Chapter 128
The car ride home was agonizingly silent. I kept my gaze fixed on the trees passing by, but my mind was spiraling. My stepmother sat next to me, her lips pursed into a thin line, her knuckles white as she gripped the steering wheel.
The moment we arrived, I stepped out and followed her into the house. It was the same as I remembered—cold and unwelcoming, despite its lavish furnishings. The walls seemed to close in on me as the memories I had buried deep began to surface.
She slammed the door behind us, the sound reverberating through the empty house. I stood frozen in the foyer, her glare cutting through me like a knife.
“Why did you lie to them?” I blurted out, the words escaping before I could stop them.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “What did you say to me?”
“You lied,” I said, my voice trembling but resolute. “You told them you didn’t know I was an omega, but you knew. You’re the one who told me to hide it. You told me never to show my wolf.”
She scoffed, her hand coming up so quickly I didn’t have time to react. The slap echoed in the room, my cheek stinging from the force of it.
“How dare you talk to me like that?” she snapped. “After everything I’ve done for you, you ungrateful little wretch?”
“You told me to hide it,” I repeated, tears stinging my eyes. “You’re the one who said I’d be worthless if anyone knew the truth. You made me pretend to be something I’m not.”
“And look how well that turned out,” she sneered. “You couldn’t even do that right. You couldn’t keep your stupid wolf hidden for your own good.”
“I was defending the twins,” I said, my voice breaking.
“The twins?” she spat. “Don’t make me laugh. You’ve ruined everything, Ayla. You’re pathetic, just like your father.”
Her words cut deeper than any slap ever could. My father. The one person who had loved me unconditionally, who had tried to protect me from her cruelty until the very end.
“Don’t talk about him like that,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Her laughter was cold and hollow. “Why not? He was a failure, and so are you. Like father, like daughter. Neither of you could do anything right. He couldn’t protect himself, and you can’t even protect your future.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but a voice from behind us made me freeze.
“Well, well, look who’s back.”
Steve.
My stomach turned as I turned to face him. He was leaning casually against the doorway, his arms crossed and a smug grin on his face.
“Steve,” my stepmother said with a dramatic sigh, “you have no idea the headache this girl has caused me.”
His eyes roamed over me, making my skin crawl. “Oh, I can imagine,” he said, his grin widening. “She’s always been a pain, hasn’t she?”
My stepmother looked at me with pure disdain. “I’m done with her,” she said. “I’m tired of pretending to care. She’s nothing but a thorn in my side.”
I took a step back, my heart pounding. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying,” she said, her voice dripping with malice, “that you’re done here. Steve, take her down to the basement. That’s where she belongs—with the rats. A rat for a rat.”
Steve’s grin turned predatory as he straightened up. “Gladly.”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “You can’t do this.”
“Oh, but I can,” she said. “And you deserve every bit of it.”
Steve grabbed my arm, his grip like iron. I tried to pull away, but it was useless. He was too strong, and he enjoyed watching me struggle.
“Let go of me!” I shouted, panic rising in my chest.
“Save your breath,” he said, dragging me down the hallway.
I dug my heels into the floor, trying to resist, but he didn’t even slow down. He pulled me toward the basement door, opened it, and shoved me inside.
The air was damp and musty, the faint smell of mold making me gag. The basement was dark, with only a single bare bulb hanging from the ceiling.
Steve pushed me against the wall, his body looming over mine. I could feel his breath on my face, hot and sickening.
“You couldn’t stay away, could you?” he said, his voice low and mocking. “You missed me.”
“Get away from me,” I said, my voice shaking.
He laughed, a cruel sound that made my skin crawl. “Oh, Ayla. Don’t be like that.”
He leaned closer, his tongue dragging across my cheek. I flinched, bile rising in my throat.
“Disgusting,” I spat, shoving him away with all my strength.
His grin faded, replaced by a scowl. “You think you’re better than me?” he said, his voice dripping with anger.
His hand shot out, grabbing my breast roughly. I cried out, my wolf stirring inside me in fury.
“Don’t touch me!” I shouted, bringing my knee up and catching him in the stomach.
He stumbled back, his face contorted in rage. “You’re going to regret that,” he growled.
Before I could respond, his hand came down hard across my face, the force of the slap sending me to the floor. My cheek throbbed, and I tasted blood in my mouth.
“You’ve got nowhere to go,” he said, towering over me. “You’re nothing, Ayla. Nothing.”
Tears streamed down my face as I scrambled to my feet, keeping my back against the wall.
“You’re a coward,” I said, my voice trembling. “You’ve always been a coward.”
His eyes narrowed, but instead of retaliating, he smirked. “You’ll pay for that,” he said. “Trust me.”
He turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him. The sound of the lock clicking into place sent a shiver down my spine.
I sank to the floor, wrapping my arms around my knees as the tears came in full force.
This was my life now.
I was back where I started, trapped and powerless. The gods had teased me with the idea of freedom, of love, of family, only to throw me back into the darkness.
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