The Alpha’s Abused Mate

Disclaimer: This book contains scenes that may depict, mention, or discuss incest and sexual abuse. Reader discretion advised.

Daphne’s POV.

I woke up to the sound of the bells that shook my entire little room in the basement of the pack house. As soon as I opened my eyes the first thing I saw were the tiny ants that always filtered into my room through the cracks in the ceiling to find pieces of food to cart away into the wall till the next day. I often feared that the ceilings would collapse on me one day because of how bent it was.

My room was the worst in the entire pack house.

I struggled to get my weak and sore limbs up from the bed as I knew a little more delay, enough to get anyone, especially Uncle Fergus, to notice that I hadn’t begun my chores for the day, would mean I wouldn’t eat anything in the house for the next couple of days.

Not that I wouldn’t eat at all, but I would have to hope that my cousin would find out that I had been punished again and would try to sneak morsels of food to me. And that was as good as starvation.

It was still very early in the morning. I lifted the single bucket I had which had been filled with water the night before and went out the back to have a bath.

My room didn’t have a kitchen or bathroom like the rest of the rooms in the pack house did. I ate in the kitchen after serving everyone for the day and that was it. I bathed when it was dark enough so no one would see me. And I slept in the tiny room in the basement. The tiny room that housed a few of my possessions which served as a pillow when I laid down to sleep on the bare cold floor, the tiny room that threatened to collapse soon because of how weak the ceilings had gotten.

I finished bathing and put on the simple gown that I liked to use when going about house chores. Then I closed my door and went to the main building to start my work for the day.

I got to the kitchen just before Uncle Fergus’s wife got to the pantry room. I heaved a sigh of relief at being lucky today, there would be no punishments for resuming my duties late.

I picked up the broom that was leaning by a corner in the kitchen and began to work. As I swept my mind drifted off to the time of my parent’s death. A time I fought hard to forget but just couldn’t get out of my mind. My parent’s death brought with it a harsh and cruel reality for me.

Uncle Fergus said often that he was training me to take over the responsibility of being the pack Alpha someday. My parents, the past Alpha and Luna, had recently been killed in a war against rogues. Their bodies were never found and brought home.

I could still recall the day Uncle Fergus announced the pack house, I was numb.

It took me a while to come to the reality that my parents were gone. I cried until I couldn’t find the strength anymore. The only family I had left were Uncle Fergus, his mate and my cousins. My cousins, especially Elton, tried to comfort me during the time of my parent’s death.

But I wasn’t even allowed to mourn them well.

I recalled Uncle Fergus’s words to me exactly four nights after my parent’s death……….”Daph…..I’m sorry about what has happened. You do realize that now the mantle of leadership falls on your shoulders. The pack can’t be without an Alpha and so you must prepare yourself to take your father’s place. Now I know this is a terrible time for you, so…….. I’ve decided I would step in and take responsibility for now. Once you…….once every one of us has recovered from this shock we will prepare you to take your rightful place, and you must.”

I nodded my tear and sweat-filled head at what he had said. I recalled that I was in my room upstairs in the pack house when he told me this and he was sitting by my side with his hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently.

I was more than grateful that he had decided to assume the role of the Alpha of the Diamond crescent pack till I was ready. I was quite young but I knew what my duty was to my people, my pack. And I knew I wasn’t ready, at least not then.

So Uncle Fergus became the Alpha of the diamond crescent pack for the time being, or so I thought.

“Daphne!!!”

I was jolted out of my thoughts at the sound of my name being screamed from the entrance of the kitchen.

“Ye…….yes ma’am?” I was enveloped by fear of seeing Uncle Fergus’s wife at the door.

“What are you looking at you foolish girl?! Get the breakfast trays ready right this instant and bring them to the dining room. We can’t wait around starving while you stand here looking like a bloody idiot!!” She yelled. Then turned and stormed off.

I realized I had finished sweeping a long time ago and I had been staring into thin air for a while. I took a deep breath. I dropped the broom and began to fetch the breakfast trays.

Just then my cousin Elton entered the kitchen.

“Hey you…..” He said and smiled. I smiled back, genuinely happy that he had come. Seeing him made me feel good. He was like a brother I could only wish I had.

He grabbed the trays that I had put together already and began to go to the dining. I picked the last two and followed after him. Elton was the only one amongst my entire family who stood by me after my parent’s death. Even after trying to hide it away from me, I could tell the rest of the family weren’t pleased with the fact that he was close to me, because none of them liked me.

If they did, I would probably not be here doing all the house chores alone.

I shook my head slightly as if to get rid of the negative thoughts that had been forcing their way into my mind all day.

I couldn’t risk being distracted today again, especially since I was going to face my family now.