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.

Barbara

After Luna Natalie brought us up to her quarters, we stood in the middle of the room and waited for her to give us an order. She clapped her hands, and three maids came bustling in, to my surprise. They bowed to Natalie, and she turned to face us.

"Since you said you have no suitable attire, I shall provide you with a few of my own. My maids," she said, gesturing to the she-wolves who came in.

"Will assist you in getting ready."

With that, Natalie walked to her massive walk-in closet. She started rummaging through an assortment of clothes- no doubt designer clothes bought from Romania's most expensive clothing stores.

Sure we weren't allowed in Romania, much less their stores, but Alpha Lucius had wolves who were loyal to him and did favors for him when he asked. Natalie, Luna Adeline, Alpha Lucius, Alec, and all the other elite wolves in the pack could shop online for their purchases. The wolves working for Alpha Lucius would then send the assets to our packhouse, where we would collect them, underhanded, of course.

While Natalie searched for clothes for us, I took the opportunity to look around Natalie's room, designed for a future Luna. The walls were a gorgeous eggshell white, the floors were marble, and the bed stood in the middle, with a vanity table a chest of drawers on either side. There was a huge flat-screen TV in the wall, a massive window, a sofa, and a loveseat, not to mention the walk-in closet.

She and Alec stayed in this room, having mated already, but the Luna ceremony was yet to happen. Natalie would become the new Luna of the Emerald Guardians, and Alec would become the Alpha. Then the day after the Luna ceremony, Alec's best friend, Evan Michaels, would become the new Beta, and his other two friends, Josh and Kevin Anderson, would become the new Gamma and Delta.

"Here, try these on, see if they fit,"

I was snapped to awareness when Natalie tapped my arm and pressed a pair of skinny black jeans, a pink cotton t-shirt, black knee-high stilettos, and undergarments in my arms.

"Mollie will assist Tali, and Gina will assist you, Barbara," Natalie said to me. "I shall wait for you to finish, and then we shall depart in my Mercedes."

"Yes, Luna, as you wish," I said with a bow. She motioned me to go to her adjoining bathroom so I could shower. I was surprised by her kind gesture, and so was my wolf Ariel.

"Why is she being so nice to us? She's never nice to us. She always treats us like trash or dirt under her feet," Ariel said.

"Maybe she has a change of heart, I mean, she was probably happy that we helped her, and this is her way of saying thank you, "I replied as I walked into the bathroom to shower.2

When I had washed my hair and taken a thorough shower, I changed into new clothes and was thrilled to see that they fit me perfectly. I emerged from the bathroom, drying my hair with the towel. Natalie sat on her bed, checking her messages and waiting for us. Tali came out three minutes later.

Natalie glanced up and saw us, and her eyes showed pleasure in our new clothes. Tali wore a blue denim skirt and white sweater with three-inch heels.

"You both look lovely, Mollie, and Gina will now assist you with your hair and makeup," Natalie said. "Ladies, if you may."

Gina and Mollie bowed to Natalie and ushered us to the mirror.

Gina sat me down and picked up a brush and comb, and began to pass them through my long blonde curls, put in some Shea Butter, and I was surprised at how gentle she was. When she finished my hair, she moved on to my makeup. She added orange eye shadow, mascara, pale pink lipstick, and eyeliner, making my orange eyes pop. I gazed at my reflection and sighed. I looked beautiful.

Tali's hair reached her shoulders and was straighter than a pin. Mollie brushed it and put in the same Shea Butter and blow-dried it, and Tali's hair was sleek and smooth. Tali didn't like makeup much, so mascara, eyeliner, and lipgloss were all she would have.

When Gina and Mollie were finished, they stepped away for Natalie to see us.

She clasped her hands together and looked delighted with our appearance.

"Very good. You both look marvelous. Come, let us go. We shall go first to the mall, then the spa to get manicures and pedicures for you and Tali, and finally the hair salon. I want to dye my hair, the Luna ceremony is in a month, and I would love to try something new with my hair."

Tali and I gasped. The Luna ceremony was in a month? That information was to be kept confidential! Why would Natalie tell us that?

"Luna Natalie, why would you tell us the date of your ceremony?" Tali asked cautiously. "That information is to be kept confidential, not meant for anyone outside the inner circle to hear."

Natalie laughed at this. It wasn't a laugh of scorn or sarcasm but one of amusement. She patted our shoulders, picked up her purse from the bed, and made her way to the door, where she glanced back at us.

"Exactly. Confidential. No one else is supposed to know the date of my Luna ceremony. However, I trust you both. And trust is not something I bestow unto just anyone; I feel you both can be trusted with this information, can't you?" she asked, her smile still intact.

Tali and I glanced at each other, contemplating the best, most suitable answer. Natalie waited patiently for us to talk. Then finally, we made a snap decision.

"Yes, Luna Natalie, you can trust us," we said firmly and in unison. Our answer pleased her because she smiled again and turned to leave.

"Wow, that was... surreal," I said breathlessly. "She's so nice. You might think I'm crazy, but Natalie seems to be the perfect Luna for our pack." Tali looked at me and searched her face for anything that would betray what she felt. But instead, I saw she agreed with me.

"She might have been nasty before, but she seems to have... changed. I mean, why else would she do this stuff for us?" Tali stated. I nodded, and we left her room and walked down the stairs where she was waiting at the front door.

We walked outside, and I glanced to our left and saw Artemis mowing the lawn. Was she doing Tali's job? Why?

"Maybe Natalie told her to?"My wolf volunteered in my head. I nodded and continued the walk to the garage, where Natalie had her Mercedes Benz. It was a gorgeous silver and had black flames streaked across the fender.

Natalie opened the front door and climbed in with me in the passenger seat and Tali in the backseat.

"Our first destination, the mall," Natalie said as she revved the Mercedes' powerful engine, making us both jump slightly, much to her amusement. I felt terrible about leaving Artemis to do all the pack chores but decided she would probably work better alone.

With my thoughts on Artemis at the back of my head, I leaned back in the car's plush leather seat and relaxed as Natalie reversed out of the garage and onto the main road. I peered in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of Artemis, and she looked sad as she watched us. I felt sad to see her like that, watching us so wistfully, but there was nothing I could do about it. My instincts told me to forget about Artemis and enjoy the outing, and Barbara Sandersalwayslistens to her instincts.