Chapter 3

VALERIA'S POV It's early morning, and soon, midnight will strike today, and I will turn 18, I sat on the sand looking at the peaceful scenery in front of me. It was a full moon and its reflection on the water made it beautiful. A small smile appeared on my face as the cold water touched my toes. This place was my only safe sanctuary, but only a nightmare as it would be flocked with my bullies during the daytime. Those boys were foolish enough to miss school and waste their time here. If only I had the chance to attend school, I would never leave and would try to make the most of it. I used to have full attendance in my school at my old pack when everything was fine in my life until Alpha Dimitri killed my whole pack and I became a mere servant. I could never forget that night. I don't know why Alpha Dimitri had to kill all those people. As far as I know, my pack has always adhered to the principle of friendliness and I've never heard of any rivalry with other packs. That night changed my life forever. I clenched my fists, I hoped I would not keep being a slave for the rest of my life. I looked beside, over the sand. I slowly wrote something on wet sand and then tried to read it out loud. “Happy Birthday Valeria.” A bitter smile curled on my dry lips. I wasn't even sure if I wrote my name correctly. Even after spending 10 years in this pack, no one cared about my real name. A slave doesn't need a name. They always called me some derogatory terms, slut, b*tch, wh*re, Mutt, or if someone was being generous then they would simply call me a slave. This is good. These bastards don't deserve to know my name either. I gently touched the name I had written on the beach. Mother once told me 18 would be a special day for a werewolf but before she could tell me more, Alpha Dimitri's army broke in to ruin our lives. Tears brimmed in my lonely eyes as my parents' faces came back in my mind. I looked at the moon, wondering why I had to suffer all this. But I knew the Moon wouldn't reply to me. Sighing for the hundredth time, I got up to leave. I had to return now, or I'd get a whipping if the supervisor found me sneaking out. However, a sharp pain suddenly hit my heart and I had to clutch my chest tightly. What happened? My body started heating up and sweating profusely. I gritted my teeth as I didn't want to make any sound to alert any guards on patrol nearby. The pain was so suffering that I had to lay there and hoped that the pain would subside on her own. My body couldn't stop shivering and I curled into a ball and tried to sleep. But a gentle sound of music distracted me and lowly the pain subsided and I fell into a deep slumber with one last thought in her mind. Who was singing? Who had such a melodic voice that sent peaceful shivers down my spine? My world fell into a haze of pain and cold. I barely registered the icy splash of water hitting my face before the sharp, mocking laughter echoed around me. My body jerked reflexively, but the ache that rippled through my stomach and ribs kept me from moving further. I blinked against the droplets of water clinging to my lashes, the dim moonlight illuminating the sneering faces of my tormentors. “Wake up, sl*t!” A cruel voice snapped, and another kick to my stomach had me heaving, bile rising in my throat. I curled into myself, trembling, trying to shield her battered body from their relentless assault. “Guess this is where you hide at night, huh? Like the little rat you are,” sneered Brayden, one of Magnar’s loyal lackeys, his eyes glittering with malicious amusement. “Pathetic,” someone else muttered, the sound followed by a derisive snort. “Look alive, boys! Seems the little slave turned eighteen last night,” Braden continued to shout behind him. A powerful aura of pressure arrived behind me and I immediately recognized him—Magnar, the son of Alpha Dimitri. I rarely had the opportunity to see him. I am a slave, while he was an alpha wolf. I only appeared in the kitchen, while he appeared on the training grounds. But for some reason, I could always recognize him instantly when he was around. The last time we met was when I was 17 years old and was nearly beaten to death by a warrior, and he appeared to help me. I once thought he was different from the others. I shook my head, not allowing myself to harbor any fantasies again. I quickly put on my shoes. I wanted to get up and leave now. Today is my birthday and I didn't want to celebrate the last moment with bleeding wounds, but my dream was soon shattered. "Bitch! You want to escape?" Brendan kicked me again, his shoe stepping on my heart. My body instinctively convulsed, and an iron rust taste immediately appeared in her mouth. My brows were furrowed in pain, and I broke out in a cold sweat. The pain in my abdomen and ribs prevented me from moving further. "Where's your wolf, bitch?" Brendan lowered his head and mocked. I continued to remain silent because experience had taught me that resistance would only excite them more. Brendan turned towards Alpha Magnar. "Brother, aren't you curious about what level our slave's wolf is? Or is it true, as the rumors say, that you've fallen in love with your little slave?" Brendan's words fell, quickly provoking a burst of laughter. I lowered my head and pleaded. Magnar stepped forward, and the crowd parted slightly. His tall and formidable figure stopped in front of Brendan, and then, to everyone's surprise, he grabbed Brendan's throat. "Listen, never insult your future alpha, even if we are the best of friends." Brendan showed a fearful look, then respectfully nodded. "Good," Magnar said with satisfaction, then walked over to me. "Now let's deal with our little slave." His towering figure cast a shadow over me. And my breathing became tense. His predatory grin revealed sharp teeth, and his piercing gaze swept over my trembling body. The hole in my heart grew deeper. I had a bad feeling. The next second, I heard his mocking voice rise. “Eighteen, huh? That’s a big day for a pup,” Magnar drawled, crouching down to meet my frightened eyes. “Did you celebrate, Valeria? You know, the way we celebrate is to let our wolves come out and run, why don't you show your wolves? " “Oh wait… I forgot. You’re not like the rest of us, are you? No family. No pack. Just a mangy little mutt that cleans up after the real wolves.” His tone was light, teasing almost, but the edge of malice beneath it made my blood run cold. I thought I was numb to all the sarcasm but it's the opposite. The words from his lips cut deeper than the pain in my body. I clenched my fists, but the effort to suppress her tears left me shaking. Why did he have such an effect on me? Because he's an Alpha wolf? “I’ve heard some… interesting things happen when a wolf turns eighteen. Maybe our little slave here deserves a birthday gift from her Alpha’s son.”Brendan flattered, then looked mischievously towards Magnar. My heart pounded in my chest. I didn’t know what he meant but I could detect the malice in his words. I couldn't help but quickly look towards Magnar again, the disgust in his eyes filling me with fear. I pressed my palms against the dirt, trying to push myself up, but Magnar shoved Brendan aside, and then his heavy boot stomped down on my arm, pinning me firmly in place. “Oh no, Valeria,” Magnar said softly, crouching down again. “You don’t get to run away. Not tonight.” Tears welled in my eyes as I stared into his face, my body frozen with fear. The other boys leaned in closer, their faces alight with anticipation, feeding off Magnar’s energy. “Let’s make this a birthday you’ll never forget,” Magnar whispered, his grin widening into something monstrous. And I knew my end was near.