- ANIKA -
My slumber was interrupted by my wince as hard shoe soles sink into my stomach, kicking me across the room. "Get up!" The crude voice of the person who hit me reverberates in the room. "You must be deluded into thinking you can rest. So much work needs to be done."
My teeth sink into my lower lip as I crouch on the ground, holding my belly. I know not to voice out my pain, these people could not care less about the agony they put me through. It was simply fun for them and they would hit me again if they knew how much it affected me.
I force my body up the floor. My head cranes up to stare at the wall, checking to see the time on the old wall clock. It's 12:30am. Anyone should be asleep at this time, but I suddenly remember I am not everyone.
"What do you need me to do?" I voice, my tone low.
"Would you look at that? The girl speaks." Blares from the other end of the room. It is then I notice there are two guards here. Male guards. The one who kicked me walks towards me and grabs me by the jaw. His hand, sealed with metal armour presses into my jaw, hurting me.
"I guess we have to do something about that. The Luna certainly wants us to make her silent." With that, my body lunges to the floor. I writhe, trying to hold the scream begging to leave my mouth. I can hear his footsteps as he comes closer to me but I don't move. Moving will make this worse.
"I didn't mean to offend you, I just wanted to know." I gush, an attempt to make him stop what he intends to do to me.
"You don't speak unless requested to, you little piece of shit." His leg pounds into me, kicking me over and over against the wall mercilessly. I try my best not to scream, clenching my fists to divert the ache somewhere else but he makes it hard to. A loud cry leaves my mouth.
"Please, I beg you, stop." My voice trembles under my breath.
"This bitch doesn't learn." My hair is pulled to lift my body up the ground.
"Enough, boy. The rat isn't worth your time." The other man calls. This is when the man lets go of me, ensuring to throw me across the room. "Get up! If the Luna comments on our lateness, you'll have yourself to worry about." He spat, his words venomous. "The damn thing got me all dirty." He complains, moving away from me to the door. My whole body feels like it was hit by a trailer but I know I have to move. What will come to me if I don't will be way worse than how they handled me.
I struggle to stand and make my way to them by the door. The other guard nudges my body forward with his hand, making me nearly fall. "Move faster." He words even though they're right behind me. I don't say a word, obeying. All my life, I've come to know that doing what I am told to do is my way of surviving. If I did a task too late, I was punished. If I did it too perfectly, I was called names. And if for any reason the task assigned to me was done inappropriately, then I will be starved and forced to do it again under worse conditions.
That is why I am here. It was for this reason I was born. To serve others and never be served. It's the only thing the daughter of the home wrecker who poisoned the pack alpha can do to keep her life. My mother was killed a long time ago, and my father. . . He was the poisoned alpha. He's now in coma and my stepbrother, Canaan, is the ruling alpha in his stead. He, his little sister and his mother, our still acting luna till Canaan gets a wife, have made it their life mission to make my life a living hell. A reminder of the mercy I was shown for not being crucified along with my mother.
A door comes open and my body is pushed inside before it gets shut. A lump forms in my throat as I gaze at the environment. This is Alpha Canaan's room. Nothing good has ever come to me by him summoning me. And this is the first time he has let me inside his room. I thought I was being called by the luna.
"At your service, Alpha." I call, bowing. I keep my head down. I would never make the mistake of looking the Alpha in the eyes. The last time I did, I was whipped twice my age and thrown outside the castle without medical care.
"At my service? Like you have an alternate choice." Alpha Canaan murmurs. I can hear his heavy breathing, I know he's roaming around his room but I don't look up to know exactly where he is. "I have an itch, little wolf. One only you can scratch, regrettably so." He says.
I listen to him attentively, not understanding what he means but I do not say a word. I only speak when requested to, that much I know.
"Get some water and everything you need to give me a pedicure. Now."
