Chapter 1 Louisa's POV

"Who under the Heavens gave you the right to eat without my permission?" Piper complained as she threw my plate across the room, making a mess of the food.

I'd been working all day, yet the moment I try to refuel and get back my energy, she comes walking angrily into the room like I haven't even done anything all day.

"Out, now!" Her long fingers pointed towards the door.

"But Piper, everything, everything you asked..." My voice was very weak when I spoke. That alone was enough to show you how tired I was. "I've done everyone of them."

She grabbed me by the hair and forced me out of the room, ignoring my plea.

The next moment, she pushed me to the floor in the open fields just so she could humiliate me in front of the other pack members.

I bowed my head in shame.

"This is what you get for going against authority." The pain was all over my body, causing me to scream.

Not once, not twice, she continued to whip me.

The punishment continued for longer than necessary and wouldn't just help but let out the tears that had been itching to fall.

It wasn't just about the food.

Piper always found a way to humiliate me in front of everyone, day in and day out. Many times, I asked myself if I ever did anything in my past life to make her this mad at me.

Everyone stood amazed as they watched Piper humiliate me. And no one said a thing, no one dared to plead my case. Not even my mate. Jude Blackmore. He just stood and watched me like a pest that refused to die.

Slowly, everyone began to disperse. I guess they've humiliated me to their satisfaction.

"You should be grateful I'm in a good mood today," Piper finally said before hissing and walking away.

Piper Gilbert.

I don't even recognize her anymore.

Up until a year ago, Piper happened to be my best friend. The same I shared everything with. My secrets, my clothes... Everything that could be shared. And since I never had a sibling and she didn't either, she became my sibling from another parent.

But all of that ended the day my father was punished and killed for treason without even getting a chance to be tried.

Fast forward to today, Piper's father is the New Beta of our region. And guess what her birthday wish was...

To have me as her servant.

Never did I think that I had been breeding an enemy in the clothes of a best friend.

In fact, all the people I thought would stand by me when my dad died were the ones who stabbed me, not at my back. They stabbed me right to my face.

The marks from the whip were bad; some even left me with bruises. Regardless, I was forced to continue my work.

Later that evening, while I made my way back to my room, I began to hear giggles down the corridors. That laugh was unmistakable.

Piper.

I could also hear another very familiar voice.

The Leader of the Delta warriors and my mate. Jude Blackmore.

I felt a sting in my chest at the disgusting words that came out of their mouths. I could swear that those were the same lines Jude used for me when my father was still Beta.

What a shame...

The mate bond didn't make me feel any better; it just worsened the heaviness and ache in my chest.

Goddess, please, what did I do to deserve all these sufferings?

"Shuuu... I think someone is there." Jude said, walking closer to where I was.

I ran off quickly before I'd get into their trap this evening again. I'm sure he saw me, but he didn't bother to chase me.

Back in my room, I couldn't suppress the dread I felt. I slowly watch my heart being shattered over and over again, hoping that Jude would ever choose me over her.

But of course, how could he?

Piper is everything I'm not. Beautiful, elegant, she knows how to match her clothes well to catch everyone's eyes. Of course, anyone would want her.

I'm done allowing the mate bond to hunt me for a decision I didn't make.

The next morning, I searched everywhere I knew he could be. When I found him, he was at the training grounds where all pack warriors gathered for their early morning training.

I saw that he was busy, so I decided to wait till after training, though I kept my eyes on him the whole time.

Finally, the warriors began to leave one after the other.

I summoned all the courage in me and approached him.

"Jude, we need to talk," I said calmly.

He rolled his eyes at me like he was already tired of the conversation even before it started.

"What do you want?" He sneered.

"Can we at least go somewhere private?" I pleaded.

He scoffed. "Anything you have to say, say it here."

I looked around, clearly not comfortable saying this outside. But since he insisted.

"I want you to reject me!" I blurted out. Something about those words just felt so right as they left my mouth.

The disgust on his face was clearer now.

And then the next thing that followed was a mocking laughter

The other warriors that remained there in the training ground joined him to laugh me almost to tears.

"You don't want me right," I said with an unstable voice. "Then reject me once and for all."

He grabbed as much of my hair as his hands allowed him and pulled me closer to himself.

"You should be grateful I didn't reject your wolfless ass because of the respect I had for your father. But now, you have crossed the line. Don't come back, begging for love cause a loser like you will never find love."

I didn't know when tears started falling from my eyes because of his harsh words. I'd heard similar words times and times again. But the pain never eased the next time they came.

"I, Jude Blackmore of Hillstone Pack, reject you, Louisa Thorne as my mate."

The words stung more than I thought they would, a clear reminder of what my life had suddenly become.