I sneakily found my way down the vast hallway, keeping my back pressed against the wall. I could hear them in the kitchen and I had a fairly large open doorway ahead, so if I was to get by unnoticed, I would have to time it right.

Peering around the corner, I noticed the group of teenagers facing away from me. So, taking a deep breath, I braced myself before leaping across the two-meter gap. Catching myself from stumbling, I internally cursed when the clothes I wore rustled as I staggered. I held my breath in anticipation and just as I thought I had got away with it, a pair of black shoes came into my eye-line.

Gulping, I looked up to find the snooty grimace of Sophie. Her red hair was slicked back against her head into a straightened ponytail, grey eyes sneered down at me as she chewed on the gum in her mouth. Her curvaceous hip was poised, arms folded with her phone loosely in her grip. She was stunning, an accurate picture of everything a werewolf woman should be and the future "mate" to the Alpha. But she hated me, with every single passion. The two girls and three random guys behind her had the same feelings towards me too.

"Oh my gosh, it's you." She squealed. "What are you doing? Think you can sneak around huh?"

Her voice was sultry, as her lipstick-encased lips parted in a chuckle. "Well?"

I stayed where I was on the floor, looking away from her eyes to stare at the floor. "I-I just wanted t-t-to go to my room."

"I-I-I just wanted t-t-t- what? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you through that rubbish." Her current best friend Lucy chortled.

Sophie pouted at her, an action that may seem innocent to others but I knew different. "Aw, Lucy don't be like that. It's not her fault she was abandoned and never taught proper English."

They all laughed in unison before Sophie grasped me by my blonde hair. I winced as a few hairs snagged in her grip but chewed on my lip, knowing if I made a sound I would get hell from her group. I stood in time with her, her gum smacked against her tongue as she titled her head at me.

"Now... I just got my makeup and nails done all pretty so why don't you run along and go hide in your room for the rest of the day."

I nodded, my green eyes meeting hers warily. "Oh-okay."

Her hand tightened on my roots before she dropped me. I turned to scamper off when a well-manicured foot encased in Louis Vuitton darted out beneath me. I smacked into the floor with a groan. They all burst out laughing and I glanced behind me to see Sophie just smirking at me as she examined her nails, walking away.

"Oh my gosh did you see the way she stuttered?" Her other follower Lou giggled.

Tears brimmed as I hurried my way into my room. Slamming the door shut behind me I collapsed into my bed, crying once more for the people who constantly made my life miserable. Today I got off well, but who knows what is coming later?

***

My alarm blaring rose me from my sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced to see emotional me had set an alarm for 6 am before I passed out so that I could go for a morning walk. Thanks, emotional me!

Not bothering to shower since I did last night, I only washed my face before pushing my hair into a beanie. I brushed my teeth and changed into some joggers and an extra-large jumper. I always wore baggy clothes as it turned the jokes about my body into jokes about my clothes. Better for my ego I suppose.

I chose to wear my cheap white trainers that didn't squeak much on the wood floor and quietly made my way out of my room and followed the hallways downstairs. The main front doors were already unlocked as the Omega's on breakfast duty today would've been up since 5 am.

The front door shut softly behind me and I deeply inhaled as the breath-taking sunrise across the mountain range met my eyes.

This was the only time I ever had peace for myself. Early in the morning when all the important pack members were asleep. It was just the lower ranks rushing around cleaning or cooking. I had today off thankfully, as even though I was not treated fairly by most pack members, Alpha Damien made sure we were all treated fairly work-wise. Little did he know I was constantly the target of everyone's insecurities.

Let me get into this a little.

When I was three years old, I was found floating in a river, my body marred with marks and burns. I have no recollection of how I ended up in that river and clinging to that tree branch but Alpha Damien and his men were out on patrols when I washed into their sand bed. He immediately took me in after hearing a pack up in the mountains was taken down by a resistance pack. I never did, and still, never, know the full extent of the situation. I was told that there was no longer a pack there otherwise I would've gone exploring a long time ago.

My type was not accepted well. I was an outsider who took up Alpha Damien's time, so he left me in the trust of an Omega family. My adoptive parents were lovely, but even they did not realise the extent of the torments I awaited just for existing. It didn't help that I was twenty years old and still haven't shifted.

Most female wolves shift when they turn fourteen, usually after they have gone through human puberty. Male wolves turned at sixteen years old since they tended to go through puberty later than us. It was always a celebration when a normal wolf shifted; a hunt usually followed by a BBQ and a night of partying.

When I turned eighteen, no one seemed to care other than my parents. We weren't exactly sure of my age, so we went with my "GOTCHA" day for my birthday celebrations. I was estimated to be shy of three when they took me in, so we just went with it. Along with being an outsider, I had not shifted for six years, hence the bullying. In a pack's eyes, I was not normal and most did not want me here.

