FORSAKEN BY FATE EMBRACE BY WOLVES

LIANA.

I woke up before dawn, as always. No one else in the house stirs this early, but that was by design. If I let the sun rise before I'm on my feet, my mother would make sure I regret it. I slipped silently from my bed on the cold floor-my room was barely a space in the attic, but it was all they allowed me.

With my bare hands, I scrubbed the kitchen floor, every creak and sigh of the house around me was a reminder that my family's slumber depended on my silence. My stomach growled, hollow as always, but I bit my lip. Hunger was something I've grown used to. I got to eat only when they decided there was food left over, and most nights, that meant nothing at all. My body ached from work, and sometimes, I wondered if all this would be easier if I could just shift like everyone else. But I can't. I'm wolfless-a constant source of their shame and their disappointment.

I paused, just a moment, to stretch out my back, but the sound of footsteps snapped me to attention. My mother's voice sliced through the quiet.

"Why are you moving so slow, Liana?" Her voice was sharp and unforgiving, and I instinctively shrinked. "Do you think we have all day for your lazy attitude?"

I stammered out a reply, trying to explain that I'd nearly finished. But my words only fueled her anger, and before I could duck, her hand connected with my cheek. The sting radiated down my face, it was a familiar burn.

"You ungrateful child," she spat her eyes narrowing with disgust. "You think this house runs itself?"

"No, ma'am." My voice was barely a whisper, and I kept my gaze lowered, knowing better than to meet her eyes.

When I finished in the kitchen, I was sent outside to the garden, hands raw as I dug up weeds. By the time I was done, the day was already slipping away. I looked around for a moment, hoping for a break, but that was when I spotted my father and brother standing by the doorway, waiting. My father beckoned me over, his face a mask of impatience.

"Hand it over," he said gruffly, nodding towards the small coin purse I kept tucked under my dress.

I opened it with trembling fingers, holding onto the few coins I had earned at the market yesterday. I'd hoped, just for a moment, that maybe I could keep something for myself. But I knew better than to defy him. Reluctantly, I dropped the coins into his hand.

He didn't even look at me as he counted the money, nodding with satisfaction. "Good. And remember, girl, don't think you can ever hide anything from me. Every coin you earn goes to this family."

Or rather, to my brother, who stood there smirking, knowing he'll be the one to enjoy the reward.

Later that evening, I was scrubbing dishes when I heard muffled voices from the other room. My parents were speaking in hushed tones, but the words were just loud enough for me to catch bits and pieces.

"...old man wants a young bride..."

"...Liana... it's about time she serves a purpose..."

I froze, the plate slipping in my hands. They were talking about me, and it didn't take long to piece together their plan. They were arranging for me to be married off to the wealthiest elder in the pack, a man I had only heard about-old, cruel, and known for collecting young, desperate women as his mates.

My heart pounded, every beat echoed in my ears. I clenched my fists, a rush of terror pulsing through me. I would rather run, starve, or die alone in the woods than live my life under the control of some lecherous old wolf.

I couldn't listen any longer. Quietly, I backed away from the doorway, my mind already racing, grasping at any possible escape. Tonight, when they are all asleep, I would slip away. I didn't know where I would go or how I would survive, but I knew I had to leave. I had endured enough.

The house finally fell silent as the night deepened, everyone was in their various beds. My heart raced as I grabbed a small bundle of clothes and tucked a piece of stale bread into my pocket. It was not much, but it was all I had. I took a deep breath before moving toward the door, carefully not to make a sound. But as I reached for the handle, a creak in the floorboards stopped me cold.

I held my breath, waiting, but there was only silence. Relieved, I pushed open the door and slipped into the night, my bare feet hitting the cold, damp ground. I barely made it past the edge of the house before I heard a shout from behind.

"Liana!" It was my brother's voice, cold and furious. "Get back here!"

I didn't bother to look back. Instead, I broke into a sprint, the wind cutting through me as I ran. The forest loomed ahead, dark and dense, but I plunged forward, ducking under branches and darting around trees. Every step sent a sharp pain through my feet, and I could feel the sting of rocks and thorns slicing into my skin. But I didn't stop.

