Chapter 3 Undeserved Suffering

"Mother! Please, help me. Please! Don't let this evil man defile me" Lunette screamed at the top of her voice. Tears rolled down her cheek as she screamed for help.

"Shut up! You imbecile! Your mother is sound asleep. Let's do this secretly. I'd love to taste you to see if you can satisfy me," Conrad said as he licked his lips greedily like a lion about to devour his prey. He shoved her arms to the couch and whispered dirty words into her ears.

"You are as filthy as a dog! One day you'll dine among slaves because your strength and powers are mere illusions that will fade soon. If the moon goddess bestows powers upon me, I'll slit your throat and piss on your grave! Lunette grew impatient as she gnashed her teeth, revealing a sense of vengeance. She spat on his face after expressing her discomfort and was inclined to face his wrath; death was more appealing than his hands caressing her body.

Conrad's eyes were filled with rage as he tried to recover from Lunette's statement. He was surprised that a delicate flower could also bear sharp thorns piercing his heart. His ferocious wolf took over, filling him with uncontrollable violence as his muscles shifted to the beast form. He gripped her throat and choked her with his sharp claws. Lunette fought for her freedom, she stroked him repeatedly but her efforts were futile.

Suddenly, one of the sentry ran into the castle panting like he saw a ghost.

"Alpha Conrad! There's a threat. "I think a stranger has invaded our pack. He looks like a spy. The breed of his werewolf is distinct from ours," He said.

Conrad's anger ceased. His wolf detected the danger that came with a threat. He began to transform into his human physique where his brain connected dots through the complex webs of sensory inputs. His hands slackened from Lunette's neck; where air was denied access to pass. Lunette gasped for breath like an asthmatic patient encountering respiratory distress. She felt stings of pain - sore bruises hung visibly around her neck, infested by Conrad's claws.

Lunette's heart trembled. Hastily, she reached for the intravenous tube with her shivering hands and pulled it, causing her to shrink at the sting of pain. She felt like strangling Conrad but she was so weak and he had an upper hand because of his dark magic. Her heart was filled with hatred but she devised a means to escape to her room. She felt a sting of regret. She wished she was never born. She yearned for the ground to open and swallow her.

Lunette couldn't stand on her feet so she decided to crawl to her room. Tears dropped from her face as she struggled to move in pain. The pain radiated through her body like a treadmill of fire but she pressed forward with perseverance in her eyes but her movement was slow.

Conrad neglected Lunette and shifted his attention to the sentry. "Where did you see him?" Conrad spoke desperately, posing like he was ready to attack and defend his pack.

"On the fence surrounding the castle, but he fled before we could apprehend him," He sounded firm.

"Is there a mark on his skin?" Conrad inquired suspiciously.

"None that meets the criteria of recognition." He responded in a rush.

"Tell your captain to prepare you all with the rifles and grenades in the armory and launch for attack immediately once the sentinels see anything strange! You must all be vigilant and open-eyed, "Conrad commanded with a resolute spirit.

"Yes, Alpha Conrad!" He spoke with dignity and saluted.

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Lunette's room was painted completely in black, revealing a sense of melancholy. It consisted of a thin mat laid across the hard and cold floor, a nylon bag containing Lunette's meager collection of three worn-out dresses, a pair of slippers, a clock, and a tiny space diverged for the bathroom and toilet.

On reaching her room, Lunette's thought drifted to her growling stomach. She felt the pangs of hunger, a painful reminder that she hadn't eaten in two days. She leaned against the sink and gulped the water that poured gracefully from the tap but it wasn't sufficient to ease the hunger she felt within.

Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. "It's 6 AM. Can it be my mother? Does she want to send me an errand?" she presumed as her weak eyes stared at the clock placed at the top of the wall. Her heart quivered with anticipation.

She wanted to inquire about who was knocking but she didn't want to provoke her mother if she ended up being the one. She gripped the doorknob with her trembling hands and swung the door open. She saw the figure of a fifteen-year-old girl, who was one of the new maids scrutinized and accepted to work in the castle on the weekends.

"Little outcast! What took you so long? Always sluggish with everything. I can see why the Alpha and Luna didn't sponsor your education, you will tarnish their image!" Celestine mocked as she took a step in.

"Even though my parents can't afford the lifestyle I want, I work hard at weekends to pay my tuition fee and do not miss classes during the week. Unlike you, illiterate!" Celestine boasted, hoping to provoke Lunette.

"What do you want?" Lunette inquired as she winked her blue eyes in shame.

"You have nothing to offer me! Or I'd rather say, you should be grateful for my help," Celestine said with a sinister expression as she threw tablets, and a nylon containing stale food on the floor.

"I've brought you the leftovers meant for the dogs as requested by your mother. Considering that you're so pathetic, I'll ease your pain by saying Martha told me to assist her with what your mother demanded. What a pity!" Celestine uttered as she spat on Lunette's face.

Lunette felt intimidated. She was infuriated but refused to retaliate.

"Please, leave!" Lunette retorted as she cleaned the spit on her face with her arm. She planned to close the door to avoid any provocation from Celestine.

"And if I don't? What will a commoner like you do? You have no guts! Even an Omega is preferable to your existence. In this castle, you must respect me," Celestine spoke with her sharp voice.

Lunette bowed her head in humiliation. Her self-esteem is lost.

"Well, I heard of your story, you're such a lowlife bastard! A rejected and cursed child. Your father rejected and abandoned your mother because..."

Without waiting for Celestine to complete her provocative utterance, Lunette stretched out her hand in a swift motion and slapped Celestine as annoyance simmered within her.

The tension heightened in the air as Celestine's eyes welled up. She held her face to cool the heat oozing out of the affected area. She couldn't recover from the stinging slap as her eyes widened in shock and disbelief.