chapter 1

My life is not like others, a life unknown to the human world. Our kind is always around humans and they never know, unless one is mated to one of my kind. Very little is known of our kind and that's how we like it. We reside in packs all across the world, most packs are hidden "off grid" where humans can't normally find us, or they're small towns within the human world, however it's rare for a pack to do that.

My pack is off the grid, like my life I'm the forgotten daughter of the beta of the Silver Moon pack. My mother was killed 5 years ago when I was 14 years old. My father had what is called a second chance mate. She moved in with her vile daughter Marissa. Tara wanted Marissa to the be the center of attention. So soon everyone forgot about me. Tara kicked me down into the basement of the house, and now I am not allowed to leave the house. Father is rarely home, so Tara just gets away with everything and he doesn't bat an eye. Alpha Jax knows about the situation but just sweeps it under the rug.

Tara uses me like a maid, I am to cook and clean and be the slave for her and Marissa, if I dont do as I am told I will be punished. Anywhere from being starved to being beaten or both and locked down in the basement. At night I try to sneak away and go out to the lake out in the woods in our pack territory just to try and get out of the wretched place. Do I wish that my father would notice me again? Sometimes however I have given up hope of that happening and that's just how it is. I doubt I will ever find my mate since I am not allowed to leave or correspond with others within the pack anymore. I'm eighteen years old, I should have already found my mate but I haven't, I turn nineteen in two weeks.

I've thought about turning rogue and residing in the human world, however if I do that and I somehow find my mate it is highly likely that he will reject me as his mate, however it is possible for me to escape to another pack and try my luck of becoming part of that pack or getting killed, both options in my opinion are perfectly fine with me.

Mom was killed by another pack when they declared war on the old Alpha of the pack, she died protecting me and other children. Alpha Jax is an asshole, a pervert and just asinine. He became Alpha after the last one was killed in the attack that killed my mother. I don't know how this pack has not been attacked yet or taken over by another Alpha, though I believe it will happen one day.

I looked around the dusty basement, or known as my room, my single light hanging down from the ceiling. I have a bed, a dresser and my books. I can't complain too much, life could be much worse. I fall back onto my bed sighing as I hear the stomping of Tara and Marissa, being pissed off because I haven't started dinner yet.

"Tessa you no good mutt get up here and cook damnit." Tara yelled down the staircase of the basement.

"I'm coming damnit." I yelled back as she growled and slammed the door. I really didn't feel well honestly, I felt very sick to my stomach, probably I haven't eaten in two days. Sighing I get off my bed and walk up the stairs. Opening the door I'm faced with the kitchen. Marissa already standing there her green eyes throwing daggers at me. She was pissed what's new.

"You damn mutt, you should have started cooking thirty minutes ago. You know I can't eat late or I'll gain weight. Ugh." Marissa growled as she walked up to me and grabbed my throat. "Can't you do anything right!"

"Sorry, I'm not feeling well, I'm just trying to rest, I will get dinner started immediately" I croaked as she tightened her grip on my throat.

"Good now chop chop mutt." She laughed and let go of my throat as she turned on her heels, her red hair hitting me in the face. She left the kitchen and went to the living room where she was watching the show 90 day fiancé or something like that, I'm not too sure since I've never been allowed to watch TV.

On the counter are some ribeye steaks, guessing that's what they wanted. There were four in total, guess I finally get to eat tonight and it looks like my father will be joining also. Great. Sighing I started dinner, steak, potatoes and green beans is what I ended up making.

Dinner ended up taking an hour to make, quickly I set the table bringing everything to the table, grabbing everyone their drinks. Just as I finished my father walked into the house, setting his stuff down at the door and hanging his keys on the wall.

"Mmm dinner smells amazing! Who cooked it?" My father asked as my step mom walked up to him and kissed him.

"Welcome home darling and I did of course, I made steaks for everyone." She smiled at him.

"Well thank you darling, I can't wait to dig into it." He smiled back at her. You could tell he was still head over heels in love with her yet she lies to him all the time. I held my tongue when she said she was the one to cook dinner, it's not worth the fight. I sat down at the table as I waited for all of them to come and sit down. After a few moments everyone piled into the dining room and sat down.

