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.

Artemis

After I was left alone in the kitchen lying in the puddle of coffee that had grown cold and sticky, I raised myself off the floor and put my hands on the marble island, and shakily rose to my feet, being extra careful so I wouldn't slip and injure myself further.

"Artemis, are you okay?"Caroline asked in obvious concern.

I coughed and placed a hand on my rib, where my father kicked me with his boots. It hurt to breathe, and it hurt to talk.

"I'm fine, Caroline, "I said to her."Nothing major, just a few kicks here and there."

Caroline whined and scratched at the barrier that separated us, begging to be released to speed up my healing. I took a step forward and immediately cringed. As a result of me being in an immobile position for too long, the circulation in my legs had come to a standstill, and the needlelike sensation made it hard to walk.

I kicked at the air several times before the numbness vanished and I could walk properly. I limped out of the kitchen and to the janitor's closet down the hall, where I retrieved a mop, a broom, and detergents. First, I would clean the kitchen- again. Then the Alpha's chambers were on the third floor of the packhouse.

I mopped the coffee away, sprayed detergent, and repeated the process. When the floors were cleaned, I wiped the countertops, cleared the dishes, and opened the windows allowing the crisp fall air to waft through and into the kitchen. I rubbed my hands on my sweater, which was now damp with coffee, not to mention my jeans and my hair.

I groaned and threaded upstairs to my room to shower and change into something clean. At least I wouldn't smell like coffee and sweat anymore. After my shower, I changed into an old floral summer dress used for family gatherings. It was torn and stained, making it look ugly and unwanted - just like the girl wearing it.

I brushed my hair and tied it in a messy bun atop my head. Not bothering with perfume or makeup, I slipped on my thankfully dry sandals and left the attic. Now back in the kitchen, I gathered the cleaning items and headed upstairs to clean the Alpha's chambers.

The walk up the steps was excruciatingly painful as my bruises weren't quite healed yet, and walking proved to be more complicated than I had anticipated. Finally, I made it to the third floor, walked to the door markedAlpha's Chambers, and lightly rapped on the polished mahogany wood.

"Come in," a gruff voice called for me to enter.

I turned the handle and stepped into the luxurious room, painted a dark grey with a thick snow-white carpet, a mini dining room with a round table. Atop it was several pieces of priceless china. Around the corner were the bedroom and adjoining bathroom.

A balcony complete with a jacuzzi and deck chairs made up the Alpha's Chambers. The best interior designers designed them in Romania. Seated on the plush sofa in the bedroom were my parents. Their faces were grim as they sat there, glaring at me as if I were an infectious disease or a deficiency of some sort.

Sometimes, it saddened me to know that these were the people who gave birth to me. Although I usually never let my emotions show around them, it made me sad all the same.

"Alpha, Luna, I have come to clean the Alpha's chambers," I said, bowing slightly. My father sighed disgustedly and got up off the sofa, offering my mother a help-up.

"Such a gentleman," she said, giggling.

"Hah, gentleman? More like-piglet man," Caroline said scornfully.

I bit my tongue to keep from laughing out loud at her remark, knowing full and well the consequences of such an act. Instead, I maintained a neutral expression and concentrated my attention on the detergent in the bucket. With a final glare directed in my direction, they left the room so I could clean in peace.

I closed the door and began, my movements fluid and cleaning thoroughly. After what seemed like two hours, I finished the Alpha's Chambers. My hands were red, and my back ached from the constant bending over. Satisfied with my work, I gathered my cleaning items and left the room.

I returned to the janitor's closet, stored away from the items, and collapsed on a vacant chair. My stomach growled a reminder that I had no breakfast and was starving. I checked the floral clock on the wall and saw it was half-past eleven, just an hour and thirty minutes to get lunch on the table.

With a disgruntled sigh, I rose off the comfortable chair and started preparing something that would satisfy the entire pack.

I headed to the freezers and pulled out three large chunks of deer, one of the favorite meats of the pack. I dumped them into a large silver bowl, thankful I preseasoned it two days ago when the pack went hunting.

I lit the oven, turned it to three hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit, and left to gather ingredients for a deer roast. I was so preoccupied with chopping the ingredients I failed to notice Barbara and Tali enter the kitchen.

"ARTEMIS!" they shouted out loud, causing me to tight slit my wrists with the sharp as hell knife. I turned to scowl at them.

"You scared me!" I said indignantly. They giggled and peered over my shoulder to see what I was cooking.

"Are you done with helping her highness get ready for her function?" I asked, still chopping the vegetables.

"Yeah, we're done. She was so fussy and demanding," Tali said, rolling her eyes.

"It was hell working for her, she complained, she argued, and she yelled. I did her nails and makeup while Tali dressed and combed her hair. She left an hour ago with Alec. Apparently, it's her cousin's pup shower, and she had to attend," Barbara added.

I laughed and scraped the vegetables into a skillet with olive oil to sauté. Then I took a large knife and cut the meat into smaller pieces to fit in the dish. I learned from experience that the wolves in Emerald Guardians were very picky eaters.

