Claimed By My Adopted Uncle

10. Humiliated for her

RAVEN

Why was this so hard? Why did my parents have to die and I was left in the hands of a man like Alpha Rowan? Life would have been better. I would have been loved and not used either as a punching bag or an object for alliance.

“Raven, we'll be okay…” Avina tried to say to me. To soothe the ache in my chest but even she had mastered the art of abandonment whenever she sensed trouble. I didn't answer. “We might not be where we want to be, but we will be okay in the end…” she continued, sensing my grief.

“Why do you always leave when I'm hurt?” I questioned her, completely ignoring her words. She was the only person I had now to question. My father wasn't here, neither was his mate. Anger flooded my chest, diluting the sadness. Not taking it away…

She was mute for a second, I could tell she was stunned by my question. After a moment of silence, she spoke. “It is not my intention to leave you, Raven.” Here comes the excuses. “I do it to protect you.” How does that even make sense right now?

I clenched my jaw, and gripped the sheets I was I wrapped in. Kael said the same but wouldn't tell me anything. And now my wolf doing the same.

“Don't do that. Not only did you come late, letting everyone call me a freak, you don't heal me when I need you to. And now you say its to protect me? Does that even sound right to you? I almost died, in case you forgotten!” To the outside world, to a human, I would appear to be losing my mind. I was speaking to no one anyone could see. Thankfully this was a werewolf pack, where one could have a conversation with their wolves as though they were physically right in front of them.

From her emotions, I felt her project her guilt. Almost like she was trying hard to hide it from me. But I didn’t care.

“You'll understand soon, Raven. You'll see why I do this.” Was her answer to me. Whatever she had to say to add to this, I wasn't interested. So I shut her out, pulling my wall up and blocking her completely.

I had just managed to relax a bit, my anger simmering slowly when the door swung open in a loud bang, startling me.

Why is she here again?

I rolled my eyes seeing who it was. Kathryn walked into the room as though she owned the entire building, behind her a woman dressed as a nurse followed. She walked over to the side of my bed with the Saline water was hooked and pulled something out of her pocket.

“What are you doing?” I asked, sensing something was wrong. Kathryn stood guard at the door, meaning if I even tried to make a move for it, I wouldn't be able to make it out.

I was met with silence from her. “Just a little something to get you out of here, darling. No worries.” Kathryn answered. But coming from here, there was a lot to be worried about.

Instead of going for the saline, the nurse went for my neck. She injected a drug into my system, getting me completely paralyzed with no control over my limbs much less a nerve. Seeing me struggle, a grin plastered on her face.

Before the nurse left the room, Kathryn whispered something to her before pulling out a stack of cash from her bag and handing it to her. The nurse gave a bow before disappearing out of the room leaving me with the she-devil.

Who would have that a few days ago, I first met her. And while she was announced to be engaged to my mate, I wanted to believe she was a good woman.

“Oh Raven. See all you had to do was listen to me and we wouldn't have had any problems.” She started, then took a seat on the only chair in the room. Was she demented? She was only here a few hours ago, and I hadn't done anything she warned me against. Did Kael perhaps do something to her?

“Now look at you, completely at my mercy. I could do anything to you, you know. Stuff a pillow over your head, have a man have his way with you…” she started to list the evil things that could happen to me and my eyes widened. My breathing changed in an instant. I couldn't even talk if I wanted to. “...or have you thrown over a ditch at the mercy of rogues. I could do anything to do without anyone ever knowing a thing. But I won't. Not yet anyway…” she laughed evilly to herself, the sound chilling.

A few minutes passed and I was struggling to stay awake. The drug was doing things to me. From all indications she had zero plans to leave me alone to get my limbs back. Whatever you, don't sleep, Raven.

Where was Avina when you needed her? I pulled my walls down to reach for her but she was radio silent, as unfortunately usual.

A sharp pain on the face startled me awake. For a second my eyes forgot how to function as did the rest of my body. I could hear the sound of footsteps, the fear of uncertainty gripped me.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, my vision blurry before it cleared and I could see my surroundings. We're not dead yet. I told myself, and realised that I could move my body. The drug must have weared off.

“Oh look, she's awake…” sneered the nightmare of my life right now. She was seated on a bed, leg crossed elegantly like she was about to pass judgement.

Beside her shockingly was mother, ever so calm without a pinch of worry in her eyes. She's in on this.

“I told you the drug will wear out in a few minutes…” Kathryn cheered at her, adjusting her position to look closely at me.

“Now, let's get started shall we? See I have come to aj agreement with your mother here about something. Until Kael and I's wedding, you will be my personal maid. You will clean my room and all my demands without question. Do you understand?”

She scowled. I looked over to mother, eyes pleading but she moved her head to the side, avoiding my gaze.

