Artemis

As usual, my day began with me getting up at the crack of dawn when the sun hadn't even risen, and the sky was still painted with a deep violet hue.

The air was still cold. The pack was still asleep in their luxurious beds, while I was forced to sleep in a crappy, unserviced, cramped as hell attic; unfair.

My name's Artemis Terry- daughter of Lucias and Adeline Terry, the Alpha and Luna of Emerald Guardians Pack. My father and the rest of our pack were exiled when I was still in my mother's womb. We were banished from the ancient land of Romania, where werewolves could live and grow their packs in peace, harmony, and love—a land where all werewolves could build their home.

My father rejected his true mate Eurille, and my mother left her true mate, my uncle, Xavier, for my father. They mated. My uncle and Eurille both died. Lucille died of depression, and my uncle committed suicide as punishment for this heinous crime, my father and the rest of our pack were forced to live on Romania's edge, never to set foot on its borders again.

Although they loved me for the first five years, my parents never really considered me their daughter. More likely, the reason they were exiled. When I was old enough, they made me the pack's enslaved person—cooking, cleaning, maintaining the packhouse, and stuff like that.

I lived in the attic. That way, no visitors could see me and my parents won't be further humiliated. I always wore simple clothes, whereas the girls always had the nicest clothes; designer clothes were imported from expensive stores. My clothes were imported from the she-wolves who outgrew their old clothes. I inherited the hand-me-downs.

Despite being exiled and living in shame, my pack was vibrant. We afford to live a very lavish lifestyle due to my father allying with another powerful pack, The Shining Cosmos Pack. Their leader was Marcus Spencer. A heartless monster who was cruelly handsome—a literal demon in an angel's body.

He formed alliances with packs to take advantage of the she-wolves living there, and since he was one of the most powerful alphas in Romania, rivals and objections from other packs weren't an issue. He allied with my father's pack, and they were business partners and good friends from what I heard.

Suddenly I heard the first bird chirp, welcoming the morning. I yawned and stretched out my sore muscles, still aching from the previous day spent washing, cooking, cleaning, and bending over.

My back ached, and with great difficulty, I lay again on my scratchy but stable bed in the cold attic where I've resided since I was twelve years old.

Now eighteen, I was officially an adult. So why couldn't I leave the pack and strike out in my direction? Simple. Father loved having me around. Why, do you ask? So he could vent out his rage, anger, and frustration on me and remind me that I was the cause they were all suffering.

And I quote suffering. They weren't close to suffering. They had everything they could want; a pack, a lavish home, protection from rival packs, and their little heir, my adopted brother Alec. Father said he didn't want me to be his heir. He wanted a male. One could become Alpha, breed the females, and carry on the Emerald Guardians legacy.

I'm willing to bet my life that no one would remember us when we're gone. They all hate us. Hate us for getting Eurille and Xavier killed, hate us for our betrayal, hate us for shaming the Romanian Empire. After my uncle and Eurille died, no one wanted anything to do with us. They looked at us with contempt and disdain.

Climbing out of my bed, I walked across the wooden floor in my thin nightgown and went to the bathroom with a cramped shower stall, a sink, toilet, and a broken mirror. Striping out of the nightgown, I tied up my auburn curls and stepped in the shower.

I turned the water on and immediately cringed. It was freezing.

I waited patiently for the water to get hot. When it did, I hissed in pain as it traveled down my back, onto my cuts from last night, put there by my father when I tripped on someone's feet and spilled the red wine that I was carrying to the dinner table where my father, my mother, Alec and Alec's mate, Natalie and her parents were seated.

In a fit of rage, my father shot up from the table and slapped me across my face. He grabbed my hair, bent me over the table, and lashed me twelve times with his belt in front of everyone, making me scream and plead for mercy. When he was through with me, my clothes were torn, and my skin was bruised.

Father took me by my arm, dragged me to the attic, threw me on the floor, and left me with my wounds, crying my eyes out. Falling asleep with all those cuts and bruises on my body was sheer hell! I didn't have the luxury of fast werewolf healing, so I had to wait if it weren't for the fact that my title had been stripped.