My brows creases. He made guards wake me up thirty minutes past midnight because he wanted a pedicure? It is at this very moment I understand why my mother chose murder but I am not as strong willed as she must have been, nor do I know the kind of life she lived. "Yes, Alpha." I respond, turning to leave.
"Wait." Canaan calls, making me halt. "Come and take off my shoes first."
I keep my head to the ground, making my way to what seems like his bed. He's sat on it and his legs are stretched out for me. I reach out for his foot, carefully ridding it of his leather boots. Shoes give me anxiety. One moment it is worn on the feet and the next, it is pounding into me, hitting me until I bleed. I swallow, reaching for his other foot. I feel Alpha Canaan's breath at the back of my neck but choose to ignore it.
"You know, little rat, you're not as useless as they say."
My lips form a line. This is the best compliment I've gotten my entire life. "Th. ." I swallow not sure if I should speak but afraid of what may happen if I don't. "Thank you, a. . .lpha."
His other shoe comes off and I align it in front of his bed, right beside the other. Strong hands reach for my neck, holding my head up to face him. I lower my gaze to the ground avoiding eye contact. He wants to find a reason to beat me. I won't give him a reason to.
"You're also not as bad looking as they say." My head ravages with a warning. "If you weren't such a piece of shit, maybe, just maybe I wouldn't need to treat you so sternly." His hold on my neck tightens. I can feel my heart race in my chest and I wonder if he can feel the fright too. Canaan's nose meets my neck and he takes an inhale. "You surely stink." His face retracts from me. "Then tell me, filthy omega, why on earth do I crave something from you? Something I assume only you can give."
I shake my head. I don't know.
"Forget the pedicure. Get into that bathroom and nice it up. Take a shower after if you must, you reek of dirt."
Well, maybe if I wasn't only allowed to put on rags and shower twice a week, I wouldn't smell so horridly but I don't say that. I obviously cannot even dream of it and sometimes, I fear that they can get into my mind and read my thoughts. Since the age of five, I was cast out of the pleasant life I was accustomed to by being the Alpha's daughter. Ever since then, I was never taught werewolf etiquette. I was made to be as dull as I can be, being dropped out from school. But I do know the rankings and I don't need to be a scholar to know I am at the bottom of it. The one every single wolf can toss about without any retribution. No one cared if I nearly died in the process. In fact, they wanted me to be in that state all the time. But they never let me die. A cruel fate to my already worthless life.
I nod, not daring to question his words, why on earth will the Alpha want me bathing? And in his bathroom? Since when did he care about my outward appearance and smell?
He lets go of me. I stroll to his bathroom. It's clean. Nothing needs to be done here but I don't say a word. I have to work. The tools I need to clean are already here. Someone must have been here yet was sent away. Of course. Who cares if I am sleep deprived? I must work to survive. It's my way of showing appreciation for being fed even though it's leftovers, despite how my body feels. I walk to the corner of the room where the cleaning tools are.
I feel the presence of a body corner mine from behind. I know that scent anywhere. It's him.
A hand rests on my tummy, groping me. I grimace. My body is sore from the guard's beating but I have known not to make my pain anyone's problem or it would be seen as me overreacting, a punishment I am not ready for. I try to turn, to leave, but my body slams hard against the wall, beside the cleaning things I want to get.
"Don't say a fucking word." Alpha Canaan orders. His hand explores my frame way too much now. Feeling me in places I would rather not be felt at.
A growl slides in my ears. "You're so fucking disgusting, you know that?"
A worried look plagues my face. "Please, let me clean." I whisper, a plea. I never felt safe with anyone in the pack but right now, I feel more unsafe than ever.
A fist plummets into my stomach as he turns me to face him. My eyes bulge as blood spills out my mouth. "I said don't speak."
Alpha Canaan leads my hand down the planes of his body till it settles on his groin. "Your filthy self can do that much for me." His body presses against mine. I feel his leg between mine, trapping me against the wall. He's undoing his belt whilst keeping me restrained.
He wants to rape me.