"Want some help?" Barbara asked.

I shook my head vigorously. As I said before, Barbara was a terrible cook. So I asked Tali instead. Barbara looked insulted as she sat at the table and sulked like the immature pup she was. After a while, I felt sorry for her and asked her to pick some berries from the garden to make dessert.

"Pick strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. I'll make a pie," I said to her. She smiled instantly and went to get a basket to pick the berries.

While Barbara picked the berries, Tali and I cooked the roast. We popped it in the oven when it was done, and Barbara was back with the berries.

"Thanks, Barbs," I thanked her. She seemed elated that she helped me and returned to her seat at the table.

While the roast was cooking, Tali and I made the pie. I mixed the filling, and Tali made the crust. All the while, we soaked up the ambiance of the afternoon, content with the fact that the pack was busy, not bothering us. If only every day could be like this.

"Are you ladies busy right now?" a male voice asked. We turned and caught Garrett standing there with a woman on his arm, and she was a few inches shorter than Garrett, who was about six foot three. She has short wavy blonde hair, large grey eyes, and tanned skin. She was petite and had generous curves and beautiful features.

"No, Garrett, do you need something?" I asked, smiling at his companion. Garrett grinned and squeezed the woman's shoulders affectionately.

"Ladies, I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Lydia Marshall, daughter of Beta Adrick and Lucy Marshall and my mate," he said proudly.

My mouth dropped open as I took in this new information. I gasped delightedly, and so did Tali and Barbara.

"Oh, Goddess! Garrett, you've found your mate? That's wonderful news. My heartiest congratulations to you," I said, hugging him.

He hugged me back, and when we separated, I hugged Lydia.

"Congratulations, Lydia, you'll make a perfect mate for Garrett, I'm sure. Welcome to Emerald Guardians," I said to the now blushing girl. She looked to be around my age, eighteen or maybe twenty.

Tali and Barbara came over and congratulated Garrett and Lydia while I tended to the roast, which was almost cooked.

"What are you making, Artemis? It smells like deer," Garrett said, coming closer to the counter. I laughed and nodded.

"I hope you like deer roast, Lydia. That's what I'm making for lunch," I said to her.

"I love deer, thank you, Artemis," she said in a friendly tone. My heart stopped. That was the first time an outsider thanked me for something. They usually took one glance at me, and right off the bat, they decided I wasn't worth their time.

They judge a book by its cover without even looking at the contents. They think of me by my looks, not my personality. They judge me because they don't know me, they judge me because I'm a low-rank werewolf, they judge me because I'm an omega.

No one was worthy of praise, worthy of attention, worthy of love. That was me.

Artemis

After Garrett and Lydia left the kitchen to introduce Lydia to my parents, Tali and I resumed making lunch. By the time the roast was done, Tali had a potato salad and vegetables put to the side. When the pie was assembled, I stuck it in the oven to bake, which would take approximately twenty minutes.

Barbara set the table, and soon after she finished the last one, the pack started to pour into the dining hall. First came the Alpha and Luna, Alec and Natalie, and Garrett and Lydia.

Natalie didn't bother changing her outfit from her cousin's pup shower. Why would she? It was so revealing, outrageously expensive, and alarmingly short.

How did Alec let her leave the house like that? Either he wanted other males to drool over her body and be jealous or wanted everyone to see that Natalie was his and no one could touch her. The dress reached her mid-thighs; it was black and red with diamond studs. Her stilettos were knee-high and the heel, four and a half inches. Her long blonde hair reached her waist and her makeup, as usual, caked her face making her look more like a prostitute than the future Luna of the pack.

"The fact that she would be our sister-in-law when she becomes Luna is depressing, and it makes me gag when I think about it," Caroline said scornfully.

"You think you have it rough? I have it worse! Who has to pup sit that little mongrel when it's born? Who has to change its diapers when its mother is busy and doesn't want to get her pretty little nail dirty?"I retorted.

I was so busy talking to Caroline I failed to hear my mother yelling at me.

"You lazy creature, we're starving over here; whenever you decide to serve lunch would be wonderful, it's not like we have a business to attend to!"

I jumped and shouted a quick apology before grabbing the now excellent pan of deer roast and resting it on the counter. Tali sliced the deer up, and I arranged the thick slices on china plates next to the vegetables.

Barbara placed the plates on the trays and the trays on the cart. Six trays were placed on the cart, and I wheeled it over to the Alpha's table where my parents, Alec, Natalie, Garrett, and Lydia, were waiting.

"Roasted deer and vegetables, please do enjoy your lunch," I said as I distributed the trays of food to them, trying my best to serve with grace and not spill a single drop.

Barbara came with a martini bottle and poured the drink into their crystal goblets. Her eyes stayed down as she ran.

"Enjoy your drinks," she said with a respectful bow.