“But I'm engaged to your brother…” If that meant anything.

“Soren won't care, I assure you.” She promised and I couldn't help but frown. Maybe Kael was right. Maybe he was only putting on a mask, pretending to be a good man.

“Mother…” I tried again, clinging to the last bit of hope, that just maybe she would stop Kathryn and her antics.

“On your feet, Raven. This is for your own good.” Mother got on her feet and I did the same. She walked past me without another word.

My head swung to the side in a swift motion, pain seering my face from the slap Kathryn had just given me. “When I'm done with you, you'll have no strength to look at Kael ever again.” She seethed. I didn't move. My hands started to burn. Avina was here. And from the aura radiating off of her, she was done holding back. Finally!

Kathryn sensed the shift of power in the atmosphere, but the b***h didn't back down. She was that stubborn.

She lifted a hand to smack me again but I caught it mid her this time, her eyes widened, not expecting me to stand up for myself.

Using my other hand, I smacked her right back, she staggered back and fell to the floor. I had blacked out. I could only see myself in the background, Avina had complete control of my body.

“Are you out of your mind?” She shrieked. I am. Quite literally. “How dare you raise your hand at me?”

She stood back up on her feet, seething with rage. The sound of footsteps came running. She smiled at me for a second before it disappeared and she fell back on the floor just in time for father to appear.

He growled, horrified. Avina curled back and gave me back control. Kael appeared out of nowhere and pulled me back from her, pushing me aside to get to her.

“What the heck happened in here?” He asked reaching for her as he pulled her to her feet.

Kathryn, as if on cue burst into tears. Her ability to summon her tears to flow freely deserved an ovation.

“Raven came out of nowhere and attacked me Kael…” oh the b***h lies. “....look at what she did to my face…” Only when she mentioned it did I notice that Avina had clawed her precious face.

I was somewhat horrified at the damage but it had already started to heal regardless.

Shocked, I shook my head. “That's a lie. You had a nurse come into my room and inject me with something to get me paralyzed and I woke up here…”

Kael didn't bother turning to look at me. He had his eyes fixed on his fiancé, examing her face like she was something he needed to fix.

She shook her heard, her acting still intact. “Mother was here if you don't believe me…”

“Shut up, Raven. I didn't raise you to be a liar…” mother shouted, defending Kathryn instead and I was even more horrified.

Father was more than pissed right now. Clearly he saw me as the problem here and since I had no proof, I couldn't come out of this. He raised a hand to smack me again and I shut my eyes, waiting for the impact.

It never came.

When I opened them back, Kael had caught his hand mid air. “That's enough. You've already hit her. And Kathryn's face will heal just fine. Raven, apologize to my mate…”

My eyes snapped up to meet his. His mate? What was I then if she was his mate? I fought the tears that tried to form. “You want me to apologize to her?” I asked him to sure I wasn't hearing things.

“f*****g apologize, on your f*****g knees. I won't tell you again.”

I looked at her to find a smirk, the tiniest bit on her lips.

I got on my knees slowly. Finally realizing that he and I were done and he had made his choice. It hurt. It sliced through my heart but I think I would live. “Forgive me for hurting you, Kathryn. I'm sorry…” I looked them both dead in the eye. Something flashed in his eyes but too quickly vanished before I could tell what it was. He scooped her in his arms and walked out of the room with her. Farher pointed at him before he followed.

I didn't move.

How could I?

Mother walked up to me and stood over me. “I mean no harm, Raven. You're going to be Soren's Luna some day, this is just to teach you.” Teach me how to be slave I see, got it.

Right then, like a train she followed them out. I was the last to leave.

I had completely forgotten that Soren would be Alpha soon. He appeared right then, he looked like he had just returned from his emergency. He engulfed me into a hug and all the walls I had built to be strong came crashing down. I hugged him right back, sobbing in his arms.

“I'm telling the truth. I swear….”

“Shhhh it's alright love. I believe you…”

He carried me in his arms and take me back to the hospital. He placed me back on the bed and sat my my side, wiping off my tears.

Soren called the doctor in, and asked him to do another check on me.

“Your wounds are healed just fine, Raven…” My guess was that Avina's outburst forced the wounds to heal. Soren thanked the doctor and I was allowed to rest for a bit before I had to go back home. To the Alpha's house I mean.

I stirred awake and noticed a figure leaning against the wall. His form large and brooding. Only one man could look like that.

My face contorted at the sight of him. Noticing I was awake, he walked over to the bed slowly, guilt showing on his face like it mattered.

“You smell like him…”

I looked at him, the nerve of him to even think this when he let Kathryn humiliate me. “I don't like that you smell like him…”

“And I don't like that you let your fiance humiliate me, Uncle Kael. Why are you here?”