The sounds of pursuit increased behind me, I turned back to see my father joining the pursuit with my brother. At this point they had shifted, both of them chasing after me like I stole from them. I didn't dare to slow down, my thoughts were jumbled, a mix of terror and a desperate need to survive. My breath came in ragged gasps as I pushed myself harder, even though every part of my body screamed in protest.

Their endless growls added more fuel to my tiny legs, I was wolfless but I ran faster than the wolves behind me.

Why was I born like this? The question surfaced in my mind, bitter and raw. Why am I the only one who can't shift, the only one who has to endure this?

A sharp rock caught the arch of my foot, and I stumbled, biting back the cry of pain. Blood seeped from the cut, warm against my skin, but I forced myself to back up. The forest seemed endless, each step more grueling than the last. I'd lost all sense of direction, and the only sounds were my labored breaths and the now nearing sound of paws hitting the ground behind me.

My father and brother were now closing in on me as exhaustion and hunger gnawed at me. I could see a faint light ahead. It was dim, almost ghostly, but it pulled me forward. With the last of my strength, I stumbled toward it, barely aware of where I was or what awaited me.

Just as I reached the edge of the trees, my vision blurred. The air felt different here, colder, more foreboding. A strange scent filled my nose, sharp and unfamiliar, and a wave of fear swept over me. I recognized the territory markers.

I had crossed into the Silver Moon Pack's land.

My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed onto the forest floor, gasping for breath. My skin prickled with fear as I realized what I'd done. The Silver Moon Pack was ruthless to trespassers. If they found me here...

But I had no choice. I can't go back.

LIANA.

I forced my body to turn, despite the stabbing pain that shot up my legs with every slight movement. Through the haze of exhaustion, I could see them-my father and brother, watching me from a distance. Even at that moment, under the weak light cast by the rising moon, I could make out their faces. Their expressions were twisted, not with worry or even anger, but with something darker, something like satisfaction.

My father cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, at his voice slicing through the silence of the woods.

"You're as good as dead out here, Liana! Do you hear me?" He spat my name like it was a curse. "I hope they rip you apart. I'd be glad to be rid of you for good. I never want anything to do with you!"

His words shattered whatever little strength I had left in me. I'd grown accustomed to their cruelty, to the way they treated me like a burden, a stain on their lives. But to hear him speak those words, to see him stand there, not even trying to hide his relief... it felt like he'd driven a knife straight into my chest.

I tried to keep my face blank, to stay strong, but my body betrayed me. The ache inside swelled, rising up through my throat and squeezing at my chest until I thought I'd choke on it. My father and brother didn't wait to see what would happen to me; they simply turned and walked back into the woods, their footsteps fading until there was only silence.

As they disappeared, a coldness seeped into my bones, a kind of numbness that spread through my limbs and left me lying there, limp and powerless. I looked up at the sky, at the vast stretch of stars above me, twinkling against the night as if mocking my misery. It seemed almost peaceful, like a cruel contrast to the storm inside me.

Why? The question clawed its way through my mind. Why was I born only to suffer? These questions had been my frequently asked questions since I turned six, and this made me wonder if they all hated me because I was wolfless or if there was something there that made them hate me this much.

My family wasn't the only ones that hated me-everyone in the pack looked at me the same way, with those hard, disdainful eyes. To them, I was cursed, a bringer of misfortune. They said I was born wolfless as punishment for something dark in my soul, that I was the reason for all their failures, their losses. Even as a child, I'd heard the whispers, the hateful words they thought I couldn't understand.

Bad luck. A curse. The reason we suffer.

For as long as I could remember, they blamed me for everything. I could still hear the mocking voices of the other children in the pack, sneering as they hurled stones at me. I remembered my mother, too, her lips curling in disgust whenever I came near. I wasn't a daughter to her. I was just a mistake she was forced to live with.

And even though I'd tried, over and over, to prove them wrong, to show them I could be useful...it was never enough. They saw only my faults, only the things I couldn't do. I was wolfless, and in their eyes, that made me even more worthless. Less than nothing.

I lay there, letting the memories claw their way up, each one more painful than the last. I thought of all the times I'd been pushed, shoved, slapped, made to feel small. And not just by my family. It was the entire pack, a collective cruelty that seeped into every corner of my life. The adults would turn away whenever they saw me suffering, as if acknowledging my pain would taint them somehow.

