Angelica Winter, 19, is a human girl. She doesn't know much about life outside her mother's torments, and doesn't think she ever will. For ten years, she's been subjected to verbal and physical abuse, this horrible treatment makes her feel that she's not human, that she's nothing, but when she makes a mistake, she has to make a choice... sully her only purity or risk running away? Axel Moretti, 22, is a fierce Alpha werewolf. He's been searching for his mate for four years, gradually losing hope of having one because of his cruelty. Against all odds, he finds her. However, when he meets her, something goes terribly wrong. She's too frightened... and what's worse, she refuses to meet his eyes.
01
I rushed to clean up the water on the floor, using a handful of paper towels and quickly throwing them in the trash as if nothing had happened. My heart raced in my chest because of anxiety.
"What the fuck are you doing here? You can't eat my food! Put your ass on the floor! "Jade shouted, rushing to my now trembling figure and kicking me on the knee.
I crashed to the ground, lowering my head to avoid his face and another impact crashed into the middle of my back. Tears overflowed from my eyes and I grabbed the tiny cracks in the tile, feeling it pierce the steel-toed combat boot directly into my side.
My mother was away when my father cheated on her, she came back and found them together. My father, on the spur of the moment, didn't know what excuse to come up with, so he beat her almost to death. I was blamed. He left with the other woman and my mom was sure to keep me here, using me to vent her frustrations about my dad so she wouldn't have to buy things she broke in the house.
She thought I was stealing food because I was eating out of the trash, the leftovers she had were never everyday, but it happened. Whenever she was drunk or high, I would sneak in here like an animal to look for food in the dirty box without a bag.
If she ever saw me standing, I would be forced to the ground. I think my height intimidates her even if it can destroy me. She stands at the correct height of five feet three where I stand with five feet nine. I used to defend myself, but I realized that it was easier to accept; she was a Navy SEAL.
"Fuck you outside! Move it! "She screamed, kicking me in the side of the face and I closed my eyes to keep my tears at bay.
Eye contact is another big no-no. The last time I looked at her, she gave me calcium hydroxide eye drops, it was excruciatingly painful and I haven't been able to see through my left eye since. I have been half blind for two years, the luxury of being able to see with both of them leads me to silent screams. I forgot what it looks like...
I urgently crawled out of the room on my hands and knees, my head down as I rushed into the living room to return to my checkout. When I curled up in the cramped space, she slammed the exit closed and locked me in, kicking me in the side with a series of curses.
"You good-for-nothing scumbag! You are wasting a perfectly good space! I should throw you to the wolves and watch as they tear you limb from limb! "She threatened, planting a last kick outside and I flinched.
I looked at her retreating figure and collapsed, letting my tears flow freely with weak chills. The cold feeling of the crate against my skin created goosebumps. That's where I slept and that's where I go every time I disobey, it never lasts because she's too eager to start hitting me again.
She also took off my clothes, I'm not well enough for my body to be covered. The only time I have this privilege is when she sends me to the shops. I like to go out but it only aggravates my depression, it's a reminder that I will never be free. She went so far as to implant a tracer in the back of her neck just to make sure.
As for my bodily fluids, when I have to go to the bathroom, she takes me to the yard or forces me to go to my crate. We live far away from others, it's a small country house, so even if I have outside privileges, no one can see me to help me.
When my period comes, I have to bleed on myself. She won't let me out of here during this time, so I can't complain too much. I have to sleep in pieces of my uterine lining once a month for a week. I'm a big bleeder, which makes things much worse. It's also the only time I can swim. She is the one who cleanses me, touching every fold of my body with a moldy sponge. She doesn't believe that I won't drown.
I would like her to kill me if her hatred is as strong as it seems, except that she couldn't be without her punching bag.
I know that as long as she lives, I won't be able to do it.
𓃥
"Who told you that you could sleep? "I heard her screaming, waking up in jerks as fear stirred my spine. My leg was grabbed and I felt that my body had come out of the crate, my face was greeted by a pair of bony knuckles.