Lydia smiled, and Garrett smiled and thanked us profusely. Barbara and I bowed once more and went back to the kitchen, where Tali had five more plates ready to be served. We repeated the dish, fill, pour and bow process until every pack member had their plates in front of them, scarfing the food down like wolves.

Oh, wait, they are wolves. Finally, when everyone had cleaned their plates, dessert included Barbara, Tali, and I set about cleaning the kitchen and the dining hall. We had barely begun when Natalie came out of nowhere and perched herself up on the kitchen counter like it was her bedroom.

"You what's your name again?" she asked, pointing her long, turquoise fingernails at Tali.

Tali dropped the spoon she was rinsing, turned around, and bowed to Natalie.

"M..my name is Tali Jerald, I am the daughter of G..Gamma Kyle, Luna Natalie," Tali stuttered nervously.

Natalie nodded and pointed a finger to Barbara next. "And yours?"

"My name is Barbara Sanders. I am the daughter of Delta Mario, Luna Natalie," Barbara said, bowing. Unlike Tali, Barbara had no fear of Natalie, only the power her words held.

She was polite, respective, and submissive but not fearful. I admired her for her courage. Something I never had growing up. Natalie seemed satisfied with their answers and rose off the counter and walked towards us, her steps hard and her hips flaring.

She approached Tali first and tucked her finger under her chin, and raised her head to meet her eyes.

"You assisted me well today. My nails were done to perfection, and my cousin loved them. I appreciate your help, Tali," she said this in such a pleasant tone of voice I almost choked.

I swear I had to be hungry for me to hearNatalieof all wolves be friendly to Tali, an omega.

Then she released Tali's chin, moved to Barbara, and repeated the action. "You have an excellent taste for fashion, Barbara. My mother appreciated my hair, she said it suits me, and for that I thank you,"

Barbara's face lit up, and she smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you, Luna Natalie," she said sincerely.

"Why would she be nice to us just off the bat? She'sNatalie.I can't see how she could be nice to anyone," I said as I rinsed the dishes and placed them on the dish rack. "Anyway, I'm sure if she's nice, it's only because she wants something."

"I agree, Artemis. Her wolf Mimi isn't any better. She thinks just because she's Austin's mate, and she could push everyone around and force them to do her bidding," Caroline growled in my head. "She doesn't even have Alpha blood in her."

I sighed and continued to do the dishes while Tali swept the floors, and Barbara cleared the tables. When the kitchen and dining hall were cleaned, we sat and divided the leftovers between us. Shockingly, there was enough for the three of us.

Barbara dished out the food, and I poured the drinks, and Tali took three kitchen chairs outside and placed them on the packhouse veranda so we could sit in the outdoors and eat. The weather was nice, not too cold, not too hot.

It was nice to sit out and enjoy the serenity of the afternoon before we had to resume our chores. Barbara had laundry duty, Tali had lawn duty, and I cleaned Alec, Natalie, the Beta, Gamma, and Delta quarters, which would take the entire evening to do.

While we ate the delicious food, we chatted about the Cosmos Gala that was to be held in a week. Marcus held it every five years in his pack to celebrate the alliance forged with the Shining Cosmos Pack and the Emerald Guardians Pack.

Marcus hadn't found his mate yet, and he was always on the lookout for her, hoping to find her so his pack could have a Luna and they would become more assertive.

We cleaned up and prepared to start our assigned chores when we finished eating. We were just about to leave to get them done when Natalie came down, dressed in snug hip hugger jeans, a cashmere sweater, and three-inch stiletto heels. She stepped up to us, and we bowed to show our respect.

"Tali, Barbara, come with me. I am going shopping this afternoon, and I'd like to have you there as my assistants," she said in a tone that lacked her usual snobby and arrogant attitude. I was surprised.

"Luna, we have no attire suited to follow you anywhere. We are omegas," Tali said softly. It was true. We omegas didn't have proper clothes. Mostly hand-me-downs from the she-wolves who had outgrown them.

"No worries, I shall provide you with clothes, come to my room, I will organize you," Natalie replied.

I almost choked. What was this toxic she-wolf getting at? First, she complimented them, calling them something other than filthy omega. Now, this?

To my surprise, Tali and Barbara smiled widely, bowed to Natalie once more, and followed her to her room. But before she did, she turned and shot a scornful glare my way.

"What the hell are you staring at? Tali and Barbara will be at the mall with me. Therefore you are responsible for their work. The lawn outside, the laundry, and the rooms upstairs, not to mention dinner, which you will also take care of on your own. Get to it, you a worthless thing!" she snapped at me.

I flinched at her tone and nodded. "Yes, Luna," I said timidly. Natalie scoffed and turned to leave. I stifled my sobs and got to work, wishing I could run away from this hell. They were destroying me, and pretty soon, there would be nothing left for my mate. Who am I kidding? I had no mate. No one could ever love me.

"Don't say that, Artemis! We do have a mate. We just haven't found him yet. Don't be disheartened, and the Moon Goddess said that everyone has a mate," Caroline said sadly. I shook my head, blocked her out, and continued to do what I did best. I cleaned.