Anaiah sat in her room, filled with dread as she rummaged through her clothes for something to wear. Waking in her father's pack after a wild night was not how she wanted her day to go. Confusion swirled around in her head as she struggled to remember how she ended up there. She knew she had to face him, her father, who would be waiting downstairs. Panic surged through her—what would he do? Punish her like always? Let her stepmother treat her like trash? Or worse, would he sell her back to Jax? None of those options were appealing, and she was not ready for such pain.

Anaiah finally settled on a black coat, wrapping it around herself as she hurried down the stairs, wanting to avoid her father’s wrath. The moment he spotted her, anger flared in his eyes.

"What the hell were you thinking, sleeping around?" he growled.

She frowned, trying to remain calm. "I didn’t do anything, Father."

With a swift motion, he slapped her, his face flushed with rage. "Jax called to say you cheated on him."

"He’s lying! He cheated on me!" she cried, desperate for someone to believe her. The audacity of Jax angered her. After rejecting her and being unfaithful with her step-sister, he dared to turn the blame back on her?

At that moment, her stepmother, Grace, emerged from her room, her presence as fierce as ever.

"You're just like your mother—nothing but a disgrace," she hissed, her eyes shooting daggers.

Though Anaiah felt light-headed from the previous night’s drinking, she managed to hold her head high. However, under her father's icy stare, her defiance crumbled.

Grace continued her tirade against Anaiah's mother, and tears began to flow freely, but just as quickly, a wave of nausea washed over her. Before she could react, she threw up all over Grace.

Anaiah barely registered the sensation of something hard hitting her before the world went black.

---

When she stirred awake, the sounds of her father and his family filled her ears, amplifying her headache. Hearing them was like a reminder of all the pain they caused her, but she pushed back the tears threatening to fall. She would not give them the satisfaction; she would stay strong.

News of Jax and Amelia's engagement spread through the pack, inflicting fresh wounds on her heart. The sight of them together was unbearable; her life had crumbled into pieces. It hurt to see how her father treated her as if she were worthless while preparing for a wedding that highlighted their betrayal. The pack her mother once belonged to was now about to be given away to Jax, who had broken her heart.

Everyone talked about them as if they were the perfect match, but Anaiah's wolf ached as she felt the pain of watching her mate in another's arms.

"I see you've become even more useless, sister," Amelia sneered from the top of the stairs, taking pleasure in her torment. "Don't you have anything to do?"

Anaiah remained silent, continuing to gather decorations for the engagement, forced to serve them by her father's orders.

"Are you deaf, you brat?!" Amelia yelled angrily, stomping down to confront her.

"I can't talk right now—" Anaiah began but was cut off by Amelia's dramatic fall to the floor.

"Dammit, Anaiah! You want to ruin my life because Jax chose me over you?" she wailed, frustration flaring within Anaiah.

How low could Amelia go to torment her? Anaiah could only stare blankly, wishing she could unleash her anger on her sister.

The commotion caught the attention of others, and soon, Jax rushed in, concern written all over his face as he knelt beside Amelia, cradling her.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked with a clench in his jaw, gently stroking Amelia's hair.

Seeing them together, jealousy filled Anaiah, and she fought back laughter at how foolish she had been to trust him. How could she have missed the truth?

"How dare you hurt my Luna?" Jax growled, grabbing Anaiah by the neck.

Desperation gripped her as tears filled her eyes. "You didn’t even-"

"I don’t need to," he barked back, anger radiating from him.

"If it weren’t for your father demanding your presence here, I would have ended you myself."

With a forceful shove, he slammed her against the wall, a sharp cry escaping her throat from the impact.

"Stop it!" someone shouted as they rushed toward them, but the intervention came too late.

Anaiah lost consciousness as he struck her again.

"Wake up, you disgrace!" Alpha Graham's voice pulled her from the darkness with a stinging slap. "You bring shame to my legacy, Anaiah. Just like your mother!"

"Alpha, please calm down. It's not good for her state," the pack doctor interjected, trying to ease the situation.

Anaiah frowned, confused. "What state?"

"How dare you ask such questions?!" her father yelled in frustration. "You are just as useless as your mother. Who is the father?!"

Tears streamed down her face, the mention of her mother’s name filling her with pain. Memories of her mother always struck a chord, making it hard for her to keep her composure.

"Answer me!" he demanded.

"I... I don’t know what you're talking about—" she tried to reason, but he wasn’t listening. His pacing filled the room with tension as he pulled at his hair in frustration.

