The Alpha's Tormented Mate

One. The fall

Ravena:

"Get them!" the angry voice of a man hollered from outside, disrupting what was supposed to be a peaceful dinner. I looked at my father.

"Dad, what's going on?"

"It's fine Vena". His voice was assuring but his face was doing something directly opposite.

"You're tensed dad. That's the Alpha's voice, isn't it?"

"Come here love, let me get you to safety" my mom said, taking me by the hand.

"No mom, something's wrong. Tell me!" I yelled on top of my lungs.

"Aria take her out of here!", my dad shouted at my mom.

Tears were in her eyes. And in my dad's eyes too. They knew what was going on. They all knew. But I didn't.

My mom came forward and grabbed me, dragging me through the hallway into the basement.

"Stay here Vena" she said, her voice rasp with a cry.

"Mom, please explain to me what's going on. I can't... I'm scared".

"Don't be my love" she took my hands in hers. "You should be strong. You should be powerful Vena".

"Give me a hint".

She looked at me. And she smiled. "Do you trust your father and I?"

I don't know why she would suddenly ask that but... "Of course mom. You're the ones I trust the most".

"Then, don't fret! Whatever happens, trust us!"

She kissed my lips gently, her tears staining our lips. When she pulled away, her face which was softened some seconds ago, now had a hard look on it.

"Stay strong Vena" she said and turned to go.

"Mom" I called her, hiding a sob beneath my throat.

"Mm?"

"Will you and Dad die?" I just needed to know that. The ominous feeling in the pit of my belly, I couldn't ignore it.

I heard her swallow. "I hope we don't. But if we do, please take care of yourself my love".

And she left. I lidded my mouth with my palm as I sobbed silently in that dim-lighted basement. I was scared. I already knew the outcome of the dice that was thrown in my mind. This could be the last... And then he came to mind. My fated mate and fiancé, Roberts.

I took out my cellphone and dialed his number. The female robotic voice was the answer I got, five consecutive times. I swallowed as my back turned cold. He wasn't picking up. What was he doing? This was evening already. Was he having dinner?

I looked around at the basement for an opening and I finally found one, that was through the sewers. But I didn't mind. I needed to save my family.

I ran. As fast as I could. Increasing my pace every divine second! And I finally arrived at his mansion. It was lighted, that means, he wasn't asleep yet. My heart turned cold in an instant. He was awake but still chose not to pick up my calls?! I took a deep breath and scaled the walls. I couldn't use the gate, given the situation of things. I can't make things, harder than it already is.

I slipped into the compound, heading straight to his room, while avoiding the workers. I was stinking. Fuck!

I hopped on his window pane, pushing them open in an instant, my heart anticipating.

"Roberts--" I called out but my voice hitched at the sight before me.

The man and woman on the bed, jumped up in fright, their gazes stopping at the window. Their faces were flush with lust!

"Roberts!" I cried on the top of my voice! "What do you think you're doing?! And with her?!" I glared at the woman that was under him. My sworn enemy! Cassandra Nyxfang! To think he wasn't picking up my calls...this was what kept him busy!

He stood, grabbing a robe to clothe himself. "What do you think you're doing here Ravena?"

"What am I doing here?! What do you mean by that?! This is my fiancé's house. I can come and go as I please!"

"Well...you should see what that thought got you" he replied, turning to the woman on the bed.

"No, Rob, you should attend to your finacé. I'm sorry for putting you to this" she said and stood while revealing her body to whoever. I almost puked.

"Cassandra you're stupid, you know that right?"

"I'm sorry Rav, but you weren't close to help him when he needed some release. I was". She grabbed a robe and came to stand beside him.

I looked at them. The picture they made. How come I didn't see it? How come I was so oblivious?

"This isn't the first time, right Roberts?"

"Stop blaming Rob"

"Keep your voice for the gutter!" I yelled at her.

/Slap!/

If my stance on the window pane wasn't so strong, I would have fallen from there, and crashed a great deal. I held still, looking at Roberts in disbelief. He slapped me. And for her!

"Don't speak to Cassie like that".

"Cassie..." I repeated after him. They already got so cozy.

"Why are you here? State your point and leave. You're messing up my house".

At this point, he's the only person I can come to for help even though he's a bastard.

"Something is going on at my place. I don't know but, it seems like my parents are in trouble"

"Oopsies" Cassandra commented but I didn't pay her heed. I was looking at Roberts. But the lad wasn't saying anything.

"Roberts...say something".

"He can't say anything. Your parents committed a heinous crime and need to suffer for it".

"What?"

"They sold information to an enemy pack. Our information. They're colluding with another pack to overthrow the Alpha. What do you call this in the constitution? Huh?" Cassandra jeered at me.

Tears slipped from my eyes. I mounted down from the window and stood.

