Chapter 1

(Alexandra's POV)

Staring into the mirror in disgust, I felt the icy cold breath of death breathing down my neck. There must be some ultimate force smiling down at us all. Everyone but me it would seem. Virgil said that "the descent into hell is easy."

"Alexandra! Get down here. Now."

I never descended. I was born in the fires of hell, my soul molded from the brimstone that hung in the air. I guess in a past life I had bad Karma.

Hurriedly, I rushed into the bathroom, I was an omega, one of two. As an omega we were beaten and bruised, only allowed scraps off of the plates. Food that no one wanted. They hid us in the attic, where we were out of the way. Less of a nuisance, but there was no heat in the winter, so we had to adapt, sleeping in layers and under mounds of blankets that we had been hoarding. As an omega, we weren't allowed anything. Which means no hot water.

I think back to my mother. What would my life be now? The daughter of a Beta and his mate, happily loved? Safe and sound with my big brother to protect me?

"Wishful thinking, Alex. Come on, let's go." I knew the truth. I was nothing to them. I had been nothing for a while now...

- -------------flashback---------------- -

"Mommy?" said a younger version of myself, then only five years old. I had wandered off away from my mother and I was looking for her now.

"Over here my little mouse," said my mother.

My mom was a gorgeous woman. She exuded kindness and fairness. Her long blonde hair framed her soft features, her kind green eyes always seemed to sparkle with some kind of mischief. She was everything that I had wanted to be when I grew up.

"I'm not a mouse though!" I said, giggling as I ran up to her.

"Really? You are so small you might as well be one!" she said with fake astonishment.

"I am not!"

"Then what shall I call you?"

"Big bad wolf puppy!"

"How about this—you'll be my big bad wolf and I'll be—"

"My little mouse!" I said, simply enamored with her presence. That's how it was back then; everyone loved her.

"Yes, that's how it will work. I'll be your little mouse and you'll be my big bad wolf."

We had been out in the woods, taking a walk. Suddenly a growl sounded through the air. My mother and I froze in fear. A giant black wolf walked slowly out of the trees. It was torn up. Covered in scars, frothing at the mouth, and missing random chunks of fur. This wolf was dangerous and had seen the terrors of battle.

I was frozen. There was nothing I could do to protect myself. Mom moved in front and stood protectively in front of me. "Alex. You need to run. Run as fast your little legs can carry you until you get to Daddy. He'll know what to do."

Fear coursed through my body and paralyzed me. "Alexandra! Go." Suddenly she shifted into her mahogany-colored wolf. As she leapt into the air, the big, bad, nasty wolf rose to meet her. Mom put up a great fight. It was clear that she was well trained and could hold her own. But a momentary lapse of judgment caused her to lower her guard.

All it takes is a moment. One single moment to change the course of the future. In a flash of blood and screams my mother was dead.

"No, MOMMY!!!" I screamed as four wolves came out of the trees. I recognized the wolves from my pack.

The Alpha, Beta, and the Gamma. And one of the warriors.

My father shifted and ran towards me, I was lying next to my mother's body. The big black wolf had run off when the others came. Quietly the others left me and my father alone to grieve. My mother's body had changed back to her skin form. Blood covered her entire body. Flesh dangled from her throat. Her eyes open blank and unseeing... Her mouth was open in a silent scream. Her soft features distorted, into a look of pure fear. She knew, in the end, that she was done for.

"Ella..." my father whispered.

My father was a handsome man with black hair, deep blue eyes, and tan skin. His kind eyes suddenly turned vicious.

I sat there crying, afraid to move. He suddenly turned on me.

"You..." He growled out.

"Daddy... Is Mommy going to be okay?" I said in between tears.

"No, this is your fault..." he growled out. "You... You killed her... you're the reason that she's dead..." His voice broke in the end.

He turned back to my mother and held her body close while he wept. And all I could do was look on in fear. Sobs wracked my tiny frame. The image of my dead mother permanently ingrained in my brain, and every time I closed my eyes all I saw was my mother's mouth open in horror, and her blank eyes staring back at me.

~ flashback over ~

I remembered vaguely the Luna sitting in the corner of the room crying. She held her little boy close to her chest as she wept. I could relate to her in some ways. I was a disgrace to all of the werewolf kind. I deserved to die. What wolf couldn't protect themselves? But I was five years old. The only thing I knew was that Mommy was gone and somehow it was my fault. Thoughts of ending my life had crossed my mind.

Maybe, but I don't want to give them the satisfaction to see something that they would all clearly enjoy. I wouldn't even get a proper funeral! My body would probably get thrown into the garbage, and then thrown into the dump for the bugs to feast on. Not that it would be a good one. There really wasn't anything to my form. Literally just skin and bones. That's what happens when you're malnourished.

But then again it could take several days maybe even weeks before they found my body. They'd only find it when there was no one to clean up their mess. That or the smell of my dead carcass would drift down the stairs, and they'd have to come and bust the door down. Where they would see my rotting corpse lying there. How would they react? Would Otto cry? Would he realize all his horrible nasty mistakes? I subconsciously moved my hand over my side.

No... Probably not. They'd be happy... Their only problem would be that there would be no one to pick up after them... No one to clean up their mess. No one to take their beatings. No one to take all the rage and anger that they can dish out. They'd have no one to break...

I sighed, got dressed, and went downstairs to face the monsters of hell.