm starving, and even training isn't as hard as this torture.

"She is our slave when Alpha Blue is away. Any small mistake Amberle makes is a big deal, Maverick." I could hear the seductive tone in Mia's voice as she trails her fingers down his chest. That's a big mistake on her end. Maverick makes quick work of getting free from the Hunters under Leo's control and incapacitating them before grabbing Mia and snapping both her wrist and forearm. Darkness begins to slowly creep into my vision as the last of my strength is almost depleted. The worst part of all this is that it is my birthday.

"Amberle, hang in there." The chains rattle, and the pain in my wrists burns just as badly as the wounds on my back. No sounds came from me as silent tears of pain stream down my face. Everything hurts, and all I want is the sweet release of sleep or death. At this point, I'm fine with either option.

"Oh my god, Amberle!" The familiar voice of Blue reaches me. His fury was one that has even me whimpering with fear and wanting to curl up into a ball. What if they told him I made a mistake? Would my punishment be worse than the whip lashing?

"Uncle, I tried to stop them." Voices were starting to become muffled. I could feel the darkness finally overcome me while the strain on my wrist is released and my body is cushioned. Maybe I would not wake up in this hell hole anymore.

The sound of beeping slowly stirs me from the darkness, as every nerve ending sends burning pain through my body. Tears start flowing, lessening the heavy feeling in my body. I let my eyelids open, only for the harsh light to make me wince and whimper in pain.

"Shit! Sorry, Amberle, give me a moment." Blue's voice is low and is the only other sound other than the insistent beeping. The rustling sound of movement is picked up by my sensitive hearing as Blue's steps slowly grow farther away, only for them to come closer again. Confusion swirls in my mind as I wonder what is happening right now. All I remember is being whipped by Leo and Mia and a furious Blue shouting before darkness took over.

"The lights are turned down, so you can open your eyes now, sweetheart." Blue's voice is low and soothing, rebuilding my trust in him. I decide to believe him and open my eyes slowly. My vision is blurry at first, and the dimmed lights make it harder to focus on Blue, whose frame I can tell is just in front of me. Finally, my vision clears, and I'm able to see Blue clearly. His worried face and sleep-frazzled attire are the first things I notice. The next thing I notice is that my body is face-down with my back exposed to the air.

"Amberle, why did you let them do that to you? Why did you let them whip you?" His voice holds worry and exasperation as his hand takes mine. I could feel the tension in his body slowly release, causing me to wonder why he would be so stressed and wound up. I take a moment to think about what to say, but when I open my lips to speak, nothing comes out. My throat is dry and sore from screaming with pain. Every inch of my body still felt like fire was coursing through it.

"Just link me. You've been in a coma for four days, so speaking might be hard for you." A straw fills my vision as Blue holds a glass up to me filled with what smelled like water, water that my throat and body openly welcomes as I gulp it down.

[They treat me like this all the time when you all leave for a business trip.] I answer truthfully, my eyes closing for a moment as the memories of every beating and lashing I've received between Mia and Leo.

"Show me what you mean, Amberle." Blue pleads. My eyes open in realization that Blue was pleading to me, asking me to open up my mind and memories for him to see. So I do.

I flood the link between Blue and I with memories of all the beatings and punishments I received, on top of training and being starved. It was something I had become used to, and thought was normal. Only a select few wanted me in this pack. Most people either treat me indifferently or treat me like a slave when Blue and the other Elite members leave for a few days. Anger radiates off of Blue as I flinch from the memories, memories that cause the loneliness in me to grow into a bottomless abyss. The last memory I send is the incident before I ended up here, at what I realize is the pack hospital, as tears continued to flow down my face.

"Axel is on his way, but I need to leave and take care of the pack for what they have done to you. No one should have treated you like this, Amberle." Blue whispers, fury radiating even stronger than before into the air as his Alpha instincts kick in. I could only slightly nod as he tucks a blanket around me and presses a button attached to the many IV tubes stuck into my body.

"Morphine. I know you are in extreme pain, and it will help you sleep. Rest well, Amberle, and get better soon. I will make things right and let the pack understand what happens after allowing the harm of a pack member behind my back. No one will hurt you now." The burning pain in my body slowly calms down as drowsiness settles in. The door opens, and Axel walks in just before sleep overtakes me.