Chapter 2

• TWO
• I stumbled through the front door, soaked to the bone, my clothes torn and clinging to my skin in ragged pieces. My body trembled from both the cold and the terror that still gripped my chest after the attack.
• The remnants of the night’s horrors clung to me, all I wanted was to hide away from the world. But as soon as I stepped inside, the familiar feeling of dread bloomed in my stomach.
• "Freya?" my stepmother’s voice cut through the air like a blade, sharp and full of accusation. I froze, knowing that whatever came next wouldn’t be good. Elaine appeared at the top of the stairs, her eyes widening in shock as she took in my disheveled appearance. Her lips curled into a sneer.
• "What in the world have you done?" she hissed, her voice dripping with contempt. "Look at you! You come home looking like... like some common whore!"
• "No, I’m not—" I began, but the words died in my throat as I saw my father step into the room. His expression was dark, disappointment etched into every line of his face.
• "Freya, what is this?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. "You sneak out at night, and now you come back looking like this? Have you no shame?"
• I could barely stand under their accusing stares. Shame flooded my body, my voice faltered, barely a whisper. "I was attacked... by a wolf. I barely made it back alive."
• Kelly, my stepsister, scoffed, stepping closer with a mocking smirk. "Attacked by a wolf? We all know what you’ve been doing, Freya. Don’t pretend to be the victim here."
• I shook my head, tears welling in my eyes. "No, it’s not like that! I swear I didn’t—"
• "Enough!" my father’s voice silenced me. He stared at me for a long moment, his eyes hard and unforgiving.
• "You’ve embarrassed us for the last time, Freya. You may not be a wolf, but you will not bring shame to this household any longer."
• I stood there, trembling, my voice trapped in my throat. No matter what I said, they wouldn’t believe me. They never had.
• Just then, Kelly stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with something malicious.
• "Oh, and Freya," she said with mock sweetness, "I borrowed one of your dresses. I hope you don’t mind."
• And I look up to her. She was wearing it, the dress my mother had left me. The last memory I had of her. And Kelly had butchered it, turning it into a cheap imitation of what it once was.
• My chest tightened, fury bubbling up inside me, overpowering the shame. "That was my mother’s dress," my voice trembling with anger. "How dare you."
• Kelly shrugged, brushing off my words with a wave of her hand. "It’s just a dress, Freya. Besides, it looks so much better on me now that I’ve made a few adjustments."
• Kelly shrugged, brushing off my words with a wave of her hand. "It’s just a dress, Freya. Besides, it looks so much better on me now that I’ve made a few adjustments."
• I couldn’t stop the anger from consuming me. "You had no right!" I shouted, stepping toward her, fists clenched at my sides.
• Elaine moved faster than I expected, slapping me hard across the face. The sharp sting reverberated through my skull, but it wasn’t the physical pain that hurt the most. It was the fact that no one in this house cared. Not even my father.
• "You will not speak to Kelly like that," Elaine snapped, her voice laced with venom. "How dare you raise your voice in this house after the shame you’ve brought on us!"
• My father said nothing. He just watched with cold, indifferent eyes.
• My cheek burned, my heart ached, and I felt completely alone.
• "Mom gave me that dress before she died," I whispered, trying to hold back tears. "It's all I have left of her."
• "Freya, we've talked about this," my father said, his voice strained. "Your mother is gone, and we need to move forward. It's just a dress. Kelly is your sister and you must treat her as such."
• Numb from the shock of Elaine’s slap, I could only nod, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes.
• "Good," my father said, his tone icy. "Now go to your room. And clean yourself up before dinner."
• I turned and made my way up the stairs, ignoring Kelly’s taunts and Elaine’s hateful glare. As I reached my room, I shut the door behind me, leaning against it as tears streamed down my face.
• They had ruined everything. My mother’s dress, my life, my dignity. And they didn’t care.
• I sank onto my bed, pulling the torn remnants of my clothes tighter around me, as if it could somehow shield me from the pain.
• I knew that life was never going to be the same after Mum's passing, but I never imagined it would be this painful, this lonely. This couldn’t be my life. This wasn’t the future my mother had wanted for me. As the tears continued to stream down my face, soaking the pillow beneath me, I made a silent promise to my mother: I would find a way to be strong, even if it meant facing the cruelty of this new family alone.
• I wiped my tears, determination rising in my chest like a flame. I couldn’t stay here. I had to leave, before they destroyed what little was left of me.
• The door creaked open, and the unmistakable sound of Kelly's high heels clicking against the hardwood floor made my stomach churn. I quickly wiped away the last remnants of my tears and sat up, bracing myself for whatever cruelty she had come to inflict upon me.
• "Freya," she drawled with a sickeningly sweet smile. "Since you're not doing anything useful right now, I've decided that you can wash my bags and clothes for me." She tossed a pile of designer clothing onto my bed, wrinkling her nose as if my room was some sort of repugnant dungeon.
• "Excuse me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady despite the anger bubbling inside me.
• "Are you deaf?" she retorted, her smile morphing into a sneer. "Wash them. And do it properly, or else."
• "Or else what?" I challenged, tired of being pushed around.
• "Or else," she leaned in, her eyes flashing with malice, "I'll make your life even more miserable than it already is. Trust me, I have ways."
• "Fine. I'll do it." I muttered, clenching my fists at my sides.
• "Good," she said, smirking triumphantly. "Oh, and by the way, I'm auditioning to be one of the Alpha King's breeders. Can you imagine? Me, with all that power and prestige? It's going to be fabulous. "
• With that, she sauntered out of my room, leaving me fuming at the injustice of it all. As I stared at the pile of expensive clothes on my bed, a spark of determination ignited within me. I couldn't take this anymore – the humiliation, the constant bullying, the feeling of being trapped in a house where I was unwanted and unloved.
• Wiping my eyes, I hardened my resolve. I had to escape. Tonight. Before they could steal what little choice I had.
• If Kelly could audition to be one of the Alpha King's breeders, then so could I. It was a desperate plan, and I knew that there were risks involved – but anything would be better than living like this. For the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope flicker in my chest.
• "I’ll do it, Mum," I whispered, my voice filled with quiet resolve. "I’ll find my way out of here. I’ll survive this."
• With that, I began packing what little I had, every motion fueled by a newfound determination.
• Tonight would be the last night I ever spent in this house.
• ****