Beyond Death's Door

"I'm going to kill myself." Beatrice's voice was barely above a whisper with a broken bottle in her hand, she was about to slit her wrist when a fellow worker's voice interrupted her.

"What do you think you are doing?" Kate's voice startled her, sharp and unsympathetic.

''Do you think I want to continue to live like this for the rest of my life? I would rather die than live like this," her eyes hollowed as she responded.

"Get it together!" Kate's pragmatic voice showed no mercy, "Do you think someone will bat an eye if a worthless slave like you dies? Don't be ridiculous. In this world, people that are more miserable than you die every day," she leaned closer, with a piercing gaze "There are tons of people everywhere who are far more unfortunate than you. I'll say this again, your death won't change a thing. Don't seek a way out with a meaningless death. Try to stay alive until the end. Do you understand?"

Beatrice was silent, with millions of thoughts as she watched Kate leave.

Life had not been easy in the Wolfsburg Pack for her-She was never given fair treatment in the pack, and this is because she was found at the brink of the river by Lord Damon. It would have been better if he had left her there to drown or to be eaten by the fishes in the river, instead of bringing her to the pack where she is being treated worse than an outcast. Lord Damon's family's treatment of her worsened when Alpha Derek, the son-in-law of Lord Damon began to show interest in her.

"You rootless, fatherless, sluggish, and lazy swine!" Lord Damon's voice was venomous and had caused her heart to skip a beat. "I told you earlier that I wanted this place sparkling clean. We are expecting an important visitor today. And there you are, walking sluggishly about. If you don't come here this instance, I'll have my boys beat you to a pulp. I'm tired of using my hands on your wretched body."

She trembled and was about to go back to cleaning when a worker rushed into the room.

"Lord Damon,'' with his head bowed, "Your visitor has arrived," he said with a firm voice.

Immediately he heard that, his demeanor changed, a sweet smile spread across his face, and he gestured for her to take her filthy self out of the dining hall with a stern warning.

"Listen to me and listen very well. I don't want to see you anywhere around, Alpha Derek must not set his eyes on you. Understood?" His tone was commanding.

"Yes my lord," she whispered, as she hurriedly left.

Alpha Derek had shown great interest in her and was unapologetic about it, she was his Fated mate, and that explains the attraction between them, but he couldn't marry her because she was wolfless, and an Alpha king can't be seen married to a wolfless woman, it would deprive him of the throne, and so he continued enduring his loveless marriage.

Beatrice's face lit with excitement as not wanting to see her around was a perfect opportunity for her to carry out her plan- Her plan toward freedom.

"Where is Beatrice? I haven't seen her anywhere, and it's unlike her," his voice laced with genuine concern as his eyes darted around the dining hall.

"Alpha, just eat your food first, you can ask about her when we finish eating," Lord Damon said dismissively.

He had a hidden agenda for his visit- to meet Beatrice, and that's why he didn't bring his wife along this time, unlike the other times.

"No, I just thought to ask about her. Where is she, is she alright?" He pressed, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"Alpha, she is no longer with us. She has run away with one of her boyfriends." Zoe, the second daughter of Lord Damon scoffed.

"Her boyfriends?" Derek's tone was sharp, doubt creeping into his mind. He knew how much they hated her and how much his in-laws despised her because of his growing fondness for her.

Trying to hide his true feelings he asked if they had searched for her or at least called her.

"You shouldn't worry about her, she's probably enjoying herself wherever she is. Once she's tired, she'll come back home," Josh replied dismissively, "if you'll excuse me, I have a place I need to be."

But Beatrice wasn't coming back, Hope filled Beatrice's heart, confident that she had found her way out. She began to plan how she could get out of the house unseen. Being very thin and very fit was a great help when climbing out of a tiny window at the back of her room. It was already getting dark. The window was high off the ground, but Beatrice hung from her fingertips and dropped the last couple of feet. She was dressed entirely in dark clothes, jeans, and a long-sleeved sweater, her hair hidden beneath a dark-haired scarf.

She stayed very still until her eyes had become accustomed to the dark. Far down at the entrance to the hallway, she thought she saw a figure outlined against the dim light, which meant that the way was probably barred to her, but she had spent enough time looking out of her room window to know the layout of the buildings all around.

Keeping to the shadows, she crept down the alley, a short way, then into the yard of another building, crossed it, and climbed over another wall into an alley on the far side. A cat meowed suddenly and ran from almost under her feet, frightening Beatrice to death, she stood very still, pressed against the wall, afraid to move until she was sure that no one had taken any notice. Then she went on again, heading through the back alleys towards the road.

She had made quite good progress, trying to curb the constant need to look over her shoulder to see if she was being followed.

But as she reached the main street, a car turned into the main street, going slowly as if it was looking for someone. Panic-stricken Beatrice scuttled behind a pile of crates and hid until she was sure the car had left. But as she stepped out to continue her journey a speeding vehicle came out of nowhere and slammed into her with great force, her head hit the pavement, and the earth spun around her.

"Help me," she muttered weakly, with tears streaming down her face, but the driver didn't stop, and she watched as the car sped off, leaving her bleeding.

She had thought of killing herself earlier that morning, and now that she was being run over by a vehicle, she didn't want to die. It was only the most natural and rational thing to do, the desire to live- She was not ashamed of it, so she looked to the moon and called for help.

"Goddess Selene, I had begged you my whole life to take me out of the miserable life I was living, but you didn't listen," she whispered with her voice growing weaker with each word, "I beg you now again to please save me," She said as she closed her eyes, and darkness enveloped her with her body giving in to the pain.