And then there were the other kinds of dangers, the ones no one in the pack spoke about, but I could never forget. The nights when I'd be cornered in the shadows, men's hands reaching out to grab at my boobs, their breath heavy and sickening. They called me worthless, yet somehow, I was valuable enough to be their plaything. I'd escaped more times than I cared to remember, barely managing to fight off those disgusting hands, always running to find the next hiding spot, the next brief moment of safety.

No one came to my rescue. No one cared. They looked the other way, or worse-they smirked, as if my suffering was just another confirmation of what they already believed. That I was cursed.

Is this how it ends? Alone, broken, and discarded?

The first drops of rain splashed against my skin, cool and soft, and for a moment, I thought it was just my imagination. But then the heavens opened, and the rain poured down, soaking me, each drop icy as it struck my cheeks, my arms, my legs.

I lay there, staring up at the sky, letting the rain wash over me. It felt like the universe itself was crying for me, shedding tears that I no longer had the strength to shed. I'd cried enough in my life, shed enough tears to fill an ocean, and now, even though I was breaking inside, I couldn't cry anymore. The rain did it for me.

The coldness sank deeper, spreading through me like a fog, making my limbs heavy and unmovable. My eyes drifted shut, and in the darkness, I found a strange sense of peace. Maybe this was my fate. Maybe I was meant to fade away here, in this forgotten corner of the world.

Perhaps...perhaps the universe mourns for me because no one else ever would.

The rain intensified, drumming against the ground, drowning out the silence that had weighed on me for so long. I felt my body slacken, surrendering to the earth, to the storm. I could barely feel my own limbs anymore; everything was numb, cold, distant.

As I teetered on the edge of consciousness, the thought slipped from my lips in a faint, trembling whisper, barely louder than the rain.

Let this be it... let me finally find peace."

The world grew darker, like a thick veil had fallen over me. The pain in my body dulled, fading into a strange kind of comfort, as if I were drifting away from everything I'd ever known. I was ready to let go, to welcome the oblivion that was slowly pulling me under.

But then, out of the silence, I heard them-whispers, faint and distant, weaving their way through the rain. Voices, echoing through the darkness, strange and unfamiliar. I couldn't understand the words, but I felt the fear rise in me, sharp and sudden, piercing through the numbness.

My heart hammered in my chest, each beat echoing louder, more insistent. I tried to move, to open my eyes, but my body refused to obey. The voices grew closer, clearer, and with every word, a chill slid down my spine.

I wasn't alone.

Fear gripped me, sharp and unforgiving, pulling me back from the edge of unconsciousness. The whispers surrounded me, weaving through the darkness, and I felt a surge of dread so powerful it brought tears to my eyes.

And then, just as suddenly as they began, the whispers stopped.

Silence settled over me once more, broken only by the soft patter of rain.

In that silence, suspended between fear and darkness, I let myself slip away.

LIANA.

A harsh tug on my arm jolted me from the depths of unconsciousness. My eyes fluttered open, but it took a moment to process the cold stares, the sneering faces surrounding me. Rough hands gripped me, pulling me upright. Disoriented, I blinked against the blinding light of day, my head throbbing from where I'd hit it against the forest floor. It was still dark and the rain had already stopped but my clothes still dripped of water.

"Look at this pathetic excuse for a wolf," one of them sneered, his voice dripping with disdain.

I tried to gather my bearings, but the world spun around me, a blur of scornful faces and mocking laughter. My clothes were soaked from the rain and clung to me, dirt streaked across my skin. I could feel their eyes crawling over me, dissecting me as if I were some lesser creature, something beneath them.

"She's wolf less," another voice muttered with disgust, the words slicing through me like a knife. It wasn't enough that my own family and pack hated me-now strangers would, too. I felt a shiver turn down my spine as they circled me, like vultures waiting to descend.

They forced me to my knees, pressing me into the damp earth. My heart hammered in my chest, a mix of fear and humiliation swirling through me. I didn't dare to look up; I kept my eyes trained on the ground, trying to block out their voices, their laughter.

And then, amidst the cruel faces and harsh voices, I saw him.

