Chapter 2: Cinderella in the Shadows

As the days passed by, Samuel Seraphina's father's sickness got worse, and all efforts to heal him of this illness seemed to never work. One evening as the dark clouds above the forest glowed heavily, Serephina walked into the family home and found her father lying on the floor his breath non-existent. She cried out for help as she knew that her only source of joy and the only person who loved her was now dead and gone. The werewolf community bore witness to Seraphina's life spiraling into the abyss after her father's untimely demise. Days went back as the sadness and grief in her heart increased, she had now lost her source of joy as both her mother and father whom she loved so much were dead and she was left alone in this wicked world. The family home, once a place of warmth, now echoed with the chilling whispers of shadows. The stepmother's malevolence, previously veiled, now unfolded properly, entwining Seraphina in a web of cruelty.

With each passing day, the stepmother's maltreatment of Seraphina reached new heights. Eleanor frustrated Serephina's life daily and made her life a living hell. The family's once-hearty meals were now meager rations, and Seraphina found herself relegated to the darkest corners of the home. The stepmother's daughters Mary and Stephanie who were much younger than Seraphina, now emboldened by the absence of a fatherly figure, joined in their campaign of scorn. Mary and Stephanie most times refused to give Seraphina any food and they both made sure she did all the house chores daily without any helping hand.

One evening, as the bitter winds rattled the windows, Eleanor confronted Seraphina in the dimly lit kitchen. "You're a burden on this household, girl," she spat, her eyes narrowing with disdain. "Your existence tarnishes the memory of your father."

Seraphina, no stranger to the sting of her stepmother's words, squared her shoulders. "I loved my father as much as you did. His memory deserves more than this hatred."

The stepmother's laughter, a wave of cruelty, filled the room."Love won't feed you, Seraphina. You're naive if you think sentimentality will shield you from the harsh reality of our world."

As if on cue, the daughters entered, their eyes aflame with malice. "Look at her, thinking she's entitled to our legacy," one sneered, the other nodding in agreement.

Despite the degradation, Seraphina clung to the remnants of her dignity. "I seek no entitlement. Only the right to be treated with the respect due to any member of this pack."

The stepmother, unfazed, circled Seraphina like a predator closing in on its prey. "Respect is earned, not given freely. And you, my dear, have done nothing to earn it."

The daughters, eager to impress their mother, echoed her sentiments. "You're a stain on our family name. No one in the pack will ever accept you."

As the verbal assault continued, Seraphina's spirit remained unbroken. She retreated to the solace of her makeshift sanctuary, a small corner of the attic where moonlight filtered through a crack in the ceiling. Here, she unleashed her beautiful voice into the night, an attempt to drown out the noise of hatred that echoed through the household.

Meanwhile, the stepmother and her daughters, aware of Seraphina's secret refuge, plotted to strip her of even this small joy. "Let's make her singing the laughingstock of the pack," one daughter suggested with a wicked grin.

Eleanor and her daughters decided to paint Seraphina in a bad light to the rest of the pack and community in order for them to hate and reject her. They decided to spread false rumors about her and even led people to believe that she had a hand in the death of Samuel her father and also her mother. They made people believe that Seraphina was cursed and a witch. The next day, as Seraphina ventured into the village to gather supplies, she became the target of the stepmother's scheme. Whispers spread like wildfire, tarnishing Seraphina's reputation further. The villagers, influenced by the stepmother's manipulation, mocked and ridiculed her, turning her once-melodic voice into a source of shame.

As Seraphina returned home, the stepmother reveled in her success. "You thought your voice could save you? It only seals your fate as an outcast."

Yet, within the depths of Seraphina's gaze, a spark of defiance flickered. She refused to let her spirit be extinguished by the cruelty that surrounded her. Little did she know that her unwavering strength had already caught the attention of the Alpha, setting the stage for a transformative journey from the shadows of rejection to the embrace of an unexpected love.