Chapter 1 : The Chains of an Omega

My hands ached with exhaustion as I scrubbed and scrubbed the heavy clothes in the cold, unforgiving weather.

I could have used the washing machine inside the house but Amanda had said No! She said a disgusting wolf-less Omega like me didn’t deserve to use washing machines.

That wasn’t all, Amanda, the Alpha's girlfriend, had forced more massive bags of laundry on me, claiming it was my new duty as an omega slave to wash everyone's clothes.

I silently sighed and endured the pain, because arguing with Amanda was like throwing rocks in the air…. they only all fall back to hit you.

The icy water made my fingers numb like they were about to break off, and my back protested with every bend. But I pushed on.

Then, a sudden, sharp voice pierced the air, calling my name with a tone that made my freeze into my throat.

"Katrina!" Amanda's voice called out, in such a loud shrieking voice that made me pretty sure that every pack member nearby could hear. "Stupid bitch! Get over here!"

I slowly dropped the wet clothes I was holding and reluctantly made my way to Amanda— if the goddess were kind, she would make the ground open up and swallow me.

But that didn’t happen and I was soon facing an evil looking Amanda stood who was standing in a circle of some pack members, all of them wearing smirks that sent shivers down my spine….

They were planning something evil:

"Amanda?... you called? I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to appear fearless.

Amanda’s smirk broadened then she narrowed her eyes and raised a shiny diamond necklace in the air. "I can't believe what I just found hidden in your purse, Katrina! My most expensive necklace!... how dare you steal something from me! Did you think I wouldn’t find out?!”

My heart started pounding furiously against my chest as I watched her lash at me.

So this is what they were planning, to frame me up as a thief?

I obviously didn’t steal anything, but Amanda and her friends already knew that.

They were just looking for an excuse to beat me up again.

"Amanda, You know I didn't steal anything," I protested, as anger started creeping into my voice. "You know, I would never take anything that’s yours!"

Amanda’s eyes narrowed as she sneered at me. “Are you calling me a liar then? Are you saying I’m lying against you?”

“No-o, I’m sorry ma’am.” I muttered weakly, I could see that Amanda was determined to bully me today, and there was nothing I could do to stop it…. But maybe if I was submissive to her, I could reduce the pain she was planning to inflict.

The other girls started to laugh as they watched me lower my head in submission. Sarah, one of them, chimed in, "Oh, come on, Katrina. We all know you're nothing but a troublemaker…. After all, you even killed your own parents.So we aren’t surprised that you can even Steal from your own pack. What a Pathetic omega slave."

Tears welled up in my eyes, as they brought up the painful memories of the past…. On the day of my birth, my father had been brutally slaughtered by rogues and when my mother heard it, she couldn’t bear the pain and died while giving birth to me.

Since then, my pack had blamed me for the tragedy… they said I was a curse, a piece of bad-luck on the pack.

They then demoted me to the rank of an Omega.. a mere slave to the pack….

My hands fisted at my side in anger, and even though I knew it was useless, I still tried to defend myself.

"I'm telling the truth! I didn’t tell steal from you and I would never steal from the pack."

Amanda just crossed her arms and smirked as she eyed me up and down. "Well, if you didn't do it, then who did? It was your purse that I found it in. Are you saying you can't even keep track of what goes in your own purse?"

I was trying to be submissive to avoid trouble but I really couldn’t stop it when a wave of anger started surging through me.

Why were they humiliating me like this? What had I ever done to them?

The pack members continued to laugh as Amanda mocked me for a crime that I didn’t commit…. They thought she was punishing me for stealing, But I was the only one who really knew why Amanda was targeting me like this.

It was because of him…. She must have seen him kissing me last night.

But was it my fault that he had come to me instead of her?

Amanda's voice cut through my thoughts at that very moment. “You know what Katrina… I think it’s a good thing that you’re parents are already dead… because if they saw you now, they would be ashamed to call you their daughter… you filthy Omega thief!

The girls around her burst into cruel laughter again.

I glared at her through my tears! This had gone too far! How dare she talk about my parents like that.

That was the last straw! I couldn’t take it anymore! To hell with being submissive!

“And You know what Amanda,” I sneered back. “…. I know why you’re really doing this.. you know I didn’t steal anything but you’re just punishing me because of Shaun…. But it’s not my fault that he prefers me to you!”

The minute I said it, I knew I messed up! Amanda was going to kill me now.

The room fell deadly silent as the girls waited to see how Amanda would react.

Her face had turned red with anger and she was clearly stopping herself from ripping my throat out. I felt a shiver of fear as I looked at her icy eyes…. Only the goddess could save me now.

Suddenly, Amanda smiled coldly.

"Come on, everyone! Are we just going to let her disrespect us like that?! Let's show her what happens when you cross the Alpha's girlfriend!"

With Amanda’s command, the pack members began to encircle me menacingly. Their eyes were watching me with hunger, like they couldn’t wait to tear me apart.

Panic surged through me, and I instinctively raised my arms to shield my face from the blows that I knew were coming. The first punch was from Amanda of course, it landed on very painfully on my side, and then another struck my shoulder, causing me to scream when I felt my bone shift from the impact.

