The Alpha's chosen one

Violet's pov

The sting of Mira's sharp nails raking down my arms still lingered as I scrubbed the floor. My back ached and my stomach growled at itself in hunger but I dared not stop. Not until she left.

"Aww. poor, pathetic Violet. 21 years old and still no wolf? You're more useless than a human." Mira giggled with her friends.

Those words hit so close to home. Why wouldn't they? They were right.

I bowed my head lower, hoping she would get bored and leave me alone. But no, she was far from done.

Mira suddenly pressed her boot against my fingers, grinding them into the cold stone floor.

I winced in pain, my right hand throbbing under her boot.

"Oops," she giggled. "Does that hurt?"

I bit my lips so hard I tasted copper.

The other maids in the hall gasped but said nothing. They never did. Everytime Mira tormented me, they would just watch, too afraid to intervene.

"Huh? Doesn't it hurt?" Mira tilted her head closer to mine, pressing her boot harder further.

I swallowed the whimper about to spill out of my lips. The pain stung like hell but I told myself I'd never give her the satisfaction of hearing me cry out.

"Ugh!" She gave up and removed her boot.

A relieved gasp left my lips as I drew my hand to my chest. My hand was red and bruised from her boot.

I massaged my hand shooting Mira a glare while she rambled to her friends with her usual insults.

"Violet's such a waste of space," she scoffed. "I still don't know why my father keeps her. He should've put her down years ago."

My eyes widened.

Put me down?

How cruel could she be?

Her friends giggled along with her even though I could see the looks on their faces. They were also terrified of Mira. Who wouldn't? She was the daughter of the Alpha King?

Mira shrugged her shoulders. "I'm so bored. What should we do, ladies?"

A red head among the group smirked. "I heard the warriors are training in the courtyard. Let's go cheer them on."

"You're right. Watching a group of sexy men fight is better than looking at a scrawny slave." Mira nodded her assent.

"Let's go, girls." She skipped away but not without leaving behind a punishment for me. She knocked the bucket I used in scrubbing the floor, spilling murky water all over the clean floor.

"See ya later, loser." Her giggle echoed in the distance as she left with her friends.

The remaining maids didn't say a word. They all stared at me as I bent over to soak up the drenched floor with my cleaning rag, none of them offering to help me. They wouldn't dare. Mira told them never to.

As I scrubbed the floor, something inside me cracked.

I couldn't like this anymore.

I wouldn't.

So that night, after fetching dinner for the family and washing the dishes, I packed my bags and ran.

I had waited until the moon hung high in the sky,

Until the guards slacked in their posts,

And then, I slipped away like I was never there.

When I realized I was out of sight, I broke into a sprint.

I didn't know where I was running to but I knew I had to get away.

The cold air burned my lungs as I ran through the dense forest and it hurt more when I inhaled. Thorned twigs tore at my skin and I bled against the rough earth. But I kept on running.

In the middle of my journey, my legs began to shake and my breath came in ragged gasps.

I suddenly wished I hadn't left the pack.

I stopped dead in my tracks when a foul smell hit my nostrils.

"What is that?" I clamped my hand over my nose when the smell became unbearable.

It was the stench of rot.

I looked around me and couldn't find the source of the smell.

My mind screamed at me to run and I rose to my feet. But before I could move a muscle, my body locked up.

A twig snapped and crunched under unfamiliar footsteps.

I wasn't alone.

I let out a shuddering breath when low, guttural whispers began to fill the forest air.

What was that?

Rogue wolves? But Rogue wolves don't smell like that.

I stood there, frozen, when out of the darkness, 5 figures emerged. They had sunken red eyes that glistened with bloodlust and a hunger that chilled me to the very bones.

Instinct made me take a slow step back.

I watched the creatures chatter their teeths like they were communicating in another language.

My eyes fell on their clothes – ragged and smeared with –

A sharp metallic smell hit my nose and I froze.

Oh no.

I stared down at my feet. They were bruised and covered in blood. Oh no. I had drawn these creatures here.

"Fresh meat!" One of them grinned, revealing his bloodied teeth.

Cannibals!

A rush of adrenaline pushed me to turn on my heels and run. But I barely made an escape.

Fingers like iron yanked my arm and shoved me backwards. I screamed, kicking wildly but they were far stronger than I was.

"You smell delicious, wolf." The smell of decayed flesh filled my nose as one of them leaned in.

I turned my head the other way, praying to the Moon Goddess to save me when out of thin air, a sharp whoops cut through the air and his body dropped.

My blood ran cold as I scrambled away from the corpse.

What was that?

Even the cannibals asked each other the same question. "What was that?"

Another whoosh cut through the air and another body dropped. Then another and another until all of them were put down.