"No. They couldn't have done that. Dad..." I looked at Roberts, and reached for his hand but he drew back. Like I was a sin. A disease myself. I gasped. "Roberts..."

"You shouldn't be here Ravena. My father's men would be looking for you right now and I don't want to lose face in his presence. I can't harbor you".

"But you can do something! Please! Just talk to your father. My parents couldn't have done that! My Dad wouldn't dare betray the pack! Why would he ever do something like that?"

"Leave my room Ravena. You're wasting your time".

"No..." I said and fell to my knees. "You're my last hope. Help me. I know you might have veered off to another woman but, maybe, because of our past relationship... I can't loose my parents Roberts". I raised my head to look at him.

And bloody hell, that guy was smirking.

"Roberts?"

"To think the almighty Ravena would kneel before me one day... What a scene".

"What?"

"You're always haughty and everytime, my father praised you while criticizing me, how humiliating do you think that is? And now you want me to help you? I can't do that Ravena"

"Roberts, you're my fiancé" I said.

"And so? I don't care. I won't help you. Even if I could, I won't".

"Roberts please" I clutched his hand. "Help me". I was already crying. This is the end. Absolutely the end. My parents can't die.

"Anything. I would do anything. Please help me" I cried.

"I need nothing from a person like you!" He kicked my tummy, sending me to the other end of the room. "My annoyance is that you're messing up my room".

"Roberts...how could you... we're family. You can't just change overnight!"

"Of course I can! Guards!" he hollered.

What? I scampered to his feet, clutching his robe. "You can't do this. Save me! Please!"

"I really want to see the spectacle your family will perform tomorrow" he grinned evily at me.

Did I ever know this guy? How could he change a great 180?!

Two men came in, hooded in black.

"Take this filth out of here" Roberts said.

"Yes sir".

And they grabbed me. I fought them off but they were stronger.

"Roberts you will regret this!" I said to him.

"I doubt that. And, you should watch the way you speak to me. We don't align, again".

I smirked. And turned to Cassandra. "He would do the same thing to you. Just be prepared".

The men took me away and straight to the dungeon where my parents were locked up as well.

This was it. The fall of the Betfang family. But no...I couldn't do this. I won't let this go. Should I survive this, Moon goddess helping me, I will kill everyone of them that put me in this shit. Everyone of them!

Two. The Trap

Ravena.

"Ravena!" I heard my name. I stood from the wooden chair I was sitting on and walked to the front where my caller was. It was an aged woman, who looked to be in her mid-fifties. She had a scrawny look on her face, making her scary and unapproachable.

"Yes ma'am?"

She pushed a bucket and mop to me. "You will be cleaning the Frost mansion" she said to me.

I looked at her, disbelief flying across my face. "What?"

"Yes. You would. Be grateful that you're alive, not all families that commit treason get to see the light of the next day" she said and shoved me off.

"Serena!" She called the next person but I was already disinterested. I took my bucket and mop and headed for the Frost mansion. That was Roberts's mansion. To think one humiliation wasn't enough. They want to rub it on my face. But this is the price I get to pay in exchange for my life.

My parents were killed on the dusk of yesterday and a heavy downpour followed. I was allowed to live but then, I was demoted to the omega rank. I was angry. I was sad. But no one cared. No one to speak to. "You're on your own Rav" I said to myself.

The jeers of the pack, the laughters, the mockery on their faces as my family and I were led to the slaughter grounds was still vivid in my mind. I couldn't forget. Will never forget. It was scary.

I arrived at the Frost mansion, the two hefty men, looking at me.

"I'm here for cleanup" I said to them.

They opened the gates for me and I went in. This is a place I used to enter as though I owned it, but now I needed permission to enter it. I stepped into the main parlor and started my cleaning. It wasn't easy, as I have never cleaned, myself. I was clumsy, but careful as well. I don't want anyone yelling at me.

"She's quibbling with the whole thing. What if she does a shabby work?" I heard one of the workers say.

"What do you expect? A princess that fell from her throne? She wouldn't be able to do anything right" another added.

"Just like her father..." another said causing my hand to quiver. I paused in what I was cleaning.

"No work for today?" I heard someone say, and I quickly recognized the voice. It was my ex-fiancé's. The gossips scurried away as soon as they saw him. I swallowed and didn't bother turning. I just continued with my work.

"This new look is quite spectacular" he said with glee in his tone.

I didn't reply.

"Your superior is here, you don't even want to greet him".

I paused and then turned. "Good morning Alpha prince" I curtsied.

He scoffed. "Oh gosh...I can't believe this either".

I didn't speak again and continued cleaning. The sound of his footsteps approaching echoed in my ears. I wanted to burst out, and scream at him to keep his distance and not get close, but I couldn't. I should accept everything that comes my way now, including the humiliation.

