Chapter 3 Sin Of A Mistress’s Daughter
Maya
My mother had become the Luna of Blackthorn, but she had never truly been treated as one. I promised myself from that moment that I would never be like her. I’d witnessed what she had done and what she had gained—everything except respect.
But fate... it was just so fucking cruel to me.
The moment I slinked into the backseat, Leonardo’s fingers clamped around my throat, slamming me against the now-closed window of the Jeep. The brutal jolt sent shockwaves through my body, and before I could regain my composure or ease the pain coursing through my back, his face loomed over mine.
“Oh, Maya, such a fragile little thing, aren’t you?” he asked, dryly running his tongue over his bottom lip as his hand ventured up my thigh, squeezing it with a force that wrenched a helpless whimper from my lips.
I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart hammering in my chest. By now, Maximus had ignited the car's engine and started driving to college. For them, tormenting me was as casual as puffing on cigarettes, just like he was doing now.
They were at it again, orchestrating their psychological torture to make me loathe myself.
“How is it that a whole year hasn’t been enough for you to understand that you’re nothing but a slave in this pack?” Leo’s fingers tightened around my throat. His sinister smile faded, replaced by pure loathing. “Even a maid holds more importance in this pack than you do, Puppet. That’s how low you’re considered. What did you even expect when you first joined this pack?”
“You know, Pigeon,” Max chimed in, casually puffing on his cigarette and exhaling the smoke, the acrid scent stinging my nostrils as he glanced back, driving with one hand. “There’s something called the circle of life. An Alpha’s sons become Alphas, a Luna’s daughter becomes Luna, a slave’s child remains a slave, and a mistress’s daughter... well, a fucking mistress. Same fate, just a plaything to use and discard. And you, you fit squarely into that category. There’s nothing you can do to escape that reality.”
They were doing it again, trying to make me feel disgusted with myself.
Tears streamed down my cheeks.
“I will never be like my mother.”
Just because my mother decided to ruin their family, did that mean I had to pay for her sins? What had I done to deserve all of this?
“So, you’re crying now?” Leo laughed, pulling away slightly as if savoring the sight.
“God, you and your mother sure know how to put on a scene. I suppose she taught you how to lure men, too. I mean, she must have, given how much she loves you. She probably wants you to ensnare some wealthy Alpha and fuck up their family, just like she did,” Max chuckled.
My mother loves me? I wanted to laugh at that. They believed I was a princess in her eyes, adored from her very core, but in reality, she couldn’t care less about me. Still, there was no point in revealing that truth to them. What good would it do? Make them treat me better? I doubted it. Their hatred for me knew no bounds, and no matter the circumstances, they’d never stop despising me.
“I didn’t ruin your family. I didn’t want any of this. I didn’t even want to join this pack or live in your luxurious house. I wanted none of it, but I had to. Even against my will, I was dragged here. Just because my mother did something terrible to your family doesn’t mean you have to label me a mistress as well. I didn’t tell her to have an affair with your father,” I managed to speak up, stifling my sobs.
“Still, it doesn’t entirely rule out that you’re not like her, Maya…” Leonardo continued, his hand now lifting my top to expose my flat stomach as he traced his fingers over my skin, sending a sudden, unwelcome sensation coursing through my body.
This was so wrong...
I had saved myself for my mate, and I couldn’t let these two men take that away from me.
I tried to stop him, but as he released his grip on my throat, he swiftly seized both of my hands, pinning them above my head.
“God gave you a beautiful body. You could easily put it up for sale, just like her. Plenty of men would want nothing more than to shove their cock into you. I wonder, how are you still a virgin despite being Morgana’s daughter? Did you promise it to someone for two or three million dollars?”
God! The way he spoke... I wished I could put into words how much it hurt.
“I’m a virgin because I choose to keep myself whole for the one I’m destined for. It’s my choice,” I replied, struggling to hold back tears. I didn’t want to cry, but they held so much power over me, and I could never grasp it. They were the future leaders, and I was just the daughter of the mistress. “Respect is the only thing I desire in my life, not some wealthy Alpha willing to cheat on his Luna for me. I’m not my mother!”
His pupils narrowed at my words, and that’s when I knew... things were about to go south.
I should never have mentioned their mother; I knew it was a sore spot, one that nobody dared to touch.
Shit! I shouldn’t have said that. They could kill me right now.