I sighed in contentment and pulled the sheets back over my head. They smelt like clean washing and were so soft I felt like I was sleeping on a fluffy bunny.

But then something didn't settle right.

My bed wasn't this comfy?

I shot upwards in the bed and looked around the bright room in shock. Was it a dream? Had yesterday really happened?

I rubbed my eyes. This wasn't my room.

'Oh... it happened alright.'

I jumped at the intrusion of the voice and all the memories came flooding back to me. I felt myself sink into the sheets as tears flowed. I really was in here; in this strange room in a strange house with strange people.

'At least you're not dead.' My wolf laughed.

I scoffed at her teasing and wiped the tears from my face. I felt dirty.

Looking around the room, the smell of Phoenix was old, but a note on my bedside table alerted me.

Nova

There are clean towels and soap in the bathroom. The door is straight ahead of you.

Make yourself comfortable.

Phoenix

That was fairly straightforward.

Shrugging, I scaled the million-foot tall bed and stretched. Every morning I always liked to start with stretching and this morning everything really hurt. I don't even remember getting into a bedroom and sure hoped I slept alone.

My bones cracked and clicked as I stretched them and I moaned in pleasure as the tightness within them vanished. My muscles, now aching, prompted me to go make use of the shower.

I felt embarrassed as my muddy feet trailed across the cream carpet and could only imagine the state of the bedsheets. The sheer size of this room was something I had never been in before, and the gigantic bed was soft and clean with crisp sheets. The furniture was solid wood and well looked after, not a dent in sight.

Entering what I assumed to be the bathroom, the magnificence of a standing claw-footed bathtub and huge walk-in shower greeted me. Tentatively I ran the water and nearly cried in bliss at the feeling of hot water. Not lukewarm; hot!

I brushed my teeth with a sealed new toothbrush before standing in front of the mirror to observe myself. I was awful. My hair was matted and muddy, barely resembling blonde. My face was smeared with dirt and dried blood, right against my cheeks.

Stripping off my clothes, I threw them into the basket by the sink. I smelt awful, too. I quickly rinsed myself off the grime in the shower, running shampoo and soap on my body in an eagerness to try out the bath.

Deeming myself clean enough, I shut off the water and stepped onto the bath mat. I made my way over to the tub and turned the tap on. Whilst the tub was filled, I admired the variety of soaps and ornaments decorated the bathroom. It truly was luxurious, and I was keen to make the most of it. I probably would be put somewhere without such luxury later. Omega after all.

Deciding the bath was taking too long, I climbed in, still wet from the shower. In my giddy excitement, I forgot to turn it onto both hot and cold water and stepped straight into the pool of heat.

I shrieked and jumped away, successfully slipping on the tiled floor with my wet foot. The large smack of my naked ass hitting the floor had me cry out. Thankfully, I caught my head, but my thigh and butt were sore already. Trust me to slip naked.

Cursing, I pulled myself up and turned on the cold water. Noticing some soap nearby, I squeezed some into the tub. Oh, I have never had a proper bath and I could not wait.

Just as I go to test the water, a knock on the bedroom door startled me. Freezing my descent, I shut off the water and peeped my head around the en suite door.

"Are you ok in there?" A small voice called.

I hesitated. "Y-yes. I just s-slipped."

"Okay, Miss. If you are sure." She announced before I heard her footsteps retreat.

Weird...

I made my way back over to the tub and submerged myself. The heat soothed my muscles, and I sighed in contentment, closing my eyes. The only sounds were the chirping of birds and the breaths of hot wolves in the garden. Downstairs, someone was clattering cutlery in a tray and shutting cupboard doors.

It truly was amazing.

I don't know how long I was in there but the water eventually went cold.

Once finally clean, I admired the smell of summer berries on my skin and coconut in my hair. The towels were huge and fluffy, sticking to the dry skin on my feet and elbows when I rubbed myself dry.

