CHAPTER 1: Accused.

Blossom.

“Whore!”

Vanessa’s voice rang out across the room, sharp and venomous, the word cutting through the air just as her hand struck my face. The impact came fast and hard, snapping my head to the side before I could even process what was happening.

A gasp tore from my lips, more out of shock than pain. My cheek burned instantly, heat spreading beneath my skin as the sting settled in. For a moment, everything felt unreal, like I had been thrown into a nightmare I couldn’t wake from.

She had gotten it all wrong.

Yes, Millien was my mate… but that truth no longer belonged to me. Not when I was painfully aware he was now her fiancé. Not when I had already buried that part of myself, forcing my heart to accept a reality it never wanted.

“Vanessa, I—”

I barely got my words out before her hand came crashing against my face again. The second slap was harsher, louder, echoing in the stunned silence that followed.

My vision blurred slightly, my body swaying from the force, but I didn’t raise a hand to defend myself.

I couldn’t.

I knew better than to.

Because no matter what I said, no matter how much I tried to explain, it would never be enough, not for her and definitely not for anyone in this room.

I had only come to serve him coffee.

That was all.

A simple task. A harmless moment.

But somewhere between stepping closer and setting the tray down, my hair had gotten tangled in his shirt. I had leaned forward, trying to free it, my fingers fumbling in panic, and before I could untangle myself, the door had burst open.

And there we were.

Too close. Too tangled. Too wrong in the eyes of anyone who walked in.

My stepsister—Vanessa hadn’t waited to understand. She hadn’t needed to.

Her screams carried far beyond the room, loud and accusing, drawing attention like they always did. It didn’t take long before the murmurs began, footsteps gathering just outside the Alpha’s chamber.

A crowd.

Of course.

There was always an audience when it came to my humiliation.

And through it all, Millien said nothing.

Not even a word.

He didn’t step forward. Didn’t defend me. Didn’t even attempt to explain what had truly happened.

He just stood there, silent and indifferent, as though my disgrace meant nothing to him.

A bitter ache settled deep in my chest, heavier than the sting on my cheek. I hated myself at that moment…not for what Vanessa thought I had done, but for something far worse.

For loving him.

For ever believing that someone like him could care.

“Let me explain, Vanessa… I really didn’t do anything,” I managed to say, my voice trembling despite my effort to steady it.

The words felt weak even to my own ears, fragile against the storm of her anger and before I could even gather myself, before I could take another breath…

Another hand struck my cheek, harder this time. The force sent a sharp jolt through my entire body, my head snapping to the side again as a dull ringing filled my ears.

Slowly, painfully, I lifted my gaze.

And my heart sank.

My brother.

“Blossom, have you no shame?” he asked, his voice heavy, his chest rising and falling as if he were the one wronged.

Gosh…

The pain that followed wasn’t physical, it was deeper and sharper.

It felt like a thousand needles piercing through my chest all at once, each one embedding itself into my heart.

Lurgard was my blood brother.

We shared the same mother. The same blood. The same bond that was supposed to mean something.

But even that… was never enough, because when it came down to Vanessa…He never believed me, he never chose me….It was always Vanessa.

I desperately needed to clear my name, because deep down, I knew that if I didn’t, something far worse than humiliation awaited me. This wasn’t just about pride anymore, it was about survival, so I ignored Lurgard words.

My knees hit the ground almost instantly, the impact sending a dull ache up my legs, but I barely felt it. The tears I had fought so hard to hold back broke free, streaming down my cheeks in hot, uncontrollable waves. My vision blurred, my chest tightening with each shaky breath as desperation clawed its way out of me.

“Alpha Millien… please… tell them the truth.” My voice trembled, raw and broken, as I poured every ounce of hope and desperation into those words. 

I lifted my tear-filled eyes toward him, searching, begging, praying he would look at me, acknowledge me, defend me.

But before anything could happen, a voice cut sharply through the air.

“How dare you, Blossom?”

My entire body stiffened.

My father’s presence alone was enough to drain whatever fragile courage I had left. His footsteps were heavy, deliberate, each one echoing like a warning drum in my ears. And then…his hand.

He grabbed me by the hair, his grip merciless, yanking my head upward so violently it felt like my scalp was tearing apart. A strangled cry escaped my lips as pain exploded through my skull, forcing my body to arch unnaturally.

“Are you trying to accuse the Alpha?” he thundered, his voice thick with outrage and something far more dangerous…disgust. “So outrageous!”

The next second, I was thrown aside like I weighed nothing. My body hit the ground harshly, the impact knocking the air out of my lungs as I struggled to breathe.

