: Luna's Visit

Hannah

"Quite a surprise, yes," the Luna laughed a bit. "May I come in?" She asked, even though she had the power to waltz into anywhere she wanted.

"Sure, please come in," I heard my mother say as she closed the doors.

I peeked my head from the floor of the stairs a bit to catch a glimpse of Luna Clara and to know why she was there.

"How have you been lately?" She asked my mother as she stepped in fully.

"I've been good, thank you for asking," my mother replied. "Would you like something to drink or anything?" She continued as a diligent host and a member of the pack.

"Oh, no, no, that's alright, I was only passing by and thought to drop by."

They continued their conversation in hushed voices as they stood.

"Okay then," she hummed as she looked around awkwardly. This wasn't just a visit, I had surmised. It's not every day the Luna of Ravens Fall pack just so happens to drop by while she was on a walk.

I didn't buy it, but then there was nothing that I could think about.

"How are the kids?" Luna Clara continued when suddenly her piercing blue eyes met mine. I retracted my head immediately, feeling a bit scared from her gaze.

"They are all good. How is Bryan?" My mother continued, oblivious to the brief exchange just now.

"He's alright. Oh, speaking of him, I'm pretty sure you just hit the same memo I did," Luna. Clara said, although no cell phones rang out. Still, my mother replied.

"Oh, I just did as well."

"I was on my way to the Pack's house, maybe she could come with me. I could use an escort," Luna Clara's voice rang out. I knew they were talking about me at this point when my mother yelled for me.

Stepping out with caution from the doors that led up to the stairs, as though I was being watched by a ferocious predator—Luna Clara's eyes gave off that feeling. I was conscious of the fact that I was still in my torn clothes from the earlier incident.

"Greetings, Luna Clara," I greeted as I bowed my head in respect.

"Hello, dear. What happened this time?" A horrified look replaced her easygoing one when she took in my bloody clothes and appearance. Although I had already started to heal, I had not gone to change out of these clothes yet.

"It was an accident, I fell into a ditch earlier," I lied straight out, even though I knew she would know the truth already, or if she didn’t, then she would later.

"Well, you need to be careful where you are going next time," she said, but I could feel her eyes saying something else, something of a deeper meaning.

Putting it aside when I heard my mother speak;

"You haven't gone up to change yet?" My mother asked with a disapproving look. "Well, go on quickly, Alpha Bryan has asked to see you. You can follow the Luna."

I had no idea why the Alpha would want to see me this time around or, rather, what chore he would like to assign me.

"Okay," I responded and quickly hurried up to change, not wanting to keep Luna Clara waiting. When I came back down, my mother and the Luna had just finished their discussion.

"I'll see you around then, yes?" she asked my mother as we prepared to leave.

"Sure, you will," she smiled back at the Luna.

"Great!" Luna Clara exclaimed before turning to me and asking, "Shall we?"

I only gave a slow nod—not that it mattered—then followed her out the doors.

"Dinner will be ready when you get home, okay?" my mother whispered as I passed by her. I didn’t know if it was her choice not to be loud or if she just didn’t want the Luna eavesdropping; either way, I got the message.

I waved her goodbye as I fell in step with the Luna, a few steps behind her with my head bowed.

"Don't be so far," she said, and I took a few steps closer to her but still kept a safe distance.

"So, how have you been?" she inquired as I tried to keep pace with her stride. My body was still in pain.

"I'm good, ma'am," I answered, not so honestly, but it’s not like she’d care anyway.

"That's good to hear." There was silence before her voice sounded again. "So, any changes lately?"

"Changes?" I was confused by the question.

"It's been almost three years, and you've never for once shifted. Are there any changes now?" Her voice had a hint of irritation, showing her disappointment at my slowness.

I had no idea she kept tabs on these things, especially when they didn’t concern me, being the runt of the pack and considered an omega. But then again, she was the Luna.

