If this isn't hell

In the year 2021,

Every Wolf in the kingdom of Katula had ranks starting from Alphas, the Betas, and Gammas down to the omegas. In most cases, the omegas were considered the lowest in rank but in the kingdom of Katula, there was something lower than an Omega. They were called the Rankless wolves. 

Wolves without no rank. They can either shift or communicate with their wolves. They were just wolves to be with no rank and because of this, they were used as nothing but slaves. Not different from humans because they had no wolf. 

The rankless wolves were separated in the outskirts of the kingdom from every other wolf and every month, they come down to the community of the Rankless wolves to pick a slave or more to serve the noble families and if lucky, the Royal families. This law was created by the royal family and it remained as it was Five thousand years ago. 

To survive, the wolves had to fend for themselves by working in a factory or anywhere that fetches good money. Cara, our heroine was a rankless wolf, and just like the rest of the wolves, she had to fend for herself to survive and help her poor father. All cara ever does is nurture her sick father and little brother who depended on her.

 Everything changed when Cara came home one evening. That evening changed her entire life and opened her eyes to a new world. 

"Hey dad," Cara announced her presence as she entered the tent she and her family shared. It was a small camp tent that was shared by the rest of the Werewolves living in the small community called 'Life.' The community was on the outskirts of the kingdom and it's lacks everything a Werewolf needed. 

Shelter and Food to survive. 

"Cara my daughter, " her dad smiled at her with his brown teeth that were missing a tooth in the front row. 

"I bought you this, " Cara revealed an apple from her bag. It was a red apple which was somehow rare in the community. Cara had stolen it earlier while leaving the factory that evening. 

"Where did you get it from?" Her father questioned and before she could respond, he asked another question. "How did you lay your hands on it?" 

As Cara opened her mouth to speak, her brother burst into the tent gasping for breath. "They are here," the boy who looks to be around eighteen years old announced. He has dark spots on half his face which were caused as a result of an untreated disease that broke out in the small community when he was just five years old. The boy also has unique hazel eyes he inherited from basically no one in the family. Cara had green eyes alongside the father but The boy's eyes must have been inherited from the mother who died years ago. 

Their mother had died due to the neglect of the king. Cara cursed the king every time she remembers that night. If only the king had paid attention to the Rankless wolves then her mother would have been alive. 

"What do you mean by they are around? Who are they?" Cara stood up as she asked her brother the question. 

Before the boy could respond, a hoarse and deep tone sounded from outside the tent. "This is the royal's command, everyone should vacate this community at once." There came the announcement that turned everything around. Everyone had thought the king would come for a few of them like they used to every year but now, the king had come for all of them. 

Cara rushed outside with her brother who was trailing behind her. When they got outside, they met five men dressed in black suits and sunglasses. Five sleek cars were parked in front of five tents. 

"We can't leave here. We have nowhere to go!" A man from the community shouted. It's pa Bala as the people of the community addressed him. He was the leader of the community and also a previous soldier who lost contact with his wolf in battle. Ever since then, he was considered a Rank less wolf. 

"That's very simple," answered the man with the hoarse voice. "The king had everything planned out." The man announced and bought out a phone from his pocket to read out the instruction by the king. The community all stared at him when they saw the phone. "The king," he read. "The king hereby free you all from your lifestyle as you all have been chosen to work for the royal and nobles Families of the Great Katula kingdom." The man spoke with authority that shook the people's minds. 

They all began to murmur amongst themselves. 

"Silence!" He shut them up. " You all will be sent to different families to work for them.   Anyone who fails to adhere to the king's command pays with their head and every of their family member shall follow." 

"But this is too sudden. We've spent all our lives in life. Why are you doing this to us?" Pa Bala protested. The man turned to face him and walked closer to him. With every step he took, Cara feared for Bala's life. 

"Would you rather be a rogue?" The guard asked him. 

The guards were cruel wolves and she remembered what they did to her mother when their father refused to obey the king's command. "Please have mercy!" Cara in between them and knelt for the guard. "Please! We will do the king's wish!" She pleaded. 

The guard glared at her for a while before kicking her away with his shoe. 

"Cara!" Her brother screamed and rushed to her side. "Are you alright?" He asked but Cara didn't reply instead she rushed to where PA Bala stood and was about to get hit by the guard. The palm of the guard landed on the left side of her face. Cara whimpered in pain but it wasn't loud. 

"Seems you are the heroine of this village!" The guard was right about Cara being a Heroine. She never liked to see the weak in trouble. She cares more for people than she cares for herself. "How about I hit you again!" The guard shouted at her. "You rank less wolf must think that you are something whereas you are nothing!" 

"Enough!" Bala interfered. He knelt and bow his head to the ground. "Have mercy. I will listen to the king's command. " 

"You've already disrespected the king. You need to die!" The guard shouted. 

"Please," Bala begged. "I will do anything." 

"Anything?" The guard grinned wickedly. "Very well then, lick my shoes." He commanded. 

The community gasps when they heard the guard's command. Cara moved toward them to protest but she was stopped by Bala. "I will do it," he announced to her. 

Cara ran to a corner and burst into tears at the injustice of the guard. She couldn't watch Bala lick the guard's shoes. It was an abuse of power and it made her hate the king more than she had already done. The King took her mother away from her and she swore to get revenge when the time comes but first she needed to make sure everyone around her would be saved once she decided to embark on the journey of death. 