"Put this on! You're running an errand for me! "She demanded, pushing the clothes against me, and I grabbed them, trembling.
I did not hesitate to slip on the loose clothes from my position on the ground. It was a hoodie four sizes too big and a pair of sweatshirts too big too, they were exactly the same things I wear to every grocery store. They cover my bruised and malnourished figure with questioning looks, no one approaches me when I look so unattractive and that is his goal. If I made contact with someone, I couldn't imagine the way she would hurt me. I have never spoken to anyone other than her or my father in my entire life, a few years after my strokes, I decided to stop talking altogether. My voice made her angry and made things worse.
She barely let me finish when she slammed worn shoes on me. I slipped them in hastily, knowing that if I hesitated, she would have my head.
I then frowned at the newly formed hole in the side of the right shoe, seeing her stomping towards the front door and clicking on it unlocked.
"Now get the hell out of my house, you have an hour to get me the Blue Takis! "She spat, clicking on a timer on her phone and granting me access to the outside world.
It takes me twenty-five minutes to get to the store if I'm running. She always gave me horrible deadlines, but I knew better than to do anything.
My body crawled to the door and she kicked me on the porch, the second the door slammed, I pulled to a standing position and bolted. My vision was uneven at first due to my lack of nutrients, but I kept going, knowing that I didn't have time to stop.
My eye looked up at the rainbow sorbet sky as a distraction from the pain my body was screaming at me. A flock of birds was flying towards what seemed to be the endless horizon of a new world-a free world.
I wish I was a bird, all they know is how to be free. They live to be free.
The corners of my mouth lifted at the beautiful sight, unfortunately the smile that fought my frown never won its place on my lips.
Jade would put me through the worst torture of my life if I tried to escape, she uses her phone to track my location at all times. Moreover, she knows the terror she inflicts on me and she is aware of my silent voice. She cleared my throat to make sure I would never speak again if I changed my mind. I was able to make noises when I chose to mute the sound, but they quickly became annoying to her. She decided to shut me up completely and permanently.
The store appeared and I pushed my body beyond its limits, holding the pants up as I rushed through the automatic doors of the empty store. I spotted a cashier and no customers, thank god!
I lowered my head and walked down the aisles, stopping when the familiar purple and blue bag appeared. I started my way to it and grabbed it from the shelf, putting my hand in the pocket of the hoodie to make sure the card was still there.
After confirmation, I turned around to head to the register but I ended up hitting someone. My body felt like it had reached the stage of cadaveric rigidity when a cold bucket of terror stiffened every possible muscle in me at once. The shards in my hand fell to the ground as fast as I did and I burst into uncontrollable tears, my trembling body protecting my head as I waited for a brutal impact.
Elena Morelli loves two things. Her family and baking. She learned to cook from her nonna and father before she could even reach the counter. The Morelli legacy is solid, but once her weakened father dies, it crumbles under the cruel, unfeeling hands of her brother, Enzo. She is forced to marry into another Italian Mafia family to reinforce her brother's role, when suddenly fate turns everything on its head for her. Oisin Callahan, the head of the Irish mafia, who is said to kill everyone he meets, is vicious and as savage as they come. The Irish are strong and known for their whiskey and intelligence. Nothing and no one will ever be able to control this chaotic crowd. He's been stalking Elena for several years and decides to kidnap her on her wedding day. For better or for worse, until death do them part, but in Oisin's eyes, not even death can keep him from her Italian beauty.
Cathryn, an orphan with no family ties to Grayson, regarded him only as family. He, however, valued her as a precious jewel. From their very first encounter, Cathryn's destiny was intertwined with his. Once lonely and desiring affection, she was ensnared by his love, unable to break free. Eventually, she managed to escape his emotional clutches. Shockingly, she had fallen for someone else. Grayson confronted her sharply. "How could you feel for another?" Unable to meet his eyes, she whispered, "You're family. I can't..." Looking down, he pressed further. "You can't, or you wouldn’t dare?"
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..."Â But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."