THE BROKEN LUNA

Chapter 7 : The night of terror

"What's up with this rat? Why is she everywhere?" Austin grumbled.

Nora was happy to be disturbed either.

"I-I thought some broke into the house. So I came to check." Stella made a useless attempt to explain.

It never mattered. It never helped.

"You really like to poke your nose into everyone else's business." Nora pushed her back.

Stella's waist hit the railing. She looked back to see herself almost at the top of the stairs, but Nora didn't care. She kept pushing until Stella couldn't hold on anymore.

"No, please -" her words cut short by a scream as she fell down the short stairs.

The stairs were short, but it did incredible damage to her body. Like a cracked glass can shatter on touch. Stella wasn't able to move herself after falling to the bottom. She has tumbled down and hit every part of her body on either the wall, the railing of the edges of the stairs.

Everything hurt. In that moment it felt better to die than live.

Austin's voice was cold as he said, "Your parents really found a way to make your life difficult."

Nora huffed, "We didn't have much of a choice. Who would want a person like her?"

With a glint in his eyes, Austin suggested, "Why not finish her off?"

"We can't. There are serious consequences to killing."

"There is always a way to make it look like an accident."

Austin's suggestion made Stella's blood run cold. He went on to say, "Nobody knows that you and I are here. We can finish the job here and go back. Make her death look like an accident, and no one will know. Although I have rejected her, it feels weird to see her. Once she's gone, we will be able to live a peaceful life."

To Stella's horror, Nora really contemplated the idea. Stella tried to get up and leave. The idea that she was safe here was no longer true.

She had to leave. However, her current situation didn't let her move much. She crawled on the floor but only got so far before Nora dragged her back.

"Serena! Serena! Help me!" She shouted out loud. Nora clamped her mouth shut. Stella squirmed. Tears gathered and fell from her eyes.

Nora frowned, "Who's Serena?"

Austin shrugged. He grabbed a her by the arm and helped Nora in taking her upstairs. The soundproofing in the bedroom was much better than the other places in the house and it would be easier to get things done without anyone finding out.

They found some duct tape and put it on Stella's mouth. Austin held both of her hands to stop her movements.

"How do we do this?" Nora asked breathlessly.

Stella's survival instincts kicked in. She used her legs to push around and kicked Nora in the shins. Nora slapped her back hard.

Nora brushed up Stella's hair and looked her in the eye. The unfeeling Nora made Stella feel a desperate fear.

"You have always been a worthless piece of rubbish in our house. If it wasn't for the Alpha's orders and the strict rules of the pack, we would have killed you off a long time ago. Don't be under the misconception that you are deserving of a life. You should have died long ago."

Stella's breathing became heavy. She constantly tried to talk to Serena and ask for help but the wolf's faint presence was all she felt. Austin grabbed her hair and pulled it hard. Her eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Let me take out my frustration first. I've been fed up with seeing her face!" Nora announced.

"No, wait. We cannot leave many traces!" Austin warned. "You have to be careful."

"It will be fine. No one cares about her anyway. At most we'll announce that she died by accident and dig a grave for her. No one has the time to question an omega's death."

Austin held Stella in place as Nora's fists came raining down on her. Head spinning, Stella soon became disoriented. Her eyes swelled up to twice their size and all she could see was a blurry image of two figures as she fell back.

Austin dusted off his hands. Nora kissed him in front of Stella as if proving a point.

"Some people don't deserve the mate they are given." Nora scoffed.

"Right. I cannot begin to tell you how uncomfortable it made me when I found she's my mate. A dirty omega like her?" Austin joined in to degrade her.

"I have an idea." Nora whispered.

"What idea?"

Stella was flipping in and out of consciousness. Her groans were muffled by the tape over her mouth. Although her arms and legs were free, she couldn't move them. They were useless.

Was this her end? After so many years of surviving by herself, is this how her end is going to be?

She'd much rather die after putting up a fight with rogues.

She tried to remember what her father looked like. However, her disoriented mind wasn't able to conjure up the image. She had long forgotten what he looked like without blood covering him. That gentle smile when called her name with love and care. Where did it go?

His memories were covered in a thick layer of dust brought on by time. She had nothing left of him other than nightmares. Perhaps it was time to join him where he was.

There was nothing left to live for anyway.

"No, don't give up." Serena's frantic and distant voice reached into the void.

It sounded so far away that Stella thought it was her imagination.

Stella was helpless. She couldn't resist when her arms and legs were bound by tape and her limp body was covered in a bedsheet. She was wrapped up and dragged into an empty storage room.

The fire of survival dimmed inside her. What was the point? Why try when life was just suffering? No one wanted her to live. She was better off dead.

She closed her eyes, hoping to never open them again. Hopefully, the first thing she sees is her father's smiling face and bury herself into his open arms as he welcomes her back.