A journey to the king who had caused everyone pain. 

That's evening, the entire community packed their items of luggage as they

proceeded to leave the community. Cara's father couldn't stand on his own as he was helped into the truck that was sent to transport them into the capital. Cara stared at the community for a long time before the truck drove out of the community. A place Cara once called home. The entire community was transported inside one truck that was too tight as they were about thirty people in the truck.

 "Is this the end for us?" A woman who held an infant in her hand asked. "I thought they were going to let us be but they have come again to take us from our home!" She wept. The woman was one of those who lost their family members during the time Cara lost her mother. She had lost her husband and her little son at that time and the little infant in her hand would soon grow to become nothing but slaves to the royals and families.

It was the cruel fate of every Rankless wolf.   

"Everything will be alright Lisa." Cara placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

"I wish I was strong like you Cara," Lisa said. 

Cara only smiled but didn't say anything. She looked at everyone on the truck and couldn't help but let the tears flow freely down her face. Most of the people she had grown up with were going to be nothing but slaves to the royal family. She wished she could do something about it but she was powerless. She was just a useless little wolf with no rank who couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. The life community was a part of her and leaving the place didn't mean she'll forget the memories of the place. 

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

The truck arrived at the capital seven hours after they left the community. It stopped at the front of a building with a gigantic black gate. 

"Everybody gets down!" One of the guards roared. 

The people all rushed out at once at the sound of the guard's voice. Cara"s father who couldn't stand up was helped by cara and his brother. After making sure that her father was seated on the ground, Cara took her time to look around her new surrounding. It was something she had never seen in all her life. The building stood tall like a skyscraper but she couldn't help but wonder about what was behind the walls of the tall building. 

"Listen up everybody," A guard called their attention. " This is the capital city and you all are here because the king asked you to. You all are the loyal servant of the King. You make one mistake and that's would be the end of you.  Do you understand?" He questioned. At first, no one answered but then he shouted making everyone jump in fear. " Do you understand!" 

"Yes sir," they all responded. 

"You will all be grouped into different categories." The guard informed. Tyler, Cara's brother was the first to be called forward. He was placed in kitchen duties in the royal castle. The guard proceeded to call other names until it got to Cara's turn. 

"Cara Williams," he called. 

"Yes sir," Cara responded. 

"Your duty is with the Alpha Simon's family.  You have been selected as a special maiden for the Alpha's daughter." The information from the guard almost made Cara lose her balance. She couldn't leave her ailing father alone. 

" I can't be a special maiden," she protested. " I can't leave my father." 

"You dare question the king's order?" The guard roared. 

"No sir," she quickly knelt and bow her head to the ground. " I can never question the king's Authority. I'm nothing but a servant. I just hope the king could consider and let me stay with my ailing father." 

"Really?" Another guard asked and then burst into laughter. He rushed to where Cara knelt and kicked her on her back. "You are a wolf with no rank and you talk with pride!" The guard scoffed and kicked her yet again. 

"Cara!" Her brother, Tyler shouted and rushed to help her but he was stopped by Pa Bala. 

"Pretend you didn't see it. It would add to it." Bala warned. 

The guard proceeds to grab Cara's ginger red hair and pulled her up with force. "No one questions the king. It's a form of disrespect and you are no one so you deserve to be punished." The guard yelled. 

"Please!" Cara's father begged. "Have mercy! She is just a child." 

"Shut up old man." 

"Please I beg of you." Cara's father continued to beg. 

"I said shut up!" The guard shouted at him. Soon, all the life community was on their knees and begging for Cara. 

"Please!" They all chorused. 

"You bunch of uncivilized rogues!" He yelled at them but still, they continued to beg. " this is all your fault you useless piece of trash!" He yelled into Cara's face. "Since your community has begged on your behalf. I will forgive you but," he paused and smirked at Cara. " You will have to do something in return for me." He flashed his eyelashes at her which Cara found sickening. He pulled her closer to himself and whispered into her ears. "Everyone!" The guard spoke aloud. "This young lady has promised to walk into the city barefooted!" He announced. 

His fellow guards cheered him on while the life community stared blankly having no idea of what they meant by that. 

"The drive to the main city takes about 30minutes but on foot, you should be able to reach the city in two hours, and do you know what the funniest part is," the girl smirked at her. "You are walking barefooted and you can't run because you don't have a wolf!" He burst into laughter and then looked at her face. He squeezed her cheek with his large hands and pulled her face closer to his. "I will give you four hours only. If you do not return after that, I will kill your father." He said to her and let go of her face. "Your time starts now!" He shouted. 

Cara rushed to where her hand sat and hugged him. "I will be back father," she said to him. 

"I am sorry for causing you trouble!" The father broke down into tears. 

"Do not cry, father. I will be back." 

"Enough family reunion. Time to move!" The guard yelled at her and pointed towards the direction of a forest that was opposite the tall building. "Take that direction and remember you have four hours. If you do not return after four hours, your father dies." The guard reminded her. 

Cara nodded in response, waved at her brother, and headed towards the forest. If this was going to save her father, she will do it over and over again. All Cara had on her mind as she walked towards the forest was when it was all going to end. Maybe once she had gotten her vengeance on the king.