“Alpha Millien…” my father continued, his tone shifting instantly into one of forced respect as he bowed his head slightly. “I apologize for my daughter’s error. I will discipline her.”

And just like that, everything inside me went still.

That was it.

That was exactly what I had been trying to avoid.

A cold, suffocating shiver spread through my entire body, settling deep into my bones. Discipline. I knew what that meant. I had lived it, endured it, survived it…barely.

“Vanessa, please…” I tried again, my voice barely above a whisper, fragile and broken as I reached for the only sliver of mercy left.

But I didn’t even get to finish.

Pain exploded in my stomach as a forceful kick sent my body folding in on itself. A sharp, guttural cry tore from my throat as I collapsed, clutching my abdomen. The taste of iron flooded my mouth, thick and bitter, and before I could stop it, dark blood spilled past my lips onto the ground.

“Shut up, Blossom!” Lurgard’s voice lashed out like a whip, cold and merciless. “Do you want to bring harm to this family? Why can’t you just be like Vanessa?”

His words cut deeper than the kick.

Why can’t you just be like Vanessa?

Because no matter what I did… it would never be enough.

“Beta Silas.”

The room fell into a sudden, heavy silence.

Millien’s voice.

For the first time since everything began, he finally spoke, and my heart betrayed me, lifting just slightly at the sound of it.

“I don’t think you will punish your daughter enough.”

The fragile hope inside me shattered instantly.

I froze completely as he rose from his seat, each step he took toward me slow, deliberate, terrifying.

“Let me do it.” 

The words echoed in my head, over and over, refusing to make sense.

My mate.

The same man who once stood between me and the world… who had shielded me, protected me, cared for me.

Now stood before me… offering to break me himself.

My chest tightened painfully as confusion and heartbreak twisted together inside me.

What changed?

Where did I go wrong?

Because the man I loved… the man I believed would always stand by me…was now the one I feared the most.

CHAPTER 2: Admit it.

Blossom.

“Grab her!” Millien’s command sliced through the air like a blade, sharp, absolute, leaving no room for hesitation or mercy.

Before I could even react, two hefty men stepped forward. Their presence loomed over me, suffocating, as rough hands seized my arms from both sides. Their grip was unforgiving, fingers digging deep into my skin as they yanked me upright. A sharp cry nearly escaped my lips as pain shot through both arms at once, spreading like fire through my veins.

I struggled instinctively, my body trembling under their hold, but it was useless. They were too strong. 

And yet… even as pain consumed me, one thought refused to leave my mind.

Why does he hate me so much?

It echoed over and over, louder than the chaos around me, louder than the murmurs, louder than my own ragged breathing.

“Vanessa, darling…” Millien’s voice dropped into something softer, almost affectionate, but it only made everything worse. “I have always told you, that no matter how this slut tries, she will never take your place.”

Slut?

The word hit harder than any physical blow.

My entire body went still for a moment, my breath catching painfully in my throat. Slowly, I shut my eyes, as though doing so could shield me from the sting of it. But it didn’t. It only made the pain sharper, more suffocating.

Growing up, I had learned to endure many things…loneliness, rejection, the aching emptiness of not having a mother by my side. I had told myself that someday, somehow, things would change.

That when I found my mate… whoever he would be… he would become my escape.

My safe place.

My home.

And when I realized it was Millien… I had believed, foolishly, that my prayers had finally been answered because I had been crushing on him.

But now…

Now, every single one of those hopes lay shattered at my feet.

Because the moment Vanessa wrapped him around her fingers, I had already lost. I just hadn’t realized it then.

I was still drowning in those thoughts, still clinging to the fragments of what could have been, when suddenly…

A crushing force slammed into my stomach.

The impact stole the air from my lungs instantly. A broken gasp tore from my throat as my body folded inward, pain exploding through me like something had shattered inside. My mouth opened helplessly, and before I could stop it, blood spilled out, dark, thick, staining my lips as it dripped to the ground.

My vision blurred, my ears rang and then I realized…Millien had hit me.

He stepped forward again, his presence overwhelming, suffocating, as if he intended to break me completely. My legs trembled violently beneath me, the strength draining from them all at once. Even with the men still gripping my arms, my knees gave out.

They hit the ground with a loud, echoing thud.

“How dare you fall?” Millien’s voice thundered, laced with anger as his hand shot forward, gripping my chin harshly. He forced my face upward, his fingers digging painfully into my skin.

I winced, my eyes fluttering open despite myself and when I met his gaze…My heart shattered all over again.