When my shower was done, I gingerly wrapped myself in a towel, brushed my teeth, and eyed myself in the mirror. My skin was pale as milk, my eyes were emerald green, and I had freckles on the bridge of my nose. The bruises from where Father's fist was clenched around my neck made me visibly cringe.

Sighing at my ugly reflection, I left the bathroom and went to my chest of drawers, where I pulled out a pair of skinny black jeans, a grey turtleneck sweater to cover my bruises, a couple of panties, and a matching bra to cover my sorry excuse for breasts. They weren't flat, but they weren't as defined as they were supposed to be.

I changed quickly and slipped a pair of sandals on my un-manicured but slender feet. I never really used nail polish. My toes were cut and plain. Simple, I tell you. I brushed my hair till it shone and tied it into a ponytail. After tidying the room, I left after surveying my old but comfortable clothes.

"Just another day in the life of me. Don't get into trouble and keep the low show, and they won't bother you. You've got this, Artemis," I said to myself like I did every morning to boost my deflated self-esteem.

"Artemis, you've got to stop talking to yourself like this. People will start to think you're nuts," my wolf Caroline said in my head. It was the first time she's spoken to me since yesterday evening because I didn't leave the packhouse, and that deprived her of her daily run through the woods.

She was a beautiful wolf in reddish fur, cream underbelly, and emerald green eyes. She was my best friend. When I started to get abused by everyone, Caro always helped me get through it and was my shoulder to cry whenever I was miserable. I truly loved her.

"Well, look who finally decided to stop being a sourpuss," I teased. She scoffed, and I grinned. Caroline was so cute when she was like that. Her eyes would roll up in her head, and she would make the sweetest sound like a temperamental child who was told he could go outside because it was raining.

"Look, Caro, I promise we'll go for a run this evening. Just let me get through the day alive, and we'll go for a nice long run while Father is meeting with Marcus." I said in an attempt to appease my pouty wolf. To this, she howled and started to prance around in my head, a frequent reaction out of her.

"Stop it, you crazy wolf, you're giving me a headache!" I said in annoyance.

I opened the door with a groan, jogged down the two floors of stairs, and made my way down the long hallway, through the dining room, and into the kitchen. I started preparing breakfast for the pack, which would take me approximately an hour considering the size of the pack—about two hundred wolves.

I wasn't the only omega working the early shift. Two others, Tali Jerald and Barbara Sanders, were there too.

Tali was nineteen and Barbara seventeen. Tali, a brunette with fair skin, grey eyes, and a petite frame, was my best friend after Caroline. We've known each other since we were pups. Tali was the daughter of Gamma Kyle. Her mate Josh left her for her cousin Asha, and she was depressed for five months and counting.

Because Josh severed the bond instead of rejecting her, she was still alive. Wolves who get their mate bond severed stay depressed for a few months, then they forget about it and get on with their lives. The pain of losing your mate is something you can never get over.

It eats you alive and makes you do things that can either kill you or drive you insane. But thanks to me and Barbara's support, Tali got over the broken feelings, and now she's doing much better—at least.

Barbara hadn't found her mate yet. She had long blonde hair, orange eyes, and like mine, Barbara's skin was pale. She was rebellious and a little rowdy despite her age. Barbara was Delta Mario's daughter. She became an omega since she had no skills suited for any other job.

She couldn't fight, so a soldier wasn't appropriate. She wasn't responsible enough, so pup sitting was a no-no. Barbara couldn't cook to save her life, so she was terrible at being a chef. I ate spaghetti and meatballs from her once, and I almost died.

The spaghetti was half cooked, the sauce was too salty, and the meatballs tasted like they were weeks old. I had food poisoning and had to stay in bed for a good three days. I never ate anything at the hands of Barbara again, not even a sandwich.

Tali was an omega mainly because her parents didn't want to see her face—ever! She let Josh slip through her fingers, and for that, she was sent to be an omega even during her depression stage.

I glanced at the clock and saw that it was five fifteen. The pack would arise at seven, just enough time to make a huge breakfast, clean up, and get started on our chores. We would eat after the pack did—one of the curses of being an omega. We always got the short end of the stick. Always.