I tried to save myself, my voice trembling with desperation. "Please, stop! I didn't steal anything! I—"

But my words were drowned out by their hate filledaggression. The pain was sharp and overwhelming, and I felt tears mix with my blood as I struggled to protect my bleeding arms from their attack.

Just when I thought that they would rip my arms out, Suddenly, a furious growl shattered the chaos. "What the hellis going on here?" Alpha Shaun's voice boomed through the clearing, making everyone freeze in their tracks.

My pulse raced, and a mixture of hope and dread passedthrough me. Alpha Shaun, my fated mate, stood there, his eyes blazing with anger.

“I said! What the hell is going on here!” He boomed, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he knew that he was the reason that Amanda was trying to murder me…. If he did, did he even care? After all, He had cruelly rejected me, and had chosen the prettier Amanda as his mate instead.

Amanda, quickly stepped forward, and her voice dripped with false innocence as she spoke. “Baby, it’s nothing you need to worry about, I just I caught Katrina red-handed, trying to steal this expensive necklace you bought for me. I had to interveneand teach her a lesson before she could hide the evidence."

I glared up at Amanda…. She was a very convincing liar, but even Shaun wasn’t stupid enough to believe her words.

Shaun’s beautiful but cold eyes fell on my shivering body.

“Is this true filthy Omega?!”he growled.

I gasped up at him. How could he believe her! He knew me! He knew I would never do such a thing. But I guess he wouldn’t care whether it was true or not. He would always choose her over me.

Still, my voice trembled as I desperately tried to defend myself once again. "Alpha Shaun, please, it's not true! I didn't steal anything! Amanda is lying against me because…!" I couldn’t finish the sentence because of the way that Alpha Shaun's gaze bore into me, his expression was cold and distant.

Wicked!

He frowned as he talked, "My darling Amanda has always been honest and loyal to me. Why would she lie about something like this?" He finally said. 

My heart shattered into a thousand pieces. He had chosen Amanda over me yet again. At first he used to try to pretext me from her, but now he believed her lies without a second thought.

I felt utterly abandoned and helpless, tears streaming down my face as the pack members continued to taunt and mock me, their cruel laughter echoing in my ears.

Amanda's triumph was evident in her smug smile as she wrapped her arms around Alpha Shaun possessively.

She had again, and my hope of ever finding acceptance within this pack crumbled.

Amanda smiled at Shaun seductively. “Thank you for always supporting me baby….. what do you think we should do to her.

I held my breath as I listened to him, would he let her hurt me?

Alpha Shaun's eyes bore into mine, his expression unyielding. "Thieves like Katrina," he declared in a cold, firm voice, "deserve a proper punishment." He turned his attention to Amanda, his voice laced with authority. "Amanda, go and getthe strongest guards. Katrina must be taught a lesson."

Amanda eagerly complied, giggling and scurrying away to summon the pack guards. My heart pounded with dread, and I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. "Please, Alpha Shaun," I cried, my voice breaking, "Don’t do this to me! I didn’t do anything wrong… Please! I'm innocent! Shaun You know me!"

But my pleas fell on deaf ears as The pack members around me only jeered louder, their cruel laughter intensifying as they circled me like vultures awaiting a feast.

The guards arrived, their intimidating faces showing no sympathy as they tightened their grip on their whips. Alpha Shaun nodded to them, and they wasted no time. The first lash of the whip cut through the air, and it struck my back with a searing pain that made me scream.

"Stop! Please, stop!" I begged, tears and snot mixing with the dirt on my face as I twisted and turned in agony.

But the guards showed no mercy and Shaun didn’t even say a word to stop them. The whip cracked down again and again, each lash a cruel reminder of how my mate had abandoned me and how my pack hated me. The pack members around me, kept encouraging me keep up.on, shouting for more punishment, their voices a cacophony of cruelty.

Through the haze of pain, I saw Alpha Shaun standing there, his gaze unmoved by my suffering. He spoke with a cold detachment that crushed my spirit. "Thieves must be punished, Katrina. You brought this upon yourself."

I couldn't comprehend the betrayal. The man I had once loved, my fated mate, had abandoned me to this merciless torment. The guards continued their brutal assault, my cries and pleas for mercy falling on deaf ears.

It felt like an eternity before they finally stopped, leaving me trembling and broken on the ground. My body was a full of pain, and my spirit was shattered. I had been cast aside, betrayed, and punished for a crime I had not committed. The pack members scattered back to their homes, leaving me alone and abandoned, as my sobs echoed through the clearing.

The butal pain in my back and the humiliation I had endured at the hands of the pack guards left me barely able to move. Tears streamed down my face as I managed to drag myself up, and limp back to my room, my entire body aching with every step. The world around me blurred through my teary eyes and exhaustion, and all I wanted was to escape this nightmare.

But as I pushed open the door to my small, dimly lit room, my heart sank. There, in my bed, shirtless and seemingly at ease, was Alpha Shaun. My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn't hide the shock on my face.

"I've been waiting for you, Katrina," he said casually, as if he hadn't just ordered the brutal whipping I'd endured.