^ELENA^

For as long as I remember, I've always lived in a kitchen utility room, one which is too small for even a dog to live in.

About sleeping on a bed. I don't think I've ever seen a bed for the past fifteen years of my life. I'm 20 years old already. How time flies.

A poor orphan like me can't possibly sleep in a bed. I've always slept under the rocky chair until my cousin Monica gave me her old mattress to sleep in. I guess that's the only comfortable thing I have ever slept on for the past few years.

Monica is my cousin, but I'm not allowed to say it out that she's my cousin because everyone knows me as the slave not a family member.

I'm a year older than Monica, and she's the daughter of Alpha Blake and Luna Diana.

My father who happened to be the Alpha of our pack the red moon pack, and the strongest among the werewolves was Alpha Blake's brother which means that Alpha Blake is my uncle, even though he doesn't see me as his niece. According to what I was told, my Father died when he was shot with a silver bullet when he was saving my mother and I from the wolf hunters. I was also told that my mother wasn't found, and there was no trace of her before my uncle saved me. Ever since then,I haven't heard anything else about my mother. I can't tell if she's dead or still alive.

The Alpha took me in because of my alpha bloodline, and because I was his only brother's werewolf pup. Even if they took me in, they still hated me and blamed me for the death of my Father, and for the disappearance of my Mom who they assumed was dead. All I got from them was torture and maltreatment.

When I was six, I already started started working like I was an adult, and I got beaten up so badly each time I made a mistake. They'd beat me up brutally, and leave me half-dead at some point. Sometimes, I wish I was dead, but death seems to be far away from me.

All through this years, cold leftovers was too much to ask. At some point, I'll be starve for many days, and all I did was to pick up the grains of rice that fell from the dinning table when they were eating. You can imagine how horrible my life have been.

I was never allowed to eat at the table like them, and I wasn't allowed to defend myself or say anything other than "sorry". Even if I didn't do what I was accused of, I'm only allowed to apologize, and to admit that I did it even though I didn't.

I was once told that the only thing they wanted from me was to pretend to be a dumb, and nod my head to everything I was told.

Well, my miserable life became a bit better when Monica and I became close. She didn't see me like a slave the same way her parents and the other werewolves see me, she saw me like her cousin... Her relative.

She became a glimmer of hope to me. She made sure I wasn't treated as bad as I was before. She pleaded with her parents to enroll me into the same highschool with her, and luckily they agreed. She introduced me to all her friends as her elder sister.

None of her friends knew me as the slave, they all know me as Monica's elder sister, and that made me feel better. Monica gave me some of her clothes because all I put on was rags, and that made me look comfortable in the midst of my peers.

Anyway, right now I'm doing the dishes in the kitchen. I still have to wash all the beddings, and scrub the floor. I do that almost everyday, and I'm not allowed to take a rest if I don't want to starve for two weeks.

If Diana finds out that I left a chore undone, she'll strangle me to death for sure.

I poured out the liquid soap into the sponge I was using, and then turn on the sink. I continued washing trying to forget all the misery I was going through by singing until I heard voices. They were arguing... The Alpha and his Luna.

I could hear voices, but I couldn't understand everything they were saying because I was far from the sitting room. I tiptoed out of the kitchen, and walked straight to the sitting room's door. Placing my ear on the door, I held my breath praying I won't get caught eavesdropping.

Diana's screams pierced my ears through the wooden door which I placed my ear on. My heart skipped a beat the moment I heard her scream because I know that each time she screams, it's always accompanied by beatings for me. It's one of the things I dreaded the most.

"Come on Blake, if you're looking for someone to marry out, then why don't you marry out that junk?" Her voice rented in the air, and I blinked rapidly.

The junk? Was she talking about me? What does she mean by marry out? Wait a second, does she want me to get married?

A cold shiver ran down my spine the moment I heard her say that. I was bold enough to continue eavesdropping because I needed to find out why I should be married out.

Diana continued even more angrily this time, "You can't possibly think of marrying out my daughter Blake. Think about it, Monica is just 19 years old. She's too young to get married to that ruthless and notorious Alpha who knows nothing but to behead others. He might be powerful and wealthy, but that doesn't mean we can marry off our precious daughter to her"

I pressed my ear more to the door, so I could hear well what they were saying.

I could perceive the scent of burning cigarettes, and I knew it was my uncle or should I call him my master Alpha Blake smoking.

After a short pause, I heard Alpha Blake reply, "This is the only way out. Only a marriage can get us close to the powerful Alpha Xander. You know that the mountain moon pack are waging war against us, and the only way we can match up to them is by joining forces with the blue moon pack. You know how powerful the blue moon pack are. Do you want our pack to be defeated, and taken over by the mountain moon pack? Now that Alpha Blake proposed, we can't reject him no matter what happens"

Alpha Xander? Do they mean Alexander Banks? Gosh! I know that name, I mean everyone f****** knows who he is.

He's the blue moon pack Alpha. A powerful Alpha at that. 23 years old, and very brave.

According to the rumors I heard, he was said to be muscular, heavily built, and very handsome. Again, he is very violent and fearless. Lastly, he enjoys slaughtering so much that he can't stay without having fresh blood to himself.

I could picture how he would look within myself, and that terrified the hell out of me.

Diana continued, and this time with a teary voice, "No, we can't do this to our little girl. I can't give up my daughter to that ruthless Alpha"

I realized Monica was also in the room when I heard her sobbing before speaking up, "Mom, Dad, is there no other way to solve this out? There must be another way out, right?"

"I told you there another way out. We can let that junk marry him instead of you. That's the only way to solve this"

"But she's just a slave. She's not worthy to get married to the powerful Alpha" My uncle snapped, and I gulped hard trying to stop myself from breaking down.

"Even so, we already adopted her. She's your brother's daughter after all" Diana sharply replied.

"Dad..." Monica took a deep breath, and I smiled the moment I heard her voice. She's definitely going to vindicate me.

She's the only sister I have, and she's my best friend as well. She definitely won't let her parents send me to the notorious Alpha. I can't go and die in the name of marrying the ruthless Alpha. Hope shone for me the moment she cleared her throat.

"Then let Elena go instead of me. I can't get married to that beast of an Alpha. He's not what I want in a man, I don't want someone whose violent and aggressive. Besides, I think Elena is perfect for him. After all, she's only a slave. I'm just worried because she's not as beautiful as me, and my skin is fairer than hers, so I don't know if the alpha will accept her" That was Monica's voice.

I felt like I was pierced with a needle straight into my chest. Hot tears rolled down my cheeks, and my jaw went numb...

TBC....