Annabelle's Point of View
I walked down the aisle, my lips quivering. I should have bolted out of the aisle, running as fast as I could into the woods, but I chose to stay. Not because I loved him; heck, my opinion didn't matter.
Tears rolled down my eyes, my vision blurred. I tried hard to hide it; thankfully, I had a veil on. I could hear the crowd's murmurs, their gazes piercing into my skin.
"Look at her, the Omega. What makes her think she deserves him?"
"She claims she's his mate, begging her father to arrange the marriage. Typical Omega behavior."
They weren't true, of course. None of their words were true. I was just a helpless lady used to clear my family's debts. I had begged not to get fated to Damian, but all I got was a hot slap from my stepmother and the reminder that I was worthless and none of my opinions mattered.
I tried to steady myself, my eyes sweeping across the room and landing on him; Damian Darkhold, the alpha of the Black Glow Pack. He looked cold, as if he were daring me to walk closer and seal my fate, his cold eyes boring into my flesh.
My knees grew weak, so weak that walking to him was almost an impossible task. My grip tightened around the bouquet of roses as I tried to steady my breath.
"You've got this, Anna," I mumbled, swallowing hard.
I couldn't stop thinking about the last few days I had been with him. Damian's touch had been firm, yet calculated. There were moments when he touched me, and I felt like wanting him more. Of course, all these were temporary before the beast in him took over.
Living with him was better and much preferable to living with my stepmother and stepsister. I couldn't help but wonder why my life was built around torture and pain. Was I born to suffer?
The crowd grew still as I reached the altar, my lips quivering, my body trembling. I didn't dare look into his bloodthirsty eyes. Despite how terrified I was, I could hear my wolf scream,
"Mate!"
What the heck? My wolf has terrible taste, and this was the worst of it all.
Damian stood like the god he was, towering over me. He had a Greek god physique and dark brown eyes. His presence alone was dominating, capable of sending shivers down anyone's spine.
His face was devoid of every emotion as he approached me. He stood in front of me, his hand grabbing my face forcefully. I knew right there that something was definitely wrong.
I shut my eyes as he leaned close, so close I felt his warm breath on my face. My wolf's joy was on another level as she threatened to overwhelm me and run into the arms of her mate. I couldn't let that happen. I didn't like the idea of showing him how vulnerable I was to his touch.
He tilted my head up with his hand, forcing me to look into his eyes. Then, his lips curled slightly. I couldn't tell if it was disgust or amusement.
And then, he laughed. A cold, mocking laughter flowed effortlessly out of his lips. I forced myself to retain my fragile composure while still wondering what was actually funny.
"You?" he said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You thought you could stand here, in front of me, and call yourself my Luna?"
The room erupted in murmurs, and I felt my knees buckle beneath me. My palms were sweaty, the pounding in my heart threatening to break through my rib cage.
"I wouldn't even consider you worthy of being a maid in my pack," he continued, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
I wanted to disappear, the humiliation burning in my skin. Tears stung my eyes, and I refused to let them fall. I wasn't ready to give him the satisfaction he wanted.
"This isn't a wedding," he declared. "This is just your wolf's anniversary. Death anniversary!"
My brows furrowed, my face frowning in confusion. What did he mean by wolf's death anniversary?
His words became clear to me when he grabbed my neck. I struggled to break free from his grip, but it was useless. He was far stronger than I was, stronger than I could ever think of.
I gasped as he tilted my head to the side, exposing the delicate side of my neck.
"Let this be a lesson to everyone," he said coldly. "An Omega has no place beside me."
His teeth sank into my neck, and an agonizing pain shot through me. I could feel my wolf howling in my mind, suffocating, dying.
He didn't just reject me; he killed my wolf.
"No, please no," I begged, but it was useless anyway. The crowd cheered as he dropped me on the floor, and I could feel the connection between me and my wolf severing. I lost a part of me that day. Damian? He enjoyed every bit of the scene he created.
"You are banished from this pack, Annabelle. I don't want to see you again!" he announced.
What the heck? I wasn't just rejected; I was banished without a cause. I wanted to protest, probably beg for my pathetic life, but I was too weak to speak. I had lost a lot of blood.
Immediately he walked away from me, I felt something hard hit me. The wolves were throwing rocks in my direction, blood mingled with death trickling down my head. Amidst the chaos, I saw Ember, my stepsister, and Maria, my stepmother. They had this smile on their lips as they watched the rest of the crowd throw stones at me.
I struggled to pick the remaining fragments of my dignity, standing on my feet and walking out.
"Freak!" they cheered in excitement, poking me with sticks and spears.
They threw rocks at me till I crossed the border. I clutched my humped abdomen, tears which I had fought hard to restrain rushing down my eyes. I was pregnant for him. A shame I would have to raise this baby on my own.
I wanted to blame the baby. I wanted to say that carrying Damian's child was a curse, but deep down, I couldn't. The baby was innocent, just as I had been when life dealt me this cruel hand.
The rain beat my shoulders, falling relentlessly from the sky. I walked down the forest path unfazed by the stones which pierced my legs. I walked till my feet burned and protested that I'd stop. My body was exhausted, and I forced myself to keep moving. I couldn't stay in the woods alone, not in this state.
My ears perked up as I approached the highways. I could hear the blaring of car horns. I knew right there that I was close to home.
My thoughts drifted to my mother, the only person who had ever truly loved me. If she were here, she would have held me, comforted me, told me that I was strong enough to survive this. But she was gone, and I was alone.
"No, no, no," I muttered, panic rising. "Not now. Please, not now."
My pregnancy wasn't due. This was just six months.
But the pain didn't listen to my pleas. It came again, stronger this time, and I doubled over, gasping. It was midnight. I didn't know where I was headed to, much less where the nearest clinic was located.
I crawled on the floor till I got to the streets. Exhaustion washing over me, I collapsed on the floor, resigning to my fate.
Everywhere blurred, and the last thing I could remember were the faces of passersby before everything turned pitch black.