Chapter 3

Caleb's face twisted with a mix of anger and desperation as he refused to heed Althea's command to leave. His voice dripped with venom as he lashed out, his words intended to wound. "Oh, you think you can just walk away? Well, let me tell you, Althea, you're going to spend your years alone, withering away like a vegetable. No one will ever marry you. You'll be nothing but a lonely, pathetic soul for the rest of your life."

Althea felt a surge of fury rise within her, his hurtful words striking a raw nerve. But instead of succumbing to his verbal assault, she found strength in her own resilience. "Is that so, Caleb? Well, I'd rather spend my life alone and free than be shackled to a cheater like you. I won't let your toxicity define my future. Now, leave before I make you regret ever crossing my path."

With determination burning in her eyes, Althea held her ground, refusing to let Caleb's cruel words seep into her soul. She knew deep down that she deserved better than the love tainted by betrayal, and she would not allow his attempts to undermine her worth and happiness.

"...I was drunk and they used that as the perfect timing to bring her to me. They used me so that their daughter would not go to the mating ball."

She gritted her teeth. Are people really these shameless? Do they really think like that?

They just decided to plan their child's future with another man just like that? How disgusting can they be?

As Caleb tried to regain his composure, Althea's controlled and firm voice pierced through the tension. "I see that. I see it all. But I am not about to cry over spilled milk."

Caleb froze momentarily, his confusion evident in the furrowing of his eyebrows as he straightened up, his hands falling to his sides.

Then, Althea revealed something that caught Caleb off guard. "Her parents have discussed this 'incident' with mine."

'Incident? Of course, that was how they would refer to it,' Althea thought cynically, but she chose to focus on the facts and asked, "And...?"

Caleb took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express himself. "Althea, I want you to know that I love you very much. I want us to be together. I do want to build a family with you."

Althea's expression remained stoic, and her response was laced with skepticism. "I am sure that wasn't what you guys concluded on."

Caleb took a deep breath, the weight of his next words evident in his expression. "Althea, there's something I need to tell you," he began hesitantly. "I... I will be getting married to Josephine."

Althea felt as though her world had shattered once again. It was like a knife slicing through her heart, each word cutting deeper than the last. She struggled to hold back tears, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

As she tried to compose herself, Caleb continued, desperation evident in his voice. "Josephine checked with the maiden gods, and she has the fruit of the womb. She can give me the family I've always wanted and because of this she can't be given to the lycan king. "

Those words felt like a final blow, a confirmation that he was moving on with someone else, someone who could offer what he desired. Althea's heartache mingled with anger, knowing that he was choosing Josephine for her fertility, as if that was the only value she had to offer.

With tears in her eyes, Althea managed to respond, her voice laced with pain and resignation. "So, I was never enough for you, huh? Just a disappointment who couldn't give you what you wanted."

Caleb's face contorted with regret, but he held his ground. "It's not like that, Althea. I never meant to hurt you. It's just you didn't want us to like do it."

"Because waiting till marriage was worth it. because when we are married we could have sex whenever we like and eventually get tired of it but it seems like you don't see it that way" Althea said wiping the tears out of her eyes in anger.

Tears make someone weak and she is not weak.

"Well, I am sorry that I don't have the same sentiment..."

But Althea couldn't bear to hear any more excuses. "Save your explanations, Caleb. You've made your choice, and I won't stand in your way. Just go and be with Josephine and stop disturbing me."

With that, Althea turned away, her heart aching with the realization that their love had been shattered beyond repair. She knew she had to find a way to heal and move on, even if it felt like the hardest thing she'd ever have to do.

Even if it meant that she may be among the brides.

He waited for a while for her to speak but soon he realized that she had nothing more to say to him.

"My love?" He urged but she remained silent.

So he turned to the window and went back the way he came.

After a while, she started hearing noises from the sitting room.

She went outside her room to check what was going on.

Her family was seated on the dining table again acting as if she didn't exist. But then her mother said,

"The walls of our house are very thin. So it's easy to hear everything being said." Margaret then dropped her knitting and looked at Althea with a small smile. "I believe with Caleb getting married to someone else, you would be attending the mating ball of the king then?"

"Seriously mother? Do you not care for my well being?" Althea asked.