"No, ma'am, no changes." I cast my gaze down towards the ground disappointed in myself as well while keeping pace with her, occasionally glancing up so as not to miss a step.

"Don't worry, dear; I'm sure you're just a late bloomer, that's all," she reassured. Nothing was said after that until the pack house came into view.

"Well, he's in his office," she said as we approached the building. "Go in now; he doesn't like to be kept waiting." With a smile on her face, she waltzed away, leaving me to my own thoughts.

"That was weird," I thought as I began to make my way towards Bryan's office.

The luna had never personally asked me questions before, although she had visited my mom several times; her dropping by today was just odd.

I made my way through the pack house. It was mid-afternoon on a Saturday, so the pack house wasn't quite as full as it should be. There were a few girls in the living room with some guys, some in the kitchen, and a few just hanging around.

I made a beeline towards Bryan's office, avoiding gazes as I moved past a few other members. They paid me no attention whatsoever.

Once I had reached the door to the Alpha's office, I took a deep breath before knocking on the door.

I thought I heard an invitation from the other side of the doors. Taking that as my cue, I pushed the doors open—and instantly regretted it. I hurriedly pushed myself back as I closed the door, breathing heavily and frozen in fear as I thought, "He's going to kill me." What had I done to deserve such bad luck?

Bryan and his girlfriend were in the middle of a makeout session, which seemed to be progressing even further, as they had both lost their shirts in the process.

I waited patiently at the door for a while, cursing myself to death until finally, the door opened up.

"I'm so sorry to intrude, sir; I thought I heard you say, 'Come in,'" I quickly started to apologize with my head bent down, fearing the wrath I'd seen in his eyes.

I slightly peeked at him. He was still shirtless, which made me blush a bit. Heather was in his arms, her eyes stared daggers at me, probably for interrupting, and I lowered my head further to the ground.

She was the daughter of one of the strongest warriors in our pack. Both her parents had made a name for themselves and their family, and they were also wealthy. I had no intention of offending her more than my existence already did daily.

She and her group were at the top of my list of tormentors that made my life a living hell. I knew she wasn't going to let this one slide, so I mentally prepared myself for later.

"I'll see you tonight?" she asked in a light, innocent voice. I could hear the smile in the way she spoke.

"Of course," he replied as he kissed her rather roughly, grabbing a bit of her bum before finally letting her go.

I resumed my position and saw she was now staring at me, the hate clearly visible, not hiding anything from Bryan. She walked up to me and slapped me hard on both sides of my face with as much force as you'd expect from a werewolf.

I was still in pain from my earlier session with my brothers, and my face was only just recovering.

I dared not to touch my now swollen face in front of her or groan in pain, only bending my head in shame. I did not expect the Alpha to do anything; that was his girlfriend, after all.

"Stupid bitch," I heard her curse before she began to walk away.

Once she was out of sight, Alpha Bryan invited me into his office. "Next time, wait until I say you should come in, then come in. Do you understand?" he ordered as he began to put his shirt back on.

The office was quite a mess. When he had finally dressed more properly, he turned to me with his perfectly arched eyebrows raised.

"I'm sorry, are you deaf?" he asked. "I asked you a question just now," he yelled.

Cowering in fear, I stuttered as I answered, "I un-der…st..stand, sir," as I remembered the question he had asked me.

Dismissing my behavior, he stated, "The reason you were called here is to inform you of the party I'll be having here in the pack house today." He looked at me to confirm if I was listening.

The only time he was ever allowed to have a party in the pack house was when the current Alpha, his father, was not around. This would explain why there were so few people present in the pack house.

Bryan continued, "I want this house to be tidied up before 8 p.m. when the party starts, so you have about…" He trailed off as he checked his watch to confirm the time. "Five hours or so. You can start with this office," he said, passing by me and walking out the doors.

I knew it would be a lot of work, so I wasn't surprised. I looked around the office; it wasn't too dirty, just the table that was scattered probably from their activity earlier, I shivered in disgust.

