Oliver.
"Please," she begged. She hated to plead, but she fell to her knees regardless. "Please, hurtme. Don't touch my brother. I will do everything better next time. I won't flinch. I'll pretend to enjoywhateverhe wants," she lamented.
"Oh! Who is this that I am meeting? Does Rem Walker even know how to beg?" he asked, his belittling tone melting her away. She looked down at her clenched fists that were now white knuckles.
I cannot yell at him or hit him. I must submit to him. Oliver is relying on me. Physical pain means nothing compared to what may become of Oliver. Lie—I must lie. I must make Jackson feel good.Mother and father are relying on me.
A lingering stillness made her heart thump harder, her ears searching for any sound to indicate his mood as she continued to stare at the floor. She slowly looked up with a beseeching glimpse, his gaze already on her as his eyes darted back and forth between hers.
"Fair enough," he said and stood up from his position as he towered over her. "The boy will remain unharmed. But not you. I need to make sure this lesson sticks. Ronan is calculating and makes his decisions with fervor, which means he will quickly fill your place with another Silver, if needed. And we simply cannot have that.” He paused. Her throat burned with fear as she held her breath. “So, think of Oliver as you bleed, and imagine your pain as his.”
They both looked at each other, unmoving.
One thing was certain in all of this—Rem would never survive in the wild as prey. Most would have run by now.
He broke the placidity and lunged at her. She immediately pulled back; she stood no chance. He grabbed her bicep with a strength that made her yell with terror and agony, certain that he bruised her muscles along with her flesh.
He pulled off the leather belt around her waist and ripped off her dress. She cried out when the air of the home washed over her exposed skin, her naked body touching him in her throes.
She lost all control over herself; every reaction from her was now at a primal level, releasing every ounce of pent-up anger as she tried to attack Jackson. Rem was in no position to fight, however, and Jackson's claws tore deep into her back as a white-hot sensation flooded her entire body, his grip the only thing keeping her from hitting the floor.
Then, he let go.
She slammed to the floor on her knees, shock rendering the pain as nonexistent. She wailed with each exhale, the warmth of her blood terrifying her as she crawled to her dress and grabbed the remnants to cover herself, her hands shaking. Rem sat on the cold floor, clutching the ripped cloth as she glared at the mess of blood all over the floor.
Jackson cleared his throat as if he had merely smacked her instead of deeply clawing her back, walking over to the open kitchen, his left hand covered in blood.
"So, now that that is done," he said and wiped his hand on a towel. "Ronan is looking for a mate. Not a plaything. Fucking him until he can't see won't be enough. Ronan desires a mate thatwantshim, that pines for him. Without a connection, you will make this unnecessarily hard. He didn't want to just see your body; he wanted to see you present yourself with pride and even examinehimto see ifhewas worthyourtime. A Luna, ideally, helps to lead a pack and support her mate. Some Alphas like their Luna to be obedient and quiet but being meek will only lose his interest. His last lover was known for her prowess, so you have a large shadow to fill. Have charisma, strength, and resilience. Be bold as well. He likes that.
"It won't take much, despite what I just said. Ronan's period of being extremely picky for a mate is gone, as he must choose between the thirteen Silvers. Show him you have the potential to be a Luna and that you will not back down from a fight. For us shifters, we gain attachments deeper than humans can appreciate when we favor someone. Give him that. Make him curious about you before he meets the other Silvers. It’s how our kind works.”
Rem said nothing and shivered, her eyes wide as she stared at a particular nail inside the floorboard. Blood pooled around her, but despite that, she listened to every word.
She would take Jackson's advice, solely for the purpose of claiming Ronan as hers, so she could turn into a shifter and realize the power in her veins. She would become worthy of wearing the title of Luna and become someone worthy of being feared.
Then, with every new strength gained, she would exact vengeance on this family.
She would not forget, nor forgive, this.
Ever.
5
A WELL-NEEDED RELIEF
R E M
"It's not healing yet,"Gally anxiously said.
"I can't do anything about that," Rem monotonously replied, staring at a wall in the attic.
Rem winced as Gally cleaned the festering wound. Jackson had mauled her back with a partially transformed claw—his defense had been he figured Fiona could heal it.
Fiona, it turned out, could not heal the mauling.
An entire week had passed since Ronan visited, with the Callons panicking about the Alpha's plan to visit any day now. Apparently, the human hunters were getting worse, and he had to tend to the threat on their border, giving an undetermined timeframe of return.
Deacon, who helped care for Rem when Gally could not, was not the best at keeping secrets. He admitted that a few shifters came to the Callon home to check on her in the Alpha's absence. They were turned away by Jackson, who claimed Rem was tired, unhappy, and that Gally took care of her as she adjusted.
