The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter Chapter 2: Last Chance

Natalie~

It had been five years since I'd watched my entire world shatter before my eyes. Five long, cruel years since my parents, my best friend, and his family were slaughtered right in front of . The laughter of their killers still echoes in my ears, a cruel lody I'll never forget. I was left alive, though I often wished I hadn't been.

Five years since the Alpha condemned as the traitor's daughter, stripped of everything I'd ever known, and reduced to this shadow of a girl, working in the pack house kitchen until my fingers bled and my back scread for rcy. That was my life now—day and night, relentless work, with no end in sight. Though I was 18 now, but I had been a child of 13—barely in the eighth grade—when my life turned to ash.

Tonight was no different. I knelt on the cold tile floor, scrubbing at a greasy pot that refused to co clean. My red hair slipped from the makeshift bun I'd tied it in this morning. The strands clung to my sweat-streaked face as I swiped at them, saring grease across my cheek.

"You've got grease on your face, Natalie," I muttered to myself with a bitter laugh. As if anyone here cared how I looked.

The sound of giggles broke my concentration. I looked up just as the kitchen door swung open, revealing the Alpha's twin daughters—Mira and Lila. Their glossy black hair and identical hazel eyes shone with life, the way only the privileged could glow and their laughter was like tinkling bells. They were two years younger than , but unlike , their lives had been filled with joy, schooling, and endless opportunities.

"Did you see how he smiled at today?" Mira gushed, grabbing an apple from the counter.

"Oh, please," Lila scoffed, leaning against the doorway. "He was looking at , not you. Carter likes confidence, Mira, and I have plenty of that."

"You're delusional!" Mira laughed, throwing a grape at her sister.

Their chatter washed over like a cruel reminder of what I'd lost. I hadn't been to school since I was a little under their age. My chance at an education ended the day my parents were slaughtered, and the Alpha decreed I was to serve the pack as punishnt for their supposed cris. Still, I couldn't help but smile faintly at their banter, rembering what it felt like to have a carefree life.

As I scrubbed harder, pretending not to listen, a sharp smack landed on the back of my head. Pain radiated through my skull, and I spun around, my face heating with embarrassnt.

"You filthy girl!" barked the head chef, Patricia, a stout, middle-aged woman with a permanent scowl etched into her face. "Tie that disgusting hair up! Do you want to contaminate the food?"

"I'm sorry," I murmured, keeping my head low as I hurried to wash my hands. The twins laughed behind , whispering sly remarks that burned in my ears as I retied my hair.

"She looks like a drowned rat," Mira whispered, loud enough for to hear.

"Maybe if she scrubs hard enough, she'll finally wash away the stink of her traitor parents," Lila added with a smirk.

They left the kitchen, still giggling, while Patricia barked at to hurry up. "Dinner's not going to serve itself! Move it, girl!"

When dinner ti ca, the kitchen was a frenzy of activity. I worked alongside so Ogas, loading food onto trays. I envied them. They had shifts and breaks; they could go ho when their duties were done. I never got that luxury. As I carried a tray into the packed dining hall, the noise of laughter and conversation swirled around , but I tried to keep my head down. Being noticed here never ended well for .

"Hey, traitor!" Timothy, the new Beta, called out as I approached the Alpha's table. My stomach twisted. I knew what was coming.

I placed the tray on the table, and before I could step away, his hand grabbed my ass through my thin dress. I jumped, a sharp cry escaping my lips as the room erupted in laughter.

"Stop it!" I begged, tears welling in my eyes. "Please, don't—"

"Why?" he sneered. "You're wolfless, Natalie. No mate's coming to claim you. Tomorrow's your last chance to shift, and when you fail to shift again, you'll be fair ga. Might as well get used to it, little Miss Wolfless."

His words sent ice through my veins. I stumbled back to the kitchen, my tears blinding . Patricia must have seen the despair on my face because she waved off with a gruff, "Go ho and pull yourself together."

The moonlight illuminated my small, decrepit hut as I trudged ho. It was a pitiful place on the edge of the pack's territory, far from the warm glow of the pack houses. The roof leaked, the windows were cracked, and the door barely stayed closed with its flimsy lock. Five years ago, the Alpha had taken my family's house, leaving with this shack.

I collapsed on the rickety bed, burying my face in my hands as sobs wracked my body. "Please, Moon Goddess," I whispered through my sobs. "I have had two failed tries already. Please Let shift tomorrow. Don't let beco their toy. Please..."

The next night, the pack gathered under the full moon for the yearly shifting ceremony. The air was electric with anticipation as the young wolves—mostly 13-year-olds, a few 16-year-olds, and —stood in a circle. I was the oldest. This was my last chance, a humiliating reminder of how much I didn't belong.

One by one, the young wolves began to shift, their bodies contorting into sleek forms under the moon's light. Cheers and howls filled the air as proud parents celebrated their children's transformations.

And then there was —still standing, still in human form.

When the last wolf shifted and I was still standing there, trembling and alone, laughter broke out around .

"She's being punished," soone whispered.

"For her parents' sins," another agreed.

"She's a disgrace," another added.

The Alpha's booming voice silenced the crowd. "Dismissed!" he barked, then turned his cold black eyes to . "Natalie, my office. Now."

My heart pounded as I followed him to his house, through the grand living room, and up the staircase to his office. The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with my fears. As the door clicked shut behind us, dread coiled in my stomach.

"You're beautiful," he said, his voice low and unsettling as he stepped toward . "Those blue eyes of yours... like diamonds."

I backed away until my back hit the door. "Alpha Darius, please..."

"Now that you're officially wolfless, every male in the pack will want to claim you. But I can protect you—if you agree to be mine."

"No!" I cried, shaking my head. "You're as old as my father! Please, let go!"

His expression darkened. "If you won't co willingly, I'll take what's mine."

Before I could comprehend his words, he lunged, tearing my dress from the neckline. I scread as his teeth sank into my neck, marking against my will. "No! Stop!" I begged, my voice raw with terror.

Just as he moved to continue his assault, a knock at the door froze him in place.