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?

CHAPTER 4: Him.

Blossom.

“What do you want, Vanessa?” The question slipped out the moment she stepped closer, my voice sharper than I intended, edged with exhaustion and something dangerously close to anger. 

My fingers moved instinctively, quickly sliding the card beneath the thin hospital blanket, hiding it from view before her eyes could catch even a glimpse of it.

Her presence alone made the air feel heavier.

“What I want…,” she began, her tone calm but firm, her face completely devoid of warmth, “....is for you to stay clear away from Millien, Blossom.”

I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself, the motion slow, tired, but filled with quiet defiance. Of course. Of course that was what she came for. Vanessa was nothing if not predictable.

A bitter scoff rose in my chest.

She knew.

She knew very well that Millien hadn’t rejected me…not officially. The bond still existed, no matter how much he despised me. I was still his mate, whether he liked it or not. And hearing her say those words so boldly, as if she had already claimed what wasn’t entirely hers…it stung more than I wanted to admit and it angered me.

“Vanessa,” I said, my voice lower now, steadier despite the storm brewing inside me, “why are you after my life?”

The question hung between us, heavy with something deeper than curiosity. Because I truly didn’t understand. I had never done anything to her, at least, nothing I could remember. Yet her hatred for me ran deep, far deeper than simple jealousy.

For a split second, she said nothing, then she chuckled. The sound was soft… almost musical but there was something twisted beneath it.

“I’m not, darling,” she replied smoothly, tilting her head slightly as her lips curled into a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s just that no one would notice me unless you are in pain.”

My breath hitched.

Her smile deepened, darker this time, more revealing.

“You are like a stepping stone to moonlight.”

The words settled over me slowly, chilling me from the inside out.

“Psycho,” I muttered under my breath, unable to hold it back.

But instead of being offended, she laughed. A light, amused laugh, like I had just told her something entertaining rather than insulting.

And then…the door opened. The sound was sudden, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Lurgard stepped inside.

What happened next unfolded so quickly, so unexpectedly, that I barely had time to process it.

One moment, Vanessa was standing in front of me.

The next…her hand grabbed mine, her grip was tight, deliberate, and before I could react, she pulled me forward slightly and then…she let go.

Her body dropped to the floor.

“Blossom, how could you?!” Lurgard’s voice thundered instantly, filled with outrage as he rushed toward her, panic and anger flashing across his face. He knelt beside her, helping her up carefully, his attention completely fixed on her.

And as she leaned into him…she looked at me. A smug smile spread across her lips, quick and triumphant, gone almost as soon as it appeared.

My stomach dropped.

Lurgard didn’t even hesitate, he didn’t question.

His hand shot toward me, grabbing a fistful of my hair and yanking hard. Pain exploded through my scalp, sharp and immediate, forcing a gasp out of me as my head was pulled back.

“Don’t be too hard on Blossom, Lurgard…” Vanessa’s voice came softly, fragile now, as if she was the one in pain.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, glistening under the light, her entire expression transformed into one of pure innocence.

“I had only come to apologize to her,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly, “that I really didn’t mean to scream then and cause her to be humiliated.”

Such an actress!

Every word, every tear, it was all perfectly crafted and it worked.

It always did.

For a moment, Lurgard’s grip tightened… then suddenly, he released my hair just like that, as if her words alone were enough to decide everything.

I winced, as the pain didn’t leave with his touch, it lingered, throbbing across my scalp, spreading downward in waves that made my vision blur for a second. My fingers twitched weakly at my sides, but I didn’t dare lift them. 

“Your heart is just so evil, Blossom. I really can’t stand you anymore.”

Lurgard’s words hit harder than his hand ever could. Each syllable was laced with disgust, heavy and suffocating, like he truly meant every bit of it. My chest tightened, but I kept my head lowered, forcing myself into stillness.

“Vanessa saw the need to apologize to you, even though you were wrong…but you still…” His voice trailed off, but the anger didn’t. I could hear it in the way he clenched his fists, the tension in his breathing, the restraint in his posture.

I didn’t need him to finish the sentence.

I already knew what he believed.

He turned toward Vanessa almost instantly, his tone shifting as if a switch had been flipped. “Princess,” he said, softer now, more careful, “I think we should get back home.”

“No, Lurgard,” Vanessa replied gently, her voice carrying that same false warmth that made my skin crawl. “You can go ahead. I need to look after Blossom. No one has looked after her since she was brought here by the guards.”

For a brief moment, just a fleeting second, a dull ache spread across my chest but I masked it, pushing it down before it could take root.

“No way!” Lurgard snapped immediately, his voice firm and unyielding. “Who knows what she would do to you next? She is an ungrateful bitch!”

The words stung, but I stayed silent.

“But…” Vanessa tried again, her tone hesitant, as though she truly wanted to argue.

“Vanessa… we are leaving.” His voice left no room for debate this time.

I could hear movement, fabric shifting, footsteps turning. He must have taken her hand, guiding her toward the door. And for a moment, I thought that was it, that they would just leave.

But then…he stopped right at the door.

The silence stretched for a brief second, thick and heavy, before his voice came again, lower this time, colder.

“Most times… I actually wish you were never my sister.”

Something inside me broke completely.

The words didn’t just hurt, they shattered something deep within me, something I didn’t even realize I was still holding onto. 

My breath caught in my throat as the sound of the door opening echoed faintly, followed by the soft click of it shutting behind them.

And just like that…they were gone.

The room fell into silence.

The tears I had been fighting so desperately to hold back slipped free instantly, trailing down my cheeks without restraint. My body trembled slightly as I lay there, staring blankly ahead, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me all at once.

I was tired…fed up with the pain, the accusations, the betrayal and for the first time, a thought crept into my mind, quiet but persistent.

Maybe…Maybe I should accept his help.

Because the people who were supposed to protect me… the ones who should have stood by me…were the very ones breaking me.

Slowly, I reached beneath the blanket and pulled out the card, my fingers trembling slightly as I brought it into view. My eyes fixed on the name written across it.

Ryder Stormborn.

My breath hitched.

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it as recognition struck instantly, sending a jolt through me.

Him.

He was our pack’s greatest rival.

Millien’s sworn enemy.

No wonder he knew my name.

But that only made things worse.

Why would he offer to help me?

My fingers tightened around the card as unease settled deep in my chest.

Was this… some kind of trap?

Or something far more dangerous?