Alpha Damien has two children, a daughter called Rosie and a son called Steven who had yet to take over since he had not found his mate; soul mate that is. Every single wolf had a soul mate, another half made just for them. We find our soul mates at eighteen years old and a wolf born into Alpha status like Steven cannot take the position until they have a mate or the old Alpha dies. They can challenge the position, but that is to the death. That is why Sophie is his to-be mate. If he does not find his true mate by twenty-five, he gets betrothed to a female worthy of the position. Pack politics.

( Copyright - w a t t p a d )

I was always told that a wolf's 'true potential' is made once they mate, hence why he cannot take leadership from his parents. He was twenty-four now, still mateless, and his sister Rosie was turning eighteen this week hence why the pack wolves were running about cooking and cleaning. It's not every day your Alpha's pup turns eighteen.

Strolling through the woods, I found myself following the stream I was lost in so many years ago. If I had just kept drifting, maybe I would've found a better pack that accepted me more. One that didn't harm me both mentally and physically.

I found myself rubbing the faded white marks that adorned my skin. The burns I had received as a child were so severe that even enhanced wolf DNA could not shift the scarring. I was thankful that the pack doctor was able to skin graft and save what he could, but the majority of the scars were on my arms and legs. I must've been crawling through the fire or something; nothing makes sense. But I remember the pain and the needles, and I have hated hospitals ever since.

I longed for my history and my heritage but it was all burnt to the ground and destroyed. From what I was told no pack inhabited that land anymore; it was left for nature to take over.

Glancing at my worn watch I was astounded to find it was 6:30 am already, so I made my way back to the packhouse in my constant daydream. Most wolves were up at 8 am for breakfast and training, so I started to hurry so that I could confine myself away from their hate-filled glares.

***

Someone was pounding on my door.

Taking off my headphones, I was unaware of who it was since I did not have the heightened wolf's senses or mind link yet. Merely human, with just the hint of wolf DNA waiting to come to life.

"Who is it?" I asked politely.

"It's moi." The deep voice chuckled.

I surprised a smile and spun around from my desk. "Come in Dad."

He entered with a cheerful smile. His warm chocolate eyes glanced around until he found me sitting at my desk in the corner.

"Working hard?" He wondered, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

I chuckled. "D-Dad, even you know I'm not doing anything."

He sat on the edge of my bed, fluffing my pillow. "Yeah I know, 'Dad this is my only day off in the week'."

I gaped at his imitation. "I do-do n-not sound like that!"

He hummed. "Okay Ember, sure you don't."

I grumbled at the use of my nickname but turned back around and continued with my drawing. My parents had named me Nova Hope, our surname James, which basically translated to new hope, rather corny if you ask me. But Dad insisted on calling me Ember because of how my skin was a multitude of burns and flames when they found me. And the fact it spelt November when put together.

"Reginald," I grumbled.

"That is father to you, Ember." He chuckled, not bothered with the use of his name. "Ah well, best be off. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go for the pack run."

I shook my head. "Dad, you know I can't sh-shift, and they'll just bully me about it."

My father knew of the torments to a certain extent; though it was just name-calling. But he persisted in me joining in on the pack fun even though he knew I never would.

"Okay Ember, if you change your mind I'll be the most handsome wolf there." He chortles before leaving the room.

I blew my fringe from my face with a roll of my eyes. Dad was so cocky, even as an omega; he was proud. With wavy, chin-length brown hair that he always curved behind his ears, he was proud of his appearance and still caught the eye of many women, even though he was mated.

He met my mother on a hunt when they were both only 18 years old. She was from a neighbouring pack when he caught her scent across the border. Many moons later, they were mated and expecting their first child, my older brother Leo. He was a 21-year-old brunette, much like my father, with the same deep chocolate eyes. I joined the family when I was 4, and he was 5, and the close age gap between me and Leo meant we had a good bond.

My parents were omega's, but they enjoyed the graft. My mother was always in the kitchen as one of the head chefs and my father was often out on patrols. Omega wolves were not looked down upon in our pack, but we're not as blessed as the in-between and higher-ranking wolves. Leo had gained a warrior status at only 19 years old and was shipped off to another pack to 'help' but I think it was really in search of his mate. He dreams he'll make it as a gamma even though it wasn't in his blood.

Mates were getting harder to find as females seemed to dwindle in numbers. Especially since higher-ranked wolves usually had male offspring. It was easier for those in higher ranks to find mates, as our Moon Goddess made sure packs were running strong. Wolves like me take longer to find them, often having to marry on. And females could not travel, as it meant they could leave the pack. Since we were dwindling in numbers of 1 in 5, most packs didn't want to lose us. We were a 'lower' species. Absolute crap if you ask me.

Anyway, thousands of years of history have led to a population like this. This led to a lot of wolves finding their mates in other species or genders or some not at all like I said.

