ARABELLA

“ Oh, I see you already found her, Jenny. Let’s take her. Alpha is waiting.” With a smirk, Beta of the Darkmoon pack grabbed my arm and yanked me toward the door.

“Please, Beta Evan, she is innocent,” Jenny begged in a low voice, making everyone gasp. An omega wasn't allowed to interrupt a Beta.

Evan stopped as his cruel eyes narrowed on Jenny. “I’ll take care of you later.”

“Please, leave me. I didn’t do anything!” I cried out as Evan dragged me down the stairs. Outside, the entire pack was waiting, hungry for my blood. I gulped hard. “Please, believe me. I... Ah!” Evan slammed my head against the stone wall. I crumpled on the ground as he did it again.

“Enough. Stop,” Kian shouted. He gave me a disgusted look as his voice suddenly thundered,

“I, Alpha Kian of the Darkmoon Pack, reject you, Arabella Whitmore, as my wife.”

I couldn’t register the words at first. The ground tilted beneath me. I looked at him helplessly but he didn’t even flinch.

“This marriage was a terrible mistake. I should’ve searched for Mira instead of marrying a desperate, pathetic girl like you.” He spoke again.

His words were tearing me from inside but I tried to hold myself together. My eyes fell on my gorgeous stepsister clinging to Kian like she belonged there. Of course she did! Mira was his fated mate. His past. His future. And I was a nobody. A mere replacement.

“How… how could you even think that I planned something so disgusting just to marry my sister's mate?” I tried to keep my voice stern but failed.

“How are you still lying, Bella?” Mira stepped forward as tears spilled out from her gorgeous blue eyes.

“She had me kidnapped,” Mira said in a fragile voice, facing Kian. “She wanted to be Luna and take my place, my pack, my mate...everything.” Her crying got louder. “Kian, you believe me, right? I was locked in a filthy basement like a lowlife criminal. With Moon Goddess’s grace, I somehow escaped. Look what her men did to me!”

She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her arm covered with wounds. Some fresh, some old already changing into ugly scars.

Gasping, I stared. Was she really kidnapped? None of it made sense.

“Mira, you left him at the altar. I was just ….”

“Shut up!” Kian cut me off sharply. His eyes darkened as he turned toward the guards. “Bring the whip.”

My heartbeat stopped as I blinked in disbelief. Before I could speak, the first lash struck. A helpless scream left my throat and he hit me again. I knew why he was doing this. It wasn't just for Mira. He was punishing me for standing up to him last night.

I knew he wanted me to beg for his sick pleasure, but I wouldn’t give in. Every nerve in me screamed in agony, yet I stayed silent.

A loud shriek ripped from my throat as my wolf tried to take control. But my body was already too weak from the torture.

My eyes suddenly fell on Mira. I felt the corner of her lips twitch like a smirk. Pain shot through my spine as the shifting finally began.

“Enough. Stop, please. ” Mira said quickly. “Don’t hurt my sister anymore. I can't be this cruel.”

Kian stopped mid swing, breathing heavily.

“Look and learn... that’s what a sister should be,” he spat at me.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground. The fresh metallic tang of blood hit my nose. I turned to my father. Why wasn’t he saying something?

“Alpha Harlan... D... Dad, I...” For the first time, I called him Dad in front of a crowd. I couldn't even talk properly as my throat burnt.

“You shameless bitch!” Before I could speak further, my stepmother came running and pulled my hair with a vicious grip.

“How dare you call my husband your Dad! Your whore mother spread her legs for my husband all those years ago. That doesn't mean you get to be his daughter! You bloody bastard!” She slammed the pointed heel of her shoe into my chest.

A sharp, unbearable pain spread through my ribs, and I folded myself, coughing hard. Saliva dripped from my lips as I desperately gasped for air.

My wolf, Beatrice, let out a helpless, agonized cry. She was quite weak for a wolf, and I could feel her pain spreading through me. Guilt and shame crawled inside me as I realized it was all my fault. She had begged me so many times not to marry Kian,but I didn’t listen.

“Betty, are you okay?” I tried to connect with her, but she wouldn’t answer.

I somehow managed to look at Kian as my tears mixed with the blood and found Mira's head placed on his chest. I searched his face for any sympathy but he wasn't even looking at me.

“I’m so sorry, love!” I heard him saying as his lips pressed gently against her wounds. Traitor tears were streaming down my face. His eyes suddenly met mine.

“Take her to the dungeon,” Kian suddenly roared. “Let her rot there without any food or water.”

I looked at him with blank eyes as my body threatened to give out. Somehow, managing to stand, I tried reaching out to him. “Kian, I didn’t betray…”

“Take her right now!” he bellowed with rage.

Two of the guards stepped forward, and the next thing I knew, I was being dragged like a rag doll.

I glanced back one last time at Kian. He held Mira close, just like he was holding me last night. But even then... a broken whimper escaped my lips. I was always the loser.

Within the next few minutes, they threw me into the dark, damp dungeon like some trash and the door slammed shut behind me.

My knees hit the freezing stone floor, and a sob finally tore from me like a wounded animal.

“Mom... Why did you leave me? I wish I’d died with you. They all hate me, Mom. They all...”

“So, are you happy now?”

I stopped, hearing the exhausted, pained voice.