The Alpha's Bullied Mate: The Chosen One (Paranormal Fated Mate Werewolf Shifter Romance Book One)

By Anna Kendra

Freya Walker is a woman who just wants to disappear from the world. Her mother died during childbirth, leaving her at the mercy of her treacherous, gambler and alcoholic father who loves to abuse her. Her fellow students in high school despise her for no reason and she is often harassed at her work. She would rather end her life than spend another miserable day on this planet. The only thing holding her back is her little brother. But her life is about to change completely as Cameron MacGyver, the schools most popular bad boy and the future Alpha imprints on her.

Suddenly, Freya is sucked into the world of the supernatural where she finds a sense of belonging for the first time in her life. But Freya’s trust has been broken several times and she fears to trust again, let alone love. How can she accept the fact that the boy who had tormented her all through high school was suddenly obsessed with her? Will she give love a chance or will she end up just like her mother, broken and destroyed and six feet under.

This is book 1 of the series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BestNovel
• Release date: Mar 15, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1 Prologue: The Beginning

Freya's P.O.V

I stared at my reflection in horror; at the fresh bruise on my left cheek; watching the skin swell…the dark bruise standing out like a sore thumb. But the instant I touched my finger to the contusion, I yelped in pain, gripping the counter with my fingers so tightly that they turned white.

My lips trembled; tears welled in my eyes as a scream caught in my throat, begging for an escape. But I couldn't do it. I couldn't even scream; I couldn't even cry.

'I couldn't let him know…' I thought to myself. 'I couldn't scare him!'

Breathing through my mouth in short bursts, I tried to will the tears away. I had to be strong, not for myself, but for him. I was the only one he had and if he saw me like this, as the broken shell of the person I used to be…No! I couldn't let that happen.

But avoiding the bruise wasn't an option. I had to make the swelling go away, before he woke up.

So I balled up a few pieces of paper towels and placed the lump inside my mouth. The texture of the paper dried out the moisture inside my mouth immediately, making me want to gag, but I didn't give it time. I took the ice pack and placed it against my cheek immediately.

This time, my scream of pain was muffled by the paper towels and I instantly forgot the dryness. Trembling, I leaned my back against the bathroom door, closing my eyes tightly as I worked through the agony.

You little whore! My father's voice again sounded in my ears like a carnival drum, loud and grating as he held an empty bottle of whisky in his hands, ready to strike. Where is the money? I know you work at that stupid restaurant! Give me the money!

Trembling in fear, I had told him that I didn't have any, and I hadn't been lying. I didn't have the money he was looking for; the money I had earned after gruelling hours of hard work. But that hadn't stopped him from rudely searching my pockets; from going into my room to look under the mattress, not caring about invading my privacy.

He had found it there—a total of thirty five dollars that I had gotten as a tip from the restaurant after hours of standing on my feet. I had it hidden away inside the mattress cover, but it had fallen out when he had thrown everything on the floor.

You fucking liar! I hadn't seen the bottle coming down on me, as I had shut my eyes tightly, fear making me freeze in place. But I had felt the impact of the glass on my cheek; heard it shatter on contact. But all I could do, as my mind went numb from the pain and black spots danced in front of my vision, was hope that it would've been the end of the torture…at least for tonight.

And thankfully, it had been.

My father, had thrown the half-broken bottle on the floor next to me, making me flinch away, and then he had strode out of the house, not even bothering to close the door behind him as he took my week's worth of savings with him.

Scrambling to my feet, I paused for a second as the whole world spun in front of my eyes. And then I rushed to the front door, tripping over my own feet before reaching the door, shutting it tight and locking it securely. Our neighbourhood wasn't ideal. It was located at the edge of the woods and was filled with people who would love to get their hands on a seventeen-year-old virgin. However, nowadays it felt like danger lived inside the house itself.

I miss mom... I would give anything to have her back! I wish she had taken me with her when she died…

There was once a time when I wasn't this afraid to live inside my own house. Back when my mother had been alive; back when my dad used to be a wonderful person who had taught me to dance on his feet in the living room and had cooked lunch for me and my mom on Sundays or taken us out to the Amusement Park. But that felt like ages ago. Mom was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, right after she found out she was pregnant with my little brother. And everything changed overnight.

