NEXT DAY AT LIGHTNING STORM PACKHOUSE

After an erratic night, I walked half a mile to Lightning Storm packhouse. As soon as the door opened, scalding water was poured over my head!

"What the hell!? I was supposed to pour it for the tea!" Jane exclaimed, holding the teapot over my head with gloves. Lila, my female wolf, quickly came to heal me, but half of my nerve endings were numbed off forever.

"Tsk. What a waste of hot water." Jane commented without remorse. The worst part of all? She didn't stop pouring until the teapot was empty.

Allan and Bane covered their mouths and snickered like adult children behind her.

"Look who came back after disappearing for three nights. You were spreading legs to rogues again?" Bane asked, his mouth running without filtering.

"What a shame to have someone like you around. No wonder your own mother signed you away years ago." Their words cut and split my chest open like a sword.

I reminisced about something at that moment. I wish i didn't. When i was brought to the packhouse for the first time, I ogled at the huge building. Allan and Bane, young teenagers then, played with me and made me feel at home.

"From now on, this is your new home and we are your brothers!" Bane exclaimed cutely, exaggerating his cool pose.

"We requested a new room for you!" Allan boasted, taking me to the grandest room of the packhouse. The room was designed for a girl, unlike other rooms in the house. I felt included.

But one day, Jane spilt my father's ashes all over the floor and shifted into a wolf to piss in it.

"Why did you yell at her, Rebecca!? She's just a pup!" Allan screamed at me, holding Jane close to his chest.

"Don't you know we, as werewolves in wolf form, don't have control over instincts!? You were so harsh on her! I'm ashamed to be your friend." Bane growled. Both of them were older than me and Jane was around my age. Later that evening, I had to clean the ashes soaked in wolf piss as the three played in my room. That day, I knew I wouldn't be treated as a person from that point onwards.

I turned to face the room down the hallway. The same room decorated and painted for me eight years ago was now occupied by Jane Cruiser.

"What are you looking at? Reminiscing your old space? Get over it. Time and again you've proved yourself worthy of being a maid. You're nothing more than a freeloader in this mansion." Bane spat the words as I sniffled.

"Also, remember this?" My eyes widened.

"Teddy..." I was reaching for it when Allan separated the head from the body. He plucked out all the insides and threw it at my feet.

"That's for talking back and not being responsible. Once you learn to be responsible, maybe we can talk." Bane Ferguson bumped into my shoulder and walked past.

"What are you still standing here for?" Allan asked with arms folded over his chest.

I had my plans to move out anyway so I had no time to talk back. With a curt nod I spoke, "Thank you for letting me stay here. You won't have a freeloader in your mansion anymore because I'm leaving."

Allan sneered heavily as if what I said was a joke. They would never take me seriously. Jane scoffed.

"So you can leech off someone else or continue making money spreading legs? Well, good luck with that. I'll see how you'll even get past the borders. I'll talk with Dad and make sure to renew your contract. Don't forget what I'm capable of." Allan stood pridefully before me. I'm curious to know what he'll do to go against my plan.

I walked past Allan and Jane, and without looking back, I murmured, "Good luck with that."

I had way too much work to do than linger there with them. I looked at the walls and sighed. This place has given me vibrant memories, but it was never truly a 'home' for me.

Oh, how much I've underestimated myself. I thought I owned a lot of things, but as I filled my bag, it didn't even fill up half of it.

Most of the clothes I had were gifts from Allan or Bane. I remember Allan saying, "Rebecca is the person who everyone wants to paint. She's picture perfect, of course she should wear beautiful dresses every day."

Those clothes were now torn and drenched in mud water, moulds growing on the surface.

Obviously, the image that I was a queen in their hearts, who turned into a parasite with a sailor's temper.

As I moved the clothes aside, pictures and portraits scattered on the muddy floor.

Bane was a gifted photographer. He used to love taking photos of beautiful things and me. He would take candid photos of me, often fighting with Allan to stand next to me for a 'couples' picture.

I scoffed as I realized who carved my face out in every picture out of spite and jealousy. I didn't want to remind myself of my past, so I threw them away.