I glanced around to look for some clothes and eventually saw some drawers against the wall. Fishing through, I found nothing but jeans and leggings for bottoms. It'll have to do. I will feel alienated but a new pack ...new start?

I shrugged on some dark blue denim jeans and underwear. The tops were rather feminine, but I found a butterfly sleeve top that fit me rather well. It wasn't too small and came down to my elbows.

Only having socks on my feet, I fought with myself about whether I should venture out of the room. I paced back and forth, chewing my lip and eyeing the door.

What was out there?

...Was I allowed out there?

I decided against it and wandered my way over to the window. The ledge was wide enough for me to sit on, so I pulled back the curtains, cracked the window and sat down. I must've been on the top floor, for I was as high as the trees surrounding the house's garden.

Instead of plain grass in the backyard, there were patches of flowers and smaller trees, winding paths, and archways full of flowers. I leaned further out to see where they lead to see the start of a pond. I couldn't wait to explore that.

I settled back on myself and just watched the day go by. It was past midday, that was for sure, as the sun was heading down. I watched as strangers wandered the gardens, some walking to the trees before stripping off their clothes and shifting. I tried to look away, I really did, but this pack was so beautiful.

The men were built to hold themselves. Strong, sleek lines hung across daring features. Most of the men I had seen here were well built, but a few thinner, more lean and toned men appeared now and then. The women were glorious, curvaceous, or toned. They came in all shapes and sizes, but each one of them was strong. Either way of build, their essence of strength was undeniable. Stronger than me, for sure.

They all seemed so happy with not a care in the world. Well-fed, well-mannered and well-groomed...

I frowned and wrapped my arms around my knees. The green envy lurked within my stomach and I had to look away as yet another beautiful brunette shifted from her wolf, back from her run. There were a lot of females in this pack.

As I delved deeper into my self-pity, I felt a hum come from the side of my mind. It was a gentle pulsating, grabbing onto my senses and catching the string of my curiosity. I turned my head and peeked out of my elbows toward my instinct and forgot to breathe the moment I did.

There he stood, every piece of him enticing. He was tall, broad, and built like a warrior. His arms were folded tensely across his bare chest, smooth lines disappearing into fabric shorts. If I squinted, I could channel my wolf's senses and see the sweat dripping down his skin.

I exhaled, resting the side of my head on my arms, and chewed on my lip as I unashamedly watched him. As if on queue, that voice in my head known as my wolf whined, which caused his beautiful eyes to glance up at me.

He stared at me for a moment, his face hard and void of emotion. We stayed in this blank stare down for a moment before he ground his jaw and looked away, turning his back to me. A little hurt at the gesture, my wolf wouldn't let it get me down and purred about the curves of his shoulders and backside instead.

I couldn't help but feel like I was nothing. He couldn't even smile at me or acknowledge me. I really wasn't worth anything; just a small, feeble, barely wolf-girl thing. A blob. Yeah, a blob with a weak heartbeat.

My wolf grumbled at me, but I ignored her and continued to watch as many wolves walked by and he disappeared along with them.

A knock startled me from my daydream and the same voice from earlier called through the wood. "Miss? May I come in?"

"Y-yeah, it's fine."

A small curly blonde made her way in wearing an all-black outfit. Her arms were clasped in front of her as her brown eyes followed the room until she found me. Widening slightly, she cleared her throat.

"Alpha Phoenix has requested I ask if you are hungry and if not you are to join the pack on the training grounds, Miss..."

"Nova. Just call me Nova." I muttered. "No, I'm not, but why?"

She smiled slightly. "I am not sure I am just the assistant."

Or maid. I thought to myself. I was her not so long ago.

"Okay, thanks..."

"Lucie." She bowed slightly, a glimmer in her eyes. "Alpha Phoenix has assigned me to look after you today. Said I was the least threatening of all of us."