"Alpha—" the doctor again attempted to soothe him.

Her father's demeanor shifted. Slamming the doctor against the wall, he revealed his fangs. "You do not interfere in my matters, lowlife! Get out before I tear you to pieces!" he shouted, sending the doctor fleeing in fear.

"Now, you are going to tell me what I need to know, Anaiah," he said, voice cold and menacing, sending chills down her spine.

"Father—" she croaked, but he cut her off.

"Don’t call me that," he growled, pointing a finger at her with a glare. "You need to tell me who the father of your child is!"

THREE DAYS LATER.

Anaiah felt lost, unsure of whom to blame for her predicament. She realized how reckless it was to spend the night with a stranger, a decision she made while under the influence. Though her wolf felt an inexplicable bond with him, anxiety settled in her heart at the possibility of never seeing him again.

Was she truly pregnant, as her father and the pack doctor suggested? If so, what kind of life would she offer a child in a place that showed her no love?

Trying to sit up proved difficult; weakness clung to her after days of being confined without food or water. Her father's punishment left her drained, her body protesting against the lack of nourishment.

Crawling to the door, she banged on it. "Hello?! Please let me out of here! I can’t stay like this!" she yelled, but only silence answered her.

Leaning against the door, she curled into a ball, sobbing as the realization set in. They wanted her dead. Her own father would rather see her gone.

"I don’t see why you don’t take a hint. We’re trying to live without your mess," she heard Jax say from the other side.

Desperation filled her as she spoke through the door. "Jax, please! You have to help me. I need to eat."

His laughter was cold. "You think I would let you trick me again, Anaiah? I see clearly now."

"Please, Jax—"

"Sure, I’ll set you free. Then you'll just return to your other man? The one who might have gotten you pregnant?" he retorted with mockery.

"Jax, I’m not pregnant! We don’t know that!"

"Of course, you’re lying! You’re nothing but a deceitful brat. You accused me when I was innocent, while you’ve been with another man!"

Her heart shattered under his words. They weren’t true, but the pain in her chest gnawed at her. He had broken her trust, and now he twisted the truth to justify his actions.

"That's not how it was, Jax! I loved you, but you destroyed that when I saw you with my sister!" she shouted, though it came out as a mere whisper.

"Just let me out of here!" she pleaded.

"Let you out?! You’re not worthy enough to leave this place!" He roared, anger flaring as he shoved the door open with enough force to send her staggering back.

Fearing what he might do next, she instinctively took a step back.

"You’re not carrying a baby; you’re carrying shame and a legacy of being a slut. Nothing good will ever come from you!" Jax spat, seething with rage.

Anaiah clenched her fists, fighting back tears of anger and sorrow. "Don't you dare talk about my child like that!"

His expression twisted with fury. "You have no right to defy me!"

Just then, Amelia entered, a smug grin spreading across her face as she took in the scene. "What’s going on here?" she asked, feigning innocence as she stepped closer to Jax.

"She was trying to ruin everything, just like always," Jax answered, glaring at Anaiah as if she were the source of all his misfortune.

Anaiah shook her head, desperation bubbling inside her. "Please, Jax. You can't leave me here. I might be pregnant!"

He sneered, turning away from her. "You're just a burden. A waste of space. I won’t waste my time with someone like you."

Amelia chuckled, leaning against her partner. "You should have thought twice before acting like a little girl. It's time to grow up, Anaiah."

Gritting her teeth, Anaiah clenched her fists tighter, forcing herself to stay strong. Her resolve hardened; she wouldn’t let them see her break. "I won’t let you treat me like this," she said, her voice steady despite the chaos in her heart.

Jax stepped towards her menacingly. "You dare speak to me like that? You're nothing but a pathetic little girl who's lost everything."

In that moment, she felt the urge to fight back, to unleash every emotion pent up within her. But before she could react, he pushed her again, shouting, "Just stay away from me!"

As he slammed the door shut, Anaiah pressed her back against it, gasping for breath. The silence in the room enveloped her, and she crumpled to the floor, uncertainty washing over her like a wave.

Deep down, she refused to surrender. Despite the pain and fear, she was determined to find a way out of this nightmare—no matter what it took. The thought of facing her father, the betrayal from Jax, and her uncertain future weighed heavily on her mind, but she held onto the hope of finding the stranger who had once given her a taste of true freedom. If she was truly pregnant, she wouldn’t let her child suffer like she had.

Clutching her coat tightly around her, she whispered softly to herself, "I will not give up." The battle for her life and the life of her unborn child was just beginning.