Artemis

Tali made the coffee and Barbara set the tables while I made pancakes, bacon, eggs, and french muffins for breakfast. The pack had awakened by the time we had the breakfast ready. The Alpha and Luna, my parents, were the first to arrive.

They never allowed me to call them Mother or Father in front of others. Alpha Lucias and Luna Adeline, that's the proper term that I need to use to address them. Alec, of course, only had the privilege of calling them Mom and Dad. And he wasn't even their biological son. They couldn't erase the fact that I was their daughter, but they could pretend I wasn't.

They always ignore me, treated me as an enslaved person, and forced me to obey them, compensating for the 'misfortune that occurred' which referred to my conception and birth. It hurt so much to know that my parents despised me and gave me silent treatment all the time, but what could I do? I was helpless in the face of my fate.

Garrett, the Beta, was the one who pursued my parents. Garrett was my father's best friend, so he is more than just a Beta in our pack. Garrett, unlike my parents and everyone else, was friendly to me. He gave me books to read in order to help me gain knowledge because my parents did not allow me to receive a proper education. My parents believed that an omega like me doesn't need that thing because, after all, omegas like me were insignificant in their eyes.

Garrett, on the other hand, believes the opposite. Every day, he had a tutor who gave me papers with questions, quizzes, and tests. I'd finish them in my spare time, pile them somewhere safe for Garrett, and he'd give them to the tutor to check and correct the papers, then she'd send more the next day.

Reading and writing were some of the things that I am fond of. I enjoy doing them every now and then. So sometimes, I would leave the packhouse with a spare set of clothes, go for a run in my wolf form, and go to a place where I knew I could be at peace. It was a nearby meadow which is about two miles away from the pack. I would lie there in the lush green grass and read some of the books Garrett had given me. It was peaceful as I was completely alone and undisturbed in that place while doing the things I love.

And, of course, I'm away from the packhouse, away from my so-called parents, and from my stressful life. Nobody could bother me, something that makes me happy. I'd read Shakespeare, poetry, science, and fiction. I'd immerse myself in the worlds of fantasy and mystery, and for a brief moment, I'd forget that I was an Omega and just be myself.

"Do we have to wait for another hour for you to serve our breakfast, or was it ready?" The sound of my mother's voice startled me. She stood with her hands on her hips, staring at me, with my father shaking his head next to her.

Alec and Natalie had just come down the stairs, giggling and kissing, which I thought was as fake as a Barbie doll could be. Garrett stood behind my parents, and his blue eyes were mischievous as he looked at me. To show my respect, I cleared my throat and bowed to them.

"Yes, Luna, breakfast is ready," I said, raising my head. "Please have a seat and allow me to serve you."

My mother simply scoffed. They then proceeded to the Alpha's table in the dining hall, where they took their seats. My father took the first seat, followed by my mother, Alec and Natalie, and finally Garrett.

Tali and Barbara spooned out heaps of pancakes, bacon, and eggs and carefully placed them on the trays alongside the coffee. I took five trays and five cups of black as midnight coffee, loaded them onto a cart, and rolled it out of the kitchen and into the dining hall, where my parents, Alec, Natalie, and Garrett awaited.

I rolled the cart up to the table and served them their breakfast and simply trying not to spill anything. Goddess knew the value of spilling coffee on Natalie's designer dress.

"Breakfast has been served. Enjoy your food," I meekly said.

My parents gave me a curt nod and started eating. We had to serve the rest of the pack after serving the Alpha, Luna, and Beta. They descended in five groups, and soon all two hundred pack members were present. And because the soldiers couldn't leave their posts guarding the packhouse and the houses of the pack members, where everyone stayed, they ate their breakfast outside.

We repeated the process of dishing out and serving the food for fifteen minutes. And soon, all of the pack members, including the soldiers, were finally completed. When everyone had finished eating, they left the dining hall and returned to their places, and went back to what they were doing. Tali, Barbara, and I cleaned up the area. Tali swept the floor, Barbara wiped down the tables, and I washed the dishes.

