"You stupid mutt! I told you to clean my room, what have you been doing? Huh? Answer me!" James slapped Sheryl with every sentence that came out of his mouth.
She kept her head down to avoid eye contact because it would only anger him more. The more she tried to justify herself, the more beating she received, in the end, she chose to keep quiet and take the beating.
"Answer me!" His voice boomed in the little closet room they were in.
Permitting to speak, Sheryl took the chance to explain herself.
"I-I-I w-was washing the dishes alpha." With her head still bowed, she stuttered and rushed out her words as best as she could.
"Is that more important than listening to me?" He questioned quietly, but the venom his voice carried scared Sheryl.
"No Alpha." She answered quickly.
"Okay." He finalized, making Sheryl think the torture was over. But it was far from over.
She tried to leave, but James was not having it. He held her back by her arms, making her flinch. She knew exactly what was to come.
"You know what will make me happy?" James wore a sinister smirk on his face, scaring Sheryl more into submission.
"What alpha?" She had an inkling of what he was demanding, but she wasn't ready for that, her question seemed to invoke James's anger though.
He tore her a slap, unsuspectingly.
"Get on your knees and take care of me like that angel you are." He smirked.
Sheryl couldn't talk, she simply nodded and got on her knees.
While James was indulging in forbidden pleasures, Kelly, his self-imposed mate was looking all over for him in the pack house.
Kelly was the typical applied Beta's daughter who was ready to get James, the only Alpha's son to herself. She could never bear the thought that he was with other women, so she hoarded him every moment she got.
"Have you seen James?" Kelly asked her friend, Ginny who was busy talking to her sister about a guy they found interesting and hot.
"Oh yeah, I saw him holding the pack maid by the arms earlier, maybe she pissed him off," Ginny answered and Kelly was out of there like a lightning bolt.
She continued to search for them, but couldn't find them, so she went to wait for James in his room. She had access to it.
After James was satisfied, he let Sheryl go, with the feeling of shame and disgust bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
"What do you say?" He asked, taunting her.
"Thank you alpha." She bowed, extra low, just to expand his ego to leave the place fast.
She walked with shame cloaking her figure, with every step she took, she felt disgusted with herself and tired of everything together. But, she still hoped that a miracle would happen to her, to change her life.
Little did she know.
The walk to her parents' house was long because she took the longest route to reflect her her activity for the day and to ask the Goddess for strength for whatever tomorrow has to offer.
"Let them be asleep." She muttered under her breath from her place at the front door.
Sheryl's relationship with her parents was bit the best, they didn't love her because she was useless to them.
When her mates were getting their wolves at the age of 15, she remained Wolfless till she was 22. She couldn't even begin to think of what 23 will hold for her and her birthday was in the next day.
Instead of her parents being supportive of her, they turned against her and maltreated her every chance they got like it was her choice to remain wolfless.
Her hope shattered when she saw them sitting, holding each other on the couch.
"Father, mother." She acknowledged them, moving to go straight up to her room.
"Get started with dinner right away." Her father spoke, not bothering you to look her way.
"Yes Father, I'll do that after I take a shower." She replied, going on her way, but her father was not having it, he stood up and was beside her at lightning speed.
"What did you just say?" He looked straight into her eyes, making her gulp.
"I just want to take a quick shower Dad." She answered, not quite meeting his eyes.
Before she knew the next thing, a slap was delivered unto her right cheek. It was beginning to sting, with the amount of slaps she had been dealt that day.
"Father!" She exclaimed. Her father was a very verbal person and only hurt her with words, she was surprised he was getting physical.
"Get. Into. That. Kitchen. And. Get. Started. On. Dinner." With gritted teeth, her father gave his orders, before going back to his seat.
Sheryl looked at her mother, hoping she would say something, but she only kept looking at her palm, not capable of meeting her mate and husband's eyes either.
She listened and went into the kitchen, but before she finished it was already midnight and her parents had gone to bed.
"So, they've eaten?" She asked herself quietly placing the food someplace safe.
She then retired to her room to take the shower she wanted.
"What a great way to start a new age." She cried in the shower, holding her aching heart.
It was hurting more than ever, she thought of ending everything, but something clicked inside of her.
"Is that you?" She thought inside of herself, thinking it was her wolf.
It was not.
Just her heart dropped at the hurt she was going to continue to endure as long as she remained wolfless.
With a heavy heart, Sheryl went to bed.
Then, came the dream, it was a happy dream at first, then she found herself pushed inside a body of water, she was drowning, flailing her arms, calling for help, but no one came.
"Wake up names!"
Except it was not a dream, it was reality, and she was indeed drowning.