Mother, won't you open your arms and

Forgive me of all these bad thoughts I'm

Blinded to the faces in the fog?

-St. Vincent

When I awoke, I could feel a cold, wet substance on my hair. Another concussion and what seems to be a gash due to the amount of blood in my hair and on the floor.

I went in search of some cleaning items to get the blood out of the kitchen floor. The last thing I wanted to happen was the Alpha come back and punish me for the blood I spilled. Just as I was opening the supply closet door, a warm hand touched my shoulder. I wasn't expecting anyone so I started to tremble.

"Don't worry sweet child, I won't hurt you" was all I heard. I turned around and saw our packs cook, Mrs Ollie, standing behind me. Her kind and warm eyes somehow told me that she wasn't like the rest, that she wasn't going to hurt me.

"My dear, what happened to you" she asked. Although I get the feeling she already knew before she asked.

Everyone knows that I'm the pack slave and punching bag.

"Don't worry, love, come with me and I'll fix you up. It will be our secret" she said.

So, I followed her.

Even though it would get her in trouble and me beat again, I followed.

For just a moment, I needed to feel safe with someone.

It's been so long since a person had spoken to me as a person, not an object to torment and given me any type of kindness.

If the fates were allowing this, then I wasn't going to turn down the gift. Just for today I would be a foolish girl, and give in to the warmth that she is offering me. For so long I've craved for the slightest bit of love in my life. Time and time again the world has been cruel to me, for the rest of my life I will treasure this moment. Even if it brings me pain in the future, even if they kill me tomorrow, at least for now, I've been shown a tiny bit of kindness in this terrible place.

We walked to a hidden door that was just outside of the kitchen. This was the door the lower Omegas and the cook use to get to their quarters. Just barely hidden in the darkness, barely visible to the eye. The door that separates the high ranks from the many wolves, who's place is to serve those horrible leaders of this pack.

Anyone who works in the pack house that isn't mated yet or lost their mate, lives in this wing. On the other side of the hidden door.

It is set aside from the main living areas for easier access to the kitchen and cleaning supplies.

The workers need to be kept out of the way for warriors and higher ranking pack members but they still need to be close by, in the house, to do their job efficiently.

Everyone in the pack house serves a purpose, even me, as much as I hate the purpose I serve.