"Whoa. You sure don't mind wasting our money." Bane commented, looking around my hut with pure and sheer disgust. Behind him stood Jane who probably tagged along to double the taunting.

I sighed, knowing I had no energy to talk back so I replied with, "I'll pay you back."

"Ha! Don't bother about the money. You should only think about not getting on Jane's nerves again."

Jane pulled on Allan's sleeve again, "I don't feel good here, what a filthy place to live in. Stop wasting your time. Take me to the secret garden right away."

That caught me off guard. The secret garden was what Bane and Allan built for me five years ago. It was a beautiful space within the garden bound with lush green trees and a bioluminescent pond. They've constructed it just for me, making it look as natural as possible. It was my special place for peace. How long has Jane been going there?

Since the day I came, they've been building and modelling the secret garden for three years. Allan and I shared our first kiss there. Bane followed next, one week after.

I was their first everything, but it didn't matter anymore.

I took a deep breath and turned to leave forever. I didn't feel anything towards either of them anymore.

Suddenly, Jane grabbed my wrist and held the burned skin very tightly. She was yelling at me, "Are you looking down on me!? Why are you not listening to me!? I told you something!"

It wasn't my fault when I instinctively pushed her away. It was hard, but not enough to make her fall. But she fell on damn mud, strategically.

"Bane! Bane! Help me! She's abusing me!" I lifted an eyebrow. Where is Jane's well deserved Oscar?

Before I could react, Bane flew into my hut and slapped me across my cheek. He picked the sobbing damsel bridal style and barked at me, "Rebecca why are you always tormenting my precious Jane!? Don't forget where you came from. If my pack and parents hadn't taken you in, you'd have died somewhere in the woods as a filthy rogue! You don't feel gratitude, but also repay us with cruelty bitch!"

The words rang in my ears. Bane was always respectful to me. But he called me a bitch, joining Allan.

But something made Bane not rush out instantly. Something dawned on him, maybe guilt. He asked, "Are you crying...?"

"It's fine. You were looking out for her." I said and wiped my tears. I looked at my hand and saw red too.

I smiled and didn't blame him for the slap because that was my repayment for everything his family and pack had done for me all these years. We were even. I had no debt to settle between us left.

Although, Bane growled at me ferociously when I put my bad over the shoulder, "You're not going anywhere. Not until you apologize to Jane after she recovers."

Recovers? Pft! It was as if she had broken her hip or something.

Bane was never the one to raise his hand or even his voice at me. The sweet little teenager was long gone.

One day during my hunting shift, I was bullied by a trespassing rogue. Bane fought with the adult rogue all by himself and ripped him to shreds with Allan's help. They took care of the aftermath and disposed of him.

That also contributed to accidentally expanding our territory. They were reinforced as Lightning Storm pack heroes.

Who could have thought that one day they both would gang up on me the same way? The same cruelty towards me was shown on a deeper level than physical. I can proudly say that I contributed to the Ferguson brothers to be top tier tormentors.

As I looked at Jane's smug face while being carried away delicately, I gulped down all the words that I wanted to vomit. I had nothing or no one to fear anymore.

Even without them forcing me out of the pack that they've been trying for years, good news was that I was already ready to leave.

The princess of the world was sleeping soundly in her bed. I was assigned to take care of her until she woke up. Honestly, I was waiting because I would apologize and get the hell out of here, fast.

Allan was seething in anger, not knowing the real reason behind Jane's GHASTLY injuries. I was fixing myself up in the corner of the room for my busted lip when both brothers approached me.

"I know I overreacted earlier. Don't take it seriously. We are heading out of the pack, we will bring you marshmallows on the way back." Bane said, his voice sober, contrasting his fuming elder brother. I shrugged my shoulders, which was apparently wrong to do according to Allan. He scoffed, shaking his head.

"If you promise not to make things difficult for Jane, only then will we get your treats. Treats for a dog like you." Allan taunted.

This was the perfect display of hot and cold. Slap with one hand and reward with the other.

I looked at the brothers towering over me. Forgetting is such a virtue for them. So convenient. They conveniently forgot that I was deathly allergic to gelatin - a main component in their 'dog treats'.

