Share
Taking A Walk
Related chapters
Forsaken Mate Into the Woods
I smelled him coming a mile away.My father only ever comes to see me when he reeks of cheap whiskey and rage. He needs a target to attack and someone to blame for all the various misfortunes of his life. I'm guilty of only having been born to the bitter tyrant.I press my face against the dingy wallpaper inside my run-down trailer tucked away in a corner. My heart pounds with an all too familiar dread, despite having endured this scene many times in my life. It's all burned into my body, like muscle memory.The sound of his heavy footsteps echoes outside with the uneven crunch of gravel under Deadrick Pride's stumbling gait. He's here for me, fueled by the liquor that consumes his inhibitions and ignites his rage.The trailer, my paper-thin sanctuary, closes in around me. Its walls, worn and rusted, bear the scars of countless altercations. The only physical evidence remaining of the many wounds inflicted by my father, my family, my pack. The half-broken windows allow slivers of moon
Forsaken Mate While She's Down - 1
"Get up, bitch." Wesley sneers down at me, his voice dripping with venom. "Or do you need more time to finish crying to mommy dearest?" His words sting, but I'm used to them, along with his slaps, his kicks, his punches. His words are probably his weakest weapon, but that doesn't stop them from stirring something wounded within me. I pick myself up and get on my feet despite my aching, tense abdomen. I know the drill and keep my eyes lowered. Grit and bear it. That's all I have to do. Just grit my teeth and bear it. "Not much of a mother, though," he sniffs, circling me and her grave. "Took the first chance she could to leave you behind. I guess that's where you get that coward streak from." Wesley Wrest knows just what to say to cut me deep. He's had years of practice. Of course every insult and barb is carefully calculated to prick at my raw nerves. He also knows that I can't do anything against him. As the future Alpha of River Crest, he's already got more power than he knows w
Forsaken Mate While She's Down - 2
If I were anyone else, I might have believed him. Might have believed he'd be gentle and let me go after and never bother me again. If I were someone else, I'd be stupid enough to see this as a chance to change my fortunes in River Crest. Maybe get into the future Alpha's good graces. But I'm not someone else. I'm Makayla Pride. I know there's nothing I could ever do to be free from this nightmarish hell. I know Wesley, Quinn, Russel, and the other three hiding out in the woods waiting for orders will never let me go unscathed. Even if I beg like he wants and give him my body. And because I am me, I know what's coming next. All I can do is relax and wait for it to pass. "You'll never get another chance like this, Pride." His thumb traces my bottom lip, and that flicker of insanity sparks in his eyes. His composure is cracking. "Beg me, and I'll make you feel like heaven." "Stop wasting your time on her, Wes. She's not worth it," Quinn snaps, crossing her arms over her chest like
Forsaken Mate Yes Father
Stepping out into the warm sunshine, I feel nothing but cold. A shiver runs through me when I see Deadrick Pride’s imposing figure looming at the end of the gravel path. A hint of anger still boils in his grey eyes as he approaches me at the bottom of my stoop. He barely surveys the damage he caused last night, grimacing as though the state of my home was the result of my shortcomings. Like the wreckage is proof I’m always at fault. How dare I not repair everything he ruined in mere minutes? Useless, stupid Makayla. Before he reaches me, I step forward and bow deeply, as is required for underlings when in the presence of pack leadership. Can’t say I hate it. It gives me an excuse to look away from his perpetually disappointed face. To meet his eyes would be like stepping into a minefield, so I keep my gaze lowered even after finishing the bow. Volatile doesn’t even begin to cover my father’s temperament, and there’s no way of knowing what will set him off. “You took your time,” he
Forsaken Mate The Silver Necklace
I did my best to clean up the mess around my home. With so few possessions to destroy, it didn't take long for me to clear everything away or simply toss it in the trash. At least that's taken care of now. With my father's threats still hanging in the air like a guillotine blade, I retreat into my trailer. The wreckage remnants inside are too accurate a depiction of exactly how I'm feeling. Like the last pieces of my fragile sanity will soon splinter, broken windows beneath his heavy boot. But I can't dwell on it or anything else without potentially disintegrating under that very same boot. There'll be nothing left of me but dust and shards of what I used to be. Also, I don't have time to waste on metaphors and sadness. There's an event to prepare for—a mask to put on. It's a bit sickening, really, how I have to mold, shape, and scrape myself together to appease the same people who've spent my entire life tormenting me. All of this to survive. "Is it worth surviving?" The question
Forsaken Mate A Pretty Target
With Milla silenced and my appearance made "presentable," I head to the River Crest pack house. Twenty minutes of walking in heels isn't ideal, but it's a reasonable excuse to delay the inevitable.The pack house comes into view too soon for my liking, and I heave a heavy sigh. This place is the absolute worst. It starkly contrasts the wilderness I usually call home, a grandeur that feels like another world.Stepping through the opulent doors, I hold my breath and keep my gaze lowered to the floor, sticking to the walls and corners of each room.My father's orders loop in my mind like a mantra—blend in, be quiet, be invisible. I've mastered this art form during the years I've barely survived in River Crest.I risk a quick glance around the main hall and can't deny how beautiful the pack house is. White wisteria hangs from the ceiling and nearly every flat surface. Lace, tulle, and candles, all in River Crest's signature blue, white, and gold.My blue dress blends with the event's blue,
Forsaken Mate Making An Entrance
The second I step out of the bathroom, my father’s hand clamps around my arm. His grip is like a vise, biting into my skin. “Where the hell did you go?!” he hisses, furious gaze blazing down at me. “Are you trying to make me look like a fool, disappearing just as you are to be introduced?” How was I supposed to know I was getting a formal introduction? He didn’t mention it before, and no one else bothered to say anything to me either. “My sincerest apologies, Beta Pride.” I try to bow, but his hold on me limits my mobility. “I needed a moment to freshen up, to make sure I’m presentable for our esteemed guests. I didn’t wish for my inferior nature to offend them.” It must be my imagination, but I swear his expression softens as he releases his grip on my arm. It’s rare for him to offer any hint of approval, so this sudden shift in character must have something to do with the agreement between the packs. I see the signs. It’s subtle, but his heartbeat is a little quicker, and a fain
Forsaken Mate Wallflower
Dinner ends, and the dishes are carted away, mine still loaded with most of what Griselda heaped on it. In the end, I couldn’t stomach more than a dozen forkfuls before my nerves threatened to send it all back up for a second look. It’s for the best. I want to survive this evening, so I need to be on my toes and not lethargic from a grand feast. But now there’s nothing to distract Wesley and Quinn from trying to goad me into making a spectacle of myself to ruin the celebration. No doubt they caught wind of Beta Pride’s tense attitude. His enthusiastic punishment of me has never been a secret. Many verbal and physical lashings I’ve received came with a live audience. Quinn’s vicious gaze lingers for an especially long time on my father’s hard expression. I can damn near read her mind. She’s scheming to light his fuse and aim him in my direction. There is no chance in hell that I am falling into that trap tonight. Not when I’ve already been promised to Alpha Nolan should anything go
Latest chapter
