CHAPTER TWO

I have no idea how long we stood there but I nearly knocked again out of annoyance.

“Do you want to get killed?! What are you doing?” The smaller girl whisper yelled at me as I raised my fist again.

“I just felt like they didn't hear me the first time. It's been quite a while,” I replied, taking in the panic in their eyes.

“They are vampires and definitely can hear you. If you interrupt whatever it is that they do at this time, it won't end well for you. One thing you have to learn from this place is to listen to instructions. Otherwise, you're in for a lot of punishment,” the taller, dark girl informed me in a calmer tone.

It seemed she was ready for whatever happened at the other side of the door because she wasn't as tense as he friend.

I nodded and gave her a small smile before bending slightly on the wall, laying my head there, and simply began daydreaming.

It still hurts to remember how I'd gotten into this situation in the first place.

FLASHBACK

After my shift at the hospital, I rushed back home to begin preparing dinner.

Julian loved his meals freshly made and wouldn't take anything over three hours old.

I would have stopped working and focused on catering to his diverse, stressful needs, but he insisted that I bring my quota to contribute to the house. The way finances worked in the werewolf community was that we individually worked but collectively spent the money. So although you'll have some personal funds from your salary wherever you're working, the bulk of it was sent to the Alpha. Feeding, clothes, and everything else needed for survival were then provided in return.

The system worked very well because it's really transparent and if an Alpha loses the trust of his people, especially with financial issues, he might as well be dead. So, each household had a quota they were expected to bring, and it depended on the job of the male mate.

My ex-mate was a full-time Beta, so he wasn't expected to pay much, but my salary at the hospital was bigger than his.

I never touched the money, however, because it was paid directly to his account. All my attempts to leave him always fell short because of the financial situation and honestly, the beatings probably did a lot of damage to my mental health.

I recoiled into myself and simply just took whatever he gave me.

As I dished out the food, he stalked into the house, very drunk.

I braced myself, refusing to cry even though I knew it was about to be a long night. When Julian was drunk, he was pissed about everything and his fists always went swinging my way.

That was how I lost three pregnancies.

He got to the door of the kitchen and stood there, staring at me.

“Why did I end up with you? You're so useless,” he slurred, his irritation evident.

He never tired to inform me how he wanted to be mated to the former Alpha’s daughter and how I ruined his plans to be with the love of his life.

“Your food is ready,” I said to him, my voice small, hoping he'd just go and sit down instead of lurking by the door like that.

He didn't.

He walked into the kitchen, pure hatred in his eyes.

In times like this, I wondered why his wolf didn't just take over. It was why Evie, my wolf left me. She was pissed at his wolf for not doing anything to stop all of this, so she believed her disappearance would punish him.

Well, I'm the one ultimately suffering now because his wolf no longer makes any attempts to stop him.

I braced for impact as he grabbed my hair, pulled me away from the counter I was hiding behind, and shoved me harshly to the ground.

“You're useless! Fucking useless! I hate you for taking my dreams away from me you worthless bitch!” He screamed, kicking my body all over without mercy.

“I'm sorry,” I begged as usual, even though I knew it'd do nothing.

He finally tired of beating me up and walked away. I stayed on the ground there, waiting for my body to heal me a little bit so I could get up and serve him his food.

I would have healed faster if I wasn't wolfless and if I didn't serve him as he got out of the shower; well, let's say I'll be sleeping in the dungeons tonight.

So I struggled and got washed off the blood from my nose and hands, got the dishes washed again, and I carried it out.

The moment it was on the table, he came out of the bathroom.

“Go get dressed, I'm taking you somewhere,” he commanded, leaving no room for arguments.

I was confused as hell; Julian had never taken me on a date. Even the night we met under the bright moonlight, signifying our mateship, all he did was give me a flower that grew at the front of his house. I was overjoyed that night, but my dreams turned into nightmares quickly.

It's been five years now, and that happy, naive eighteen-year-old has now become a twenty-three-year-old depressed woman.

I nodded, went into the room he gave to me, and changed into jeans and a black woolen sweater.

I always covered my body even though the only scars on my body were the silver irons he burned on my back. I always felt like every hit and blow he dealt to me left a mark, so I always overdressed.

But I didn't know what was happening tonight, and I definitely couldn't ask, so I kept the outfit simple.

When I got down, he was done eating and dressed up, waiting for me.

“I'm sorry I took too long,” I apologized before he began talking about it. It was one way I'd realized lessened my punishments.

“Let's go,” he commanded and I quickly dropped the plate in the sink before running after him. If not, I'd get beat up when we got back home. He was always trying to put me in such situations.

I rushed into the back of the car before he drove off.

As he did, I looked outside the window, wishing I could fly into the wind and just be anything but myself.

But I must live through this; I had just two more years before I'd be eligible to apply for work at the palace. Once I'm accepted, I'll reject him and run away.

Then I could start looking for my sister.

“I have to tell you something,” Julian interrupted my train of thought and his words made me confused.

He never told me anything.

“Okay,” I replied, not knowing what to say in the situation I was in.

“I have run into some gambling debts and I'll need you to take care of it.”

“But you're getting all my salaries and there's no time for me to pick another job. I won't be able to cook and clean the house and –”

“Shut up, your voice is going to make me drive this car into a fucking ditch!” He growled at me, shutting me up.

That was the longest I'd spoken to him in the past two years so I should have expected that.

“I'm sorry,” I whispered again, filled with self-pity.

A tear escaped my tight hold, but I pinched myself in that particular spot, and gradually, my emotions disappeared.

After a while, still driving to goddess knows where he spoke up again.

“The people I'm owing will tell you how to pay them. Make sure you behave yourself,” he finished, as though that made perfect sense.

When he finally drove the car into some fancy club in the next town, I was dragged out of the car, my screams muffled by a rag and I was promptly knocked out.

END OF FLASHBACK

“What are you doing staring into space, young lady?” I heard a voice shake me out of my reverie and I opened my eyes to see a god.