Chapter 1 He'll Kill Me

Rachel's POV

The rain pounded mercilessly against my skin as I ran through the darkness. Each step sent jolts of pain through my body, my lungs burning with every desperate breath. My legs cramped, begging me to stop, but I couldn't. I was already late.

He'll kill me this time.

The memory of my last punishment flashed through my mind—two minutes late and I couldn't lie down for a week because of the bruises.

What would he do to me tonight?

I slowed as I approached father's office, trying to catch my breath. My soaked clothes clung to my body, making me shiver despite the summer night. That's when I heard them through the partially open door.

"Darling... in a few days, she won't be our problem anymore." My stepmother Isabel's voice carried that familiar gleeful tone she reserved for my misfortunes.

I froze, flattening myself against the wall, my mind spinning in a haze of confusion. What the hell was going on?

My heart thudded as I tried to piece it together, completely thrown off balance.

"...they'll take her away, and we'll get the money."

Money? Take me away?

"Tick tock, Rachel. You're late again."

The voice behind me made me jump. Daniel, my stepbrother, stood there with that familiar predatory look in his eyes.

He let his gaze roam over my rain-soaked clothes, lingering where they shouldn't. I shuddered, remembering how he'd been trying to touch me since I was fourteen.

The only reason Isabel had stopped his harassment was because I brought in money from my waitressing job at the local diner.

"You're dripping all over the floor," he smirked, reaching out to brush a wet strand of hair from my face.

I flinched away. "Don't touch me."

His smirk widened as he pushed open the office door. "Look who I found eavesdropping outside."

"Father..." My voice wavered, barely above a whisper as I hesitantly stepped inside the room. The familiar scent of whiskey hung heavy in the air.

An overwhelming wave of awkwardness washed over me, causing my ears to burn bright red, as if they were on fire.

I could feel the heat creeping up my neck, and I fought the urge to fidget under the weight of the moment.

Isabel's nails tapped impatiently against the desk. "I told you she was trouble, sneaking around and eavesdropping like a rat. Who knows what she'll do when she grows up?"

"Were you listening in on us?" My father,Henry Sullivan, bellowed, his voice so loud it forced me to step back.

"I—I brought the money I earned today..." I fumbled in my pocket for the small wallet, hoping to divert his attention.

Isabel's laugh was cold. "How clever you are, trying to cover your crimes with a few dollars? Not only are you late, but you're spying too... Someone needs to learn a lesson."

My father didn't hit me immediately. Instead, he snatched the wallet from my trembling hands and emptied its contents onto his desk.

"This is all?" His voice was dangerously quiet.

"It was raining heavily today, so the diner didn't have many customers... I've given you every cent I earned..." I kept my eyes on the floor, afraid to meet his gaze.

"What are you saying? That I rely on you to support me? You dare mock me?" His face flushed with anger, veins bulging at his temples.

"No, I'm sorry... so sorry... please don't—"

The slap came suddenly, knocking me to the floor. Pain exploded across my cheek as I tasted blood.

Before I could recover, his fist connected with my back, then my head. I curled into a ball, trying to protect myself.

"Father... please stop..." I sobbed, arms covering my head.

"You'll kill her, Henry." Isabel's voice wasn't concerned for me, but calculating. "Dear, remember... that pretty face and voice are her biggest assets. We don't want to damage those, do we?"

Henry's next blow paused mid-air. "She's clearly not working hard enough! This money is nothing! Nothing compared to what I expected. Why did the Moon Goddess bless her with such talents in the first place?"

I stayed curled up on the floor, afraid to move.

"She's obviously more disappointing than we anticipated," Isabel sighed dramatically. "Anyway. You spoke with Tyler this morning. You know the plan for her. In a few days, all our financial problems will be solved, and she won't be our concern anymore."

Henry's heavy breathing gradually slowed. "You seem confused, daughter."

I dared to look up, meeting his bloodshot eyes.

"Tell her, Henry," Isabel urged. "I bet she'll be thrilled about the news. I know I am."

Henry straightened his shirt, a twisted smile forming on his lips. "You're going to do something important for me. Something that will change our lives forever. You will serve the Alpha of the Ironjaw Pack. It seems he needs a... breeder, and is willing to pay good money for one."

A breeder? Everyone knew what happened to breeders. They were used to produce heirs and then... disposed of.

"Don't look like that, Rachel," Isabel chided, her eyes gleaming. "You should consider it an honor to serve the richest, most powerful Alpha of all. He may have killed plenty, hurt many, but he's famous. Being part of his pack... well, that's the greatest honor."

I couldn't breathe. The Ironjaw Alpha was notorious for his cruelty. Rumors said he'd killed most of his servants—even his own father.

"Father, please don't. Please, I'll work harder. I promise. Let me stay!" I crawled toward him, grasping at the hem of his pants.

Isabel clicked her tongue. "Rachel, don't pressure your father like that. Begging won't get you anywhere in life."

"I can do so many things here to help you earn more money... please give me another chance to prove my worth." My voice broke as tears streamed down my face.

"I'm your only child, your blood," I reminded him desperately. "Shouldn't I carry on your lineage?"

When he didn't respond, I turned to my stepmother. "Isabel, please... say something..."

"How dare you speak to her like that!" Father's face contorted with rage as he landed another blow to my ribs.

A sharp cry escaped my lips as I instinctively curled in on myself once more, as if trying to shield myself from the emotional maelstrom. Tears streamed down my face in hot, relentless rivulets, blurring my vision.

Amidst this storm of weeping, I couldn't stop the memories from flooding back—memories of a time when my mother, Marie, was still breathing, still with us. Back then, my father had been a different man.

His eyes had sparkled with love whenever they landed on me, and he'd affectionately called me his "little lark."

Now, that tender nickname felt like a distant dream. Each recollection came with a searing pain, like a hot iron on my heart.

The contrast between the father I once knew and the angry man before me was a gaping wound, throbbing with every heartbeat, an ache that radiated through me, leaving me raw and vulnerable.

"Father, please don't do this to me... don't send me to him, I beg you... if Mother were still alive—"

His hands closed around my throat before I could finish, lifting me off the ground and slamming me against the wall. "You will do as I tell you!"

Black spots danced in my vision as I clawed at his hands, struggling to breathe.

"Daniel!" he called, finally releasing me.

I slid down the wall, gasping and coughing, my entire body screaming with pain.

"Yes, Alpha?" Daniel asked.

"Take Rachel upstairs and make her clean herself up. Our esteemed guest will arrive soon, and I don't want her looking like this."

My vision blurred as Daniel reached for me. The last thing I remembered was the gleam in his eyes before darkness mercifully claimed me, tears still wet on my cheeks.

How did this happen? The thought echoed through my mind as consciousness faded. My father, who once loved me, was selling me like property.

The Alpha of the Ironjaw Pack—the most feared wolf in the territory—would own me, use me, and then... I couldn't even complete the thought.

I remembered the warmth of my mother's smile, how she would sing me to sleep.

"You have the voice of an angel," she would say. "One day, it will bring you happiness."

How wrong she had been. My voice, my face—they weren't gifts but curses that had marked me for this fate.

Overwhelmed by such desolate thoughts, a wave of exhaustion crashed over me.

My eyelids grew heavy, and I succumbed to a deep sleep.