Ron spared my life just to humiliate me and my family. He wiped out everyone from my pack, leaving only me behind. He made me wear the shabbiest clothes and do the hardest labor. He wanted everyone in the pack to know that he had taken over as Alpha. And I was the living proof of that.
After becoming a slave, I was assigned to work in the Alpha's castle. The housekeeper in charge of managing the castle was an old woman named Lydia. She was short, fat, and covered in freckles. She got this job because she was a distant relative of Alpha Ron.
Lydia was a cruel old lady. Her piercing eyes seemed to see right through people. On my first day in the castle, she glanced at me and made me kneel on the scorching stone steps. The passing servants looked at me with mocking eyes, and no one offered to help. It wasn't until evening that Lydia allowed me to have a sip of water.
During my time as a slave, I learned to endure. I knew I had no chance against Ron with my current abilities. The poisoned wine I drank at the birthday banquet had stripped me of my powers, and I still couldn't connect with my wolf. So, every night, after everyone in the castle was asleep, I secretly slipped into the woods for physical training.
Even though the daytime work drained most of my energy, I persisted in training every night. I hoped that one day my wolf would return, and I longed to become stronger.
Whenever I gazed at the main house in the middle of the night, I would hear screams from a room and roars from a man. I knew Alpha Ron was there.
I would always pray to the Moon Goddess, hoping the woman would punish that b.astard for me. I wished desperately to escape this place that brought me so much suffering.
One night, the castle's housekeeper, Lydia, summoned me to her room. I thought she would deliberately make my life miserable, but to my surprise, she told me to help in the banquet hall.
"Tonight, Alphas from various packs will attend the banquet. You just need to serve tables and quietly leave. Remember, don't cause any trouble for me."
This woman's heart was as ugly as her appearance. Not only did she make me do all the dirty work every day, but she also made me wash her underwear. If I didn't complete her tasks, she would whip me mercilessly in the name of the Alpha.
Faced with her orders, I never dared to resist, even if I didn't want to. If I angered Lydia, she would throw me into the dungeon in the name of Alpha.
"Get to work," Lydia pushed me roughly. "If I find out you messed up, I'll make sure you pay for it."
"Yes," I answered obediently, bowing my head in deference. After all those days, I had learned how to comply.
I followed her into the castle's banquet hall. It was the first time I had been allowed into the Alpha's hall since becoming a slave. Before this, slaves were not allowed to set foot inside Alpha's house.
I looked at what used to belong to my father, and memories buried deep inside me resurfaced. The cries of agony and the bloody scenes replayed in my mind.
My body trembled, and I almost dropped the food I was carrying. I struggled to control my breathing and regain my composure.
Among the guests present, I saw the Alphas of the allied packs, the same ones I had once thought I could seek help from. Now it seemed I had been too naive.
In the world of werewolves, they only submitted to the strong. They only allied themselves with the strong, and the losers were scorned.
And my enemy, Alpha Ron, sat in the middle of the table. A seductive she-wolf was seated on his lap. His face was flushed, probably from drinking.
Alpha Ron was temperamental and cruel, often beating the slaves when he was drunk. Just last month, he killed a slave with his drinking, so all the servants kept their distance whenever they saw him.
I lowered my head and worked diligently, hoping Alpha Ron wouldn't notice my presence.
"Girl, serve me some wine," a drunken man beside me shouted loudly. "Can't you see my glass has been empty for ages?"
"I'm sorry," I hurriedly bent down to give him some wine. The man with red eyes stared at me intently.
His l.echerous gaze made me uncomfortable, so I tried to step away. But he grabbed my hand and put his other hand on my buttocks. I tried to resist but was held tightly in his grip. When men in the pack acted this way, I sometimes let them have their way, thinking they would eventually leave me alone when they realized I had no reaction. I thought this man would do the same. But when his hand moved to my waist and he tried to kiss me forcefully, I couldn't help but bite his arm hard.
"You damned woman!" He yelled and pushed me to the ground.
The wine bottles on the table also shattered on the floor, and the sound alarmed the other guests. Suddenly, all the noise in the hall stopped, as if everyone's gaze was fixed on me.
"What's going on?" Alpha Ron's gruff, hoarse voice echoed in the banquet hall.
"Your slave bit me," the man said angrily. "I was just giving her a lesson."
"Who are you?" Alpha Ron asked me.
I dared not answer and kept my head lowered. At that moment, the housekeeper Lydia quickly walked over, pulled me up from the floor, and slapped me hard. My face instantly felt hot and painful.
"D.amn slave, you caused trouble again," she said.
"Who is she? Answer me, Lydia," Alpha Ron's voice had a hint of anger. "You can't even manage a slave."
"I'm sorry. I'll take her away now," Lydia said.
"Slave, lift your head," Alpha Ron's voice was commanding, and I trembled. I didn't dare to raise my head and let him recognize me. But Lydia grabbed my hair and forced me to look up.
"It's you, Emilia Borin," Alpha Ron scrutinized me carefully, then stood up and pointed at me, addressing all the guests. "Everyone, look, this is Mike's daughter. If it weren't for my mercy, she would have gone to hell with her father that night."
The guests burst into mocking laughter. I heard someone say that my father was a failure, and someone even praised Alpha Ron's mercy. I suppressed my anger as best as I could. No matter how they mocked me, I could only remain silent. As the lowest-ranking slave in the werewolf world, I had no means of resistance.
"Gentlemen, the foxes recently sent me a new weapon," Alpha Ron said, his face flushed. "It's a new crossbow. They say this bow and arrow can pierce an enemy's body directly. Do you want to give it a try?"
"I'm looking forward to it," the man who had harassed me earlier said maliciously. "Hurry up and show it to us."
"Girl, you're screwed," Lydia whispered in my ear as she let go of my hand and backed away.
A male servant came over to Alpha Ron, holding a rectangular box with both hands. He opened it up quickly and pulled out a brand-new crossbow. Then, he grabbed a silver arrow and said, "I need a target."
"Let's use this slave as the target," the guy pointed at me with ill intentions. "I've never seen a live target before. It's gotta be a blast."
If I became the target, I'd be a goner for sure.
I wanted to run for it, but there was no time. Two guards immediately grabbed me, tied my hands with a rope, and shoved me in front of Alpha Ron.
"Make her run, like we're hunting prey. That's when it gets interesting," the jerk suggested once again.
"Alright. Slave, start running," Alpha Ron aimed the crossbow at me and said, "If I can't hit you with a single arrow, I'll let you go."
"Run!" The guests in the hall started to cheer.
I struggled to break free from the guards' restraints and darted around the banquet hall like a scared rabbit. But with my hands tied, my movement was restricted, and the guards had shut the doors, limiting my space. When Alpha Ron's crossbow arrow was pointed at me, I had to quickly shift my body.
Just as I sprinted, someone tripped me with his foot. It was that damn guy, and he had a smug grin on his face. Before I could get back on my feet, I heard the sound of an arrow slicing through the air.
I saw a silver arrowhead heading straight for me.