Chapter 9

• I laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. My thoughts were filled with today's events. My heart felt like it had shattered into countless pieces. The memories replayed in my mind, haunting me with every passing second. The one that hurt the most, the one that kept stabbing at my soul, was how cold and distant Alpha Kyle had been when I saw him in his office.
• Tears filled up in my eyes, blurring my vision as I thought about how bad things were between us. I had once hoped for warmth and affection in my mate, but all I got now was a wall that separated us. I didn't know how to tear it down, didn't know if I even could.
• I hadn't meant to make him look bad by not doing my homework. School had always been important to me, but life had been overwhelming lately, and I just didn't have the time or energy to focus on anything else.
• My mind drifted to Lucy and the way she had confronted me earlier. The thought that she and Alpha Kyle might share such a strong connection made my chest ache. A stray tear escaped and slid down my cheek. I wished I could be her, wished I could be as close to him as she was.
• As I laid there, I also thought of something nice at least. I remembered Brandon - His friendly smile, the way he spoke to me like I was worth something. A small, bittersweet smile crept onto my face as I recalled how kind he was to me. It had only lasted a few minutes, but it had been genuine, and that was more than I could say for anyone else.
• Maybe there were still kind people out there.
• I closed my eyes, holding on to that brief encounter we had. I savored the feeling of being treated with kindness, even if only for a moment. But a soft knock on my door pulled me back to reality.
• "Come in," I said.
• The door creaked open, and Taylor stepped inside with a warm smile.
• "Hey," he greeted me.
• I got up and bowed my head "Good evening, Beta"
• I couldn't help but return his smile. Taylor too was one of the few people who had shown me any kindness. Two people in one day—it was a rare event in my life.
• "Dinner's ready," he said. "Come to the kitchen."
• "Thank you," I murmured.
• He nodded and left my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts once more. I quickly changed into something more comfortable before heading to the kitchen.
• As I entered, I was met with a sight that I hadn’t expected. Lucy stood by the island with two other girls. They were all laughing. When they noticed me, their expressions shifted to disgust. They eyed me up and down like I was nothing.
• "Look who decided to join us," Lucy sneered.
• I hesitated, hoping that if I ignored their mean words, they might leave me alone. I just wanted to get my dinner and go back to my room. I walked over to the other island, reaching for my plate of food, but before I could grab it, one of the girls snatched it away.
• "Need something, Rose?" she taunted.
• The three of them burst into laughter, and I stared at the floor, unsure of what to do.
• "You can't even show respect?" another girl spat. "You walked in here without greeting anyone, acting like you own the place just because you're Alpha Kyle's mate."
• I shook my head, "I didn’t mean to—"
• Before I could finish, Lucy moved closer, her face inches from mine.
• "You're just a pathetic pup, aren't you?" she hissed. "You don’t belong here."
• My heart pounded in my chest. I felt trapped. How do I get out of this?
• Without warning, Lucy grabbed me by the neck in an iron grip. I struggled, gasping for air as she tightened her hold.
• "You think you can ignore me?" she snarled, her eyes darkening with rage.
• With a force I didn't expect, she threw me across the room. My back collided with the wall, and a sharp pain shot through my body. I crumpled to the floor, struggling to breathe.
• Just as I tried to regain my composure, the kitchen door opened. Alpha Kyle and Taylor entered, accompanied by two other men who I assumed were guards.
• "What’s going on here?" Alpha Kyle demanded.
• "Why is she on the floor again?" Taylor growled, looking at me "I need answers. If not, someone is going to get punished."
• Lucy didn’t miss a beat. She rushed to Alpha Kyle’s side. Her voice trembled with fake sadness.
• "Alpha," she whimpered, "she was being mean to me. She just attacked us out of nowhere."
• "It’s true," the other girls chorused in unison.
• Taylor’s eyes narrowed "That still doesn’t explain why she’s on the floor,"
• "Be quiet, Taylor," Alpha Kyle snapped.
• His eyes locked onto mine, and I felt my heart rate increase in fear.
• "Rose, come here," he commanded.
• Every movement sent pain shooting through my back as I slowly pushed myself off the floor and walked over to stand beside Lucy. My body still shook from the fall.
• "Lucy said you disrespected her," Alpha Kyle said "Is this true, Rose?"
• "No," I said, shaking my head. "That’s not true. She was the one who attacked me for no reason. I just wanted to get my food."
• Lucy gasped in horror.
• "You liar!" she cried out, "She used her position as Luna to oppress us. That’s why I had to defend myself. She hit me first!"
• "Is that true, girls?" Alpha Kyle asked, turning his gaze to the other two.
• "Yes, Alpha," they replied in unison.
• The look of betrayal in Alpha Kyle’s eyes sent a feeling of pain through my heart. He believed them. He believed every word they said, even though I had done nothing wrong. My chest ached with the unfairness of it all.
• "It isn’t true," I pleaded "I swear."
• Alpha Kyle’s expression didn’t waver as he turned to the guards. "Guards."
• "Yes, Alpha!" the two men responded immediately.
• "Take Rose to the dungeon," he ordered.
• My eyes widened in shock. The dungeon? For something I didn’t even do? That couldn't be possible. I couldn't survive there. I was scared of the dark.
• "Alpha," Taylor spoke "it’s obvious that Lucy and her friends are lying."
• Alpha Kyle’s eyes flashed with irritation. "Do not question my instructions, Taylor."
• The two guards stepped forward. With a strong grip, they took hold of my arms and led me out of the kitchen. I started to panic. I hadn’t done anything wrong. How could this be happening?
• They led me to a hidden room down the corridor, a place I hadn’t known existed. In the center of the room was a narrow staircase leading down into darkness. My heart raced as we descended into the unknown.
• "I didn’t do anything," I cried "Please, believe me!"
• But my pleas fell on deaf ears as they ignored me. The dungeon was cold and dark. They unlocked a cell and shoved me inside before locking the door behind me, leaving me all alone in the darkness.
• I sat on the cold, hard floor, hugging my knees to my chest. The tears I had been holding back spilled over, but I was too exhausted to keep crying.
• Instead, I let out a loud scream.