I sighed inwardly as I made my way downstairs to get a few cleaning supplies. I wasn’t ready for another round of beating, as I was only just recovering and they all still hurt.

I started with the office he had left me in. After I had gotten what I needed downstairs, I began to pick up the scattered papers that littered the floor, a few pens, and a broken laptop. I wasn’t sure if I should throw it out, so I folded it and placed it by the side of the table.

The broken teacup, I disposed of into the trash can I had brought earlier.

I placed the books back on the shelf, running my hands over the bindings, wishing I could just sit and read a few. But I knew that was never possible.

I picked up the last item on the ground. It was a brown file with the name "Griffin Hale Pack."

That was the name of one of the most powerful packs, or so I’d heard from pack members here, though I had never witnessed why they were called so.

This must probably be important, I thought as I moved towards the drawers. I opened one, placed the file inside, and then froze, noticing something odd.

It was a small black box with golden rims, about the size of a book. Clicking open the locks, I gasped—it was a shiny black revolver.

"Why would the Alpha need a gun? They were werewolves," I thought, frowning at the sight of the weapon when suddenly, I heard a voice that startled me.

"What are you doing?"

3. Mine

: Mine

Hannah

I almost lost my grip on the weapon, afraid someone might have caught me snooping around.

"Nothing, uhmm..." I quickly responded, fumbling for words, and placed the revolver back in its original position, sliding the box back into the drawer. I tried to act like nothing had happened, even though I knew I had been caught.

"If it's nothing, then what the hell are you doing in here?" The voice that startled me belonged to none other than Heather King.

"Sir Bryan ordered me to start the cleanup for a party later this evening," I replied, my voice barely audible, but I knew my message had reached her sharp hearing.

"Then why are you just standing there?" She asked, walking through the room with no concern for me, as if I didn’t even exist. It seemed like she was searching for something.

I quickly resumed my work. I was almost finished with the office anyway, and I walked towards the doors with my cart.

"Finally," Heather exclaimed, pulling out her phone from the sofa.

She glanced at me, a wicked grin spreading across her face, smacking her phone lightly on her palms.

"You know you can't have something like that," she said, advancing closer to me, the smile still present on her lips.

"Oh, don’t act shy now," she continued, her grin widening. "I saw the way you looked at him earlier when… you know… he and I were getting it on."

She wasn’t wrong. I had secretly crushed on Bryan for as long as I could remember. I’d always checked him out from afar, wishing I could talk to him. I even prayed to the moon goddess, hoping we'd be soulmates.

"Oh, look at your little red face," Heather cooed mockingly, now standing right in front of me. The smile on her face disappeared as she tucked a strand of my silver locks behind my ear and grabbed my neck harshly.

I let out a soft whimper.

"You are so pitiful. Let me just break it down for you. Bryan would never, in his entire life, want someone as miserable and horrible-looking as you. It’s really disgusting to even think about it," she sneered, her hands moving from my neck to grasp my jaw. At least it was a little relief, since I thought she might try to hurt me further, but her grip tightened around my jaw.

I yelped as I felt a sharp pain—she must have extended her claws and dug into my skin.

"The only way you could ever have someone like Bryan is in your wildest dreams," she whispered, letting go of my chin.

I dropped to the floor as my legs felt like jelly from fear, not able to hold me up.

"You can get back to work, Hannah," she laughed cruelly as she exited the office.

I wiped the few tears that had formed and stood up, getting back to work.

What was I thinking, anyway? He was the future alpha, and I was just the crappy, weak, lazy, ugly old Hannah. Everyone would laugh if they knew I had a crush on him.

I would only be the humiliation of the century.

At least I still had hope. My birthday was in a week’s time. Maybe the moon goddess could shine a little bit of light upon my dull life. Someone who could take me away from this hell of a pack.

That person was my last hope. I would’ve left the pack already if I wasn’t so weak. The rogues would have killed me without breaking a sweat, and I had nowhere else to go.

