The Assassin’s Mate
The Cage

***WARNING: this chapter contains some rather disturbing child abuse scenes and strong language. Please be warned as it may be a trigger for some people.***

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Where it all began, here's just a glimpse into my previous life

"ELISE MARIE BAXTER! GET DOWN HERE NOW!"

I cringed at the sound of my father's angry voice. Quickly, I ran down the hall to his office and knocked on the door waiting for his reply.

"Get in here!" I opened the door and approached his desk with my head down and slightly tilted to the left bearing my neck in submission.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of the woods?"

"I-I am s-sorry, Alpha. I was j..." He slammed his fists down on the desk causing me to jump.

"I don't care what you were doing . This is the last time I will say it. If you go into the woods again I will lock you in the cages. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

"Get out. And make sure all of your chores are completed."

"Yes, sir." I backed out of his office and ran back to my room.

Next week will be my 7th birthday and he was being extra mean to me lately. He never celebrates my birthday because it reminds him of mommy. I remind him of mommy and he hates me. I buried my head in my pillows and cried. I was alone and he didn't care.

I was never allowed to play with the other kids or go to school with them so I had a tutor that came to my house everyday to teach me. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

I never got to go outside unless I had to go somewhere with him and he absolutely forbid me from going into the woods. If I disobeyed him I was beaten and put in the cages for a few days.

Everyone knew how mean he was but no one dared to confront him because he was the Alpha.

Once I composed myself, I walked to the kitchen and swept and mopped the floors. Then I had to clean all the bathrooms. Once the cleaning was done I had to wash the sheets of all the pack members who stayed in the house. Since only the important members stayed there I only had 5 beds to clean and remake.

It usually took me all day to do my chores but luckily I only had to do them once a week.

That afternoon consisted of making sure everything was tidy then going to my room to eat. I wasn't allowed to eat with the other pack members per father's rules so I was given my tray after everyone else was served. I usually only got the leftovers which didn't consist of much but it was better than being starved.

Suddenly my door flew open and my father entered seething with rage. "Elise. What is this?" He said while holding a picture of my mother.

"I found it in the library and I wanted to keep it." I said cowering in the corner of the room.

"You stole it, you mean. Haven't I told you to stay away from the library?" He shouted as he walked towards me and raised his hand.

"No, Alpha. I didn't ste..." He slapped me so hard that I fell to the floor. My eyes immediately filled with tears as I brought my hand up to the side of my face trying to ease the stinging pain on my cheek.

He yanked me up and drug me down the hall towards the basement door.

"No. Please, Alpha. Don't. Please don't send me to the cages." I said while fighting to get out of his grip with tears falling down my face. My struggling only made him madder and he threw me against the wall.

"The cages are the least of your worries you little shit. You deserve worse. You don't deserve to be alive, you should have died instead of you mother." He grabbed my arm again and yanked me harder down the hall towards the back of the house.

We reached the basement where there were five large metal boxes which were used for trapping rabid animals but my father had them placed down here to keep bad wolves contained until he figured out what to do with them.

He opened the last box and shoved me in saying "Maybe a week down here will teach you a lesson."

"PLEASE, DON'T DO THIS ALPHA." I screamed as he turned to walk up the stairs. He paused for a moment then continued walking.

I cried out in horror as he left the room. It was unusually cold and dark down here and I was terrified of the noises and smells that filled the air but I knew my screams would only add to my punishment so I leaned against the side of the cage and pulled my knees up to my chest hugging them tightly.

I rocked myself back and forth for comfort. Being afraid always showed weakness and to my father I was the weakest person in his pack.

I dozed off sometime later but was awakened by the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. I started shaking in fear at the thought of my father coming back to finish me off. He never stopped telling me how much he hoped I would die.

"Elise?" The soft voice whispered.

"Lily? What are you doing down here? You know you aren't supposed to be talking to me." I said in a raspy voice.

"Elise I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I saw the Alpha bringing you down here and I snuck in here after he left the pack house."

"I'm fine Lily, now please go back upstairs before he finds you down here and punishes you too."

She sighed and walked back up the stairs. Lily was Beta Skyler's daughter and the only child I was sometimes allowed to associate with. Her mom and dad tried to help me as much as they could but my father found out and nearly revoked his title so they keep their distance from me now.

The more I was beaten or placed in seclusion the more I started to hate my father. I thought that after sometime he would stop being so mean but I guess my mother's death killed him on the inside.

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After what I thought was the third day of being in the cage, I was brought some food and water by one of the kitchen staff. She helped me out and cleaned me up because I wasn't allowed to leave from the box so using the bathroom in it made quite a mess.

I felt humiliated as the girl wiped me down and gave me some clothes to change into. She looked at me with sympathy in her eyes but never spoke a word. After she was done I stepped back into the box and she closed the latch locking it back.

I laid back down and cried myself to sleep hoping that tomorrow, I wouldn't wake up.

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