Still, it wasn't enough.

More cannibals gathered in the forest, all drawn to me.

"Why did I have to get hurt?" I cursed the branches that tore at my skin. It was their fault I was in this mess.

I pressed my hand to the ground to help myself stand up but I couldn't move. My feet were hurting.

The guttural whispers grew closer and I whimpered. Was this how I'll end? Cannibal food?

I made a silent prayer to the Goddess, hoping I wouldn't die. I didn't escape to be eaten by cannibals. I almost died when I heard something sharp slice through the air.

I threw my eyes open and my eyes locked in on a figure moving through the darkness. It's blade sliced, dominating the dark and the very creatures that ruled in it and within seconds, the ground was littered with their bodies.

It was over.

Or so I thought it was.

The last cannibal gurgled, giving a victorious yell as it aimed for my throat.

I let out a loud scream and closed my eyes.

The silence that followed was deafening.

"You're not very smart, are you?" A deep voice said.

I threw my eyes open and my jaws dropped.

He was tall, broad across the shoulders, and wore a silver necklace that looked like it meant something. His eyes were this crazy shade of gold, like they weren't even real. There was this smell about him, earth, smoke, and something sharp underneath, I couldn't place it and it just wrapped around me before I could even think. I stood there like an idiot, completely lost for words

The handsome stranger wiped blood off his blade, his gaze settling on my face. "You can't talk?"

He was right.

I mean, he was wrong. I could talk. My voice just failed me.

He sighed, still holding his sword. "Well, dumb girl, you'll die out here alone."

I didn't argue. I could. If it was anyone playing hero, he would've slipped the sword into the sheath around his belt but this man was still holding onto his weapon.

I couldn't stay with him.

"Let's go. I know a safe place." He said.

As soon as he turned his back, I ran.

Let's go?

Like hell I will.

Violet's pov

I didn't stop running until I reached the first town I could find.

It was a smart move but it was also very stupid. I was over exhausted and sleep-deprived and my stomach wouldn't stop growling.

My bare feet scraped against the ground as I trudged towards the smell of warm bread.

The bell clinked as I pushed the door in. It was warm and filled with lots of people but it reeked of sweat, desperation and liquor!

Liquor? I panicked. Where did the smell of bread come from?

Did my mind play tricks on me? Nevermind, it did.

I heaved a lazy sigh and turned to leave when a voice hollered at me.

I turned back and my eyes locked on green ones. It was the barmaid and she was smiling.

"You look like you could use a drink. Come on in." She said,

I looked around the bar for who she was talking to but she pointed at me.

"Yeah. I'm talking to you, Blondie. C'mere." She smiled.

I gulped nervously. This wasn't exactly the kind of place you could ask questions or get attention but my feet hurt and I was tired and hungry. Here was a lovely lady offering me a free meal. If it was poisoned, at least I would have something in my stomach before I meet my maker.

I slipped into a stool at the farthest corner of the counter, my hands trembling.

"Hey, Blondie." The middle-aged brunette passed me a bowl of freshly made soup and a piece of bread. My mouth watered at the sight.

She caught me drooling at the food and added a mug to the side. "There you go. You can dig in."

Without hesitation, I tore at the bread and ate to my heart's content. When I was done, I asked for seconds and the lady gave them to me. I was happy I was being fed but a part of me prayed she wouldn't put it on my tab.

"It's on the house." She said, as though reading my mind.

"Thanks." I said with a mouthful.

I finished the rest of the meal and sipped a glass of beer. Wasn't exactly my first time taking one but my first time not stealing it to take it.

The barmaid leaned in closer. "You've come a long way, haven't you?"

Images of the cannibals and the armed strangers flashed through my mind and I shook my head. I reached out to another glass and downed it all in one gulp, welcoming the burn.

It was whiskey.

"It's okay, kid," The woman patted my head. "It isn't my first time meeting runaways. You're welcome to stay here for the night if you don't have a place to stay."

Runaways? That was clearly what I was but for her to spell it out for people to hear infuriated me.

"I'm not a runaway!" I hissed.

"Bartender, whiskey!" A customer called out.

"Here." The woman passed me another glass and went to take the man's order.

I sank in my seat, nuzzling the glass of whiskey in my hand when a man sat down beside me.

I felt his eyes on me and shifted uncomfortably to give him a sign to stop ogling but that didn't put him off.

Instead, he was still staring at me. This time with amusement in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to speak but he beat me to it.

"You look like you've been through hell," he said.

"And you look like you belong in it." I shot back.

He chuckled. "Fair enough."