~

It took me a while to clean up the pack house for the party, and by the time I was done, it was already time for the event. I knew Bryan wouldn't want me here, nor would anyone else.

I returned my cart to the kitchen, where I stumbled upon Mia and Amy, Heather's two minions. They had pitiful smiles on their faces when they saw me enter the kitchen. Heather must have told them about my little encounter.

Ignoring them was my plan, but it seemed they had other plans. They immediately turned me into their topic of discussion, not bothering to lower their voices, clearly wanting me to hear their taunts.

"It’s quite pitiful, isn’t it, Amy? Bryan would probably throw up if he knew about this," Mia said as they both laughed, clearly making a joke at my expense. I was the joke.

"I wonder how someone could ever want that," Amy said, stretching out her well-manicured fingers, referring to me.

I knew I wasn’t perfect. They helped me with that knowledge every single day, so I didn’t let it bother me too much.

I didn’t stick around to listen to more of their taunts. I quickly made my way out of the pack house and ended up bumping into someone.

It was dark out, so I couldn’t see very well.

"I’m sorry, sir, I wasn’t looking where I was going," I mumbled. Even if I had been looking, I probably still would’ve bumped into him, since my head was always bent low.

Bryan was dressed casually for the party, wearing a button-up shirt with two buttons undone and jeans. He looked good, as usual.

"Hope you're all done?" he asked, his eyes filled with disgust as he wiped himself off after our collision.

"Yes, sir, I'm fine with everything." My answer was short, as I didn’t want to give a full account of what I had done, nor did I think he wanted to hear any of it. He sidestepped me toward the house, but not before saying, "Good job, now get lost." Without even glancing back at me, he made his way further into the house.

That was just his way of telling me he didn’t want to see me around the party. Not that I would’ve wanted to be there if I had been invited. I’ve never liked their parties. The one time I attended, I became the center of attention as they mocked everything about me, with my brothers leading the charge.

I managed to walk home in the dark, having left my phone behind. The streetlights offered a bit of illumination, though.

When I entered my home, the scent of food hit me hard. My stomach grumbled as I realized I hadn’t eaten anything since morning.

"Hannah, is that you? I’m in the kitchen!" My mother called out.

"I was hoping you’d show up by this time," she added, knowing I wouldn’t be invited to the party, just like Kyle and Kaleb were.

"Perfect timing," she beamed as she set the last dish on the table. It was dinner for two, since I knew my stepbrothers wouldn’t be coming back today. I was relieved about that—they were at the party, part of Bryan's circle of friends.

My stomach growled louder as I peeked into the kitchen. My mother chuckled and ushered me in. "Come sit down, let’s eat."

I walked in and took a seat, and she kept smiling at me as she started a conversation. "I know you’ve been working all morning, so I thought I’d make dinner when you got back—just the two of us."

"Look, I know you’ve been having a rough time here in the pack," she continued. "As your mother, I should be there for you, and I’m sorry I’m not always." She started apologizing, which made me tear up. I quickly stopped her, using the excuse that the food would get cold.

She chuckled before we began eating. My stomach finally got what it wanted, and I let out a soft noise of contentment.

After I finished my plate, my mother commented, "You must have been really hungry. Here, have some more." She filled my plate, which I appreciated.

Once we finished eating, I offered to do the dishes to show my appreciation, but she wouldn’t let me.

"You’ve been working all morning; you need rest, okay?" she said, taking the plates from my hand. "Why don’t you go upstairs? I’ll handle these."

I hugged her from behind. "Thanks, mom." She relaxed into me and sighed. I was grateful for all she had done for me but didn't know how to express it before heading to my room.

I lay in bed for a while before grabbing my phone, which I rarely used since I never had the time. I had no friends, so there were no text messages or calls. My mind wandered to the life I was living.

My mother was the only one I had, and I was thankful she was there. My father had died when I was little, but he had been good to me too. My brothers hadn’t always been this cruel—there was a time when they played pranks, but now it seemed like they were after my life.

