My Mate Dress Me As A Donkey To Please His Lover

I'm Hannah Caldwell, and my world shattered the night my so-called mate, Derek Sullivan, sided with his childhood sweetheart, Brittany Kane, over a stupid dress clash.

Right there, in front of everyone, he had his goons strip me down to my underwear.

He shoved a contract in my face, demanding I sign a promise never to use anything Brittany did. Eyes-vicious, mocking-raked over my bare skin.

Humiliation burned so fierce it nearly choked me.

Clutching myself, I scribbled my name, my eyes blazing as I glared at Derek.

"Can I put my clothes on now?" I spat.

Derek blew out a lazy smoke ring, his gaze dripping with cruel amusement. "Sure. But it'll cost you."

He nodded to his bodyguard, who tossed me a donkey costume. "You wanna steal Brittany's spotlight? Here's your shot."

"Wear it, and we'll call it even."

A spotlight hit me, blinding, suffocating, pinning me to a pillar of shame. I lost count of how many times Derek's pulled this crap for Brittany.

When Brittany flunked her college entrance exam, Derek swapped my scores with hers, leaving me stuck with a high school diploma.

When Brittany shoplifted expensive jewelry and got caught, Derek threw me in jail to take the fall

When she plagiarized my papers, he paid off the press to paint me as the thief.

Now, just because Brittany cried all night over a matching dress, Derek had me stripped in front of his rich, spoiled friends, letting them leer at me like wolves circling prey.

"What's wrong? Not game?" Derek stubbed out his cigarette, his cold stare making my heart stutter. "Then don't wear anything at all."

The room erupted in laughter.

"Derek, your pet's got some fight today!" one of his buddies jeered.

"Ten grand says she's barking like a donkey in under a minute!" another bet.

"Let's help her out!" a third chimed in.

Before I could react, Derek's pack of wolves forced the donky costume onto me, pinning me to the floor, their vile taunts flying. I tried to fight, but Derek's icy voice cut through: "Don't forget our deal."

My face went pale. I froze. When my mom, Eleanor Caldwell, brought me into Derek's father Charles Sullivan's pack, Derek forced me to sign a twisted pact: obey him, or he'd use "homewrecker" gossip to destroy my mom, who was already battling crippling depression and suicidal thoughts. I couldn't risk him pushing her over the edge. So I signed, becoming the pack's infamous "lapdog." Whatever Derek demanded, I gave.

I don't even know how I got back to the Sullivan pack's villa, stumbling in that heavy, humiliating costume, my body bruised, tears and blood streaking my face, strangers' cold stares cutting into me.

My heart felt like it was suffocating, but the thought of Mom at home, arranging flowers, waiting for me with that hopeful smile, lit a spark in my dull eyes.

I changed, forced a smile, and stepped into the yard-when a deafening crash stopped me cold. A body plummeted from above, landing at my feet.

Screams erupted around me. I looked down, and my world collapsed. Mom's face, bloodied, eyes wide open in death, stared back at me among the vibrant green plants.

"Mom?" I whispered, my heart clawed apart.

I dropped to my knees, trembling as I grabbed her cold hand. The chill stopped my breath. A desperate scream tore from me. "MOM!"

Her phone was open to a news article about Charles cheating. The headline screamed: Caldwell She-Wolf and Pup Destroyed Original Mate, Seduced Sullivan Wolves to Rise! Below, anonymously leaked, were years of hotel records between me and Derek, plus videos of my humiliations. The comments were daggers.

No wonder Charles broke his bond. Those Caldwell vixens seduced him! Homewreckers!

Shameless she-wolves! They targeted Charles, now Derek!

They murdered the original mate! Killers!

Mom's final recording played, simple and devastating: "Hannah, is my death the only way you'll have a future?" I broke, sobbing.

Fury drove me to call Derek, demanding answers.

Those records, those videos-only he and his rich wolf friends had them. He just sneered. "What, it's not true? If your mom hadn't seduced my dad, my mom wouldn't have killed herself. A life for a life."

I was hollowed out. Charles had forced Mom into that bond, coerced her with threats and promises. Yet Derek blamed us, unleashing his hate on me and Mom.

I did CPR on her lifeless body, whispering to her, begging her eyes to open, until my voice gave out and my eyes burned red. Only then did I accept she was gone forever.

Numb, I cleaned the blood from her body and sat vigil for a day and a night. Grief killed something in me. After her burial, I called Daniel Mercer, the pack-wide ice skating coach.

"Daniel, I'm in for the international skating competition."

Mom gave her life to set me free. I'd make every step forward shine.