Red Ribbons (Forgotten Series #1)

Chapter Four

One month later

There was no adapting to my situation. The half severed bond was punishing me. It punished me every time Lucas slept with another woman. The half bond we shared punishing me severely for the transgressions. It was agony. It ripped through my stomach and chest with a vengeance, waves of pain rolling over me again and again until I wanted to do nothing but scream but I forced myself to work, to function. I didn't want to be banished, this was my home. I wanted to stay but I was failing at my duties.

I was weak, unable to think or move quickly. I had stopped being able to eat completely a few weeks ago. Everything I ate came right back up and I was painfully aware of how many of my ribs jutted out, how my dress hung off me as if I were nothing but a coat hanger. I kept fainting at odd times during the day but I couldn't force myself to eat anything. My stomach instantly rebelled at the idea and it was terrifying. My body was starving itself and I could do nothing but watch in silent terror.

Every task I did seemed to take twice as much energy as usual and for the first time in my life I felt physically unable to do my job and it terrified me. I had been punished more in the past three weeks than I had in the past fifteen years of my life. I moved too slow, I was clumsy, I wasn't doing things right. The list of reasons Ingrid used were endless but the harsh pain from the punishments remained the same.

Even now I could barely get off the floor from where I had fallen. I had tried many times in the past hour but I hadn't the strength or the energy to do so. Not anymore. I had tried to adapt, I had grown used to the aching emptiness that had filled me but everything piled on me to the point I couldn't fight it anymore. My life was falling apart around me and I had no clue how to stop it. Tears filled my eyes as I tried to force my weak arms to push my body upwards. They held me for a moment before I fell back onto the floor. I felt a sob tear through me. I was dying and I couldn't stop it.

I could hear Ingrid moving closer to my room, the vibrations of her heavy boots moving through me. They stopped by my door and she banged on it heavily. "Get up, you ungrateful little wretch!" Ingrid's voice sounded through the door and I tried hard to get up once more but collapsed onto the floor once more. "Get up!" I didn't have the energy to answer before she burst into the room. "I said get up!" She pulled the strap from her belt and cracked it across my back. The pain was fleeting and I tried once more to get up but I collapsed again. The strap cracked against my back once more and I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

I knew I was late for my rounds but I just couldn't get up. "I can't, ma'am." I barely knew my own voice. It was raspy and broken but I knew I would receive no pity from her.

"You can't! Oh, Alpha Lawrence will see about that." Harsh hands grasped my arm and I was yanked to my feet. My lack of weight must have surprised her because she stumbled slightly before pulling me to the door. My legs wouldn't work and she cursed in anger before her arm went around my rib cage. She half supported me and half dragged me down the hall. My eyes were on the floor, my heart pounding frantically against my rib cage. I couldn't let Alpha Lawrence know I couldn't do my job, I didn't want to be banished.

"Stupid little cow!" Her fury was palpable but I couldn't even speak in my defense. I was no longer capable of doing my duty. I was useless to the pack. You could not keep a useless Omega, there was no reason for it. Ingrid pushed the door to Alpha Lawrence's office open without knocking.

"What are you doing, Omega!" Beta John's voice was practically a growl and I winced slightly before I was dropped in a heap on the floor. A thick silence filled the room as I tried to push myself to sitting but like before my weak arms gave out and I lay there, heaving out laboured breaths on the floor. My heart beat thumped harshly in my chest, i could almost feel it in my ears.