We sang songs while working and appreciated having the space to work without interruptions. Finally, the kitchen and dining room were cleaned and sanitized. The floors had been swept, the dishes had been washed, the tables had been cleaned, and there was a pleasant aroma of pine sol in the air.

"Okay, ladies, we did another great job. The place is clean. Let's eat breakfast and get to work on our chores," I rubbed my reddened hands against my apron. There wasn't much left for us to eat: four pancakes, some eggs, three strips of bacon, and two muffins.

I exhaled a sigh. This thing happened daily. We always cooked enough food for the group but never enough for ourselves. There was always a scarcity of food available for the omegas.

Tali, Barbara, and I were the only omegas around; that’s the reality. But we were also part of the pack after all. Even though no matter how much this fact, was denied.

"Oh, I think there isn't enough food for the three of us," Tali said as she observed with a glum expression on her face. "Should we go to the nearby human village to grab something to eat? What do you say?"

There was a human village approximately five miles away from the packhouse with cafes, banks, schools, clinics, and houses. And whenever we needed something, the three of us could leave and go to the human village. We buy things, such as food or medicine or any available items.

Only two members were allowed to leave the packhouse to go to the village. Tali and I decided to go while Barbara opted to stay. It's not like there's much to be purchased in the first place.

"Get some garlic bread, omelettes, cappuccinos, and a strawberry croissant for us to share," Barbara said, sitting on a kitchen chair, her long slender legs stretched out in front of her. "If you can't find a strawberry croissant, perhaps a raspberry jam tart will be enough."

"Do you plan to help us in carrying all of these items into the packhouse?" Tali asked sarcastically.

Barbara seemed to be offended. "Yes, of course, I'll assist you. What are your thoughts on me? Giving orders but won't help in carrying them here?" she said, irritably looking at Tali.

Tali nodded frantically, and Barbara exclaimed huffily. I rolled my eyes and headed Tali out of the kitchen, and we went outside. After a long morning of standing in front of the heat, the cool morning air that fanned our faces gave us relief. It is refreshing, and it felt so relaxing.

Tali and I went behind a large oak tree and started to undress, and then both of us shifted. Amanda, Tali's wolf, was covered in grey and white fur. She had a creamy underbelly and grey eyes. We stretched and turned to gather our belongings, our clothes specifically. And after which, we turned and bounded in the direction of the human village, with our clothes in our mouths.

As we ran through the forest, the breeze blew through our fur. We were running so fast that the trees appeared to be blur in our vision. When we were almost in the village, we stopped and looked for a large tree to shift back to our human form.. Tali and I both changed as quickly as we could. We combed our fingers through our hair after getting dressed and tried to look presentable.

"Okay, let's get all the things and goods we need and leave. I have to clean the Alpha's Chambers today. You know how much Alpha Lucius hates to have his room dirty," I said as I picked up some of our stuff from the ground.

"Amelia, you know it's just you and me here. So there's no need to call him Alpha or such when it's just the two of us. Shouldn't you just call him Dad?" Tali told me in a sympathetic tone.

"You know I can't do that, Tali. He slapped me the last time I called him Dad. He forced me to kneel in front of him and submit. It's preferable that way. I must always refer to him as Alpha Lucius. Nothing else," I replied sternly.

Tali shook her head slowly and hugged me. She comforted me as the friend that she's always been. With the kind of life we have, Tali, Barbara and I always need to look out for each other. We had to watch each other's backs not only because we were friends, but because there's no one else would. It will only be us, the omegas.

Artemis

Tali and I walked carefully down the grassy slope that led into the human village, and after ensuring that no humans were around, we ran into the small but homey café to purchase our breakfast.

The walls of the café were painted a tasteful seashell pink, and the floors were tiled in eggshell white, the long L- shaped counters were a gorgeous red, and the lady at the counter, who was the owner, looked cherry and happy as she waved cordially at us when we walked through the glass doors.

"Good morning Artemis and Tali. What can I get for two of my favorite wolves today?" she asked, smiling. The woman named Pam Lorrel worked at the café and was also a wolf-like us. She didn't live in the packhouse since she enjoyed the peace of the human village as well as its warmth. Something one can never find in our pack.

