Chapter 1: Emelia's POV

The scent of pine needles and damp earth filled my senses, a stark contrast to the metallic tang of blood that filled my mouth. My vision blurred as I tasted the coppery liquid trickling down my lip. Alethea, my tormentor since childhood, loomed over me, her face contorted in a feral snarl. Her knuckles, stained a dark red, connected with sickening thuds against my frail body. Each blow sent a jolt of pain through me, forcing me to curl into a ball on the forest floor.

"Why, Alethea?" I rasped, my voice barely audible above my ragged gasps for breath.

"You know exactly why, you worthless mutt!" she spat, her voice laced with venom. "You'll never be Luna of the Blood Moon Pack, not with me around."

Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the blood as I felt my body being tossed around like a rag doll. Alethea's wrath was a tempest, her fists flying through the air with a ferocity that left me gasping for breath. I lay there, my eyes shut tight, my mind foggy with pain as I struggled to endure the torment.

I tried to stand, but Alethea's merciless grip sent me crashing back to the ground. "I'm not done with you yet!" she snarled, her foot connecting with my ribs in a brutal kick.

I felt my ribs shatter, the pain a searing agony that left me gasping for air. Alethea's cruelty was boundless, her rage a never-ending storm that threatened to consume me whole.

All I wanted was to escape the agony, to close my eyes and slip into unconsciousness. But Alethea relentless punches kept me anchored to this living hell. Every blow felt like a razor-sharp knife slicing through my soul, shattering my ribs into a thousand tiny pieces.

"Will you turn down the proposal of being Ryker's mate or not, you worthless bitch?" Alethea spat, her eyes blazing with a malevolent fury.

I remained silent, my lips sealed, my body trembling with fear.

"Are you now deaf? Will you refuse to be with Ryker or not?" she bellowed, her voice echoing off the walls.

I still didn't answer, my gaze fixed on the floor, my mind reeling with terror.

"This is the last time I will ask this question. If you don't answer, I will cut off your fingers and feed them to you like a dog," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom.

I knew I had to speak, to appease this monster that stood before me. "I...I can't leave Ryker, Alethea. He's my only hope, my mate," I stammered, my voice barely audible.

Alethea’s face contorted in rage. "You've been stealing my birthright since we were children, and now you want to take the one thing that's mine? Ryker is mine, not yours!"

I summoned every last ounce of strength and stood up, my body shaking, my eyes locked on Alethea. "I won't let you take this from me, Alethea. Ryker is my mate, my light in the darkness. I won't reject him, no matter what you do to me."

Alethea’s eyes flashed with a crazed fury, and she raised her hand, ready to strike again.

"You're as stubborn as your mother, and look where that got her!" Alethea sneered, her eyes blazing with a fierce hatred. "She's six feet under, and you're following in her footsteps!"

I cowered under her wrath, my body trembling with fear. "Please, Alethea, stop! I'm begging you!"

But she wouldn't relent. "How many times must I tell you? I love Ryker! And I won't let you take him from me, no matter what it takes!"

Her words cut deeper than any knife. I felt my heart shattering into a million pieces as she continued to beat me mercilessly.

"You're just a ghost from the past, Emelia," she spat. "A constant reminder of everything I've ever wanted but couldn't have. And now, you're trying to take Ryker away from me?"

I pleaded with her, my tears falling like rain. "Alethea, please! I know you've never liked me, but don't do this! Let me be with Ryker, and we'll leave. We'll go far away, and you'll never have to see us again!"

But Alethea just laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You really think I'd let you have him? Never! Ryker is mine, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep him!"

Her grip on my hair tightened, and I felt my scalp burning with pain. But I refused to give up. I knew that Ryker was my mate, and I wouldn't let Alethea take that away from me.

"Please, Alethea," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "Don't do this. Let us go."

But Alethea just smiled, a cruel, triumphant smile. "You're no match for me, Emelia. And soon, you'll be nothing but a distant memory."

Alethea's venomous words cut through me like a knife, leaving me breathless and bleeding internally. "Over my dead body will I allow you to be with Ryker! You're not even fit to be a Luna, you're nothing but a scrawny, ugly little thing. Ryker deserves so much better than you."

Her spit hit my face like a slap, and I felt a wave of humiliation wash over me. But I refused to give up. I held onto the hope that Ryker might see past Alethea's lies and love me for who I truly was.

"But what if Ryker really likes me?" I pleaded, my voice shaking with emotion. "What if he wants to be with me despite what you think?"

Alethea sneered at me, her eyes filled with disgust. "You really think you have a chance with him? You're delusional, Emelia. Ryker would never want someone as pathetic as you."

I felt a stinging sensation in my eyes as tears began to form. But I refused to let Alethea see me cry. I took a deep breath and continued to beg her. "Please, Alethea, just let me see him. Let him tell me to my face that he doesn't want me. I can handle rejection, but at least give me the chance to try."

Alethea laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Fine, Skinny. I'll bring Ryker to you. But you're only going to end up hurt. He's going to reject you, and you'll be left with nothing but your own pathetic self to blame."

She stormed out of the room, leaving me feeling defeated and hopeless.