The pack life could be sexist. It was expected for women to go around cooking, cleaning, etcetera and wait for the day a mate shows up and sweeps us off our feet. The thought made me sick. I don't see how a mate could be so welcoming, particularly when people who are supposed to be my pack family were so hate-fuelled. To me, it felt as though women were mere possessions to boost the power and status of a male wolf. Males with mates always earned higher status and were respected more so than ones without. Hence, why Leo had gone on his search and I had not. He had left home just over two years now. Last I heard, he was in a pack south of here helping them protect themselves from rogue wolves.

Without realising, I ended my drawing. Putting down the pencil I studied what I had created.

When drawing, I went into a trance-like state and time passed around me too quickly. Today, I had drawn a vibrant forest, with a large black wolf lurking beyond the tree line, its eyes as black as the night. It was intriguing; I had drawn a wolf I had never seen before, yet he seemed so familiar.

Humming to myself, I placed it in my sketch folder, under this week's date. I drew a new picture every week on my day off. Last week was also a picture of a forest, but it had a small river and waterfall that poured into a lake.

Glancing at the clock, I sighed as I realised dinner was just finishing. Most wolves ate and finished by six and it was ten past now. Sorting out my mess of a hairdo, I quietly made my way out of my room.

The packhouse was like a hotel. Four floors containing 301 en-suite rooms. The omegas were lower level with small necessary single or double rooms, 100 of them. Middle wolves filled up the second and third floors with around 70 spare for the future. And the 40 higher-ranking wolves, warriors and families were on the top floor in larger rooms. The Alpha has his own room and floor with a kitchen/lounge that was secured and private on the top floor, only accessible by fingerprint.

As I approached the dining room, I heard voices. Wishing I had a wolf's sense of smell to work out who it was, I settled for my hearing. They sounded agitated, whoever it was. Stepping closer, I slowed my breathing so as to not be heard. I hoped they were too agitated to smell me.

"Steven!" Sophie's whining voice met my ears.

My wonderful tormentor...

"Not now!" Steven growled. "I need to think before that bastard of a pack comes here!"

"Baby, you're worked up. Why don't you sit and have a drink? Tell me what's going on." She cooed.

He must've complied as the sound of a glass hitting the table empty crackled through the air. "The Blood Moon pack is coming to Rosie's party."

I froze in my steps; Rosie's party was tomorrow. And I had heard of that pack name before. Why did it seem so familiar? My curiosity peaked, and I stepped closer in confidence.

"What!" she squealed. "Why didn't you tell me!"

"He works with the King. I've been told they're doing this random travelling crap to make sure packs are running as they should." He huffed. "I'm going to my office to arrange staff."

His footsteps sounded through the air and I chewed on my lip, keeping myself square against the wall as he walked straight past me. I watched him turn left. His face was hard in concentration as we made eye contact and I sucked in my breath. His cool brown eyes merely blinked before glancing behind him as he disappeared, his hand grabbing at his light brown hair.

Exhaling loudly, I ran my hand across my arm in comfort and pulled away from the wall. Just as I did, I felt sharp claws rip into my scalp as they yanked my head backwards.

"Were you just listening to my conversation there, sweetie?" She pouted. "That's quite rude."

"N-n-no, I-I wasn't-"

"Oh, hush no use lying to me sweetie, I could smell your nasty perfume a mile away." She laughed.

Her other hand pulled out some gum from her pocket, and she released her hold on my hair to unwrap it. I quivered slightly when I noticed her 'gang' approach from the dining room.

Sophie sighed in contentment, smacking the gum in her mouth before pulling my hair from under her nail. "Now, eavesdropping is definitely a no-no thing okay, sweetie? I'm sure you understand after all."

I whimpered and wrapped my arms around myself as she went to walk away. Her two girlfriends came up to me next, both smirking from ear to ear. They both had brunette hair and brown eyes. The only difference was Lou's hair was always curly and her makeup was dark to complement her olive skin tone.

Without time to think, Lou swiped my head to the side as she smacked me across the cheek. I felt my spit fly out of my mouth as I staggered. Another hit my face, and I was against the wall, where my heart raced as their claws dug into my skin. I tried to push them off, but their wolves helped somewhat. I was defenceless.

There was a pause, and I took a moment to regulate my breathing as the sound of their designer heels clicked away. Daring to open my eyes, I soon forced them to shut as a larger, warmer hand pushed me over.

"Don't go poking round in everybody's business, Omega. Learn your place." The guy spat.

I nodded frantically, tears pooling in my eyes. I curled in on myself. My rare appetite now vanished as I cried in pain. I didn't heal like the wolves; I didn't block out pain as they did either. I felt it all and it will show for weeks to come.

I sat there for another ten minutes before frantic footsteps running down the halls startled me. Quickly pulling myself up, I ran into my bedroom. Slumping into my sheets I let the tears flow, crying myself into slumber.

************

hi! Welcome! This chapter was hella cheesy, I know, but it gets so much better once the scene is set haha

wc: 3252

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