The eyes that once held warmth… care… something that felt like love…Now held nothing but cold, unfiltered disgust.

“This is what you get for doing that to me two years ago, Blossom,” he said, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous whisper.

Two years ago?

The words echoed in my mind, confusion cutting through the pain like a blade.

What exactly did I do?

Because whatever it was… it had turned the man who once protected me…Into the one now destroying me.

“Millien, it’s okay… please, Blossom is still a lady after all.” Vanessa’s voice came quickly, almost too quickly, laced with a softness that didn’t belong to her. Her face shifted into one of concern, her brows knitting together as though she truly felt something for me. “She won’t be able to take it.”

I scoffed inwardly, the sound bitter even in my own mind. 

If I hadn’t known Vanessa, if I hadn’t lived beside her, watched her, endured her, I might have believed her. I might have mistaken that carefully crafted expression for genuine pity. But I knew better. I knew exactly how vile she could be. Hadn’t those same hands just struck me moments ago? Hadn’t that same voice spat venom at me without hesitation? Hadn't I pleaded with her?

There was nothing kind about her.

“Can you see, Blossom?” Lurgard’s voice cut in sharply as he stepped forward, his presence heavy with judgment. “Vanessa still shows you mercy, but all you do is try to get on her nerves.”

His words pressed down on me like a weight I could no longer carry.

Slowly, I lowered my head, my gaze falling to the ground as exhaustion seeped into every part of me. I was tired—tired of the accusations, tired of the lies, tired of this endless, suffocating cycle that never seemed to break. No matter what I said, no matter what I did, it always ended the same way.

Blame.

Pain.

Silence.

Lurgard didn’t stop there. He turned to Vanessa almost immediately, his tone shifting into something that sounded almost respectful. “Vanessa, I would advise you not to stop him,” he said firmly. “So she can learn her lesson and change.”

“But…” Vanessa started, her voice softer now, hesitant, as though she truly wished to intervene.

“No buts,” Millien interrupted coldly, his voice final, leaving no space for argument.

And just like that, whatever fragile illusion Vanessa had tried to create shattered completely.

Before I could even brace myself, Millien’s hands came down on me again. He grabbed my head roughly, his grip tight and unrelenting as he forced me upward. Pain shot through my scalp, my neck straining under the sudden movement.

Then…

Another blow.

His fist drove into my stomach with brutal force, stealing what little breath I had managed to regain. My body convulsed under the impact, my chest tightening as air refused to fill my lungs. A broken gasp escaped me, my breathing turning uneven, shallow, desperate.

Pain flared through me, sharp and consuming, as if my entire body was being torn apart from the inside.

Tears spilled instantly, hot and uncontrollable, blurring my vision as they streamed endlessly down my face. I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t have the strength to.

“Do you admit you were wrong?” Millien’s voice came again, calmer now…too calm. 

A sly smirk spread across his face, as though he found satisfaction in this… in breaking me piece by piece.

My lips trembled, but I bit down on them hard, forcing myself into silence.

I wouldn’t say it. I wouldn’t admit to something I didn’t do, no matter how much it hurts, no matter what they do to me.

“You still won’t talk?” Millien’s voice rose again, anger flashing across his features.

And then, another hit.

The force of it sent a sharp ringing through my ears, loud and disorienting, drowning out everything else. My vision blurred instantly, the world around me spinning uncontrollably as if it had been ripped from its axis.

I couldn’t focus.

I couldn’t breathe.

The pain, the noise, the weight of it all, it became too much and without realizing it… without being able to fight it…darkness closed in slowly and completely…until it swallowed me whole.

CHAPTER 3: Stranger.

Blossom.

*Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.*

The steady, mechanical sound pulled me out of the darkness, slow and disorienting, like I was being dragged back into a world I wasn’t ready to face. My eyelids felt unbearably heavy, but I forced them open, squinting as a harsh white light flooded my vision.

For a moment, everything was blurry, shapes, shadows, brightness.Then gradually, it began to settle.

The sterile scent hit me next, clean, sharp, unmistakable.

I was in the hospital.

The realization sank in slowly, and a faint breath escaped my lips. Somehow… they had brought me here. A small, fragile sense of relief flickered within me. If they hadn’t… if I had been left there…I wasn’t sure I would have survived those blows.

My body ached as I lay there, every inch of me heavy and sore, as though I had been shattered and carelessly pieced back together. Even the simple act of breathing felt like effort. Still, I tried to relax against the bed, letting the stiffness in my limbs ease just a little.

