Alpha's Mate

~15~

Six months had passed since Vincent had rejected Leanna. During that time, she had been moved into a small room comparable to a closet. The bed given to her had springs popping through in a few places making it so her sleep was uncomfortable and left her body stiff with pain.

Rick cut his visits to once a week but during those visits he was just as violent as the day he had chained her down and whipped her in front of Vincent. Her back was permanently scarred from the silver and what had managed to heal never healed properly. 

She'd become far too thin and her bones jutted out through her skin. She was fed every few days and her stomach had learned to cope to the point that even a few bites of the stale bread had her heaving in the corner. 

Her skin had paled and chapped in several places When the winter came, she was only provided a thin blanket against the harsh cold and often nights, her body went numb. 

No one had seen the former Luna since that fateful day and they had slowly lost interest. The girl they'd known, grown with and befriended, they forgot. Her parents, the wonderful people who raised her, were told her true story.

The story of a girl who was a rogue and was taken in. And it was because of her that they were continuously attacked and were losing numbers.

And slowly, that sweet couple who'd come to love her, began to forget her as well. Though it killed them to erase the love they felt, they knew they couldn't love someone who was working with the enemy.

After all, the Alpha and the Beta both told the pack that she'd been working with the enemy all along.

The packed supported her imprisonment and Leanna knew they was nothing she could to fight for herself. If she was too weak to walk, there was no way she'd been strong enough to let them hear her voice and plead with them to see reason.

Leanna had almost come to lose hope until a few days ago, when she was finally allowed to leave her room. But her relieve had been lost when she learned she was going to be working as a maid for Rick.

She was meant to start today and she didn't think she would live to see the sun rise tomorrow.

Leanna stared at her reflection in the broken mirror; her dark hair had faded to a muddy brown and her pale, thin skin was almost stained with dirty marks. She was only allowed a ten minute shower once every five days and it was impossible to get rid of all the grime.

But sometimes, she didn't bother scrubbing it off. Cleaning her skin would only reveal the countless scars caused by a sadistic man.

She attempted a smile but all she could see was a frown. She forced her body to smile, to try and capture the girl she used to be, but all she got was a twitch.

She couldn't stand the sight of herself anymore and directed her eyes away, turning around. She pulled on a pair of her jeans that no longer fit, even with a belt. She didn't have much anymore; most of her clothes had either been burned or given to others in the pack. Her shirt was very loose and her bra didn't fit anymore.

But it was all she had left.

Once she was done and her shoes were on, she reached for the doorknob and nearly wept when she found it was unlocked. The warmth of the hallway instantly filled her room and she shuddered at the sudden change in temperature before quickly welcoming it.

She stepped out into the quiet hallway and began walking toward the kitchen where she was told to meet Rick. The house, though large, was still very familiar to her and when she found the kitchen, she was hesitant to enter.

She could hear the laughter and the conversation happening and slowly pushed open the door. Leanna fully expected everyone to zero in on her and lash out but that was just it. They didn't do anything.