I turned slightly to look at him, sweeping my gaze over him. He had dark brown hair, sharp features and body any woman would drool over. One thing was certain: he was a lady's man. I could tell from the accessories he had on him . The silver ring in his index finger, the dark tattoos on his exposed arms and the silver necklace...

I picked my eyes. Where had I seen that necklace before?

He cleared his throat. "Checking me out already?"

I coughed. "You wish."

"Ah. That's what they all say." He smiled and my heart skipped a beat.

He was dangerously handsome and I didn't want to stop staring at him.

I told myself I should've ignored him.

I told myself to leave him alone.

But I didn't listen.

Maybe, it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the weight of everything crashing down on me but when his fingers brushed against mine, the pain I felt earlier numbed and all I felt was butterflies.

The man, I'll call him black shirt, drew me closer and murmured behind my ears. "One night, no names."

My heart pounded in my chest. This was stupid. It was reckless but...

When we pulled away and I stared into his eyes, I told myself for once in my life I wanted to feel something other than pain.

I nodded and told him to take me somewhere away from the noise and he did.

*****

I've heard Alpha King Logan mention something about "Regret comes in the morning" when he was advising Mira. Like her, I thought he wasn't making sense but now, I've fucked up, I now know regret comes in the morning.

Sunlight streamed through the transparent window, bruning against my closed eyelids.

My head pounded and my body ached.

"Ah." I winced as I shifted.

That moment when I moved, I felt it, a familiar warmth behind me.

My eyes flew open and I feared they would get any wider.

Horror stared back at me – sheets, bare skin, a man lying behind me, his face relaxed in his sleep.

Panic surged through me.

Holy shit!

What the heck had I done?

I scrambled out of the bed as if it was on fire.

My body moved on autopilot, grabbing my clothes and bolting out the door.

No names.

No freaking second thoughts.

I had to get the heck out of there.

And fast.

I did. I retraced my steps back to the pack.

The packhouse was quiet when I slipped in. Thank heavens.

I punched my dress at my side and turned to the stairs. My feet had barely touched the stairs when a loud voice cut through the quiet.

"Well, well, well... if it isn't the little night wanderer."

My stomach flipped.

It was Mira.

How did she find me?

"Turn around!" She yelled.

I nearly shushed her but remembered what happened last time I did that - she had hit me dead in the face with her fist.

Slowly, I turned to face her. She was standing behind me with her arms crossed over her chest.

Beside her were her four ever-present followers giggling with their hands over their mouths as though my presence was some kind of joke to them.

Mira stepped closer. "Where did you sneak off last night? And.." She swept her gaze over me. "Why'd you crawl back like a stray dog?"

My fists tightened at my sides but I kept a neutral look on my face. Responding to Mira would only give her more ammunition.

Before I could answer, Mira wrinkled her nose. "Ew... you smell like the woods?"

"Yeah. She does." One of her followers said.

Mira narrowed her eyes on me. "Do you roll in the dirt or something? Or..."

She dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Were you out there looking for your real parents?"

My chest tightened when she mentioned my parents. How dare she!

A smirk curled up her lips when she got an irritated look from me. "Keep up.with this attitude and no Alpha will ever claim -"

A howl echoed through the air, cutting her off.

Suddenly, everything stilled for a brief second before the packhouse suddenly came alive. Footsteps began above us and doors began to creak open.

What was happening?

A voice boomed from outside followed by the blow of a loud horn. "His Majesty and Her Highness have arrived!"

Alpha King Logan and Queen Madeline. Here?

My gut-feeling told me this was the beginning of something bad.

That night Alpha Xaden rejected Mira, I had this strange feeling of fulfillment in my chest. Finally, someone had put her in her place. I wasn't happy about the humiliation she suffered. No one deserved that but at least she'll get to taste a little bit of humiliation she caused others.

And when she did, she took out her anger on me.

The ship cracked through the air again, biting through my flesh.

Sharp pain seared across, stealing breath from my lungs. I clenched my teeth so hard, refusing to scream. That was a mistake on my part because when she wanted to stop, she ordered the guards to continue.

"Again!" Mira commanded. "Flog her till I see her bones!"

A strangled gasp escaped my lips when I turned to look at her.

Her gaze locked on me and the leather struck again.

The scent of blood... my blood filled the air and in that moment, I broke.

I had told myself I wouldn't break down in front of Mira. I had vowed never to give her that satisfaction but when my blood pooled at my feet on the floor, I panicked.

Mira chuckled as though satisfied. She had won.

"That's enough!" she said with a stifled yawn as if my mere presence bored her, as if she hadn't ordered the guards to whip me 10 times on my back.

I heard the guard drop the whip. It was over. For now.

I tilted my head to look at Mira and the guards standing behind me.