He stood a little ways off, tall and commanding, his presence unmistakable even among the others. The wolves around him seemed to part, creating a path as he approached. Dark hair framed his striking face, his sharp jawline set in a hard line, and his eyes... his eyes were like a storm, filled with a cold disdain that chilled me to my core.

I felt an odd pull, something deep and primal within me that I didn't understand. My gaze locked onto his, and for a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes. Something that made my heart race, that stirred a feeling I couldn't place.

But just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by a look of pure contempt.

His eyes swept over me, taking in my disheveled state, the dirt and bruises marking my skin. His lip curled, disgust flashing across his face.

"Pathetic," he spat, his voice laced with venom. "Is this what fate has cursed me with? A wolf less nobody?"

The words hit me like a slap. Mate? The thought drifted through my mind, but I shoved it down, refusing to hope for something that could never be true. And yet... a part of me, the part that had always longed for belonging, couldn't help but ache at his rejection.

He moved closer, towering over me as I knelt on the ground. I could feel the weight of his gaze, the judgment in his eyes. My hands clenched into fists, nails digging into my palms as I tried to hold back the shame and humiliation that threatened to swallow me whole.

"You," he continued, his voice dripping with scorn, "are the furthest thing from a mate that I could ever imagine. A wolf less girl like you... it's laughable. A wolf-less mate? I'd rather die alone than claim you."

A chorus of laughter rose around me, the wolves around him sneering and jeering. I kept my gaze fixed on the ground, willing myself to disappear, to fade away so that I wouldn't have to endure this any longer.

Without warning, he shoved me, his hand striking my shoulder with enough force to send me sprawling backward. My head cracked against a rock, a fresh wave of pain blooming as the world blurred around me. Spots danced before my eyes, and I struggled to push myself up, but my body felt like lead.

"I, soon to be Alpha Raiden Gray, son of Alpha Maddox Gray, reject you as my mate," he sneered, the words dripping with disdain. "A wolf-less bitch like you could never be my mate. I reject you completely, and I want nothing to do with you."

The rejection felt like fire ripping through my chest, an unbearable pain that stole my breath and left me gasping. My hand flew to my heart, clutching at the agony that radiated through me, a physical manifestation of his words. It felt like something inside me was breaking, tearing apart with each passing second.

The wolves around him laughed, their voices a cruel symphony that filled the clearing. I could hear the murmurs, the mocking whispers, the disdain in their tones. And through it all, he simply stood there, watching me with that same look of disgust, as if I were a stain he couldn't wait to wash away.

He turned his back on me, his voice cold and final.

"Do whatever you want with her," he said, addressing the wolves around him. "She's of no use to me. But most importantly make sure she doesn't leave this territory alive."

Panic surged through me, my mind reeling as his words sank in. He was leaving me here, in the hands of wolves who would do as they pleased with me. I was nothing more than a discarded piece of trash to them, something to be used and thrown away.

"Pl...please don't leave me here," I cried out loudly, my voice cracking with fear and terror. "I...I'm your fated mate, please!"

He didn't look back, neither did you respond to my pleas, he just walked away. The wolves moved closer as they saw him out of sight, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent. I could feel their hands on me, rough and unyielding, their laughter echoing in my ears as they grabbed at me, ripping at the thin fabric of my blouse. I struggled, weak and desperate, but there was little strength left in me. My arms were pinned, my attempts to fight them off met with cruel laughter.

"Relax, wolf-less bitch, you will enjoy it as much as we will," one of them sneered, as he licked his lips with his tongue in a disgusting manner.

One of them slid a hand beneath the folds of my skirt, his touch cold and invasive. I felt a surge of nausea rise within me, panic clawing at my throat as I struggled against the hold of the wolves surrounding me. Their hands were everywhere, pulling, tearing, each touch a reminder of how helpless I was.

Why? The thought echoed in my mind for the fourth time, a desperate, hopeless question. Why am I always the one left to suffer?

They pressed me down into the dirt, their hands greedy and insistent, and for a moment, I thought I would suffocate under the weight of their cruelty. My body felt like I was giving up, surrendering to the darkness that threatened to consume me.

But then, amidst the chaos, a sound cut through the air-a deep menacing growl that made the wolves around me freeze. The sound was powerful, commanding, filled with rage that shook me to my core.