Her treatment cost my dad a fortune and he ended up thousands of dollars in debt. But in the end, nothing was able to save my mother. She died six years ago, and my once joyful father became a complete stranger overnight. He started gambling to pay off his debt, lost his job and became even more addicted to alcohol and gambling.

Now, he has nothing but a pile of addictions to deal with and debt collectors knocking at our door every other day. But he rarely comes home anymore, and even if he does, he comes for money. And if he doesn't get any money, then he takes all his frustration out on me, leaving me wishing for death every time.

Why doesn't he just end it? Why not just end me and be done with it?

For hundreds of times, I had thought about committing suicide to shut this damn miserable life. But I couldn't make it... The only reason I endured everything, the only reason I stopped myself from ending my life once and for all… was because of my little brother, my only ray of hope in this hell hole.

Julian is only five years old and twelve years younger than me but he is the dearest person in the world to me. We only have each other and that was the reason why I was holding on to my sanity with sheer strength of will.

I knew that the time would come one day when I would have crossed all my limits or my father would go a step too far… But before that, I needed to make sure Julian was old enough to fend for himself. He would have to learn to defend himself from our father's wrath, because I wouldn't be here to take the blow for him anymore.

How long would it take? I'm not sure. But hopefully, mom will pick me up then.

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Hey guys! I hope you like my new story! If you do, please drop me a comment.

And a trigger warning will be in place as the first half of the story will contain bullying and other such content. But do not worry, the bullying will not be too severe. As a person who had been bullied pretty badly from kindergarten to high school, I did not want to go to extremes just for the sake of a story, it just felt wrong. But, there will definitely be difficulties in Freya's life, so I hope you are aware of what comes as you read further. So a trigger warning is now in place.

Hope you enjoy the story! Stay safe and happy reading! Enjoy!

Chapter 2 Reason I Survive

Freya's P.O.V

Now, I opened my eyes slowly, letting the unshed tears roll down my cheeks before I turned back to the mirror once again, to access the damage to my face. Nothing was broken, that much I was sure about, but the bruise was going to darken even further until it was a blue-black spot that stood out even in the dark. I had to make sure to hide it.

My skin looked as pale as a ghost, which made my blue eyes seem haunting. They seemed too big for my face. Combined with my hollow-looking cheekbones, I pretty much looked like a walking-talking horror movie. My bangs covered most of my forehead, reaching past my brows and stopping just above my eyes. I knew I was no looker, but as the days went by, I started to look even worse.

My ink-black hair had once reached up to my waist in long, delicate curls, back when my mother was still alive. But now, I've had cut them short to my ears to save myself so much unwanted trouble. Because long hair was easier to grip, easier to pull and they hurt like hell when uprooted in chunks.

But it didn't matter how awful I looked; it wasn't like anyone would ever notice me. And neither did I want anyone to notice. I was a loner, a mere shadow at the back of the class; the one everyone was disgusted to even talk to. And I had no intention of changing that. I had no intention of coming into the limelight…ever.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed a concealer from the bathroom counter and put it on my face, concealing the dark red bruise that I received last night and the tiny blue ones that I didn't even keep count of. I then brushed my hair back and came out of the bathroom to dress in a faded green hoodie over a crème-coloured shirt with blue jeans that had nearly turned white from overuse. Walking downstairs on silent feet, I instinctively pulled the hood over my head so no one could grab my hair…before remembering that my father had already left the house.

Taking off the hood when I reached the living area, I found the mess my father had left on the couch and three empty bottles of whiskey on the coffee table. So I began cleaning the place before Julian could come downstairs. Even when I had been ready to faint from the pain last night, I had managed to clear out the broken shards of glass so that Julian wouldn't step on any pieces accidentally when he came to the kitchen for a glass of water.

Once I was done with cleaning, I began frying up two eggs and toasting a slice of bread on the same pan so Julian could eat breakfast. I had one egg and a slice of bread while I was preparing Julian's meal. It was all that was left inside the fridge. Fortunately, meals were one thing I didn't have to worry about much, because the restaurant where I worked was kind enough to provide me with leftovers. Even though the rice sometimes turned out stale or the food sometimes had this smell…it was still edible. It was enough to fill our tummies for one meal.

Is breakfast ready yet? Julian asked as he came out of his room, his voice quiet. He was probably worried that our father was still inside the house, passed out on the couch.

Yes! I called back, wincing as my cheek stung, while putting his breakfast on his plate and also getting the last of the orange juice out of the fridge. I checked to see if it was expired or not, and sighed in relief when I found it still fit for drinking.

