Chapter 1 1

Nora's POV

I felt something cold splash on me as I quickly jolted awake. Opening my eyes, I saw Chloe standing in front of me with a bottle of cold water. "Sleepy head!" She called out, gazing at me in a disgusted manner. "What do you want?" I asked.

"You dare talk back at me?" She questioned as she held my wrist and pulled me off the bed. "I need a massage," she replied as my eyes fell on the wall clock, seeing it was already 2AM. "Ok my princess."

"I need it now!" I nodded. And we made our way to her chambers. I knelt and began to massage her feet while she lay comfortably on the bed. I would mostly doze off and almost fall, but would end up opening my eyes, trying to stay awake. Living and staying here was hell. The only friend I had was my wolf, Aria, and my fated mate, Jackson, who loves and cares for me secretly because I was a maid, and he was saving himself from the shame. What would an alpha like him be doing with someone like me. He is my peace, my happiness, and I couldn't wait to finally become his Luna.

Suddenly, there was a loud scream as I quickly opened my eyes from sleep. The sunlight streaming through Chloe's window made me rub my eyes as I realised it was dawn and I was still in Chloe's room. My head was resting on her bed while my knees were on the floor. I must have fallen asleep while massaging her feet. Chloe's loud and angry voice cut through, "Don't tell me you spent the night in my room!"

Before I could say a word, she yanked me out of the bed. "You pig!" Her words made me move backward, away from her. "You stink! You don't want to ruin my birthday with your body odour, do you?" She questioned, and I shook my head, feeling the weight of her insults. "Get lost!" She shouted, and I ran out of the room.

After quickly taking a shower, I joined the rest of the maids in preparing for Chloe's birthday party. During the party, my eyes fell on my mate, looking handsome as ever. He approached me and took my hand, walking forward. "What are you doing?" I whispered shyly, hopeful that he was finally going to introduce me to everyone as his mate.

Reaching a spot, we stopped, and he spoke loudly, capturing everyone's attention. "Hello everyone! I have something to say." His words drew the focus of the guests. "I, Alpha Jackson Ville, only son of his late father, alpha of the Dark Eyes Pack, hereby reject Nora as my mate."

What? My heart sank, and I felt a wave of disbelief wash over me. "Alpha," I called out, hoping for an explanation, but it fell on deaf ears. "She's my mate, but an alpha like me can't be with a lowly maid!" He declared, leaving the room in stunned silence. "I hereby take Chloe as my second chance mate!" No one reacted, obviously they weren't surprised about the rejection.

But Chloe? He is choosing Chloe? My mind couldn't comprehend it. Instantly, tears streamed down my face as I watched Chloe approach with a smile, kissing Jackson on the lips. Did he really do this to me? Was he forced? I couldn't understand why he would reject me in such a public and humiliating way.

With tears blurring my vision, I turned and ran out of the party, into my room. I shut the door behind me, trying to process the betrayal and heartache that consumed me. It was a pain unlike any other, the ache of a shattered dream and a broken heart.

Ever since I got into this pack, I was always treated like the slave I am despite being adopted by Luna when I was little. I had no memories of my full life and all I could remember was 10 years ago when I stumbled upon this very pack house, looking pale and hungry as I entered into one of the rooms which happened to be the Luna's chamber. I raided it in search of food to eat and even I finally saw food that was perhaps kept for the Luna to eat, I began to eat the cooked rice with my dirty hands. Yes, I looked very dirty and smelling.

It was stealing, though, because I was in a strange place, taking what wasn't mine and ever since then, they took me in but I realised the alpha and his luna were not merciful to the core.

I could remember the day Chloe had a bad day at school, the moment she came back, she vented it on me. Splashing water to the floor and accusing me of doing so, saying to her parents I intentionally wanted her to fall and injure herself. This wasn't the first time she tried to do things to get me punished. It was so obvious she devives joy seeing me in pain.

No matter how hard I tried to prove my innocence, I still got punished, flogged and even locked up in a room without food and water for days that I wished for death but didn't come. I couldn't even cry out my pain because I had no energy in me. Where should I get the energy to cry when I have been starving for days in a locked room? I was just pale, not blinking my eyes, with weak legs and a weak body as I laid on the bare floor of the room, folding myself, my body unmoving. In fact, I was half dead. Only my eyes were open but they were slowly dying

All I have always experienced here was pain! Later that night, shattered, I made my way from the back door, running to no destination when suddenly I halted in front of a nearby nightclub. The different colours of light shone in every direction as I walked in. I ordered different alcoholic drinks and gulping them all, not minding the later effects. As I sat at the bar, lost in my thoughts, my eyes drifted to a stranger walking towards me.

He looked dangerous yet strangely alluring. Tattoos adorned his arms, and his piercing green eyes bore into mine. His voice was deep as he greeted me, "Hello, how much do you charge for a night." Despite his rugged appearance, there was something intriguing about him.

I tried to brush him off, not in the mood for conversation, but he persisted.

"I'll pay 10,000 for the night." His thick voice sounded again.

His charm slowly breaking through my defences as I gazed up at him, giving him a smile and I could tell the alcohol was taking its place on me.

As the night wore on, I couldn't recall how we ended up leaving the club together, or how we stumbled into a room. When I awoke the next day, the reality of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks.

"What have you done?" I demanded, seeing myself naked on the bed, my voice tinged with panic. "Did you touch me?"

The stranger remained silent, standing at the window side with his cold gaze fixated outside through the window, his stoic expression sending shivers down my spine. Without a word, I gathered my clothes and put them on and hastily made my way out of the room, the events of the night before haunting me like a dark cloud.

As I walked away from the stranger, the thought of experiencing one pain to another hit me. I was running away from everyone at the pack house to numb my pain and now these? I had always wanted to be disvirgined by my fated mate but now it happened this way, I know and I'm convinced I am indeed cursed.