\[Denali’s POV\]
“We’re sorry. We’ve done all that we can, but she’s gone.”
Who knew such words would lead to my misery?
My name’s Denali, and I was born the daughter of the Alpha and Luna of Emerald Moon. Although I was born to such parents, I wasn’t blessed with anything special. I was weak, and I didn’t have any innate abilities. Maybe that was the reason my father hated me so much, or maybe it was because he blamed me for his mate being so sickly.
As far as I can remember, my mother was always in and out of the hospital because of her poor health. It was when I turned eight that she was sent there, and she never returned to Emerald Moon or me.
Where I thought my father would be devastated, he seemed perfectly fine, leaving immediately after her cremation and then returning a week later with a new family.
“Beatrice will be your new mother.” I remember him saying this on the day of his return. “And her daughter Anastasia is your half sister.”
I’ll never forget the emotions that flowed through me that day. It was like the man who I thought I actually knew was someone completely different.
A half sister.
I had a half sister, but wasn’t my father madly in love with my mother? If that was the case, why did he have a child with another woman? And why did he love the daughter of that woman so much more than me?
From that day on, I became a slave to that woman and her daughter, having to do everything they asked of me. Even when my father was around, he would say nothing and go about his day like nothing was actually happening.
Along with being treated like their personal maid, when my sister did something wrong, I was blamed for it. She would simply cry and put on a face that screamed innocence, and my father would instantly buy it, even if I tried to argue.
“Daddy, Denali is simply bullying me!” Anastasia would whine, letting the tears flow. “Is it because she thinks that I’m stealing you from her?”
“I wasn’t!” I would argue while a new scratch or bruise rested on my skin, proving who the true villain was. “If anything…”
“DENALI!” My father would roar each time, letting his hand connect with my cheek. “Why do you have to be so disobedient?”
After having this scenario repeat again and again, I eventually gave up entirely, knowing whose side my father would take.
Life was hell at home and outside of it. I was abused, beaten, bullied, and treated like a pariah instead of the proud daughter of an alpha.
That’s why, when I turned eighteen, I couldn’t take it anymore and decided to end it all. At least, that was the plan at the time, but who knew that on the day when my life was supposed to end, it would start over and even begin to look up?
On that day, I jumped from the highest waterfall in the area and plummeted to the ground. My body hit that freezing cold water, and the current dragged me down, causing rocks to rip at my skin and clothes. Even if I tried to fight against it, it was simply too powerful, and soon I wasn’t even able to breathe.
I should have died then, but two powerful hands somehow grabbed me and pull me up. At first, I was too delirious about what I was sure was a concussion from impact to really understand what was going on. It was only later, when I woke up in a warm bed with a handsome man sitting beside me, that I knew I was saved.
He was almost like an angel, staring at me with his bright blue eyes and shaggy blonde hair. His face was so kind, and I felt myself falling right then and there.
His name was Alexander, and he was visiting with a neighboring pack. And despite having much to do, he stayed with me until I was well enough to move on my own.
It was after that day that we met secretly, and those meetings kept me going. I didn’t think I could be more happy than I was when he saved me, but on the day he asked me to be his girlfriend, I was over the moon.
Alexander restored the confidence I lost so long ago. He reminded me every day that I was beautiful, that I was intelligent, and that I was actually worth something. He truly was my hero.
From that point on, we were almost inseparable, and I even introduced him to my family. With luck, they actually acted decently when he was around, which wasn’t surprising since they were determined to act innocent and loving, but when he would leave, the abuse continued.
A few times Alexander asked me about the marks that marred my skin, but I couldn’t tell him how I truly got them. It was too embarrassing to admit that I allowed such things to happen to me. Instead, I could only hope that soon they would stop entirely if only Alexander would propose to me.
And I was certain that day was coming when he asked me to spend the day with him. He insisted he had something special planned, and I convinced myself that it would be the proposal that I was desperately longing for.
Little did I know that on the promised day, things would change completely, but not in the way I was expecting.