"I do and the best way to get over a man is to get under another"

Althea scoffed. "And my another should be the King? The one that is feared. The one that God knows what he does to his brides. Seriously mother?"

"Do not raise your voice at me young lady. Having you with the king would give us more food in our house. Less stomach feed"

"Oh really? Don't I contribute enough. I mean I know for sure I contribute more than father does. I work 12 hours a day just to add to the feeding of this family," She crossed her arms around her chest and angrily added, "But it seems like you all are gluttons if you are complaining about less mouth to feed"

Her father growled lowly, "Mind your words Althea. Don't let me pounce on you"

Althea was trying her best to hold her anger and pain inside. "And what if I come back? All blank and empty?"

"You won't, hopefully. It's your fault that I am in this predicament"

She couldn't believe that her mother still held that resentment towards her. Her mother was to marry one of the Alpha's in another pack, but she had a one night stand with my father. A poor man who lives in a shabby home.

This infuriated her mother as this took her mother's life into another turn. She kept on trying to terminate the pregnancy but she couldn't. She blames Althea for being the one to make her less beautiful as she was in her young days and less rich.

Everything was Althea's fault.

"You are just a greedy woman. You deserve not to have children. I wish you never gave birth to me"

Althea walked back into her room, turned the key in the keyhole then slid to her bed, her back resting on the door.

Althea let out a heavy sigh, her mind burdened with the weight of tradition and expectation. She rose from her seat, a sense of restlessness driving her to the window overlooking the vast expanse of the werewolf village.

The sun's gentle glow bathed the surroundings in an ethereal light as she closed her eyes, immersing herself in the crisp morning air. The distant sound of tribal music filled her ears—flutes, drums, and the haunting call of a lone howl—marking the beginning of a sacred werewolf tradition.

It was the Morning of the Lunar Betrothal, a time when couples rushed into matrimony to evade the decree of the Lycan King, who held the power to choose their partners for them. Yet, Althea found herself standing alone, unable to muster the same haste as her peers.

As the festivities reached a crescendo, Althea's heart swayed with conflicting emotions. She longed for love, for a bond that transcended tradition, she craved a true connection, one that would ignite her soul like the luminous moon above.

But unfortunately those are only in books.

Wonderful.

Maybe she should marry a fictional character instead.

Suddenly, she heard the key being turned in the keyhole, and her heart skipped a beat. Before she could react, her mother barged into the room, her face contorted with anger. In a moment of uncontrolled fury, her mother grabbed her by the arm and spun her around, forcing her to face the seething woman.

"How dare you?!" her mother shouted, her voice filled with rage.

"Mother?" she managed to utter, her voice trembling with both fear and confusion.

Her mother's eyes blazed with anger, but a hint of remorse flickered in them as well. She released her daughter's arm, regret washing over her features. "I'm so sorry," her mother whispered, reaching out to touch her daughter's face.

Feeling a mixture of pain and surprise, she held the stinging cheek, wincing as she noticed a small cut caused by her mother's sharp nails. The remorse in her mother's eyes made her realize that this wasn't who her mother wanted to be.

"How dare you shout at me, you pig!" her mother's voice wavered this time, no longer carrying the same ferocity.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Mother," she replied, her own voice tinged with vulnerability. "I was just feeling overwhelmed."

Althea looked up at her mother, her eyes widening in fear as her heart raced at the sight of something in her mother's hands.

Oh, no.

It was a wooden hairbrush, the bristles sturdy and formidable. Althea's breath hitched as her mother's expression turned cold and disapproving. Without a word, her mother swung the hairbrush with force, the bristles making sharp contact with Althea's back. A sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as she stumbled and fell to the floor, her long black curly hair tumbling around her face.

Curling up in pain, Althea shielded her face with her folded arms, trying to protect herself from the harsh blows.

"You're such a disgrace!" her mother spat, her voice filled with contempt. "Overwhelmed? You forgot who brought you to this life?! it was I Althea. I and you ruined everything for me. I hate you for it"

Althea trembled, her heart heavy with the pain of her mother's words and actions. She knew her mother didn't like her, but the cruelty she displayed still stung. It felt like an endless cycle of disappointment and resentment, and Althea couldn't understand why she was the target of her mother's wrath.