I chewed my lip and climbed down from the window. He was right, of course. Her soft appearance, calm voice and warm cocoa eyes were soothing. Stretching out my tired muscles, I made my way over to her and rubbed at my arm as she turned around.

I followed her as she led the way out of my room and down many large hallways. The staircases were encrusted with golden details and crystals in the bannister. Large picture frames of wolves and men alike hung from the walls down the main staircase. I could only assume they were the Alphas of the past.

Lucie turned into what looked like a huge utility room and handed me a pair of trainers and a t-shirt. "Pop these on and we can go."

They were a size too big, but I made sure I tied the laces snugly to avoid blisters and slid off my blouse top to put on the t-shirt. She led me through the side gardens before the sounds of harsh breaths met my ears.

Rounding the corner, I came face to face with both human and wolf, battling it out in what appeared to be a training ground. To the left were two wolves sparring in a circle painted on the floor, spectators watching closely. In the middle were humans sparring, boxing, wrestling... all sorts. And to my right was a mix of all of it, some gym equipment laid out on the ground.

I followed like I was Lucie's shadow as we round the wolf's side. They were almost feral, spit and blood and flesh being torn as they battled. I kept my eyes trained on their fluidity until one submitted. Not noticing we had stopped, they had entranced me. They shifted back into their human forms and I almost gawked at the men. Why is this pack so damn attractive? What is up with that?

A low growl from beside me had me jump out of my skin. With wide eyes and a hand on my chest, I turned to see Phoenix watching me with a glower. I swallowed down an attempt to calm the fear in me, but I got the overwhelming scent of him filling my lungs.

Was he being possessive? Or just moody?

He took a step away from me once he had my attention and I pouted at the now six-foot distance we had, his warmth leaving me. He folded his hands behind his back and turned to observe the wolves in front of us.

I quickly scanned the groups to see some observers scrutinising me in question. I was just as confused as they were.

"Nova." He spoke, which causes me to shiver. "You are here to train. You must build yourself up. Overcome barriers, and build muscle mass. To stay a part of this pack, you need to become a part of this pack. If you do not train straight away, you cannot stay. No quitting."

Stay a part of this pack? What was he saying here? That if I failed, he would reject me?

My heart clenched. "O-okay."

He turned slightly to stare down at me. "Do you always stutter?"

I shrugged, avoiding his eye contact.

"Not m-m-much when I'm with m-my-m..." I trailed off with frustration.

"Got it." He nodded.

I sighed and stared down at my feet. Useless.

"Observe for now before I want to see what you have."

***

I don't know why he was making me do this. He knew I was nothing at my old pack and that I had no muscle mass. Why was I to undergo the torture of training and being constantly beaten?

I huffed in pain as I was slammed to the floor once again. My ego was just as bruised as my body.

Day four of being here, day two of training, and I wasn't improving at all.

In fact, at this very moment, I had just gotten beaten by a new-shifter. Yep, you heard me. A 15-year-old teenage girl had me pinned.

How embarrassing.

"Enough!" Sean commanded.

I glanced up from my position in the mud to see him standing at the sidelines. He was the Gamma and also in charge of training. He was a pack warrior and was given the position not only because of his sheer size but because he was smart. Tactically and book smart.

"Nova, that's the third time today." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

I pushed my weak arms up so I could sit. I dropped my head in shame as everyone snickered.

"Why did Alpha even take her on?"

"I heard she's an Omega."

"What? Ew, why is she even here."

So much for being protected.

"I think we need a change of tactics." Sean sighed.

Finally. I huffed. !!!

"We've seen you cannot spar, you cannot run, and you cannot lift weights or even shift. So I will arrange personal sessions with you. 6:30 am every morning. I want you to meet me here." He explained, crossing his arms to glower down at me.

"Yes, sir." I breathed.

Sean Williams was intimidating. He stood as broad and tall as Phoenix but with a buzz cut, pale skin and blinding grey eyes. He was an intimidating mass of muscle.

