Allan stopped to see what was about happing when Faran reappeared. The long antagonistic gaze between the two suggested a fallout. Faran accused his brother of being sympathetic to me.

"I can see, huh!" began Faran, "you are beginning to pity the bitch! I'm sure you know what you are doing." Faran glanced at me quickly and continued, "this girl is worthless.... she is nothing but a slave and slave she will remain in our pack!"

"Why are you accusing me of something I haven't done?" defended Allan.

"Oh, really?... Are you trying to put up a defence, brother?" he asked Allan.

Allan remained silent as Faran walked passed him toward my direction. He was coming with an evil look in his eyes.

"Now listen to me, Elena," he grabbed my hair with all his strength to torment me. "I will be expecting some guests next tomorrow for my birthday party. See that you keep everything in order and provide quality food, wine and of course your services to my guest!" he go of my hair. "Is that understood?"

"Yes-sir.. sir... Yes sir!" I stammered.

"Now, clean up this mess, you good-for-nothing slave!" he spat at me scornfully and left.

Once again, I found myself standing all alone with bruises on some parts of my body, thanks to Faran's brutality.

In the evening of that day, after I was through with all my chores, I returned to my room. Only to discover something strange. It was an ointment. Who could have placed it on my bed? It was certainly not Sarah because she has no access to such.

I picked up the ointment and waggled in thought about who could have kept it. Whoever kept the ointment on my bed knew I needed it for my wounds. And since Sarah was out of the picture, my suspicion became more complex.

"Sarah! Sarah!" I called. I'm sure she could hear me from her room.

"Yes, Elena, what can I do for you?"

"Uhmm, I was thinking about something...Did you drop any ointment on my bed?"

"What kind of question was that? Hell no, I didn't!" she denied. "Maybe, I should take a look at it myself!"

"Yes-sure...you can!" I told her.

When Sarah saw the ointment, she looked surprised and continued to deny everything about it! Her answer aligned with my previous assumption that she had nothing to do with it. But who did?

It was a day before Faran's birthday. I have worked all day and barely get some sleep.

It was almost evening when he came to the kitchen to inspect the dishes I was making for his guest. I had done my best to leave him satisfied if he walks in...I was confident in myself that I had done enough.

He began to open the pots and at the same time had a taste of every one of them.

"This is very salty...you idiot!" began Faran all of a sudden, "are these the worthless food you intend to serve my guest tomorrow?" His face grew mad as he spoke.

"No, Sir, I don't think the food is salty, maybe you should have another taste or maybe, call another individual to verify," I said.

"Wait a minute!" he glanced at me with his evil eyes, "are you saying that I'm out of mind?...that I'm lying? Are you calling me a liar?"

"Hell no, sir! I will never call you a liar!" I was shivering as I defended myself.

"You just told me to get another taster, didn't you, Elena?....That proves that my organ for taste is useless, right?"

"No, sir, I did not say that....that was not what I meant to say. Please, don't misunderstand me, I beg you!" I was about to shed tears knowing what might come next, but that did not deter him from maltreating me.

Faran hit me so hard on my cheek. It was one of the strongest slaps I have met in my whole life. I was stunned for more than a minute and could not speak.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson that you will never forget!" He threatened.

He laid his two hands on me. They felt so hard on my body. He pulled me strongly and threw me against one of the pots on the table. His violent actions sent some of the kitchen utensils flying in different directions.

"Please, sir have mercy on me!" I cried but he was deaf to my cries.

He picked me up again and hit me hard with his powerful right hand on my forehead.

"I'm just getting started, whore! Next time you will show me some respect...A slave you are and a slave you will remain!..No body is gonna safe you."

No doubt, I gave up. Hope was not coming any time soon. All I could do was watch as he abused me. He began strangling my neck.

"You are gonna kill me, sir!" I cried with a suffocating voice amid my tears but, he wouldn't listen.

"Then die and go to hell!" he retorted before letting me go but not without pushing me with great force.

I fell hard to the floor with bruises but was glad to be alive.

I looked up at him to see if he was coming after me again but, he wasn't. Instead, he stood and stared like a devil with a heart full of evil and wickedness.

He made a sudden aggressive move towards me again. This time, he grabbed my ears and said, "you better pay attention to this!"

He had hardly finished speaking when our bodies tingled as they touched. I smelt his body scent. I felt a strong attraction to him amid the odd moment... It was an attraction I have never felt in my whole life.

This desire to stick to his body only grew worse as we looked at each other in silence and dumbfounded.

Faran appeared confused and flabbergasted as well. I was sure he might have smelt my body scent and felt the same innate attraction just as I did.

Quicky, he moved away from me in shock.

'No! no! no!...!' I said silently in my heart. This must have been a mistake on the part of the moon goddess. How could this monster-of-a-man be my mate?

I was staggering in my silent debate as well as keeping my eyes on him. I watched him rain curses and insults on me.

"You will never be my mate...you unworthy whore!" he spat at me. "Never in a million years!" he shouted and grabbed my hair as usual.

"Please, stop sir....you are hurting me!" I cried.

"Oh, yeah, this is just the beginning of what I'm about to do to you, bitch!"

He began to hit me hard on all parts of my body. I could clearly feel his rage, pain and hatred as he made me his punching bag.

"I'm begging you with my life, you are gonna kill me if you don't stop!" I cried. Blood was beginning to flow from my eyes as a result of his reckless punches but, he paid no attention.

"And that's what I want," he replied, "I rather see you dead than become my mate...you are an inferior piss of shit!... I'm sending you to the pit of hell rather than be my mate!"

He pushed me against the wall with a resounding blow. I was getting weaker as he continued to abuse me.

Faran reached out for a fork across the kitchen table. He folded it in his right palm and hit me so hard across my forehead. The sharp edge of the fork cut across my forehead, and blood flowed profusely from my forehead. I was covered in blood and could barely see again. Yet, he never stopped beating and throwing me around the kitchen area.

Faran was probably, the last person I would see before my miserable life ends, I thought.

I fell on my knees gasping for air as my eye sight started getting blurred. It was the last thing I could remember before I faded into oblivion.