2
Isabella’s POV.
It was another miserable day, one of those days that made me hate opening my eyes in the morning.
From the moment I woke up, I knew exactly what my night would look like—me stuck in the kitchen, cooking and cleaning like a servant while everyone else laughed, drank, and filled their stomachs.
I stood hunched over the stove for hours, the heat sticking to my skin, sweat dripping down my forehead while the smell of roasted meat filled the air. My stomach twisted painfully, begging for just one bite, but I knew better than to try. If I touched even a crumb before they finished, I’d pay for it with bruises.
When the food was finally ready, I carried it out to the dining room. They were all there, my mom, her boyfriend, and every damn relative who crowded into the house like it belonged to them.
They sat shoulder to shoulder around the long wooden table, laughing, stuffing their mouths, trading jokes like they were one happy family out of a storybook. Nobody looked at me. Nobody ever did.
I stood there in the corner, my hands folded, my head lowered, watching them eat as though I didn’t even exist. My stomach growled so loud I thought for sure someone would notice, but they were too busy licking grease from their fingers. I slipped back into the kitchen, praying nobody followed.
I had been smart enough to hide a piece of meat earlier, a tiny piece no bigger than my palm, the only thing I had to keep myself from fainting.
My fingers shook as I reached for it. I could already taste it in my mouth, my hunger so sharp it almost hurt. But before I could even raise it to my lips, a hard hand slammed me down onto the floor.
Pain shot through my knees as I hit the tiles, and my chest tightened when I looked up. It was her.
My mother. The woman who gave me life but hated me more than anyone else in the world. Her face twisted with fury, her eyes glowing faintly gold as her wolf stirred beneath her skin.
She leaned down close, her lips curled back, and her voice came out low and cruel. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Isabella? Stealing food from us?” Her words dripped with venom. She shoved me again, her nails digging into my arm.
I clenched my fists against the floor, my body shaking. For years I had taken her abuse because I had nowhere else to go.
I told myself I could survive it if I stayed quiet. But something inside me cracked that night. I lifted my head, ignoring the pounding in my chest, and my voice broke as I shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. “I’m your daughter! Did you forget that? Why the hell are you treating me like trash?”
Her eyes narrowed until they looked like slits. She tilted her head, her lips pulling back into a sneer that made my skin crawl. “Because you are trash. Look at you. Filthy. Weak. Pathetic. You disgust me, Isabella.”
My chest tightened, tears burning behind my eyes, but I refused to look away.
My hands trembled, yet I found the strength to yell back, my words spilling out like fire. “I’m dirty because you force me to sleep outside in the rain like a stray dog! I’m skinny because you only ever feed me scraps and leftovers! I look miserable because you don’t buy me clothes or care if I freeze to death in the winter! And do you even know what today is? It’s my birthday. I’m turning eighteen tonight, Mother.”
For the smallest second, I thought I saw her expression falter, like maybe she would remember I was her child. Maybe she would show me the tiniest bit of love. But instead, her hand cracked across my face so hard my head snapped to the side.
Her voice was sharp as broken glass. “Don’t you ever call me mother. You’re nothing but a mistake. Do you hear me? A mistake from one wild night with a bear shifter. You should thank the Moon Goddess every single day that I let you breathe under my roof.”
My cheek burned, my jaw throbbed, but the pain inside my chest was worse. Rage rose through me, hot and suffocating. For the first time in my life, I wished I could shift into a wolf, into a bear, into anything strong enough to rip her apart and prove I wasn’t weak. But nothing happened. My body stayed human, fragile, useless.
Her fist slammed into my stomach, knocking the air out of me in one brutal punch. I doubled over, gasping for breath, but she didn’t stop. She kneed me again, harder, like I was her enemy, not her child. My lungs screamed for air as I clawed at the floor, dragging myself toward the door, desperate to escape.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going, bitch?” she screamed after me, her voice ringing in my ears.
I turned my head, my voice hoarse but filled with defiance. “You’re the bitch. You’re the one who sleeps with anything that moves. I’m still a virgin. And I’m leaving. Tonight. Forever.”
The words exploded out of me before I could stop them, and the moment they did, regret tore through my chest. In a blink, her hand yanked my hair, dragging me back inside. I screamed, but her boyfriend slammed the door shut with a heavy thud. My relatives sat in their chairs, watching, not one of them moving to help. Their laughter echoed through the room, cruel and sharp.
My mother smirked, her eyes glinting with malice. “You know what, Isabella? Maybe it’s time you learned to be like me.”
My stomach dropped. “W-what do you mean?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
Her smile widened, cruel and wicked. She turned her gaze to the men at the table, her eyes sliding over each of them like she was picking fruit at a market. “It’s breeding time. They need a toy. And look at you. Ugly, dirty, but still female. They can use you. You should be honored.”
Her words slammed into me like a blade. My vision spun, my ears rang. “What? You can’t be serious! You’re my mother!” My voice cracked, but she only laughed, the sound sharp and hollow.
“Not just a toy,” she hissed. “A breeding slave. And maybe I’ll join them. Why not? You called me a whore, remember? Maybe I should prove it.”
My insides twisted into knots, nausea burning in my throat. My whole body shook as I saw the men rising from their chairs, their eyes dark and hungry.
“Why?” I cried, tears spilling down my cheeks. “Why are you doing this? I’m your daughter. Please, wake up. Please.”
Her teeth clenched, and she spat her hatred like poison. “Your father was a bear. He lied to me. He had a mate, but he took my virginity and disappeared. You’re nothing but his curse, Isabella.”
My lips trembled as I gasped, “So you’re punishing me for his sins? You’re taking revenge on me?”
She looked up at the ceiling, her face empty of mercy. For a moment, I thought she might hesitate, might show a shred of humanity. But instead, she turned her back and said coldly, “Do it. Just fuck her.”
The men lunged at me, their rough hands grabbing my arms and legs. A heavy body pressed me down, crushing me into the floor. My screams were swallowed by the walls, useless. Our house was too far from the pack, too far for anyone to hear. My heart pounded in terror. But in the middle of it, an idea sparked. A desperate trick.
“Wait!” I shouted, my voice trembling but loud enough to make them stop. “Let me take a bath first. At least let me be clean for you.”
Their eyes flickered between each other, confused, then one of them snickered. My mother’s boyfriend grinned shamelessly. “Fine. But hurry. I’m already hard. Don’t make me wait.”
They shoved me toward the bathroom, their hands groping me as I stumbled forward. One smacked my ass, another squeezed my chest, their laughter echoing behind me. My stomach turned, bile rising in my throat, but I forced myself to keep walking.
They didn’t know. They had no idea about the tiny window in the shower room. The moment the door closed, I scrambled onto the sink, shoved my body through the narrow frame, and tumbled out into the night. My knees scraped against the ground, my arms burned, but I didn’t stop. I was out. I was free.
The cold air stung my skin as I ran into the woods, my bare feet bleeding on rocks and sticks. For the first time in my life, I was away from them, but I was also homeless, alone, and starving. My stomach groaned in protest, the hunger clawing at me worse than ever.
I stumbled toward the lake, the moonlight shining silver on the water. I dropped to my knees at the edge of the bank, my body shaking, my cheeks wet with tears I tried to swallow. I tore at the grass, chewing it like an animal, gagging at the bitter taste, but swallowing it down anyway because I had nothing else.
I had complained about eating leftovers before, but now, even scraps would have been heaven. I stared at the water’s surface, my reflection broken and wild, and I made myself a promise. I would never go back.
Not to that house, not to her, not to them. I would rather starve on grass and mud than ever let them touch me again.