1 Chapter1

#Chapter1

Prologue

I'm Ava Cater. I'm a member of the Crystal Blue pack; at least, I think I am. However, I don't know if I can refer to myself as a member of a pack that tortures its own pack members for their own twisted satisfaction.

I was the walking punching bag for anyone who felt the need to hit something, or in my case, someone. It was absolute torture living among these people who you thought would be there to protect you and not cause you even more suffering than you have already endured.

I was a loner, not by choice, but nonetheless a loner. It was easy for anyone to take advantage of me since I was the weakling. I was the weakest person in my pack. I wasn't always weak, but I lost communication with my wolf over time as the beatings intensified.

I thought she was mad that I never stood up for myself or that she was too weak from all the beatings I endured over the years. It wasn't always like this though.

There was once a time in my life when I was somewhat happy.

I was told when I was old enough to understand that my parents left me in a basket at the border of the pack's territory. I was found by border patrol, which then brought me back to the pack house.

The Luna took me in almost immediately and raised me as her own. She only had one son, and later after giving birth, she was told by a healer from a faraway pack that she couldn't conceive any more children. I thought that was one of the reasons why she took me in.

I was happy living with the alpha (Benjamin), Luna (Caroline), and their son Caleb. Caroline was the one who named me and gave me their last name, Cater. They were the Caters- loving, kind, and gentle.

They always put their people first and made sure that everyone was treated equally. That didn't last long though, and neither did my happiness. The Luna died when I was six, and so did my happiness.

After the Luna passed away, everyone blamed me for her death. However, she died protecting me from a rogue during the time when there was a rogue attack on our pack.

She had told me to stay hidden in a secret passage when the attack began, but I didn't listen. I was too scared to stay in the passage by myself, so I came out of hiding to find her, and that's when it happened.

She was distracted for a second as she tried pleading with me to go back inside. A second, that was all it took, as one of the rogues charged at her and bit into her neck.

All I could do was stand there, silently watching as the life drained from her once vibrant eyes. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I ran over to her lifeless body on the ground. The rogues retreated when she fell to the ground with a thud, blood oozing out of her neck.

I hugged her lifeless body with my small hands, sobbing as I got blood all over me. When the alpha found out about what happened from a warrior that was in the room, which was when my life turned to hell.

Even now, at 17, I could still see the hatred in his eyes as if it had happened just yesterday. I knew he blamed me for what happened because he never failed to remind me how I took his mate from him.

That's when he grew cold and distant. After Luna's death, he would punish me for the littlest things, like forgetting to clean the house or something.

Yes. I had to clean the entire pack house that was occupied by at least 50 members. I never complained though, because I always believed that I deserved everything that was happening to me now.

If I had just listened, then their Luna and the woman that I knew as my mother would still be alive. It was my fault, and I would spend the rest of my life accepting their punishments until they forgave me.

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One

Ava's POV

/"Mom, please don't go,/" I begged as tears ran down my face. I sniffled a little, trembling in fear as I pleaded with her with my eyes.

/"I have to go, sweetie. You have to stay in here and don't come out until I come to get you,/" she said, placing a kiss on my forehead as she pulled back with a reassuring smile on her face.

She walked out the door and closed it softly behind her. I sat on the floor in the secret passage and rocked myself back and forth. I was terrified, and not having anyone else in here to keep me company only made me even more anxious.

I heard screams outside the door and panicked.

What if something happened to her?

I could just stay in here and do nothing, but at the same time, what could a six-year-old do? I didn't think about it as I ran out into the hallway to see my mom being surrounded by four wolves. She was still in her human form as she sized them up.

She looked in my direction and begged me to go back into hiding, but I only stood there frozen in place as my eyes widened in fear.

Then it happened. A wolf attacked her from behind and sunk its teeth into her neck in a second. A scream of terror left my lips as I stood still, too afraid to move. I could hear the cracking of bones from where I stood as the wolf snapped her neck. Then, finally, the wolf let her go and retreated.

Her body fell to the ground with a thud as her lifeless eyes stared back at me. I rushed over to her unmoving body and hugged her.