Chapter Two

Another blow came before he could recover, then another. Each one harsher than the last. He stumbled back, trying to shift mid-motion, but a strong arm yanked him from behind, dragging him out of sight while he cursed and struggled.

My rescuer turned toward me. His voice was deep, but laced with concern. “Are you alright?”

I stared at him, my heart still racing, breath uneven. Words failed me. The world was spinning, fading into a blur. I wanted to say thank you but instead and without thinking, I reached for him, desperate to anchor myself to something and perhaps someone real.

Before I could stop myself, I leaned in and kissed him.

He froze at first, but didn’t push me away. That stillness made me kiss him again, softer this time as though my trembling lips were searching for safety in the middle of chaos.

A few seconds later, I pulled back, tears mixing with the taste of regret and fear.

Then nausea hit.

I turned, but it was too late as my stomach gave out and I threw up right on his shirt.

“Oh… God,” I muttered weakly, mortified.

The last thing I saw before everything went dark was his surprised and calm face hovering over me.

My eyes drifted across the dressing room, flickering over the countless dresses hanging neatly on the rack before me. Silks, satins and sequins, all colors, all perfect and yet, none of them felt right. None of them felt like me.

I’d woken up this morning in an unfamiliar room at the club, the same club I had gone to with Maddox last night. The same place everything fell apart.

For a moment, I'd sat still, my heartbeat quickening as fragments of last night flashed behind my eyes. His words. His touch. My screams swallowed by music. The horror I’d tried to shake off.

I swallowed hard and shook my head, as if I could erase the memory that way. But it clung stubbornly to my mind, haunting me like a shadow that refused to fade.

Now, standing in front of these beautiful clothes, I felt strangely out of place. The weight in my chest refused to lift.

I was supposed to be getting ready. My mother’s mating ceremony was happening today,with the Alpha of SilverFang Pack, of all people. And yet, I hadn’t gone home last night. I hadn’t even seen her before she left.

There was no makeup artist, no stylist, no one fussing over me as they had all gone. It was just me and the echo of everything I didn’t want to remember.

Sighing, I sank into the chair by the mirror, staring at my reflection. My face was pale, my eyes dull. What was the point of dressing up when I felt like falling apart inside? I was already exhausted from yesterday. I didn’t have the strength to pretend I was happy for her, not today.

As I sat lost in the fog of my thoughts, my phone suddenly rang beside me, the sound making me flinch. I picked it up with trembling fingers, dreading who it might be.

“Amelia, you foolish girl! Where the hell are you?”

Her venomous voice was unmistakable. It was my mother.

I stayed silent, staring blankly at my reflection as she continued her tirade.

“Do you know how long I waited for you to come home last night? You stubborn child! I’ve already sent the Alpha’s driver to pick you up, along with the luggage you thought you could hide. Don’t make me repeat myself. I worked hard to secure this bond with the Alpha, Amelia. Don’t you dare try to ruin my plans!”

Her words struck deep, each one laced with irritation and warning. I still said nothing. I’d learned a long time ago that silence was safer.

She hadn’t called all night. Not once. I could’ve died somewhere and she wouldn’t have noticed. But now that I hadn’t shown up for her big day, for her mating ceremony, suddenly, she remembered she had a daughter. A daughter she needed to introduce to the alpha who was now her new mate.

It stung more than I wanted to admit.

Sometimes I wondered if she really was my mother. The way she spoke to me, treated me like I was an inconvenience instead of a child, it always made me question everything. Maybe I wasn’t hers. Maybe she just happened to give birth to me and wished she hadn’t.

But dwelling on that wouldn’t change anything. I inhaled deeply, forcing the ache down as I rose from the chair. My gaze fell on a red dress hanging at the end of the rack. I reached for it. It was bold, striking and far too bright for how I felt but I needed armor today, not comfort.

I slipped it off the hanger and held it against me, watching my reflection once more. I didn’t recognize the girl staring back.

“Just get through today,” I whispered to myself. “After this, it’ll be over.”

I had to stay strong, at least until the end of this ceremony. No one could see me broken. Not my mother, not the Alpha and definitely not the son who would soon become my stepbrother.

*****

I stepped down from the car my mother had sent to fetch me along with my belongings and bring me to the Alpha’s mansion, just as she had ordered. The moment my heels touched the marbled driveway, I felt my stomach twist. The place reeked of wealth and pride, of power and pretense. And of a place we didn't belong to.

My mother was already waiting at the entrance for me, fuming.

“Amelia! Where have you been?” she hissed sharply the moment she saw me. Her voice was so loud heads turned and just as quickly, she forced a bright, sugary smile when someone nearby waved at her. She switched from venom to velvet in seconds, greeting them with a soft voice that made me want to roll my eyes.

Her hypocrisy made my skin crawl.

I waited until the person was gone before muttering under my breath, “Can you please just end whatever this is before it gets out of hand?” My tone was low, pleading but I already knew it was useless.