Episode 1
Elara’s pov
“Hurry up, you slow poison!” Mide, Lucas' daughter, yelled from across the stables.
“If you keep sluggishly doing the chores then you’ll die under this rain.”
I dropped the basket of meat I was carrying from the forest and ran toward the pig farm. Most of the pigs had already ran out because someone had left the gate opened.
Under the heavy rain I ran around, having mud, stone and rain stain my dress and hair.
When I finally rounded up the last of the pigs I went back to grab the basket of meat but it had already soaked up enough water to cook it.
“f**k….” I cursed under my breath.
This was going to get me another round of beating I’m sure.
Mide rested on the back door of the kitchen waiting patiently for me to come up.
She’s as beautiful as they come. Golden hair properly brushed that bounced up and down her back with every move she made. Her skin was as fair as they come, free from blemish and stain, even though we lived in the deepest parts of Darkoria.
And her eyes, a pure golden color, a color that proved she was a beta in the making.
Everything about the daughter of the rogues was perfect, standing beside her was setting yourself up for failure, and she knew that. That’s exactly why she kept me by her side every single time.
When I got to the door, as expected she pushed me back down and I fell on my behind.
“You’re becoming slow, Elara. I thought I told you that if you behaved properly I’d take you along with me when I’m mated to a powerful Alpha tomorrow?” She grinned as she watched me scrambling to my feet as more mud stained my skin and dress.
“I’d definitely treat you better than father and his men do. You won’t get beaten as much and you’d have a proper place to sleep under the kitchen tables.” She laughed loudly as she gave way for me to walk past her, so I won’t stain her perfect dress.
When she finally looked down at the basket of meat I was holding her eyes widened.
“What have you done to our dinner?!” She dragged the basket from me and accessed it.
“You fool!” She smacked me right across the face, her claws slashing me deep.
“You’re so useless! You can’t even do anything right.”
When I landed on the hard surface of the floor my palm scraped against the floor and it began to bleed.
“I’m going to tell father about this! You’re going to be beaten to death today.” She stormed out of the kitchen.
I was already too weak to beg from last night’s beating.
I was beaten to the point my face turned blue, to match the color of my eyes. The color of an abomination.
I eventually scrambled back to my feet as I heard the heavy footsteps of Lucas and his men approaching the kitchen.
“Where is she? Where is that abomination of Darkoria?” Lucas growled as his eyes searched the kitchen until it fell on me shivering in the corner of the kitchen.
He pointed to me, “you did this to meat? You did this on purpose didn’t you? Because of how you were beaten last night.”
I shook my head repeatedly. “No—No I didn’t…..I–I swear–” but they were on me before I knew it.
Lucas men dragged me out of the kitchen and toward the usual place I’m beaten everyday.
“I guess that beating wasn’t damaging enough. This time I’ll make sure your legs are immobile for days. Grab the sticks.”
“Please….please…” my voice came out in choked sobs. Somehow the only time I open my mouth to speak in this pack is to beg for my life.
“I didn’t do it on purpose….the rain—”
Lucas fist connected with my side and I fell to the ground, the mud getting into my eyes.
Lucas chuckled, as his hand swept back a chunk of his wet hair that blocked his vision.
The rain hadn’t stopped pouring, in fact it continued to pour heavily as they all circled around me, waiting to pour out their frustrations on me.
“I was worried I wouldn’t have a reason to beat you today…” one of his men laughed.
“You rankless abomination!” A leg flew to my chest and I landed back on the floor.
Before I could even do as much as blink another leg landed on me but this time it was to my face, shifting my nose I had managed to put back in place this morning.
“You’re lucky you’re a disgrace and curse to this earth, if not I’d have killed you right here and have the servants cook you up real nice.” Lucas yelled.
He grabbed me by my hair and hoisted me up.
“Today you would wish you were back in the woods surviving on berries and vegetables before I brought you here.” He slapped me so hard with his other hand that my neck turned on its own.
I did wish I hadn’t been found by him that day. I wished I was still in the woods, running from wild boars and hunters. In fact on terrible days like this I wished I died in the woods or was never born.
But just like how the moon goddess had ignored my prayers for years, I doubt I’d be dying today.
Lucas threw me back to the ground.
“Hold her hands and feet apart.” He ordered his men.
“Rip her clothes apart and hand me the thickest stick.”
My body would have begun trembling by now. I would have been screaming and begging for help at this point. But this is some I’ve gotten used to, this is something my body remembers even on days I’m not beaten.
I watched as the rest members of the rouge pack gathered under the pouring rain, laughing and throwing harsh words at me as the stick landed on my back and neck.
Mide and her friends watched me from under a shade, laughing hungrily as I was beaten like a wild animal.
Since the day I gained consciousness I always wondered what I did to have every wolf I encountered despise me like I was death itself.
Was it a crime to be rankless? To have a different eye color than others?
If I knew who my parents were I’d curse them with my blood and I’d curse the day I was born.
As the stick hit every nerve and every bone in my body I bit down on my tongue and cursed at the moon goddess.
I was tired of praying, of hoping.
Nothing was going to change and I knew I would eventually die with the title of the abomination of Darkoria.