The only reason they hadn’t killed me yet was because the pack didn’t condone the killing of its own members. Perpetrators are bound to either be demoted or banished from the pack.

I sat up and walked to the window, gazing at the sky. The stars taunted me, brightening the sky while I felt like I had none of my own.

My birthday was something I both wanted and dreaded. At least I’d be able to find my soulmate—my other half, the one who would brighten my dull, black sky. Or at least that’s how my mother explained it. I was also scared that whoever it was would see me and want nothing to do with me, just like the rest of this pack.

At that moment, I didn’t know if I wanted to keep living or not.

There was a knock at my door, which interrupted my train of thought. "Hey, you okay?" My mother asked from the other side before pushing it open and peeking her head through the small crack.

"I’m okay," I reassured her.

"Okay, then. Goodnight, I’ll see you tomorrow." With that, she left to go to bed.

I smiled at the fact that she still came to check on me. A sigh escaped my lips out of the window before later on moving to lay on my bed, but sleep evaded me. I felt restless, tossing and turning for a few hours, yet still couldn’t seem to fall asleep. I grabbed my phone and checked the time: 11:52, almost midnight.

I made my way downstairs to grab a glass of milk, hoping it would help me get a little bit of shut eye, when all of a sudden, an amazing scent hit me. The glass in my hand slipped from my grasp and made a crash, but it didn’t matter.

It smelled like the forest after a rainy day, with a hint of coffee.

I stepped outside the house and sniffed the air again, taking in this wonderful fragrance. It seemed to pull me towards a particular location.

A few minutes later, I found myself standing in front of the pack house. My mind was still clouded by the soft odor. The pack house was lit up, music blasting through the air. I wanted to return to the safety of my room, but then I’d miss an opportunity to find the source of this strong scent.

I entered the pack house, which was now packed with teenagers holding red cups, flashing lights, and booming music. Even with the smell of sweat and alcohol in the air, it didn’t overpower the fragrance that had led me there.

As I pushed my way towards the center of the house, something drew me closer. The crowd seemed to part for me until, finally, I came upon Bryan and Heather.

They were tangled up, swaying with the music, their bodies pressed tightly against each other.

Once I was at least ten feet away, the words left my mouth before I could stop myself.

And for the first time, I growled.

"Mine."

4. Left To Die

: Left to die

Hannah

I stared at the shock on Bryan's face, which gradually morphed into one of disgust and hate.

The entire room was silent. The music had died down, and you could hear a pin drop as everyone anticipated what would happen next.

No one would have believed it and neither did I; that I would finally find my mate. I didn’t even have to leave the borders of the Raven Falls pack.

But I did not expect ‘him’ to be my mate. My expectations dwindled as the silence stretched on.

Heather already had a smile on her face, looking at Bryan as if she knew what was coming next.

The hand wrapped around her waist was released as Bryan took a step forward. Then another. And another, until he was only a foot away from me.

He was so close I could feel his hot breath fanning across my face. I wanted to savor that moment, his scent intoxicating, but I knew it wouldn't last long no matter how much I wanted it to.

Staring into his blue eyes, the disgust was evident, nothing seemed to mask the hatred that he felt for me, probably the shame he felt for having to be mated with me.

"There’s no way a weak, pathetic, ugly slave of a mutt is my mate," he spat bitterly in my face, and I flinched at every word.

Tears brimmed at the corners of my eyes as I knew what was coming next.

"Wait, please, we’re meant to be together. Please!" I pleaded silently, reaching for his arm. He quickly drew back, as though I was dirt he didn’t want touching him.

He walked back to Heather’s side, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close. Both of them wore smirks on their faces.

"I, Bryan Ducati—" he started.

"No, wait… please don’t do this," my voice cracked as I stepped forward, trembling, desperate to stop him from declaring his next words.

"Reject you, Hannah Anderson, from being my mate," he finished, pulling Heather closer to him.

