Broken Beyond Belief

Between Nightmares and Dreams

Mira’s POV:

The boys crashed into the house, bringing their usual chaos with them—Jacob, Joshua, and Nathan. Unfortunately for me, they weren’t alone. Cole, Grey, Mya, Chloe, Chantelle, and Caleb—more hellhounds—trailed in behind them. The kitchen filled with loud laughter and mindless banter, but the moment their eyes landed on me and the meal I had prepared, the atmosphere shifted instantly.

I held my breathe, hands trembling… waiting for it. My gut told me they’d find something wrong. I had completed all the chores on Jacobs’ list but still… I knew something was wrong.

Chantelle sneered, her voice high-pitched and dripping with disdain. "Oh, you attempted to make us food, mutt?"

"Haha, yeah, if you can even call this food," Chloe chimed in, her gaze narrowing in disgust.

Jacob scanned the meal with a critical eye, his lips curling. Then, without hesitation, he spat in my face.

"You stupid little b***h. This is a disgrace. I told you we’d have people over tonight. Where’s the rest of the food?"

I had made plenty—enough to feed the three of them. My mind raced. He never said anything about feeding the others… but you… didn’t I—? I opened my mouth to defend myself, but the words stuck in my throat.

"Where’s the rest of it!?" Jacob growled again; his voice edged with cold fury. "You think you can get away with this? Don’t just stand there, answer me!"

I jumped in fear, still shaking. Before I could respond, I felt the sting of a slap across my cheek—hard enough to make my vision blur for a moment.

"Shut up, you worthless little slut!" Chantelle spat, her voice sharp and venomous. "Don’t interrupt important people like your brother when they’re speaking."

I bowed my head in submission, my chest tightening, my face flushing with humiliation. I hoped that would be the end of it, that maybe the ground would swallow me whole and I could disappear to safety. But the warmth of fresh blood trickling from my stitches, slow and sickening, reminded me I couldn’t hide from them. Hiding only make their punishments worse… I learned that the hard way.

"You pathetic little w***e," Cole sneered, his voice low and venomous. A fistful of my hair was yanked back, forcing my gaze up to meet his. "Look at us when we’re talking to you."

I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to look at him or any of them. But I had no choice. Their eyes bore into me like knives, slicing me apart, judging me for simply existing.

And then I heard it—Mya’s mocking tone as she glanced at my clothes. "Oh, look, she dressed up for the Alpha," she said, her words dripping with sarcasm.

Dread coiled in my stomach. Oh no… they’ve noticed my new clothes. I silently prayed they wouldn’t tear these ones to shreds like my rags.

A cold, familiar voice cut through the air—Caleb’s. "What the hell is this?" His heavy footsteps pounded toward me. "Look at me, you disgusting little rat."

I barely had time to process his words before his hand clamped around my throat, lifting me off the ground. My feet dangled as his grip tightened, cutting off my air. I struggled to breathe as he pinned me to the wall.

"Where did you steal these clothes?" he spat, his voice harsh and angry.

"I-I—I…" I choked, my voice barely a whisper. My lungs screaming for air.

I could feel my life slipping away, the darkness closing in on me when I saw it—Jacob’s fist coming toward my head. And then… darkness.

As the darkness consumed me, something began pulling me from the abyss of my suffering.

I was no longer in the house. I was no longer in my nightmare.

I found myself in a place that was nothing like the house I’d grown up in —nothing like my reality. I stood in a meadow, surrounded by tall grass and wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The sun warmed my face, and the scent of earth and life filled the air. It was peaceful— A stark contrast to the chaos that was my life.

Here, I could breathe.

Here, I could dream.

But something was missing. I felt it deep inside me, a gnawing emptiness that seemed to stretch endlessly.

My mate.

In our world it is said that the moon goddess personally chooses each mated pair, your mates purpose is to complete you, once you’ve found them, the experience is earthshattering, your full world changes, they are your life, you breathe for them. They are your other half, the person who will love and accept you completely. The bond is said to be unbreakable, a connection deeper than anything a normal human could comprehend. It is said to be the embodiment of peace, salvation, acceptance and love, a bond that makes everything else fade away.

Although I have no proof that I am a wolf—no way to know if I am truly one of them. Being adopted meant there was no certainty, no physical evidence that I would be fortunate enough to have a mate bond. The stories kept me going. They were the only thing stopping me from breaking down completely

I was a wolf. I had to be. I would survive until my 18th birthday. I would shift. I would find my mate. I would be free.

I will survive. The words echoed in my head as I clung to the hope that the mate bond would be mine, that it would give me the life I dreamed of.

Because I couldn’t survive here much longer without it.

My mate will find me, I thought desperately, the hope that had kept me alive for so long still burning bright in my chest. He’ll find me when I turn 18. He’ll save me from this. He’ll be my escape.

I closed my eyes in the dream, imagining his arms around me, his strength protecting me from everything. I could feel the warmth of the sun around me and the pull of something deep within, something that felt like home. I wasn’t alone here. I could almost feel him. Almost…

But then, the warmth of the sunlight dimmed. My feet no longer touched the soft earth, but I wasn’t floating either. I was weightless, suspended somewhere in between.

The emptiness inside me grew again, more intense this time.

The dream shifted violently.

A battlefield.

Packs tearing each other apart, fangs sinking into fur and flesh. The ground was slick with blood.

And then I saw it.

A blow—swift, merciless—struck Michael Owens. His body froze mid-motion, my heart tightening in my chest as I relived this horrible nightmare. Again.

The pain of the pack’s loss hit me like a tidal wave.

I jolted awake.

My head pounded. My vision blurred. As I tried to sit up, agony radiated through my back and ribs. My body refused to cooperate. When I attempted to stand, my legs buckled beneath me.

They had done it again.

Tears spilled down my cheeks and a broken sob escaped my lips as I curled in on myself, cradling my aching body on the cold floor. I hated this. I hated them.

But what I hated most was knowing they had continued to beat my unconscious body. It felt like a different level of violation— one I hadn’t even been awake for.

Through the blur of my tears, I noticed the food. Everything I had worked tirelessly to prepare was ruined, poured over my body, smeared across the floor—wasted.

My stomach twisted in hunger, but my spirit ached more.

I forced myself onto shaky legs. At least… at least they hadn’t torn my new clothes. I could try to wash them tomorrow.

I cleaned up the mess in silence, saving what scraps I could. Four days. It had been four days since I had last eaten. My hands shook as I shoved a few bites into my mouth before washing the dishes and scampering upstairs.

In the bathroom, I grabbed an old rag and wiped my body down with soap, careful not to irritate my wounds. Scott had told me to keep them clean. I could still hear his voice in my head, his rare kindness standing out against the cruelty of the others.

Once I was done, I changed into the oversized pyjamas Ruth had given me from the donation pile. Then, I returned to my room, lifted the floorboard, and carefully hid my clothes away once more.

I curled up on the mattress, pulling the thin blanket over me. My body ached. My soul ached.

I squeezed my eyes shut and thought of my mate.

“Please find me”.

Sleep pulled at me, and I surrendered to it, hoping—praying—that I would be asleep before my ‘brothers’ returned.

Because if they came back, I wasn’t sure I’d survive.