Chapter 1 Hope was all I could do

Chapter 1

Ruby’s POV

I hoped that things would get better soon. But for now, I could only sigh in tiredness, feeling my palms shriveled up from soaking in the bucket of water too long and scrubbing at the floors for hours on end, and now I was done.

A large smile slid onto my face as the thought of how my life was going to change for the better soon. My body felt so glidy I could almost taste it, and my hand unconsciously slid to my belly as I rubbed it round in a circle, feeling the faint warmth there and the slight roughness of my own skin.

“Today seems quiet…” I mumbled to myself as my sleeves pulled at my face to wipe my sweat. “At least I can rest early today…” I guess my words had a way of summoning trouble for me, as the bucket filled with water was kicked hard, the loud splash echoing in the open hall.

My long gown immediately got wet, sticking cold against my legs and the floor I had spent hours cleaning was now flooded. I didn’t need to look up to know who exactly it was.

I rushed to my feet immediately, eyes on the floor as I gave a deep bow, hoping to chase him off with that, but it wasn’t going to happen with Ruckus. I was pushed hard, my back and head slamming against the wall behind me.

The stone felt icy and rough against my skin, knocking the air from my lungs. Before I could even draw in another breath, he was upon me, hands sliding under my gown and the other going up to massage my breast as panic clawed its way up my throat, making it hard to breathe.

“Please… no…” I gasped as I tried to fight back, hands pushing, but I was no match for Ruckus, the pack healer’s son.

Compared to me, who had not been able to shift into her wolf and had not felt its presence, it was basically a lost cause putting up a fight against him and all I could do was wrap my arms around my belly to protect my baby, feeling my heart thudding painfully against my ribs.

“No? Is that how you moaned like a slut as this bastard’s father fucked you up hard, huh?” he growled, his hands squeezing hard at my breasts as his other hand jerked up my gown, but just then a scent hit me hard…it was that of my mate!

“Is this how he touched you?” Ruckus continued his onslaught on my body while I stood there like a duck as I watched in the distance as my mate and father of my child stood there just watching and not coming to my rescue as he should be, and then he just walked off.

A tear slid down my cheek. Even though I knew he had a reason and I was supposed to be understanding of his stand.

“Is this what you like mutt?” Ruckus growled as his claws left marks on my inner thighs as he had me pushed against the wall, and I feared the worst… Since my belly became obvious in the settlement that I was pregnant, a lot of male servants and other nobles had been trying to force themselves on me, with some I escaped from, but it didn’t seem like anyone was coming to my aid for this one. After all, I was the wolfless worthless traveler’s child.

“Ruckus, your father summons you.” The sound of someone else walking up towards us seemed to get his attention, and I felt his body go stiff as he cursed under his breath before pushing off of me.

He rushed to strap his belt back on and walked off while I pushed my bunched-up gown down and grabbed my bucket and worn-out rag. I walked off amidst the stares of the other servants who acted like they didn’t see what had almost happened, not like I expected them to do anything since they hated me to the bone.

They stood in the edges of the arched doorway, whispering among themselves with sneers on their faces, watching my wet, ruined dress trail water along the corridor. To them, a wolfless girl carrying an unknown child was lesser than the dirt on their boots, a strange and outsider who deserved whatever cruelty came her way.

The door of my room slammed shut with a creak behind me as I moved to stand right in front of the small broken mirror to the side. The glass was cracked right down the middle, splitting my reflection in two, showing the dirt smudged across my cheek and the deep tiredness under my eyes.

“It’s just for a little while longer… and when my identity is finally revealed I can finally be respected,” I spoke to my reflection as my hand cradled my protruding belly. I held onto that hope like a lifeline in this dark place.

And just then the scent hit me again like it had in the hallway when Ruckus had been trying to take advantage of me. The sharp, rich smell of cedar and rain filled the tiny room, making my heart skip a beat. My Mate!