He nodded. "See you tomorrow."

I watched him as he walked away and suddenly I felt very alone. The surrounding wolves aimlessly stood watching as some others sparred. I had been told by Beta Charlie not long after I arrived I wasn't to shift. He explained it in a way I didn't really understand, but basically, because I had black fur, it may promote wolves to challenge me.

It was close to five in the evening now. Dinner was to be served by half past and so I went inside to get changed from the muddy clothes.

Wolves snickered as I walked by, but thankfully I avoided confrontation. One thing this pack never did, yet, was come up to my face and harass me. One girl often glared at me, as she was now. I wasn't sure of her name, but her make-up was effortless and her designer tracksuits gave me one impression of her. But not to be rude, I tried not to push the labels onto her.

Not looking where I was going, I bumped straight into someone. "Oh! S-s-sorry!"

I staggered backwards, wincing as I put pressure on the twisted ankle I gained yesterday. My eyes widened as I realised it was Phoenix. He was clad in a black suit with a black shirt and no tie. The top button was undone and his hair was styled to perfection.

I swallowed rather harshly. "Al-Alph-f-f-f"

He didn't say a word as I struggled to speak. His permanent grimace was in place as he scanned me from head to toe, adjusting his blazer. I suddenly felt twice as dirty compared to his crisp appearance.

It startled me, as I had not seen him since the day he told me I was about to train. He had been away or avoided being seen. I couldn't help but think it was because of me. I was not sure what our 'relationship' was.

His scent was mixed with cologne, and the smell of the mix had my wolf purring in euphoria.

"Did training go well?" He asked.

I knew he knew the answer. I knew Sean told him everything as commanded. No one knew I was his mate, it seemed. We kept the curiosity at bay for now. My omega status was unsettling to them, apparently.

I shook my head. "Sh-Sean wants to do personal s-st-st-s-" !!

"I hope to see improvements." He hummed.

I nodded mutely and spared a glance up at his face from where I had been staring at the floor. He was watching me; studying me. His eyes locked onto mine when I looked at him, and they softened slightly at my appearance. In the slightest of fractions, his stoic expression dropped a little.

His hand came up to my chin, and his thumb stroked my cheek. On instinct, my head tilted into his touch, tingles erupting at the pleasure. He sighed and dropped it, closing his eyes. I was confused at the gesture, but when he cleared his throat, I could see he was back to normal.

He straightened his perfect suit and nodded down at me. "Goodbye Nova."

I frowned. "Phoenix, I..."

But he had turned and left. Left me stood there like a loser in the entranceway to the house. My shoulders slumped, and I rubbed at my elbow in comfort. Sighing, I made my way inside and over to the stairs.

Footsteps behind me had me turning slightly to see the glaring girl. She stopped when I turned and scanned my appearance up and down.

"So who are you?" She wondered.

"I'm...Nova." I staggered.

She rolled her eyes. "Why are you even here, omega?"

I could feel my anxiety creeping up inside of me as the familiar feeling of my old pack crept up inside of me. Here stood yet another pretty woman, who knew how to look after herself, and here stood me. One with the upper hand and one as weak as a feather.

"Better yet, why are you moving up on the Alpha?" She sneered. "Coming into this pack and trying to play the sympathy card. I see what you're trying to do, and it's not gonna work."

Without another word, she rolled her eyes and walked toward the living room. I don't know who she thought I was, but I wasn't a home-wrecker. I didn't even want to be here.

I made my way to my bedroom on the top floor and climbed into the shower, discarding my clothes in the sink before I got in. A few tears escaped as my muscles relaxed and my head swam with mixed thoughts.

Why was Phoenix ignoring me? Why won't he accept the bond?

Why was I left to train? Why was my relationship with him, no matter how small, kept a secret?

What was happening in my old pack? My parents? I need to call them.

Why was I a constant target of hate? What had I ever done to gain such cruel Karma?

**********

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