Diana

I stumble out of the study blindly dragging myself along, my body swaying unsteadily; in too much pain to even notice which direction I am heading. My eyes are blurry with tears as I make my way down the hall.

Everything hurts…

All I want is to get as far away as I can- far, far away from this place of heartache and pain. I want to curl up in bed and cry my heart out, maybe then the stifling pressure in my chest would stop…but maybe it never will…

In my dazed and disoriented state, I don’t notice the door that creaks open just ahead. A hand reaches out from within and roughly drags me in, grip tight with bruising intensity. The door is then slammed shut.

Seeing who it is, I feel the blood drain from my face and a chill runs down my spine.

What I find is the disturbing gaze of Beta Mason staring down at me, on his lips is the same twisted, perverted smirk he always seems to wear around me. But this time, there’s an additional evil undertone to it which sharply reminds me of the encounter three years ago.

Worse yet, this time, we’re inside the Pack House…in his own study… my heart sinks even lower when I remember that all the rooms in the Pack House are soundproofed, meaning that there is no amount of screaming that would help me either.

“Why hello, Diana. Funny meeting you here”, he smirks.

His eyes run all over my body, taking in my well-fitting jeans and t-shirt. He lasciviously licks his lips, and I regret every single thought that ever made me pick out these clothes. I wrench my arm out of his grasp and wrap my arms defensively around my middle, taking a step back, trying to put some distance between us.

“I am curious though, what were you doing in the Alpha’s office hmmm?” he drags the last word, his voice making me nauseated.

I don’t answer and take another step back, cautiously keeping my eyes on him just in case he makes any sudden movements.

My silence doesn’t seem to bother him at all though as he cheerfully continues, “I saw you walking behind him just now, and you looked like a puppy following its master”, then he snickers, “You like him don’t you? Little Diana has a crush”, he sings.

“Too bad he’s way out of your league”, and he laughs in my face, his words making my heart clench painfully.

“But now you’re crying…” he muses, holding his chin as he studies me, his expression contemplative, “Could it be…” then he grins, “Could it be that you confessed your feelings for him and got rejected?”

No, but close enough…

I bite my lip and quickly school my expression. However, his sharp eyes still catch the minute change and they widen in amazement before he bursts out in loud derisive laughter, “Poor, poor wolfless Diana. Actually delusional enough to pine after the Alpha. How pathetic”, he jeers, laughing even louder.

I shut my eyes tight in hurt and embarrassment. His mockery digging deeper into my fresh wounds.

After laughing to his heart's content, he narrows his eyes on me and licks his lips, “But don’t worry, if the Alpha won’t take you. I will. I’ll satisfy those cravings you have. If it’s a man you’re lusting for, then it’s a man you’ll get. I can give you exactly what you want. Who knows, I might just be better at him at-“ and makes an obscene motion of humping his hips in the air.

I immediately pale.

“No”, vehemently shaking my head. My body trembles with panic as I take another step away from him, “I would like to go now Beta Mason. Please let me go”, my voice trembles as I beg, trembling from terror and desperation.

“I don’t think so”, he hums, stalking towards me. He runs his eyes up and down my body once more, “I’m going to enjoy this”, he muses darkly, and he starts to unbuckle his belt. A moment later, he pulls it free from his trousers and throws it away to the side, the buckle falling with a metallic clink.

“There’s no drunk warrior here to save you now Princess”, he smirks mockingly, “this time, no one is going to interrupt us. It’s just you and me now Diana. Just you…and me”, as he stalks closer.

I turn around and dash away.

“I do so like the chase”, he cackles and comes after me.

Diana

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains scenes of SA, violence and blood. Read at your own discretion.

Sharp pain explodes in my scalp as Beta Marcus grabs me by my hair and drags me down with him onto the floor.

I struggle fiercely “Let me go, you bastard!” I scream and manage to kick out at him before clawing away.

“Oof!” he exclaims exaggeratedly when my foot collides with his hard chest- with mounting despair, I realize that my feeble strength can’t hurt him at all, “Seems we have a fighter on our hands! How feisty! But I like it!” he chuckles.

He grabs me by the ankle and drags me back towards him, my thrashing useless against his overwhelming strength.

He flips me over onto my back and grabs my flailing arms in one hand before pinning them down above my head.

I raise a knee to kick between his legs but he quickly situates himself between my two legs, cutting off my chance to do so.

Screaming hysterically, I thrash my body, bucking my torso in a bid to throw him off- screaming for him to get off, to let me go, but it just seems that the more I struggle, the more sick amusement he finds in the situation.

With his free hand, he roughly lifts the hem of my shirt to my neck, exposing my chest. He pants lasciviously and grabs my breast through my bra, squeezing it brutally.

I whimper at the pain, “No! No, please! Please stop! You’re hurting me!” I sob, trying to inch my body away from him. With everything I have, I try to dislodge his disgusting touch which sends bile to my throat.

“Someone please help me!” I scream desperately when he palms the other breast. I thrash my head in stiffening terror and when my eyes glance behind him at the door, they happen to clash with brown eyes- wide with shock, through the small crack of the slightly ajar door.

It seems that when he shut the door earlier, something had caught on it and he hadn’t noticed that the door hadn’t quite closed all the way.

Seeing this, hope blossoms in my heart. I can still be saved! Someone could still save me from this nightmare!

“Please! Please help me!” I scream even louder, this time, my voice has taken on a shrill tone in my desperation.

“Please!” I implore the person standing petrified behind the door, my eyes boring into familiar eyes.

My loud scream apparently annoys my assailant because he growls before backhanding me across the face, the hit resounding with a loud slap.

“Are you trying to burst my eardrums?!”

My head whips to the side and my vision goes blurry, a loud ringing in my ear. My lip also splits from the force behind the slap. However, I shake my head, forcing my consciousness through the dizziness brought on by the blow, the pain is nothing as long as I am able to escape. I determinedly keep my gaze on those brown eyes behind the door- eyes strikingly similar to my own.

“Please” my eyes boring into his, dripping with desperation.

This is my brother. My twin brother. And regardless of our past, I have never had a doubt that if I were in a real pinch, he would come through for me. After all, he is my family. My own blood.

With my eyes, I implore him to hurry up. The tears of fear flowing down my cheeks and into my hair becoming those of relief. I have no doubt in my heart that he would save me. And even as Beta Mason unbuttons my jeans, relief courses through my veins instead. I am saved.

Right at this moment I expect him to barge into the room and throw Beta Mason away from me…but instead, something inconceivable happens.

Apollo turns around on his heels and strides away.

What?

No…

The shock of it stuns me- my previously thrashing and fighting body icily locking into a state of petrification.

No…

He wouldn’t…

He WOULDN’T!!