Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 1

I jumped as my mother burst through the door, slamming it shut behind her and rattling the frame of our small house.

"Samuels is on his way and he's already angry. He wants his payment early, you need to get out of sight. Now!" She growled, her brown eyes frantic as she beckoned me off the sofa I read in.

I found myself immediately angry, detesting the thought of that man touching my mother.

I hated living this way, it disgusted me at what she had to do in order for us to survive. It disgusted me even more that a so called Alpha would take advantage of his pack member's vulnerability. An alpha was the leader of a pack and were supposed to be strong and noble while protecting their people, not a pathetic misogynistic woman abuser.

I felt my mother shaking me from my thoughts, struggling to pull me from our old sofa.

I stood up as she gripped me tighter, wincing at the slight pain from her tight hold on my arm.

"Charlotte, now! Don't be stupid." She warned.

"You know I can take him." I growled back.

"And that's exactly why you must stay quiet. The only female shifters are ones who are heirs to an Alpha title. If you shift, it would be a dead giveaway of who your father is and then everyone would know that your-

"A bastard? That's what everyone else calls me anyway. The rumors never stop. Little do they know, its true." I said.

She growled.

"I told you never to say that about yourself! I loved your father. You-

She silenced as a loud banging sounded from the door, her head whipping around and fear widening her eyes.

She shoved me back, pushing me into the room we shared. Though she could not shift, she still had the strength of our people and because I was caught off guard I went hurtling back.

I tripped, falling back and hitting my head on the wooden frame of the bed in the room. My head spin for a moment as I blinked, clearing the dizziness from my head.

She took the opportunity to slam the door, locking me in from the outside before I could even get up.

I growled, crawling towards the door, ignoring my head as it throbbed with pain as I struggled with the doorknob after I stood.

I quieted as I heard Samuels voice as he shouted and I heard my mother cry out after a loud thwack. I could see the shadows at my feet now as they peeled under the crack of the door. I could hear my mother's silent gasp as he began using her, his grunts sounding around the house.

I growled and began banging on the door as hard as I could and just as I brought my fist back again for the umpteenth time, the door was ripped off the hinges, wood splintering at my face and around me as I tried my best to cover my face from the debris. I hissed as I felt claws sink into the flesh of my forearm as someone tugged me forward.

I looked up into the dark eyes of Alpha Samuels, anger evident in his features as he stared down at me.

His eyes raked down my figure and he growled.

"You're the bastard pup of Cara's?! You're a fucking grown woman!" He growled.

He turned toward my mother.

"You've hid her the entire time? I would have rather had her ass than yours. Look at her, so innocent and clean, but now's not the time. We have a guest coming soon and every unmated female who is of age must attend . You are coming with me." He growled and gripped me reasserting his grip on my arm and began to pull me alongside him as he walked.