Chapter 1

Otsana

I stood at the edge of the forest, the soft earth muffling my footsteps. The shadows of the trees enveloped me, a dark cloak of solitude.

The clearing emerged from the undergrowth, and I could see the grave marker of my beloved mother. "Mother," I whispered, my voice faltering. "It's me again."

My fingers trailed over the smooth stone, as if trying to recapture a memory long since faded. Grief welled within me, like a tide rising to consume my heart.

Tears flowed freely as I gazed at the headstone, longing to see her again, to share my struggles since her passing. My hand reached out, tracing the marble surface as I whispered:

"Mom, it's been three years since you left me. Your absence has been incredibly hard. My stepfather, Alpha Grayson, and stepsister, Sophia, have made my life very difficult. They treat me like a servant, and sometimes I feel like joining you would be a release from this pain."

My mother's grave has been my sole solace in times of distress. She was my confidante, my protector, and the father figure I never knew. My father abandoned us when my mother was pregnant with me, and she kept me away from him. She later married Alpha Grayson, who had a daughter, Sophia, from a previous relationship. Sophia has consistently displayed hatred towards me, yet I couldn't bring myself to hate her, given our familial bond.

I rose from my mother's grave, my legs stiff and aching from hours of kneeling. The moon shone overhead, its pale light casting a cold glow over the forest.

As I emerged from the trees, I could see the pack house looming in the distance, its stone walls and wooden beams seeming to loom over me like a giant predator.

My heart sank as I approached the house, knowing what awaited me. "Wolfless Omega," they called me. "Witch."

I forced myself to hold my head high as I passed through the gates, my footsteps echoing through the empty courtyard. In the shadows, I could see the hateful gazes of the other pack members, their lips twisted into sneers and snarls.

"There she is," one of them hissed, her voice laced with malice. "The wolfless freak."

I ignored them, keeping my eyes fixed on the ground as I made my way towards my room. But I could feel their stares burning into my back, like a brand of shame.

I closed the door to my room with a soft click, grateful to be away from the prying eyes and mocking words of the other pack members.

A few minutes later, I got up from my bed to go have dinner downstairs. I haven't eaten since morning, as I was instructed by my step father that I'd only be eating just dinner everyday.

I froze. The door wouldn't budge.

I pulled and pushed, panic rising in my chest. Locked. Someone had locked me in.

"Otsana!" A voice cackled from the other side of the door, high and cruel. "Looks like you're not going anywhere, Omega."

Sophia, my step sister, was laughing with glee. I could hear the grin in her voice, the malice in her words. "You can have your room for dinner, sister dear," she called out, her voice lilting with mockery. "It's more fitting for a witch like you anyway."

Behind her, I could hear Ephriam, her cruel-hearted boyfriend, chuckling along.

"She deserves it," he said. "Freaks like her don't belong in the pack house."

My hands trembled as I pounded on the door, my desperation mounting.

I slumped against the door, my tears falling freely as I cried out for help. But my cries fell on deaf ears, the walls of the pack house swallowing my pleas for mercy.

Hours passed, the night sky giving way to dawn's pale light. Still, no one came. No one would help me, the Omega without a wolf.

Exhausted and heartbroken, I curled up on the floor, my body trembling with sobs. And, eventually, I drifted into an uneasy sleep.

When I awoke, groggy and disoriented, the first thing I noticed was the slant of sunlight streaming through the window. I was late for chores.

Panic raced through my veins, and I scrambled to my feet, wincing at the tender spots where my body had pressed against the hardwood floor. As I reached for the doorknob, my heart caught in my throat.

It opened.

I rushed out, but before I could make it more than a few steps, a hand clamped around my hair, wrenching my head back with a vicious yank.

Alpha Grayson dragged me along, my scalp screaming in agony with every jerking step. "Move faster, you worthless Omega," he hissed, spittle flecking the air.

"You've already been punished for tardiness once, remember?"

My heart raced as we approached a dark, foreboding door at the end of the hallway. Grayson shoved me inside, and I stumbled, falling to my hands and knees.

Carl, the Beta, followed us in, closing the door with a deafening thud.

I winced as the Alpha loomed over me.

"Please, Alpha Grayson," I begged, my voice trembling. "I apologize for oversleeping, but I--"

"Silence!" Grayson snapped, his face contorting with rage. "I have no patience for your excuses, Omega. You will learn your place, one way or another."

I swallowed hard, trying to suppress my fear. "Please," I whispered, "I was locked in my room. Someone--"

"No one cares for your lies," he growled. "You have a task to perform.

Alpha Grayson's words fell like hammers, each one striking my heart with the force of a dagger. "You will go to Alpha Ralph of the Greyhound pack," he said, his voice cold and sharp. "You will be his breeder. It was to be Sophia's role, but you will take her place."

Shock rippled through me, my mind racing to process this impossible twist of fate. Before I could utter a word, the Alpha's hand clamped around my throat, squeezing tight.

"If you dare breathe a word of this arrangement to anyone, I will end you," Grayson hissed, his eyes burning with malice. "You are to present yourself as my daughter, Sophia, in all respects. If anyone questions you, including Alpha Ralph, you will claim to be my one and only daughter."

I nodded weakly, my breath coming in ragged gasps. "Yes, Alpha Grayson," I whispered, my voice barely more than a hoarse croak.

"Good," he growled, releasing his grip. "Now, get ready. You leave at sunrise."