The Outcast

The bell rang, signaling the start of another day of torture for Lily Winters. 

She sighed and put her books in her backpack. As much as she tried to pretend each day was just another step toward her freedom, it never got easier. 

She was seventeen years old, and was treated like trash by everyone in her pack. And it wasn’t because of something she’d done, no, it was because of her family.

Her father had been exiled from the pack years ago for breaking some unspoken rule she was too young to understand at the time. 

Her mother had barely held it together after that, taking odd jobs and struggling to keep the family afloat. 

Ever since her father’s disgrace, the pack treated Lily like she carried his shame. 

She could still remember the day the bullying started, when she was just ten years old. And the worst of it came from the Alpha twins.

“Hey, Wolf Trash!” a mocking voice shouted from behind her. 

She immediately picked up her pace. 

Without looking back, she already knew whose voice it was. Everyone did. It belonged to Liam, one of the Alpha twins and the future leader of the pack. 

Unfortunately, it wasn’t just Liam who tormented her daily, his brother Lucas was just as bad, if not worse.

Before she could make it to her locker, Liam was in front of her, a wide grin on his face. His twin, Lucas, was leaning casually against her locker, watching her with cold, calculating eyes.

Lily forced herself to keep her head down, as she held her backpack. 

She didn't want to have another quarrel with the Alpha twins. She was already tired of their relentless bullying.

“I’m not in the mood today, Liam,” she said, trying to walk past him.

Liam laughed.

“Not in the mood? You don’t get to decide when you’re in the mood to be trash, Wolf Trash" He said harshly.

Lucas smirked from where he stood, his arms crossed over his chest. 

“Ignore her, Liam. She’s just trying to play tough. Pathetic. Just like her father" He said, his voice filled with disgust.

Lily’s hands turned into fists at her sides, but she didn’t say anything. 

She had learned over the years that fighting back only made things worse. Instead, she let their words wash over her like a bitter wind. 

Just a few more days, she reminded herself. Just a few more days until her eighteenth birthday, and she would be free of them all.

“Come on, Lily,” Liam said with mock sweetness. “You should be grateful we even talk to you at all. You’re lucky we don’t make things worse for your mother working in the dinner too. You know pur father owns that place and she can easily lose her job if we want her to.”

"Just a snap of our fingers and you'll be reduced to a complete pauper" Lucas added then laughed.

She clenched her jaw. 

It was the same thing every day, insults, taunts, and humiliation. She wasn’t sure why they had decided to make her their favorite target, but she had long ago given up trying to figure out the twisted minds of the Alpha twins.

Liam stepped closer, towering over her with his intimidating presence. 

“Why don’t you bark for us, Wolf Trash? Prove you’re still part of the pack" He said then pushed her.

Lily glared angrily at him, her heart pounding in her chest. 

She wanted to scream, to push him out of the way and run someplace far. But she didn’t. Instead, she took a deep breath and walked away from him, heading toward her locker without another word.

“Whatever,” Liam muttered, his smile disappearing as he watched her go. “You’ll never be anything but a loser, Winters. Just like your father.”

That hurt, but Lily forced herself to keep walking. She had learned how to stop the pain of their words. It was the only way to survive.

By the time she made it to her locker, her hands were trembling. 

"Awww, you gonna cry?" Lucas asked then laughed, mocking how shaken she was.

She quickly grabbed her books, trying to calm herself down. 

As she closed the locker, she glanced up at Lucas staring at her with his dark blue eyes.

His expression was unreadable, but his gaze went on a little too long for her liking. She turned away, feeling a shiver run down her spine.

Why couldn’t they just leave her alone?

As she walked to class, Lily’s mind wandered back to the plan she had been working on for months. 

In just a few days, she would turn eighteen. The moment she did, she would be free to leave the pack. 

She’d saved up some money, secretly keeping it away in case anyone noticed. She had been planning out her escape route, planning every detail so nothing could go wrong. 

When her birthday arrived, she would slip away and no one would ever see her again. No more pack, no more Alpha twins, no more bullying. 

She could start fresh, far away from the people who had treated her like dirt for as long as she could remember.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Mrs. Davis, the history teacher. 

“Lily Winters! Pay attention!”

Lily snapped out of her daydream and looked up to see the entire class staring at her. Mrs. Davis was frowning, clearly annoyed by her distraction.

“Sorry,” Lily apologized, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 

She could hear the laughs of her classmates, and she knew without looking that Lucas and Liam were laughing at her too.

The rest of the day went on in the usual routine of insults and whispers from her schoolmates. Someone even looked her in the restroom.

Everywhere she turned seemed to bring another cruel comment from people, another reminder that she didn’t belong. 

By the time the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Lily was exhausted.

She just wanted to go home, lock herself in her room, and forget the day had ever happened.

But as she made her way to the door, she felt someone behind her. 

She turned to see Lucas standing there, his hands in his pockets, watching her with an intensity that made her feel incredibly sick.

“What the hell do you want?” she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Lucas didn’t say anything for a moment. His gaze flickered over her, as if he was considering something. Then he shook his head. 

“Nothing,” he replied, walking past her without another word.

Lily stared at him, confused and unsettled. Something was weird about him lately.

Usually, he was just as cruel as Liam, if not more. But recently...there was something off. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but it made her feel uneasy.

She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. It didn’t matter. In a few days, she would be gone. She would never have to deal with Lucas, Liam, or any of the pack ever again.

At least, that’s what she hoped.

As she stepped out of the school and into the cool air, a strange feeling came over her. 

It was as if something was watching her, waiting for here. She glanced around but saw nothing out of the ordinary.

But the feeling didn’t go away.

Lily quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest. She needed to leave as soon as possible.