The pain I’d never felt before tore through me as I screamed and collapsed to the floor. My heart shattered as my last hope for life crashed—my last star in the sky, lost in the darkness that seemed to grow bigger now.

I’d felt pain within this pack every day, but nothing compared to this. It was as though my soul was being ripped from me, but it still loomed there.

"Get this piece of trash out of here!" Heather ordered as she cozied up to Bryan.

I looked at Bryan once more, my vision blurry from the tears, hoping he wouldn’t do this to me. Pleading ever so desperately for him not to let this bond go.

Bryan had already turned away, his attention now on Heather, they both chuckled and had their moment while she tried to calm him down. He didn’t spare me another glance after that.

There was nothing left for me. No meaning to my life. I felt soulless, crumbling to the floor as my legs gave out, they weren't able to hold me back up.

I didn’t notice the two pack members who had appeared by my side on Heather’s orders. They began dragging me, throwing me out of the pack house and slamming the door shut behind me.

I sat there, staring at the closed door. The music was turned back on as everyone returned to partying, while I remained on the ground, consumed by grief. The tears continued to roll down my face as I sobbed bitterly.

With a strength I didn’t know I had, I picked myself up and began to walk, not knowing where I was going. I kept walking until I bumped into someone.

"What in the world is this?" A man’s angry voice rang out as I found myself on the floor again. I didn’t know who it was until I looked up and recognized who my audience was.

"Alpha Jaxon?" The fear was evident in my voice. His eyes burned with anger and disgust— emotions I had seen too often.

"I’m so… sorry, Alpha," I whispered, my voice barely audible as I bowed.

"Alpha Jaxon, what is the meaning of this?" the man beside him demanded, wiping his expensive-looking clothes as if I had stained him. "Is this how you welcome guests now, letting peasants interrupt them? Unbelievable." The man spat with utter dissatisfaction.

I remained bowed when a hand slapped me across the face, sending me back to the ground. The growing pain on my cheek wasn't numb but there was definitely swelling.

The stranger had struck me. When I glanced at Alpha Jaxon, his eyes showed anger, though he seemed to contain it as he addressed the visitor. "My apologies, friend."

"Hurry up and apologize!" The man yelled at me.

I scrambled to my knees, barely able to speak as I apologized to the man. All I felt was an empty void in my heart. Pain didn’t register, and neither did the insults that were thrown my way.

The man, no longer acknowledging me, turned to Alpha Jaxon and said, "Weak peasants like this shouldn’t be part of a pack, Alpha…" He trailed off, but Alpha Jaxon cut him off.

"Watch yourself, Miguel. Don’t tell me how to run my pack," he said, his voice low and dangerous. Then he composed himself and added, "Why don’t you go on then? Our business is done, and I won’t be seeing you off." One could tell Alpha Jaxon was keeping his voice at bay, holding in his anger.

Miguel, eager to escape as he realized this, bid Alpha Jaxon goodbye and quickly scurried away.

I remained kneeling when Alpha Jaxon finally turned towards me. His heated gaze made me shrink into myself.

"Useless," he sneered, slapping me across the face again. "Embarrassing me in front of a company, huh?" His voice was low but dangerous.

The pain stung worse this time as he put more force behind the slap. I lay on the floor, my hands pressed to my cheeks, wondering why it was always like this— constantly being bullied, constantly hated. I never understood it.

"You’re just a burden to this pack, of no value whatsoever. I can’t have you here again." He looked off into the distance, his expression distant. I realized he was mind-linking. This was confirmed when I saw two warriors walking toward us.

"What a waste of my time," Alpha Jaxon muttered. "I should have killed you a long time ago if I knew how useless you were."

I wondered what he meant by that, but only for a moment before the two warriors grabbed me.

"She’s banished from the pack. Take her out!" he ordered.

~

"What are you doing with her?" She asked.

Although the warriors weren't obliged to answer, they had to give a response because she was the daughter of the leader of the warriors.