"This..." he whispered into my ears, "suits you better Ravena. This omega point of you life, is where you actually belong" he said.

I bit down hard on my lips. "I still need to finish cleaning. Can you give me some space?" I managed to keep my voice polite.

He stepped back. "Sure. I can" he chuckled and started walking away.

Roberts's mansion was quite the size, so the cleaning was strenuous. By the time I was done, I was already tired and pale.

I returned to the Omega ground to report my work. I was standing in front of the old scrawny woman. Her gaze on me was quite stern.

"I'm done with the work ma'am" I said.

"Of course you are" she said. Taking out a pen, she ticked my name on the small notebook she had in her hand.

"Now you can go and have your meal" she said.

"Mm".

"Here" she said, passing me a bag.

"This is..."

"Medicine. Apply them, tomorrow is the Moonfang elite celebration. You need your strength".

I swallowed. "Yes ma'am. Thank you".

"Mm. The cafeteria is by the left".

"Okay".

"Ravena..." she called me, as I was about to go.

"Yes?"

"Bad things happen. But, how we face them is what matters. Get your head on straight and lift your shoulders. Be strong".

I swallowed. "Mm" was the reply before I left.

I rushed to a corner, stifling my cries. Tears spilled from my eyes. I should be strong. I should be! By the time I collected myself, my lips were bleeding already. I licked off the blood, allowing my lips to heal. Then I left for the cafeteria.

There were stares from every corner of the cafeteria on me. I, who use to be a star in the sky, unreachable, unattainable, is now very low, under the scrutiny of some omegas. I sat down, with my tray of food. Something which I myself would never call food. Gruel.

As I scooped the sticky liquid into my mouth, my nose stung with tears. But I bit them back in.

"Too bad for the fallen princess" someone said from above. I raised my head.

It was a girl with a red hair and two minions by her side. I didn't bother saying anything and continued eating. This tasted like vomit but I had no choice. This...is my life now.

"Is she ignoring us right now Velora?" one with a crisp voice said. And before I knew it, my hair was yanked from its root, throwing my head backwards.

"How dare you ignore Velora?!"

"What's your problem?" I asked with a glare.

"She's even talking back at us! How dare you?!" the one with my hair yelled and slapped me. It was tight and painful. But, I won't be taking this! Not from this bitches.

With that thought in my mind, I grabbed her hand, and twisted it away from my hair. She let out a pained groan but I didn't care and just flung her away from my side.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?! You were warned not to use your powers!" Velora yelled at me.

"I didn't. I could beat you without even using them! Don't you dare touch me again!"

"You stupid girl!" she growled and charged at me. As soon as she got close, I grabbed her by the hand, flipping her to the floor. I had just raised my hand into the air, to slam it into her carotid when a loud shout snapped me from my rage.

"Ravena! You thief! How dare you add more crimes to your list?!"

I raised my head and was immediately pushed back by Velora. My butt hit the ground as I clashed gazes with that sworn enemy of mine, standing at the entrance with a twisted smile on her face.

She cocked her head to the side. "Hey there Ravena, you really do have some nerve" she said.

Two men in Black charged towards me and that was the last of what I saw.

Three. The Rogue.

Three.

Ravena:

When my eyes finally saw light, I was shocked to my marrows by the sight before me. I was standing on floor of the Hell room, a room for punishment in the Moonfang Pack. I was barefooted and it didn't take a while before the hotness of the ground began to penetrate into my feet, sliding through my whole body.

"You're here, Ravena" that evil of a voice entered my ears. Roberts...

"You recognize my voice aye? Would have been hurt a tad if you didn't".

I took in a deep breath in order to calm myself down. I shouldn't burst out right now. That would be the wrongest thing to do at the moment. I traced the sound of his voice and realized that it was coming from above . I raised my head to look at him, and our eyes clashed. My ocean blue eyes met his grey ones. And she was also there. Cassandra.

"Hey there Ravena" he sneered.

That bastard! He was sneering at me?! Could he be at least courteous? Like, we dated for years! I took in another breath, clenching and unclenching my fists.

"Alpha Prince" I said and curtsied. At least, I have learnt that one.

I curled my toes trying to put out the pain this floor gave me. Though the pain is nothing compared to what my heart was feeling at the moment. This was suffocating.

"You sure adapt quickly, don't you?"

I didn't reply. There was nothing to reply to.

"Alpha prince, why have I been called here?" I asked but got a snort as a response.

"What you did? Do you not know what you have done?"

"None that I can remember Alpha Prince. I have done my chores carefully and neatly and haven't done as much as breathe loudly" I replied.

Enjoy this while you can Robert, 'cause I'm going to make you lick my toes and crave for them like they're your last food on earth. Piece of shit!

"Show her" he said.