As she lay on the floor, her mind raced with a mix of fear and confusion. What had she done to deserve this? Why couldn't her mother see her for who she truly was? Was it because her mother suffered from split personality? It felt like an impossible battle, trying to win her mother's approval and love.

But in that moment of vulnerability, Althea also realized that she couldn't continue living under the weight of her mother's disapproval. She knew she deserved better, and deep down, she understood that her worth didn't depend on her mother's approval.

She knew how this went. This wasn't the first time, nor the second or third. She couldn't even count how many times her mother had done this to her and she knew this wouldn't be the last.

When Althea failed an exam she was beaten. When she didn't change to her wolf on time she was beaten. When she disgraced them in public she was beaten. How she wished she had somewhere to go. She thought it would be freedom to marry Caleb but now he is gone.

Margaret's rage knew no bounds as she swung the hairbrush, relentlessly striking Althea on her back, her hands, anywhere it landed. Althea's heart pounded with fear and pain, but her mother seemed blinded by anger, unable to stop the brutal flogging.

The beating continued, and Althea's cries of pain echoed in the room. Her dress tore from the force of the blows, the bristles cutting into her flesh, leaving behind long, bleeding gashes. The metallic scent of blood filled the air, and Althea bit her lip to suppress her sobs, determined not to give her mother the satisfaction of begging for mercy.

Althea bit her tongue to stop the tears from flowing, tears would lead to more beating. Tears won't stob anything. Her heart wrenching with the realization that her mother's disdain for her ran deep. The constant disapproval and cruelty seemed never-ending, leaving Althea feeling broken and unloved. She wondered what she had done to deserve such treatment, to be seen as a disgrace by the one person who was supposed to love her unconditionally.

So she took it all, till all she could see were black dots as different memories of all the times that her mother had ever whipped her in her life flowed through her brain.

She could feel life seep out of her slowly but Althea didn't fight it.

Wouldn't it be absolutely great if it all just ended right here? She was tired. She just wanted all of it to end.

By the time Margaret was done, it wasn't only Althea's heart that felt numb but her body too.

And since fate was so cruel, her breath hadn't ceased.

Her mother crouched behind her, dripping the blood covered brush on the floor. When she spoke, she sounded really out of breath.

Althea didn't move, she stayed curled up. She was used to this.

"A dress would be arriving soon. You would get dressed tomorrow and attend that mating ball all ready for the king to choose you. Don't forget to always keep that smile on your face. You don't want to be rejected"

With that she stood up and walked to the door,

Just like that, she excused herself.

Althea sat up from the floor, her hands were covered with blood but she could feel her healing capability was already taking place.

Althea sat still, numb to the pain of her wounds, knowing that as a werewolf, her body would heal itself. She watched as the torn flesh on her arm began to close up, the edges of the wound weaving together like a tapestry being repaired by an expert weaver.

The process was both fascinating and disturbing, as she could see the muscles and tendons in her arm knitting themselves back together. As the wound closed up completely, she could feel the sensation of her skin becoming smooth and unbroken once again.

Despite the pain having subsided, Althea remained still, watching intently as the last of the damaged tissue repaired itself.

With her wounds now fully healed, she stood up, feeling invigorated and ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.

Althea walked down the street, the soft swish of her simple blue dress whispering against her legs. She had chosen the dress for its understated elegance, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself at the wedding of her ex. As she approached the venue, she could see the happiness on the faces of the guests, their laughter and chatter filling the air.

Her heart sank as she caught sight of her ex, looking resplendent in his wedding attire. Despite the pain in her chest, Althea plastered on a smile and made her way inside, trying her best to blend in with the crowd.

The interior of the venue was decked out in festive colors, with streamers and balloons adorning the walls and ceiling. The smell of fresh flowers wafted through the air, and Althea felt a pang of nostalgia as she remembered this was what she planned for their wedding day.

As she watched the ceremony unfold, Althea felt a sense of detachment, as if she were watching the proceedings from a distance. Despite the happiness that surrounded her, her thoughts were consumed by memories of what could have been, and the realization that her ex had moved on without her.

After their happy celebration, Caleb approached her.

"Thank you for coming and understanding" Caleb said smiling and patting her shoulder.

Althea shrugged as if it was no big deal even when within her, she felt like she was being boiled. "It's no big deal"