"Liar! You don't have a wolf at all!" "I have one..You just can't reach it..." Abandoned by her only family, mistreated by her aunt and cousins, and bullied at school, Anastasia is already living a miserable life. When she finds out that she can't shift, her life turns into a living hell. But then she comes across the handsome Alpha of ..... pack, Alpha Aiden, and her fate changes. But what if she discovers something new about herself with all the challenges thrown her way? Will she be able to face it all or crumble in the process? "You are going to leave me as well because I can't shift." "I love you for who you are. I will always protect you, no matter what."
Chapter 1
-Anastasia's POV-
On my way home - or should I say the place where I slept? - I couldn't help but think of what I had been through this morning. Jenna and Anne ripped off my top and called me the sex slave of the Alpha's two sons after they saw the bruises all over my body.
"If only I can help you, I will beat up that b*tch." Amy popped out and growled in my mind. She was my wolf, but we couldn't shift. So everyone thought I had no wolf even though I explained that I had a wolf. They didn't trust me and called me a liar since they all couldn't mindlink me.
It's been two years since my older brother dumped me to our aunt and left with no reason. And it's been two years since I lived in hell, suffering from my peers' jeers and my aunt's torturing on my own. I guessed I would end up dead soon cause I couldn't bear living in such a shit life anymore.
"Do your chores, you lazy rat!" A woman's sharp voice belonging to Aunt Mary brought me out of my reverie, but I knew I was now in the real-life nightmare which I would never get rid of.
"Clean up the dishes!" Aunt Mary added in her usual commanding way before she slammed my bedroom door shut.
My aunt is the Luna of Black Mountain pack. She raised me with her two sons after my parents died and my only brother left, but I didn't feel indebted to her. She would pretend to be nice to me in front of the pack to make herself look selfless, but ordered me to do all the chores at home, made me eat the leftovers, and sleep in the hovel.
She treated me like dirt for a variety of reasons, but the main reason was ... I couldn't shift.
Yeah, I had a wolf, to whom I can talk, but so what? No one else could contact my wolf, and it's the same as wolf-less. So, I was supposed to be her own slave cause she gave food and shelter to me, the inferior Omega.
As the cold water flew from the tap, I washed the dishes like a robot. Tears flowed down my cheeks. I knew I had to endure this because of my identity, but I just needed to suffer from this for half a year before I graduated from school and left the shithole.
"I wish I could do the chores for you," Amy murmured sadly in my mind.
"Don't worry, pup." I faked a smile. "It's gonna be over one day."
"Hey, b*tch. Doing your slave job, huh?" Jack's voice came from behind. I knew he must be drunk because he always drank with his 'friends' when the Alpha was not home. So did his younger brother Jason.
"Yes?" I took in a deep breath and turned off the tap before I whipped around, only to find him leaning against the kitchen counter. With his eyes full of lust, he stepped to me.
I knew he would harass me like usual. The two boys always groped me secretly. They were cowards, so they wouldn't want the Luna to find out what they did to me. They pawed at me while still having expectations for their future mates.
But...my aunt had just gone out.
My heart sank. I knew something would go wrong.
"Why are you alone here?" Jason came in. "Did anyone touch you today?" He smirked. Obviously, he had heard about what happened at school.
I bit my lips and tried to get away from them, but they quickly grabbed my arms before I could run away.
"Shh...The game is not over." Jack played with a lock of my hair and approached me. He stuck his tongue and licked my neck slowly. "Salty."
I held my breath and shuddered. Tears continued to flow down my cheeks and down to my neck. Usually they would only grope me, but today they were too drunk. They may cross the line....
While I was busy thinking how to run away, I felt a hand slipping under my top and unhooking my bra. It was Jason. He hugged me from behind and buried his head in my neck, smelling me.
"Weird," Jason murmured while Jack chuckled. "Why is she smelling good?"
"Taste her. She is salty." Jack smacked his lips after licked my tears off and suddenly his hands pinched my breast. I screamed out of pain. This makes him laugh under his breath. "Look! What a slut."
I couldn't take it anymore. I was nearly exploding with disgust. Just when Jack looked down at my chest, I punched him in his nose and got rid of Jason. Jack shouted and ran for me as I raced towards the back door.
I was desperate to get away. I would do everything. Anything.
I reached the door and tried to pull it, but it wouldn' budge. I remembered that it was locked by my aunt. I couldn't get out when Jack and Jason pounced on me.
Jack slapped me hard across the face. "You b*tch! You dared hit me? I'll make you sorry you did that."
My head was spinning. Everything was reduced into a blur. One of them threw me onto his shoulders and walked upstairs, but I was barely there. The toxic mix of fear and anger made me wanna throw up.
"Let me go!" I shrieked but neither of them answered me. If they heard me, they didn't give a clue. They just kicked the door open and threw me on the bed.
"Help!" I screamed as I wrestled with Jason when he was trying to rip off my top. Nobody would know I was in danger. And I believed nobody would come to save me even if they knew about it....
A muffled cry escaped my lips. The tears on my face were a useless proof of the despair I felt inside. This was the end, I told myself as my clothes were ripped off. Jack was rubbing my hips hard as Jason buried his head in my breast. My skin crawled with repulsion, but struggling was pointless.
I closed my eyes. I was ready to accept what would happen to me.
Evil. This was nothing shot of evil, and I found myself vowing to kill them....
But something strange happened.
Suddenly I felt the man on top of me getting swept down off me, followed by a disgruntled shout. I opened my eyes, only to find Jack and Jason lying on the floor. At the end of the bed stood a tall man who had his back to me.
"How dare you...." Jack jumped to his feet and lunged at the man, but he was punched down again.
"Shut up, son of a b*tch." The man grabbed Jack by the collar, yanked him up, and whispered in his ear, "Tell your father to find me in the Night Howlers Pack. I will be waiting for him there."
Jason swallowed and didn't dare say or do anything after he saw what happened to his brother.
Then, the man turned around. I held my breath as I observed his face.
His eyes were hazel, and staring at them brought back a tidal wave of familiar feelings and memories. Looking at them threw me back into countless moments where that gentle gaze held mine as a little girl. Those square shoulders ... I sat on them a million times as a small child. And his pointed nose. How many times had he touched that nose to mine, every time I played a trick on him?
Why was he here?
I thought he died somewhere without anyone knowing, or he became a rogue and wandered out there.
But... he came back.
Ajax, my brother.
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The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn't believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was. transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she'd become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn's stamina, but he outdid himself tonight. In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she'd been meaning to bring up. 'My dad's medical bills.' Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. 'It'll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,' he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ****** She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park. He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira's world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman's name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her.