Page 3 of The Alpha's Uncovered Mate

When we reach my apartment complex, I sigh in relief. This might be another prison for me, but at least there's no one waiting inside to torture me. And since Jonathon has to keepup appearances in our pack, he picked a luxurious area. My apartment, by itself, is small, my furnishings bare, but I don't care.

It's still a haven for me.

I take the elevator to the fifth floor and, once the door of my apartment is securely closed behind me, I let out a whoosh of breath, my knees trembling.

My back is burning right now.

Stripping off my clothes, I head to the shower.

I let the cold water run over my open wounds, my hand over my mouth to muffle my screams. I finally summon up the courage to pick up the long cloth stick to run over the wounds to clean them. Even wolf shifters can get infections if their wounds don't heal. I sit in the bathtub, knees drawn to my chest. Even now, I feel a surge of helplessness, of suffocation.

Sometimes, I wonder if my parents ever regretted sealing my fate so knowingly, if my brother ever realized what his actions did to his sister. I've nearly forgotten their faces and voices, but this anger and hate inside me is like a furnace.

They all probably thought I wouldn't make it past a few days.

My hand curls into a fist, jaw tight.

I'll survive. I'll always survive.

I made that vow to myself. In this world, it's just me, and I will never fall.

Forcing myself to my feet, I turn off the water and grab a towel. Wiping myself down, I grab the sealing gel and stand in front of the mirror in my bedroom, carefully applying it over my open wounds. All this will do is cover the torn flesh.

Grabbing a loose t-shirt from my wardrobe, I pull it on, pairing it with a pair of shorts, and then head to the groceries that are still lying by the door. I put them away and take out a bowl of soup from the fridge to reheat. As the food reheats on the stove, I stand on one of the chairs, and from the top of the kitchen cabinet, I remove a small box.

Putting it on the island counter, I open it to reveal a bunch of cash.

I add the fifty dollars to the growing pile. Staring down at the bills, I don't feel an ounce of guilt. I've stolen this, all of this, from Jonathon using similar ruses. I've managed to accumulate over four thousand dollars. I've never spent any of this money. The day I manage to convince him to free me of this blood debt, I will take this money and run. I'll never look back.

I've been working in Jonathon's office for six years now, and never once have I received a salary. I never even received pocket money. I had to watch his children get showered in nice things and eat good food while I was fed once a day, even with their table scraps. It was only once I was more visible to the pack that he began to dress me in more than rags.

I let out a shuddering breath.

He tried. He tried everything, but he’s never been able to crush my spirit. However, he thinks he has, and I will never let him believe differently.

Counting the cash again, I grin to myself, ridiculously amused by another good haul. The rich scent of the soup cooking makes me quickly close the box and put it back in its hiding place. My apartment is often randomly searched. I can't escape this blood debt without dying, so I guess it is just Jonathan's way of humiliating me and reminding me of my place.

Nobody ever thinks to check on the top of the kitchen cabinets. Most probably because of how tiny the space between the top of the cabinet and the ceiling is.

Smiling despite the pain, I sit down to enjoy a hot cup of soup.

*** **

My job title is Personal Assistant. However, I do everything and am involved in every department of the company. The Moore family owns and runs a huge food brand, KDL Foods Inc. Jonathon is the CEO while Norman is supposed to be Managing Director. Not that he does much.

Since I've been working here for so long, Jonathon has trusted me with all decisions. He used to simply sign off on my plans and suggestions, and as a result, the company flourished. He barely had to do anything with me running everything in his name. But the moment Norman came on board, everything went askew. Profits declined and the company's turnover rate rose. Female staff drastically decreased in number once they realized that Norman replaced the HR Head with a friend of his. He never interned here or did any research. He just liked the control.

And every time he messed up, he blamed it on me.

Jonathon preferred to believe that the girl from the slums was the reason behind his company shares falling. I was the one whowas constantly punished for it. I still am. The only upside is that now Jonathon checks each and every decision of mine, so Norman doesn't have room to blame me. The damage is done, though.

The company's reputation has been ground in the mud, thanks to Jonathon's useless drunkard of a son.

I place my bag on my desk, my back aching from yesterday's whipping. I'm about to sit down when the intercom buzzes. Sighing, I grab my tablet and head into the CEO's office.

The pack alpha is at his desk, a frown on his face.

He looks up when I enter. "You're late."

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