The bodyguard clicked on the iPad tablet in his hands. A picture appeared on the white screen that was on the wall in front of me. The picture of a ring.

"Do you recognize that?" Roberts asked me.

"That's your ring sir"

"My ring of what?"

"Your ring of authority" I replied. I recognized it in an instant.

"Why did I suddenly start looking for it as soon as you left the Frost mansion?"

"You mean I stole it?"

/Slap!/

A tight slap landed on my cheek, making my ears ring. It was one of the bodyguards.

"Don't talk to the Alpha prince like that. Answer when you're asked".

I nodded. "Mm".

"Why's it missing?"

"I don't know sir".

"Really? I happened to have everywhere and everyone working in my mansion searched. But, there was nothing. You are the only one who hasn't been searched".

"I didn't take it".

"He never said you took it" Cassandra chimed in.

I glared at her.

"I didn't take it. I'm not with it" I maintained.

"You know it doesn't matter what you say. I will still have you searched".

"As you please sir" I replied.

One of the bodyguards came forward to search me. I almost retched.

"Sir, may I search myself?" I asked. I couldn't have a man rummage his hands around my body.

"Why Ravena? It's not like you're still clean. I already went there and came back".

I clenched my fists in anger. "We were engaged then so it doesn't matter. But I can't let him search me".

"You're still haughty aren't you?!" Cassandra said from where she was standing.

"I'm not being haughty".

"Hold her down and search the living daylight out of her!" Roberts ordered. Two men held me down and another did the searching. I wanted to thrash and cry for help but, these two, they were the bane of my life. I can't cry again. Not in front of them. I bit down hard on my lips as the man's hands wandered to every part of my body, desecrating it without mercy. His gaze was even lecherous and evil. I glared at him.

"Sir!" The man searching suddenly turned, raising something round and shiny towards Roberts. "We found it!"

I gasped. Found what?! There was nothing! How come?

"And there you said you had nothing on you Ravena".

"I didn't take it. I'm being framed right now".

"You took my ring of authority..what is your plan? Do you have the same plan as your father?"

"Roberts, you know that I didn't take that ring. I'm not guilty of what you accuse me of".

"Then are you calling me a liar?"

"I wouldn't dare sir".

"Good. Then accept your punishment".

"Does...your father know about this?"

"He doesn't need to know Ravena. In his eyes, you're a criminal and should be treated as one. Whatever happens to you, you've always had it coming".

He stood from where he sat, and sauntered towards me. "You don't even need to do anything. As long as I have the power, I can do anything that I want and that includes destroying you".

And it all came back. While I was cleaning at the Frost mansion, he had closed in. Perhaps, it was at that point that he slipped it into my clothes? But it didn't matter. It never would. He was the Alpha prince after all.

"Fifty whips. After that, she will kneel here till the arrival of dawn, understood?!"

"Yes!" The bodyguards chorused.

I bit down hard on my lips. Fifty whips. That would be brutal. It would be painful. I could feel the pain without even being beaten. Wasn't it enough already?!

"But Ravena....", he continued, his voice itching at my eardrums. "If you beg me to forgive you, and accept that you stole that ring, I can let you go and even forget that you started a fight in the cafeteria. What do you think, fair deal?"

"Roberts, you're so kind. Ravena, Rob is giving you an out, why don't you take it happily?" Cassandra said with a smirk.

I didn't say anything and just remained mum. These two were just unbelievable.

"I take it that you refuse to accept my proposal. Well then, enjoy your beating" he said and left with Cassandra who didn't fail to smile at me.

The bodyguards grabbed me immediately and tied me to a pillar.

/Whip!/

/Whip/

/Whip/

With every whip, my body shuddered against the pillar. I was grabbing it tightly as though it would ease my pain or maybe free me from this hell. The pain was mortal. I couldn't take it anymore.

"She's not even screaming?" a bodyguard said.

"Does that mean we're not even hitting her at all? Perhaps we should increase the pace?"

"What do you think Miss Omega?"

They roared in laughter which was followed by an increase in their intensity. The whips kept coming, the pain blurring my vision but I refused to pass out.

I didn't do much of the counting but at some point, everything went still. I looked around me.... The whips weren't coming again and neither were the bodyguards' laughing and jeering. What was up? I got scared. A presence I couldn't fathom was here. And one thing I could tell from this is that, that presence is a very powerful one.

The presence got even stronger and before I could organize my thought, I saw a man standing in front of me. He had thick tresses of black falling to his shoulders, his face, I defined, was like it was chiseled by the Moon goddess herself. However, I couldn't cancel out the dangerous and dark aura he exuded. His eyes were the most emotionless orbs I have ever seen. There was nothing to see there. They were like an abyss, ready to suck up one's soul. And it didn't take long before I recognized him.

Vernon Draven. The rogue!