When my eyes locked on with the guards, their eyes went round.

"My lady, isn't that Alpha Xaden's mate? Oh no. We're in deep trouble!" He said in a low whisper.

"I am Xaden's mate! No one else!" Mira snapped.

"Y - yes, ma'am." They answered hesitantly.

She turned to them. "Xaden isn't here, is he?"

"N- No, ma'am." They both exchange glances after replying.

"Xaden won't know what happened here..." she looked at them. "Unless you plan to tell him?"

"No, ma'am. We'd never let it slip." They answered together.

"Good," she smiled.

Both guards shot me a pitiful look before looking away.

Mira stepped up to face me, a cruel laugh leaving her red painted lips. "Oh, poor Violet. You thought you could take what belonged to me and go unscathed?"

I kept my gaze on the ground, tasting copper as I swallowed the boiling rage in my chest.

She grabbed my chin, forcing my gaze to meet hers. "If no one has told you this, Violet, then you I'll hear it from me. You. Are. Nothing! An orphan with no family! I wonder what Alpha Xaden sees in you but don't worry, he'll see what you truly are soon enough."

She let go of me like I was yesterday's trash.

Tears formed in my ears, dropping to the blood-stained floor.

My body trembled as I sobbed. If it hadn't been for the ropes binding my arms to the walls, I would've collapsed long ago.

"If no one has told you this, Violet, then you I'll hear it from me. You. Are. Nothing!"

Violet didn't need to make that clear to me. I had grown up hearing those same words everyday – from the whispers in the market, the packhouse, everywhere I went, I always heard people say that to me. That I didn't matter. That I was useless. That I was just another woofless orphan that needed to die, a waste of space.

I choked on a sob, my body riveting with pain as I tried to move. I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted to die.

As my sobs got louder, something in the air shifted.

Mira sensed it too because her eyes darted around the candle-lit dungeon. "Who's there?!"

It was more of a bark than a soft question.

A deep growl came as her reply. The rumble was followed by the sound of heavy boots.

Something dark... something furious was coming our way.

I stiffened while Mira backed away instantly.

What was happening? I couldn't see because my back was to the entrance.

Bloodlust filled the air and I panicked. Who was that?

I shut my eyes when I felt a hand on my chin.

"Violet..." The voice was soft, smooth, almost appealing. I knew that voice.

The ropes loosened and my body swooned.

A pair of warm hands caught me just in time and dropped me gently on the floor.

I threw my eyes open with a low gasp. Our eyes met and tears filled my eyes again.

Xaden.

A wave of relief washed over me. I could finally breathe again.

His gaze traveled over me – my ripped dress, blood-stained skin, whipped lashes on my back.

Something crackled dangerously in the air. I realized it was a growl from him.

He traced my jaw gently, his touch burning my skin. Then, he leaned closer and asked quietly. "Who?"

No one spoke.

His hand shot out and grabbed the nearest guard by the throat. The man choked helplessly, his feet kicking against the ground.

"Who..." Xaden began softly before it became a full growl. "Who dared lay their hands on my mate!"

"It... It was Lady Mira!" The guard gasped.

Mira panicked. "What?"

The guard yelled it this time. "It was Lady Mira's orders! She made us do it! She forced us!"

Xaden let go of him and the man's body dropped to the ground in a crumpled and coughing mess.

"You did this?" Xaden asked in a low growl.

Mira nearly stumbled back as she tried to escape. "She - -"

When Xaden stopped in front of her, she straightened her back, lifting her chin. "Violet deserved it."

Xaden moved so fast I barely saw it. One second, Mira was standing confidently, then next she was against the wall with his fingers wrapped around her throat in a choke hold.

"I told you!" Xaden hissed. "No one touches my mate!"

Mira clawed at his hand, choking. "P - Please, Alpha."

Xaden's grip tightened. I watched through blurred vision, my body screaming in pain.

His gaze flickered to me. "What do you want me to do to her, Violet?"

Mira's eyes widened, the other guards choked on a panicked sob. They all stare at me, waiting for their "death sentence."

I could demand vengeance without blinking.

I could tell Xaden to make her suffer.

I looked at Mira, at her eyes, at the way her body trembled under Xaden's hold.

I should hate her.

I did.

But I was also so tired. Tired of this pack. Tired of all the cruelty meted to me everyday.

"I just want to leave." I said in a whisper, hoping Xaden could hear me.

Xaden turned to me. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, my throat tightening. I was fading.

His grip loosened and Mira collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

As if on cue, my body slumped to the ground.

"Violet!" Xaden rushed to my side and scooped me into his arm.

"Dammit! We're getting the hell out of here!" He growled just before I slipped away into silence.