There was a time in the past when I accidentally ate oceanic gelatin from ice cream and fell incredibly sick. I was told to be put down...like a dog. But Bane and Allan didn't leave my side for two weeks of my recovery. My face was swollen and I was hard to look at. But they held my face and smiled as if my swollen, ugly face never mattered to them.

I sat by the window and savoured the cold wind. It was awfully cold today, but I had no freedom to draw a futon close and keep myself warm. I'd 'ruin Jane's precious belongings'. I didn't realize the impact of sitting in the cold breeze for hours.

"Wake up. Who told you to fall asleep?" I ripped my tired eyes open, feeling them burn.

I took a step to walk out, Jane was still asleep. But my body was quicker to give up on me than the Ferguson brothers and I fell to the ground.

It was no surprise to me when I stood back up in the cold and empty room. Jane had woken up and left me in the same position I collapsed in. I walked myself to the healers' hut.

The female healer, annoyed by the amount of times I came by yelled at me, "You're such a weakling! A rogue like you can't even have good health and you keep ending up in our hut to prioritize yourself over our other patients! Have you no shame!? You only come here to escape responsibility!"

"Please...heal me." That was the last thing I said before an IV drip was harshly injected into my vessels. I slept peacefully for three days.

After that, I had to resume my leaving process by today. There were a few empathetic omegas who understood my condition. They deserved a goodbye from me.

But it came as no surprise to me when they all were locked up in a dungeon for a 'misdemeanour', reasoned by Jane.

Well, it shouldn't matter to me anymore. If I go down to say goodbye to my loosely knit friends, I'd be locked up with them, too. They even see me as a plague for their fate, perhaps. I shouldn't have existed; it would be their curse on me.

All I needed to do was leave at the moment. The process became simpler if you ask me. But there was one person who was in the dark of all this and consequently viewed me as a person rather than a dog or a maid. The elder.

"Hello, Elder..." I walked into her chamber.

"Sit, sit! Oh, look how frail you've become." She pressed my arms and measured my strength. Although all she could feel was my weakness.

"So you're planning to marry the Hubert." She mentioned subtly.

"No other choice." I looked down and replied.

"I'd hate to see you go, Rebecca. You brought in happiness and put so many smiles." I pursed my lips into a thin line.

"I'll visit you whenever I'm allowed to, Grandma. I love you." I phrased out which moved the old woman to tears.

"Those boys of mine...they don't deserve you." I smiled. The Elder believed everyone in her pack was her child. I was just a special one, in her eyes.

"You have to forget about me, for the better." I insisted.

"I'm trying, but it's hard to even think of losing a special girl like you." She let tears drip down like droplets.

"What can I say, Grandma...? I'm special." I shrugged my shoulders, making her laugh out of joy! It was true. Mainly because she never saw how I was being treated. She was always busy with work. And after Jane came by, Grandma's work tactically increased.

I walked out of her chamber, only to bump into Allan, Bane and their little pet.

"Feeding lies to the elder again?" Bane smirked, but their faces went pale when Grandma appeared behind me.

"You two scoundrels don't deserve her. And you, you filthy little leech! You should be the one leaving, not Rebecca." Jane cowered in front of the elder, and so did the brothers.

Huffing, the elder went back and I walked past Allan. However, their spite got the best and I fell down the stairs! I hit my head, it was bleeding profusely. Upon gazing up, I realized Allan tripped me purposefully.

"You're forgetting something." Allan raced down, held me by my neck and pushed me to Jane's feet.

"Apologize! Now!" Bane barked, Jane folded her arms proudly over her chest.

I couldn't stand it anymore!

"I HATE YOU! YOU WILL PERISH AND I WILL LOOK AT YOUR GRAVE FROM ABOVE— OOMPH!"

Bane kicked my stomach, that was the last thing I could have gone through. I passed out then and there.

It wasn't long after i found myself running away from Lighnting Storm pack.

The very next day, the news of my marriage with Killian Hubert spread like wildfire across broadcast.

Expected were the furious Ferguson brothers' messages in my inbox.