Violet's POV

I groaned as I fell to the ground, my back coming in contact with the wall just behind. An intense jolt of pain shot up my legs and I winced, mentally tracing the pain to my feet which were twisted backward. That was sure to hurt later. A sneer just a few inches from my face had me flinching, as I pressed my eyes shut.

"Did that hurt, Violet?" The stench of stale alcohol hit my nose as I fought the urge to barf. His voice was cold, with a hint of mischief lining it. " Tell me."

"Ohhh." One of them guffawed. They were four and I could tell one of them was laughing. " She even did the laundry. Isn't that neat?"

"So neat. They're literally sparkling." My eyes were still closed but I could recognize them by their voices. This was Dave and the first two that had spoken were Blake and Carl respectfully. " How about we change that?"

"No!" My eyes flew open as I jerked up. My eyes bulged, following the item in their grasp. It was my basket, my laundry basket. " Please don't, it took me forever to.."

"Oops." The last one, Jeff, smirked as he hit the basket, its content tumbling over. In one swift motion, I watched as the sole of his dusty boot hit the clothes. Another round of jeers and laughs filled the air as the other boys joined in, each one making their mark on the clothes below.

"Please," I begged as they continued their assault. A gasp slid past my lips as a sting spread through my arm. It was Carl. Amidst all the madness, he'd picked one of the clothes and slashed me with it.

"Lowlife!" He spat as he continued with his assault. My body felt on fire as each one of them took turns, hurling the meanest and cruelest curses ever known to mankind. "Rot in hell."

It took a while before I could feel my body after the guys had left. I waited a while as my vision cleared, the once-black spots slowly clearing up into reality. My limbs shook as I slowly picked myself up. It took a while, but eventually I finished rewashing the clothes and hung them back in their respective spots. I signed as I glanced at the many scars staining my body. They glowed a deadly red and I knew it was only a matter of time before they would begin to hurt as hell. I was skinny to the bones and it made situations like this much worse. It didn't even help that I had an endless amount of work to do every day and it was ironic because of who I really was.

I was the daughter of the Scarlett pack Beta, but after that awful incident, everything turned around for the worse. The reason I was scorned and treated like a bug in the park was because I was a sinner. My father had betrayed the pack, and Luna lost her life trying to save me. So as punishment, I was forced to be a slave to literally everyone in the pack until I could transform and that was how I'd spent the last eight years of my life. Suffering and torture, through and through.

I felt a tiny ray of hope as I scanned my immediate surroundings. After what seemed like forever, I'd finally finished all my chores for the day. The tiny ray of hope was short though as a certain image popped into my head; my destination. After a strenuous day of work, I was required to retire to my cell which was far from liveable conditions. My heart broke into a million pieces at the thought of my memories there. It was pure agony and…

The rest of my monologue died in my throat as I bumped into a rock-hard wall. As if my pulsing ankle wasn't enough, another jolt of pain shot through my head.

"Are you perhaps blind?" My blood ran cold at the sound of the voice. Even in my dreams or if I was tucked into the deepest part of hell, I would never fail to recognize whom that voice belonged to. I hadn't just bumped into a wall, I'd bumped into the last person I wanted to see; Sam.

I snuck a peek at him, daring to confirm my suspicions and I regretted it immediately. Rage-filled eyes stared down at me, his eyebrows slick with sweat. The slimy liquid slid down his forehead into his arms and even legs and my brain quickly translated it into one thing; he was just back from training. Even in the face of death, I found myself foolishly admiring the man of the hour and I berated myself for it.

I would deal with the consequences later.

Despite the effects of his training gleaming on his skin, he was as hot as hell. Chocolate brown hair matted his scalp and I clenched my fingers together as I fought the urge to run my fingers through his locs. His usual blue orbs were a fiery shade of red, reminding me of how much trouble I'd gotten myself into. Not only was he a handsome temptation, but he was also the successor to the Scarlett pack. It was no surprise to anybody when it was announced. If the word perfect could be used as a reference for anyone, it would be Sam. Not only was he a literal eye candy, his abilities were top-notch. But that wasn't surprising. The fact that we used to be childhood best of friends and we're literally inseparable tore me up from the inside. Ever since Luna's death, Sam became my worst nightmare, haunting me every single day of my life.

"Are you deaf too now, Mamba?" I hated that nickname and it made it worse that only Sam called me that. He believed that I was cold and vicious, therefore making it a befitting description for me. In his words, I was nothing less than a snake whom he enjoyed trampling on her dignity. A shudder ran down my spine as I awaited his punishment. Sam found me disgusting so there was no way I could slip past this one. In the blink of an eye, I felt my back colliding with the wall, a shock snaking up my spine. I flinched at the pain I felt as he spoke. "You disgust me."

As if to prove his point, he spat on me as I took in the insult. When he finally decided to let me go, he left with a parting gift as well, a broken arm.

I limped as I was escorted down my cell. Even the mere thought of the place brought back nothing but nightmares. It was humid, scorching in the summer and freezing in the winter but that wasn't all. In all weather conditions, I was stuck with a variety of unidentified venomous insects keeping me company. The moment I settled in the dark cell, I patted around my prison cell continuously, searching for a suitable weapon. A mix of dread and fear pierced my soul the moment I found what I was looking for; a sharp prison spike just waiting to be used. Skillfully and after muttering a quick prayer to the goddess, I found a purple bruise on my skin, brimming with poison and venom. I bit down on my lip as the sharp end of the spike pierced into my swollen skin. A wave of disgust washed over me as pus mixed with venom gushed out, staining my body and the ground too. It was bound to stink, but what could I do? I was stuck here till only the goddess knew.

After the last of the pus trickled out, I laid down on my makeshift bed of cold and damp straw mats. A thin paper cardboard was underneath too, but it made no difference. I was still on the verge of freezing to death. Cold air seeped in through the ground as I folded my legs, gently rocking them back and forth. I slowed my breath as I allowed Luna's words to ring in my ears. Luna never failed to emphasize how important a fated mate was and I eagerly looked forward to my salvation after my first transformation. It went on like that until I found myself drifting on the rocking waves of sleep.

I woke up the next morning, bright and ecstatic, eager for my transformation. I shut my eyes tight as I called on my first transformation. It took a while, but after an awfully long amount of time, I felt it. I felt my bones twist and turn into unnatural angles, the transformation digging deep into my skin. My joy knew no bounds at what happened next. It was a low whisper and almost barely existent, but I heard it, so clearly that it reverberated deep in my bones.

"I'm Zoey." A voice boomed all around me. I wasn't the least bit surprised though, because I knew who the voice was from. It was from inside me and she was my wolf.

" I'm your wolf and you know what?"

My body thrummed in excitement at the sound of that. Somehow I already knew what she wanted to say even before she said it, but still, it didn't reduce my eagerness one bit.

"I can smell our mate nearby."