"Really?" The smirk on Heather's face grew wider as she stopped staring at the warriors and turned her gaze to me.

"Well, it's about damn time," One of my brothers sighed in mock relief.

Heather continued, "Well, in that case, why don't we offer assistance?" She suggested with a smile on her face.

"The alpha ordered—" The warrior on my left was cut off by Heather.

"See, you must have been mistaken, I wasn't asking." The smile that had once graced her face dropped.

They knew she was powerful and not just because her father was one of authority. She had been trained by him, and he was considered strong and fierce.

My brother walked up to the warriors, who handed me over to him with no more words spoken.

"That will be all for now. You may return to your posts." Her smile had returned.

Both warriors scurried away.

"Well, well, well. Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Although she asked, I knew she wasn't expecting an answer from me. My brother snickered behind me before we started walking towards the forest.

We had walked a considerable distance, probably far enough where my screams wouldn't be heard as they tortured me to death.

"Now, I have to ask, what were you expecting when you found out Bryan was your mate? I could see the look in your eyes earlier," she laughed.

I wasn't ready to answer. The first hit was across my face.

"I asked you a question." She grabbed my short hair tightly. "You think you could replace me? Huh? Very funny." She chuckled.

My silence apparently only made her angrier. Her face was so close, and all of a sudden, my emotions conflicted—anger, despair—and with a surge of adrenaline, I spat in her face. This shocked both of us, but I quickly recovered as I realized I had nothing to lose anymore.

Heather was so angry. She wiped the spit off her face before starting to throw punches at me. My brothers just stood back and laughed.

I crumpled to the floor, clutching my stomach, groaning in pain. My vision had become blurry, but I could still hear the anger in her voice.

"Someone like you shouldn't even exist. Weak, pathetic, useless. Honestly, I wonder why you’ve lived this long. Your existence irritates me!" After she had ranted, she calmed herself down.

"You both," she said, pointing at my brothers who had been enjoying the spectacle. "Finish this." She ordered them before turning to me again. "I would have wanted to watch you die, but I think it's best to spend my precious time with ‘MY’ mate, Bryan." She mocked me before walking away.

Kyle grabbed my hair, lifting me off the ground. Kaleb delivered a blow to my stomach, making me double over. I fell to my knees as Kyle released his grip.

"Finally, you'll be out of our lives for good," Kyle started. "We can live our lives without you bringing a stigma onto us."

"You really are disgusting," Kaleb said as he kicked me again.

"This is no fun," one of them said. "How about your favorite game—Chase?"

"That's a great idea," the other agreed, planning my death.

I got up with the little strength I had left and started walking backward slowly. I knew I was falling into their trap, but if there was even the slightest chance that Bryan might come to my rescue again, then I was going to take it.

"Oh, there she goes," I heard from behind me as I walked away. I wasn't moving fast, and I tripped several times. When I turned, they were nowhere to be seen. I continued limping, not knowing where I was going until I reached the same cliff from last time.

This time, it appeared rather scary and deep as it was dark out, a drop from this height was sure to end me, “What to do? What to do?” I cried to the moon goddess but seconds later I yelped.

I felt my hair being yanked again, turning me around. A storm of punches came down on me, landing on my face and every other part of me. I felt like a punching bag, being used to take out someone's anger and frustration.

One of them held me by the arms while the other continued to strike. With every punch, he said, "You'll be out of our lives for good."

The punches turned into scratches. His claws were drawn, and I couldn't stop it. I was open and vulnerable, and no part of me was spared.

I stopped struggling at this point. Blood covered my body, and my vision was failing. I felt my hand release its grip as I fell to the floor.

Pressure was placed on my leg, and a cracking sound followed before the person let go.

"Is she dead?" One of them asked.

"I doubt she'd live after your rampage," the other answered, shaking me slightly.

"Let's go." They agreed after pushing me over the cliff, and then I lost consciousness before I hit the bottom.

5. The Brown eyed Beta