She was a small petite woman of forty-one, with dazzling violet eyes, a fair complexion, and short, brown curly hair. Pam and her mate Austin stayed in the human boarding house and often came to the packhouse to deliver herbs and spices to the pack's healer Velma. Pam was like a second mother to me and was the only elder who treated me well besides Garrett.

"Good morning Pam, Tali, and I would like to have three large strawberry croissants and three coffees, please," I said politely as I took out twenty bucks from my pocket. Pam nodded and filled my order while Tali and I browsed through the home magazines stacked in a basket in the corner.

"Order up," Pam said with a smile as she placed the order on the counter. I paid her quickly, and Tali and I waved goodbye as we hurried out of the café, passing a teenage girl on our way.

"We have just ten minutes to get home and eat," I told Tali as we went behind the same tree and shifted. Luckily Pam placed everything in a large basket, so it was convenient to carry. Tali held our clothes in her mouth while I had the basket in mine.

We ran in the direction of the packhouse with five minutes to spare. Fortunately, Barbara was still waiting in front of us. The Alpha and Luna were nowhere to be seen, which was a relief.

Barbra took the basket from me and placed it on the table in the kitchen while Tali and I shifted once more and changed.

We walked into the kitchen, where Barbara laid the breakfast out on three plates.

"No garlic bread, huh?" she asked disappointedly. I shook my head, and she groaned.

"At least we got the croissants, right?" I asked cheerfully in an attempt to cheer her up.

It worked. Barbara's face lit up once more, and she took first my plate, then Tali's, and placed them in front of us. Then she took hers, and we all sat down at the kitchen table and began to eat. We had barely managed to swallow the first bite of the croissant when Alec came staggering into the kitchen with Natalie.

He was shirtless. She was bra-less, wearing only an oversized t-shirt to cover up the breasts that we all knew were fake. Her pants were off, and she was straddling him, her legs wound tightly around his waist while they devoured each other's mouths.

Barbara silently gagged, and Tali rolled her eyes, and both of them went back to eating, ignoring them. I tried to ignore them too, but their moans made it hard to concentrate. Suddenly Alec turned around and saw us sitting there and smirked.

He placed Natalie down and sauntered over to us, his chest and abs on full display. Oh no, please don't. Let us eat in peace, and please don't hurt us.

"Hello, dear sister," Alec said sweetly, making me visibly shudder. I glanced up at him and smiled shakily.

"Yes, Alec, can I help you?" I asked, trying my best not to stutter or show any sign of disrespect.

"Oh sister, are you okay? You look rather pale. Do you need to see the pack doctor?" he asked with fake sympathy. I bent my head and looked downwards.

He fully well knew that Father forbade me from seeing the pack doctor. He said I could heal on my own, and any injuries I got weren't significant enough to bother our esteemed pack doctor. If you couldn't count three broken ribs on two separate occasions, a fractured clavicle, a dislocated shoulder, and a head injury necessary, I didn't know what was.

So with all the courage, I thought I had, I looked up into his devious eyes, orange they were, inherited from his mother - not my mother, his birth mother. When Alec was born, my parents forcefully took him away from his mother. Why? Because she wasn't worthy enough to keep Alec as her son.

And by worthy, I mean, not rich like us, not high in a position like most of our pack members, and too irresponsible. His mother, Alina was her name, lost her mate when rouges invaded our land when I was only a few months old.

They killed several warriors, and Alec's father was one of them. Alec was all she had, and my parents took him. She died of a broken heart a month later. Alec was only five when it happened, and he didn't cry for his mother to everyone's surprise. He didn't even spare her a second glance when my mother picked him up and carried him off.

I was jolted back to reality when I felt a sting on my cheek. I gasped and covered my cheek with my hand, and looked up.

Alec had slapped me. He yanked my hair backward with a growl, and I cried out in pain.

"When I ask you a question, you answer me you a disrespectful thing!" he shouted in my face.

Question? What question? What did I do?

"What are you talking about?" I gasped when his hand latched onto my throat and squeezed it, making my vision cloud over.