Did dad come home last night? he asked quietly as he sat at the table, his big blue eyes sad yet curious.

I only nodded my head as he ate silently, while I prepared his bag for school. I brought down my own bag and took out my wallet to see what was inside. My heart sank as I saw the two five-dollar bills and a few changes I had left. But I tried my best to reassure myself. I might get a good tip at work today…right? Some kind man or woman might give me a good enough tip if I tried my best. Even another five would be enough! And then, I'll get my payment the day after tomorrow.

My job didn't pay much, but it was enough so that we could have daily meals on our table and it also helped me pay for my school. Julian's Kindergarten was a free Public School, so that was a big sigh of relief as well.

Here you go. I handed Julian a five-dollar bill. Get something nice for lunch, okay? But remember to save up for today and tomorrow.

Julian took the money with a smile and went to put his dishes in the sink while I tidied up the table. With that, I headed towards the door with my bag swung over my shoulder. Julian was already out the door, waiting for me to catch up.

Sighing, I locked the door and headed to school; pushing my way through another gruelling day. Julian's Kindergarten and my school were only 5 minutes apart so it was another advantage. It also meant that I could keep an eye on him if needed.

See you later, sis! Oh! And I'll be a little late; Ms. Lindsay said that she'll show us a movie with talking fish in it. Julian said with wonder as he described Finding Nemo and I felt horrible for not being able to show him movies and cartoons that a kid his age should be watching. I could barely manage food and other supplies for our home with the income I made so paying for a TV was out of the question. Julian might be the only kid in class today who hasn't watched Finding Nemo yet.

Alright! I waved him goodbye with a kiss to his forehead and waited to see him enter the school building before I continued on to my school, Belfast Public High.

As I neared the gate, I saw people talking and laughing merrily in their own little groups that you can easily find in any high school. I didn't belong to any of these groups, and neither did I have any friends. I was a loner—the person everyone hated and stayed away from. So it's not like I have people lining up to be my friends in the first place.

Move freak! You're blocking our way.

I balled my hands into fists as that annoying voice came from behind me. The voice of the person who has made my high school life a living Hell. The school's most beloved bad boy and player.

Cameron MacGyver.

Chapter 3 A Chain Reaction

Freya's P.O.V

I moved out of the way hastily as the red and black Jeep sped past me through the open gates and headed straight for the parking lot. It was followed by another sleek black car that left a gust of smoke in the air, making me choke on the fumes.

Derek Roland and Alexander Cabot were the first to step out of the jeep. They were Cameron's best friends and some of the hottest boys in school. Derek with his jet black hair and grey eyes and Alexander, Alex, with his brunette hair and green eyes that were usually behind gold-rimmed glasses.

And the next person to step out was Cameron MacGyver himself. The boy with the sandy blonde hair and electric blue eyes that had the entire school mesmerized.

All three boys were not only good-looking with the perfect athletic body, but they were also great at studies as well as good athletes. They were the elite students of our tiny school, the boys who made the entire town proud.

And then there were the cheerleaders. Cindy Stewart, Laura Winsor, and Trisha Smith, the trio who were always hanging around the two boys. It was difficult to say who was dating who but the three girls have been involved with both Derek and Alex at different times. But while Derek was a known flirt, Alex was the more reserved type whom people didn't want to get near easily because of his 'stuck-up' vibe. In general, Alex hardly spoke and was positioned as the soccer team goal-keeper, while Derek was the quarterback.

Cameron, on the other hand, was the captain of the soccer team. And even though the whole school loved to gossip about who he was dating, it wasn't much of a question for speculation. Because there was only one girl who was allowed to ride in his car and that girl, was none other than Sarah Parker, the captain of the cheerleading squad and the most beautiful girl in our school.

As I watched the group from afar, much like everyone else in the parking lot, Cameron moved around the car to the passenger's side and held the door open for Sarah as she stepped out in a pink cardigan over a white top and light blue jeans. The color of her cardigan matched the pink highlights in her long blonde hair that reached her midback. I watched Cameron extend his hand for her, which Sarah took gracefully while stepping out.

I don't know why but the gesture made my chest tighten just a little bit, especially as Sarah smiled up at Cameron, her face radiant as they gazed at each other.

Frowning at the ridiculous tightness inside my chest, I decided to