But peace didn’t last.

It never did.

This is what you get for doing that to me two years ago.

Millien’s voice echoed in my head, low and cold, sending a chill down my spine despite the warmth of the room. My fingers curled slightly against the sheets as confusion and unease twisted inside me.

Two years ago.

What exactly happened two years ago?

The question circled my mind endlessly, refusing to settle. Because no matter how hard I tried to think back, nothing came to me, nothing that could explain the hatred in his eyes, the cruelty in his actions.

It was two years ago that everything changed.

Back then, even though I was of Beta breed, I had suddenly been assigned to serve as Millien’s personal maid. It had come without warning, without explanation, just an order that couldn’t be refused and  trust me when I say it hadn’t been easy, not even for a single day.

That same year… that same moment in time… I had found out he was my mate.

I remembered it so clearly.

The way my heart had raced, the way hope had bloomed, fragile and uncertain, the way I had looked at him, waiting… expecting something.

But all I got in return…was disgust. His gaze had been cold, distant, as though the bond between us meant nothing. As though I meant nothing.

“I’m getting engaged to Vanessa.”

Those words had come without hesitation, sharp and final. No room for questions. No room for hope.

Just an end… before anything had even begun.

I inhaled slowly, the memory pressing heavily against my chest as I forced myself back to the present. My eyes drifted around the room, taking in the pale walls, the quiet hum of machines, the stillness that surrounded me.

And that was when I noticed it.

I wasn’t alone.

Across the room, there was another patient, lying just as still, their presence almost blending into the silence. But it wasn’t them that held my attention.

It was the man beside them.

He stood there, unmoving, his eyes fixed directly on me.

A strange tension filled the air the moment I met his gaze. Something about the way he looked at me made my chest tighten, my instincts urging me to look away.

So I tried.

I shifted my gaze, turning my head slightly, pretending not to notice but it was already too late.

Because the moment had passed and before I could avoid it any further…he moved.

“Too pitiful.” His voice was calm, almost casual, as he shook his head slightly, like he had just witnessed something disappointing…but expected. 

There was no mockery in his tone, yet it didn’t carry sympathy either. It was something else entirely… something that made my chest tighten without reason.

“Tell me,” he continued, raising a brow as his gaze lingered on me, steady and unreadable, “do you want a way out?”

For a moment, I couldn’t even process what he had said.

A way out?

The words echoed in my mind, foreign and unsettling. I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Why would a stranger, someone I had never seen before, walk up to me and ask such a question? It didn’t make sense. 

My lips parted slightly, but no words came out and before I could gather myself, before I could even think of a response, he moved again.

His hand lifted, reaching toward me without hesitation, and before I could pull away, his fingers brushed against my hair. He tucked a loose strand behind my ear with an ease that felt far too familiar, far too intimate for someone I didn’t know.

My body went rigid instantly.

“Blossom Ashford,” he said, his voice lowering just a fraction, as though testing the weight of my name. “I just asked a question.”

My breath caught.

A sharp chill ran down my spine as my heart skipped a beat.

He knew my name.

The realization hit me all at once, sending a wave of unease crashing through me. My fingers tightened slightly against the bedsheet, my instincts screaming at me to create distance, to push him away, to protect myself.

“Stay away from me,” I said quickly, my voice rising despite the weakness that still lingered in it. There was a tremor beneath the words, but I forced them out anyway. “I don’t need your help.”

For a brief second, silence stretched between us.

 “Easy,” he chuckled softly, as though my reaction amused him more than it offended him.

The sound unsettled me even more.

Without another word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. My eyes followed the movement instinctively, wary, uncertain. Before I could refuse,before I could even lift my hand to stop him, he gently took my hand and placed the card into it.

His touch was brief.

“When you change your mind,” he said smoothly, his voice carrying a quiet certainty that made my stomach twist, “you can reach out.”

Then, just like that, he stepped back, creating distance between us again. His gaze lingered on me for a second longer, unreadable as ever, before shifting toward the other patient in the room.

For a moment, his expression changed, subtly, almost imperceptibly, then he turned and walked away.

The door closed behind him with a soft click, leaving the room in silence once more.

I sat there, unmoving, staring down at the card now resting in my hand. Curiosity crept in despite myself, quiet but persistent. My fingers shifted slightly as I turned it over, about to read whatever was written on it…but before I could…

The door opened again and my entire body tensed.

“Blossom, dear.” Vanessa’s voice rang out, sweet yet dangerous.

The color drained from my face instantly as my grip on the card tightened.

What does she want this time?