Carrying her back to the pack house, Zayd locked her inside a room and ordered that no one enter as punishment for her attempted escape.
"That wretched bastard!" She hissed, tying a cloth around her wound to stop the bleeding. Her breath came in ragged gasps, fury and pain mingling within her.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. Just as she thought he had changed his mind, two maids strode in and before she could even process their presence, they had already lifted her from the floor.
"What are you doing? Let me go!" She protested, thrashing against their grip. But they were far stronger, effortlessly restraining her as they led her away. Lilith seethed inwardly but soon realized her struggles were futile against the female Lycans. Reluctantly, she ceased resisting.
Upon reaching their destination, the maids stopped before a room and harshly yanked her to the floor upon entering.
"Lady Margaret," they greeted in unison.
Lilith snapped her head up at the name, her gaze locking onto two furious eyes staring down at her. She swallowed hard.
"I expected more from you, but I am not surprised," Margaret sneered. "You are human, after all…an unworthy creature."
The disdain in her voice was unmistakable but Lilith's had grown used to it. The Lycans never failed to remind her of her inferiority, even back at the foster parents home. She had no friends and whenever they perceived her human scent, they always stayed away from her.
"And you are?" She questioned, her voice steady despite the situation.
"How dare you speak so insolently to Mother?!"
The sharp reprimand came from a petite, strikingly beautiful young woman seated beside Margaret. Lilith hadn't noticed her at first, but now that she had, she couldn't deny the intimidation creeping up her spine. She had never seen a female Lycan this breathtaking before, with curly blonde hair and blue eyes that accentuated her figure.
"Do not waste your anger on this worthless thing, Rose," Margaret said, taking her hand. "She can only dream of being accepted by my son."
Lilith nearly rolled her eyes. So, she had competition. And a rather stunning one at that. Why, then, was that deranged Alpha so fixated on sleeping with her when such beauty sat right beside him?
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding," she said, forcing a smile. "I have no interest in Alpha Zayd. He's all yours. If you would be so kind as to free me from him, I will be most grateful."
She expected them to be pleased, but instead, Rose's expression darkened with fury. "You dare reject our Alpha? Such insolence!" She spat.
Lilith frowned. Was that not precisely what they wanted? Why were they angered now? The Lycans were one confusing creature, they hated being looked down upon and still wouldn't let you go if you bow to them. Her foster mother was a living witness, her arrogance was out of this world.
Margaret chuckled, rising gracefully from her seat. Lilith noted the extravagance of her attire and, upon closer scrutiny, recognized a faint resemblance to Zayd. It wasn't hard to conclude that this was indeed his mother.
"Bring her up," she commanded.
The maids obeyed at once, seizing Lilith's arms and holding her in place.
Just as she parted her lips to speak, a vicious slap struck her across the face, sending a wave of dizziness through her. Gasping, she widened her eyes in shock, turning to Margaret in disbelief. She hadn't seen that coming.
"If you were not taught proper manners from wherever you came from, I will gladly educate you," Margaret warned. "You will not slander my son or his soon-to-be wife. Know your place, or this pack house will become a living hell for you."
Anyone else might have cowered, but not Lilith. If anything, Margaret's threat only fueled her defiance.
"How did I slander your son?" She retorted. "All I said was that I do not want him. Isn't that exactly what you want as well? And if he has a wife, why won't he let me go?!"
The words had barely left her lips when another slap struck her, sharper than the last. This time, the ring on Margaret's finger cut into her skin, leaving a stinging scratch in its wake.
Lilith gasped, breathing heavily as pain pulsed through her face. She clenched her fists, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. No matter what they did to her, she would never break, even if she had to endure endless torment.
"Do you understand?" Margaret asked coldly.
Lilith scoffed. "Your son tried to make me submit too, but I didn't. Why would I ever bow to you?" Her voice was firm, her gaze unwavering.
Margaret's expression darkened with fury. If she expected Lilith to cry and beg, she was sorely mistaken. She might be human, she might be weaker, but she refused to let anyone use that against her.
"Mother, let me handle her," Rose interjected, a smirk playing on her lips. "I have dealt with plenty like her before."
Margaret's anger melted into approval. "You truly are the perfect daughter-in-law," she murmured, cupping Rose's face. "If only my son would open his eyes and see the gem standing right in front of him."
Lilith couldn't help herself and she rolled her eyes.
Moving away from Margaret, Rose turned and strode toward Lilith. A slow, unsettling smile curved her lips as she ordered, "Lay her flat on the table," not once breaking eye contact. "Our little slave still does not know her place."
Lilith stiffened as the maids forced her down. Panic clawed at her chest. She had yet to treat her stab wound, any more blood loss could be fatal.
"What are you trying to do?" She demanded, struggling against their hold.
Rose merely exchanged a glance with the maids and one of them handed her a rod. Without hesitation, she swung it down onto Lilith's backside.
A cry tore from Lilith's throat as pain exploded through her body. She felt fresh blood seep from her wound, agony blinding her. Gritting her teeth, she clenched her body, steeling herself to endure it.
Pleased with her reaction, Rose struck again. And again. The relentless lashes continued for five agonizing minutes before she finally stopped.
Lilith gasped for breath, her vision blurring. Through ragged inhales, she breathed, "Are you not afraid of being caught by Alpha Zayd?"
Rose smirked, bending to her level. "I have known him far longer than you have been alive," she purred. "Whose side do you think he would take?" Then, she laughed, a cold, cruel sound that sent a chill through Lilith.
And Lilith knew she was right. With Zayd's own disdain toward her, there was no reason to believe he would help her. She was utterly alone.
Rose raised the rod for another strike but before it could land, the door flew open.
Alpha Zayd walked in and the rod slipped from her grasp, clattering to the floor.