"WHY HAVEN'T YOU CLEANED THE ALPHA'S CHAMBERS YET?!"

I gasped, and then it hit me. I zoned out for a while and completely forgot I was supposed to clean the Alpha's chambers.

Hell, I was in for it now. I gasped and tried to make Alec release me, but he only tightened his grip.

"F..forgive me... I was caught up in other matters. I shall get to cleaning the Alpha's Chambers now. Please, Alec, release me," I struggled to speak as Alec's choking me got unbearable, and soon I began to feel lightheaded.

Then he released me, and the force sent me flying to the floor. I gasped and held my throat, trying to get oxygen back into my lungs. Tali and Barbara sat there looking at me, sadness and despair painted on their faces.

They wanted to help me, they wanted to so badly, but Alec was their future Alpha, and they had to obey and not step out of line. I gasped and coughed violently, and Natalie, instead of attempting to help me, she laughed and patted Alec on his shoulder.

"That's right, sweetie, show this disgusting omega who's Alpha. She can't disrespect you and not suffer consequences," she sneered.

Alec scoffed at my weakness and eyed my croissant and coffee on the table.

He smirked and took my croissant, took three bites out of it, and threw the rest in the trash. Then he picked up my coffee and took a sip. Deciding it wasn't brewed to his liking, he turned it over and dumped the steaming liquid over my body, making me scream.

Tali's hand flew to her mouth, and Barbara attempted to pick me up, but Natalie grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back.

"Don't interfere, omega!" she hissed in her ear.

Alec laughed and held my chin in his hand, my face was soaked with coffee, and my hair, as well as my clothes, were drenched.

Natalie released Barbara and motioned for her and Tali to follow.

"Make yourselves useful and go down to Ashton Lake and fetch some of the water for me. It's pure and will help soothe my face. I want a full makeover today, there is a function at my parents' place that I must attend, and you two will assist in getting me ready," she said demandingly.

Tali and Barbara exchanged looks of disbelief and looked back at me, lying in a puddle of coffee on the floor, in pain and crying.

"Come on, chop. I don't have all day to sit around and wait. Get your tails down there and do as I say," she snapped rudely.

Barbara and Tali whimpered and bowed to Natalie, leaving their half-eaten croissants and coffee on the table. They had no choice but to obey. If they didn't, Alec would tell my parents, and Tali and Barbara would be publicly whipped at the stage on the center of the courtyard for having disrespected the future Luna of the Emerald Guardians.

They left with Natalie, and Alec remained. I glanced up at him, and he smirked. With a sick, twisted sense of satisfaction, he seized Tali and Barbara's cups and threw their coffee on me as well. It was hot. So hot that I screamed, causing my parents to come barreling in.

"Alec, are you okay, dear?" Mother asked worriedly as she scanned him for injuries.

"I'm fine, Mom, and it's this omega who's the problem. She disrespected me," Alec said with mock hurt.

Oh no. Please no. Dear Moon Goddess, please don't let it happen.

My father growled and kicked me in my ribs with his shoes making me groan. He kicked me again. And again. And again. And with each kick, he shouted at me, saying, "Never disrespect your brother, you slut!"

Tears fell out of my eyes as I begged him to stop. I begged and begged but to no avail. He continued to kick me like I was a punching bag mercilessly.Wait a minute. I was a punching bag. Ever since I was a child, I was his little punching bag.

When he was through with me, he held my chin in his hands and looked at my tear-stained face.

"Look at you. Just look at you. You're an insult to werewolves, a disgrace, a waste of space. Who could ever want a mate like you? You're weak, pathetic, and shallow. Always was, always will be, "

With those hurtful words said, my family turned and left. They left me with my pain, my sorrow, and my hurt. He was right. I was weak, pathetic, and shallow. I gazed into my ugly reflection in the puddle of coffee and shunned away.

Look at me! I was HIDEOUS! Who could ever want a mate like me? Weak. Pathetic. Shallow and ugly. No. I wouldn't give myself false hopes. He was right. I was nothing worth waiting for, and no one deserves a mate like me. Not even the most heartless, most cruel Alpha in the world.