Chapter 1

Ashley pov

If anyone were to ask me about my life, all I could say is that it is divided into two chapters: before the attack, and after.

Before, I was the only daughter of the Alpha, surrounded by those I loved, enjoying the warmth, love and protection of the entire pack. After, I became a captive, stripped of my identity and reduced to a dirty servant.

The memories of that fateful day still haunt me: the viciousness of the attack, the screams of my parents, the overwhelming sense of helplessness as our pack was torn apart by savages right in front of my eyes. And then, there was the moment when I was ripped away from everything I knew and dragged into a world of darkness.

For this pack of brutes I am nothing but a trophy of war. A symbol of their power. From the moment I set foot in their territory, I have been treated as less than dirt. I am no longer the Alpha’s daughter; I am a slave, a servant to be used and abused at their whim.

I have endured their endless torment: verbal insults, physical beatings, humiliation heaped upon humiliation.

But today, they have gone too far. Today, they took the last thing that still reminded me of the life I once had. The life before them.

As I stand in front of the mirror and stare back at the empty, soulless eyes, I don’t recognize myself anymore. Tears flow, but I don’t feel them touch my skin, nor I hear the taunting of the servants that surround me, pointing their fingers at me.

“How do you like your present, princess? Bet it makes you feel high and mighty now, right?” Someone shouts and the crowd erupts in laughter.

“Bout’ time someone did that. Bitch has forgotten who she is. A servant like her has no right to grow out her hair to tempt the pack men.” Another voice adds.

I have to bite my tongue to keep the words from escaping me. An outburst of anger would only add to the consequences, especially on a day as important as this.

Today is the eighteenth birthday of the Alpha prince, a day to be remembered - everyone’s getting ready for the grand celebration, the party of the century while I’m left standing here, looking like a malnourished slave boy.

While everyone around me keeps laughing, I take a few breaths to calm down and wipe the tears off my cheeks. I swear, this is the last time they see me break.

“Come along, stop lazing around, we have plenty of work to do! Move!” Charlotte, the head of the operations shouts as she storms into the room.

Her eyes quickly scan the faces until they stop on me. As always, she scoffs in disgust and returns her gaze to the tablet in her hands. “I need five more in the kitchen. At least ten are to head out to put up some more decorations, the king deems them too bland and simple. The family wants the whole place to look like the dragon’s cave.”

Charlotte looks up and counts the people who volunteer for the tasks she lists off. Quickly, she explains to each where they have to go and once the crowd leaves, I’m the only one left behind. As always.

The look on Charlotte’s face is awful. As if she isn’t just disgusted by my existence but the fact that she has to stay in one room with me is hurting her.

“You,” she sneers. “Since you can’t be bothered to be a proper team player, you’re joining the waiting staff. I know you’re not that bright up here,” she smiles and points a finger at her temple. “But I fully believe in your ability to refill the glasses. Move.”

She doesn’t bother telling me where I’m supposed to go, so I just follow her out of the room. As we walk closer to the event hall I notice the other waiters, standing around, waiting. The difference between us is that they are wearing proper clothes while I’m still dressed in an oversized shirt and sweatpants.

I stick out like a sore thumb.

“Make sure this one doesn’t get into trouble and doesn’t spill the wine on the guests. You know how important this celebration is, don’t let her ruin it. From now on, she’s your responsibility.” Charlotte sneers and steps aside to place her hand on my back and shove me towards the waiters.

As she hurries away, I’m not surprised that the others don’t bother to look at me. They don’t talk directly to me either, yet gladly discuss everything that is wrong with me as if I’m not standing here.

I ignore their voices until Charlotte returns and ushers us inside the hall. “The guests are arriving, make sure the glasses are overfilled with whatever they desire and keep your heads down. The prince will be arriving shortly and the ceremony will begin.”

Following her command, I do as I’m told, moving through the crowd and offering the guests refills of their drinks. To my surprise, some of them are kind, not all are stingy and too high to be in my presence.

Aside from the few remarks of me, being a very kind young boy, everything goes by the plan. Until it doesn’t.

Cheers erupt in the room and I instantly know it’s because he has arrived. The Alpha prince Kaiden is about to be crowned as the king.

I make the worst mistake in my life - I give into the temptation and look up to catch a glance of our future king.

Instead of stealing a glimpse, my world stops as my eyes meet his. Everything around me freezes, there is nothing left but the tension that connects our gazes. In this moment, I know that he sees me, he truly sees me, not as a servant, but as something more.

Recognition sparks in his eyes, followed swiftly by shock and disbelief. He knows who I am, what I am to him - a mate, bound by fate and blood to stand by his side.

But the laws of our world are cruel and unforgiving, and my lowly status renders me unworthy in the eyes of his pack; I know that much even before he opens his mouth and speaks over the cheers of the crowd.

“I, Alpha prince Kaiden, reject you, Ashley Kingston, as my fated mate and future Luna queen.”

His voice echoes against the walls and hits me with such force, the bottle I hold slips from my hand and shatters to pieces at my feet, the same as my heart.

I feel the pain, but even that isn’t half as bad as his following words. “A servant could never understand the world I rule. You have no place here, I don’t want to see your face anywhere near my territory. Consider this your only warning - leave and don’t come back. You are no part of this pack and never will be. With this, I pronounce Ashley Kingston rogue.”

The eyes that focus on me burn through my skin. I can’t take this. Spinning on my heel, I hurry out of the hall without looking back.

Once I get out of the hall, I start running towards the main door and outside. Everything within me breaks, yet as soon as I step into the cool air, I feel like something in me has shifted - it’s more than the consequences of being rejected and banned from the pack.

I am no longer a captive.