Chapter 2
_Serra’s POV_
The door opened wider, and a man stepped into the room.
He was insanely handsome, tall, with broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and full dark hair.
He was carrying a tray with warm soup, fresh bread, and a folded set of clean clothes.
My body reacted instantly. I moved backward on the bed until my back slammed against the headboard.
I curled into a ball, waiting for the slap or the hard pull on my hair. That was all David ever did.
“Hey, it's okay,” The man said gently.
He stopped at the edge of the bed and set the tray down on a small table by the side of the bed.
He stepped back, keeping a safe distance, and held up his hands as if showing me that he wasn't harmful.
“You're safe here,” He said, looking straight into my eyes. “Nobody is going to hurt you. My name is Viktar.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding.
“You were unconscious when I found you in the woods,” He continued, his voice sounding oddly warm.
My throat felt dry. “Where... where am I? How far did I run?”
“You ran deep into rogue territory,” Viktar answered.
“This is my home. I built this place as a sanctuary for rogue wolves. Anyone who has been mistreated, exiled, or thrown away by their old packs can find a safe place here.”
I frowned, confused. Rogue territory?
Rogues were supposed to be wild monsters who killed on sight. That was what my parents always told me, but this man looked like an angel.
“I don't have a wolf,” I blurted out. “I'm fat, useless, and I'm just an Omega.”
Viktar’s expression changed. “You are not useless. And it doesn't matter to me if you have a wolf or not. You are a living person, and you need help.”
He looked down at my arms and legs.
My clothes were ripped, and soaked with sweat. There were also red scratches from the forest bushes visible on my skin, along with old, purple bruises from David's fists.
“You need to wash up and get those cuts cleaned,” Viktar said. “Can you walk?”
I tried to slide my legs over the edge of the bed, but he moved fast, his arms wrapping around me and lifting me off the floor with zero effort.
I gasped, stiffening in his grip.
He carried me into an adjoining bathroom where a large tub was already filled with steaming hot water.
He set me down carefully on the chair next to the tub.
“I'm going to help you clean your wounds, okay?” He asked softly, looking into my eyes to make sure I was comfortable.
I nodded, still too stunned to argue.
For the next twenty minutes, Viktar treated me like a human being for the first time in five years. Actually, for the first time since I was born!
He didn't look at my body with disgust.
He didn't make fun of my size.
He washed the dirty out of my matted hair. He wiped the dried blood off my cheeks, arms, and legs.
Every time I winced from a stinging scratch, he stopped and blew softly on my skin to cool the pain.
My mind was spinning.
Why was this powerful, beautiful leader doing this for me?
David used to kick me if I took too long in the shower.
My own father used to lock the bathroom door so I couldn't use the good soap.
But this stranger was kneeling on the floor, scrubbing dirty off my feet with all the care in the world.
When he finished, he helped me wrap a towel around my body.
“I will call our pack nurse to check your injuries and give you something for the pain,” Viktar said, standing up. “I'll give you some privacy now.”
He turned and left the room.
A few minutes later, an elderly woman walked into the room. She checked my pulse, looked at the bruises on my body, and nodded to herself.
From her bag, she pulled out a small glass bottle, and set it on the nightstand beside my bed.
“This is a strong herbal medicine for your bruises and body pain. Take two drops in a glass of water. Only two drops. Anything more than that is very dangerous and bad for your body.”
She picked up her bag and headed for the door. “I am going to fetch some bandages from the clinic. I'll be right back.”
The moment the door shut behind her, my eyes moved to the bottle sitting on the nightstand.
If extra drops were dangerous and bad for my body, then drinking the whole bottle would definitely end what was growing inside me.
I didn't hesitate for even a second. I grabbed the bottle, and drank the whole thing in one gulp.
It tasted bitter. For three seconds, nothing happened.
Then, pain tore through my stomach, like someone had shoved a hot blade inside me and twisted it around.
“Ah!” I gasped, sliding off the bed and hitting the floor.
Then blood began to spill out between my thighs, pooling onto the floor.
Tears burst from my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as I clawed at the floor.
I didn't want to die today.
I had just escaped the hell of a life I used to have, and I had just met a man who treated me like a human.
I just wanted to be free.
“Moon Goddess... please,” I sobbed as blood covered my hands. “lease... let me live... I just didn't want his baby... please…”
I tried to call out for Viktar, but no sound came out of my lungs.