Chapter One: Unlucky

Erika’s POV

“I shouldn’t be here” I mumbled looking at the clear patch of land amidst all the green plants. After an exhausting day of doing all the chores that were assigned to me, I was exhausted and desperate for rest. Yet, I knew I didn’t dare to.

I was lost in thought and didn’t hear footsteps until Keyla and her gang of three were in front of me. Although I don’t show it, dissatisfaction crawls through me. This was my sacred place. The one place I felt at home and now they knew it.

“You filthy bitch!” Keyla shrieked as she landed a slap across my face. My eyes open in horror while I try to process how I had offended her in recent times.

I was very particular about staying away from trouble. I should retaliate but everyone knew who her father was in the clan. I would be dead before I could even say my name if I tried to defend myself.

“What exactly happened and don’t you dare lie about whatever it was you had seen” she yelled in her hoarse voice making me flinch slightly.

“I’ll not speak of that day” I declared loudly, my hands clenched tightly as I looked at the group of girls that circled me. I knew I was at the bottom of the food chain here. As a miserable human surrounded by a pack of wolves, I didn’t dare misbehave.

Another slap landed on my other cheek.

“Does it look like I’m giving you a choice?” she shrieked as her temper slipped out of control. I stepped back slightly fear coursing through my veins.

“Erika, we just want to know what you saw that day,” Keyla said as her evil face became a lot softer than it usually was. A sign that whatever I had seen yesterday was most likely something she had an idea about. After all, I could count the number of times she had actually talked to me like I was a normal person on one hand since I got here.

“This isn’t my story to tell, you can’t force me to do what I don’t want to do, Keyla.” I fought back wrapping my arms around myself so that I could feel braver. There was no way in hell I was going to allow myself to revisit such a memory. Not that one!

“Just wait! I know how to get you to talk” she threatened and then left with her mini pack of three and I heaved a huge sigh in relief, my shoulders sagging in relief as I watched their departing backs.

I have always been an outcast. The one girl no one wanted to talk to or was scared of talking to. Guys would occasionally comment on how attractive I looked but wouldn’t dare to talk to me where everyone was.

I was the orphan that had been dropped by the city entrance and forced the whole rich families to set up a foster for me, no one wanted to be close to liability like me.

I had imagined that I would be free after high school. Unfortunately, fate had a different plan in mind as I stumbled on a man shifting into a wolf right at the outskirts of my pack.

That was the last day I had lived as a normal human as they had captured me and brought me here, a world filled with people that could turn into wolves.

‘I hope I survive this’ I murmur standing up to leave knowing fully well that Keyla’s father who was one of the elders in their pack would definitely make things difficult  for me if she made him to.

But what happened last night? I had walked in on Sebastian, the alpha and Keyla’s mate plowing into one of the discarded omegas which were the people I lived with. I had screamed out of shock and attracted a small crowd which had later been silenced by Sebastian.

I couldn’t and wouldn’t speak of it. After all, offending Keyla was safer than offending their Alpha whom I have come to understand was the strongest person in the clan.

I jump in fear at a movement behind me subconsciously, my racing heart only calming down when I realized it was nothing. Probably some moving animal. I thought and raced to mine.

“Where have you been?” Anita asks the moment I enter our room, she was one of the omegas and even though the other omegas didn’t treat me nicely since I was still human, they at least didn’t bully me. Anita, however, was extremely nice and we would oftes spend our free time which was very little together.

“I lost track of time while taking a stroll.” I explained but the dubious look on her face was the only thing I needed to know that she wasn’t having that bull story.

“Do you want to get dinner because I’m famished as hell?” I add-in. A feeble attempt at changing the conversation and then the moment she nods her head, I sigh in relief, glad I didn’t have to face her interrogations.

“I hope we still get some food” Anita mumbled as we left our small thatched building.

*****

Diner for people like us was different as we could only eat after the kitchen had served the whole packs, the leftovers were then passed to us to eat. Luckily, we were able to get some food and the both of us left the kitchen together.

“I heard that Keyla confronted you,” Anita said the moment we got back and I looked at her with guilt filling my eyes. I hadn’t meant to hide it from her but I didn’t also like the idea of making her feel bad anytime I told her about this bullying. Besides, she had enough to deal with also.

“Nothing much, she was just curious about what happened last night” I tried to sound nonchalant about it. After all, no one other than Keyla and her friends had been there.

“I’m guessing that’s where the palm print came from”

Seeing that I had been caught, I nodded and then reached for her hand, “let’s just eat, at most, she would have them assign me to more tasks, nothing I’m not used to.”