"Welcome home dad, I'm glad that you were able to join us for dinner tonight. "Marissa purred at him.

"Thank you sweetheart, I'm glad I'm here tonight with you guys. Alpha Jax has me so busy that I rarely even get a break." He smiled at her. He then looked over at me, I kept my head down and avoided eye contact.

"Welcome home father." I said softly. Tara will beat me once he leaves if I don't welcome him home.

"Thank you Tessie, and thank you for making dinner. It looks amazing." He said sadly. My heart skipped a beat when he used the nickname he had always called me as a child, the name I missed him calling me so much.

Tara growled. "Darling, but I'm the one who made dinner, not her."

"Tara, I know and everyone else knows Tessa is the one who cooked dinner, last time you cooked, you almost burned the place down." He stated, I couldn't help but laugh a bit, however I bit my tongue when she glared at me. Well shit I've done it now.

"I have some things I need to tell you three." My father stated as he took a drink of his beer,

"What is it dad?" Marissa asked, her smile fake as it always is.

"We have been invited to a gala at the Blue Moon pack." He stated as he looked at all of us.

"Really a gala! Sounds wonderful." Tara squealed with joy, Marissa already squealing.

"Yes, the four of us will be going." He said as he looked at me and smiled. Tara stiffened when he said the four of us. I couldn't help but smirk. "It's about time Tessa finds her mate, she hasn't been to any of the gala's that we've been invited to."

"What gala's?" I asked looking at my father who was looking at me. "I was never told of any gala's"

"Oh Tessa yes you do, but every time I'd ask you you would say you weren't feeling well" Tara chipped in quickly, she looked panicked, and I'm pretty sure my father was catching on to the situation. Hopefully he was.

I rolled my eyes and stood up and took the plates from everyone and took them into the kitchen and began to wash them. Seriously I've been invited this past year to gala's yet was never told typical Tara, always wanting me out of the picture so her daughter can be the center of attention. It makes me wonder if my father knows anything that's going on here when he's gone, which is most of the time. There's times where I hear him ask where I am and she will tell him I'm out within the territory somewhere, when in reality I'm locked in the basement. The house we live in is a 4 bedroom yet I'm made to stay in the basement. My bedroom has been untouched for years now. I go in there when nobody is home if I'm not locked up.

As I finished up the dishes I heard my father in the other room and he sounded pissed off, Tara was pleading with him.

"Tessa!" My father growled as he entered the kitchen. Tara and Marissa follow behind him, oh great I'm in trouble aren't I.

"Yes sir?" I say softly as I look down.

"Did Tara ever tell you about any of the gala's? Be honest." He growled.

"No sir I was never told about them, if I would have known I would have gone." I say softly, speaking the honest truth. I really would have gone so I could find my mate, and get the hell away from Marissa and Tara.

"Tara, you have one more chance to tell me the truth. Now did you ever tell her about them." My father turned and growled at Tara and Marissa. I've never seen him so angry before.

"No, I didnt I had forgotten too, darling. I'm so sorry, please don't be angry." Tara started "crying"

"Room now Tara, I'll deal with you in a bit, same with you Marissa now get out of my sight both of you." His voice changed, his wolf had taken over at that point.

Tara and Marissa took off out of the room swiftly, my father was fuming. I looked at him and his eyes were just starting to change back to its normal color which was blue.

"D-Dad?" I say looking at him. "Everything is okay."

"No Tessie it's not, I've had a bad feeling for a while now, and tonight when you called me Father it shattered my heart to hear that, I haven't seen you in weeks, and I've missed you terribly." His voice was sad and he sat down on one of the bar stools, he pulled out the one next to him and motioned for me to sit down next to him. I went and sat next to him, he was very distraught.

"Dad..."

"Tessie, what has been going on here?"

I took a deep breath. "A lot, more than you'll ever know, I thought all this time you've known."

"When I'd ask other wolves if they had seen you, and they had no idea what I was talking about. I started getting suspicious and then tonight when I walked in and I saw you, I thought I'd take my chance and get to the bottom of everything."

"So you seriously have no idea what has happened?" I asked, looking at him.

"No I really don't but it seems like I need to get you away from here. You're so skinny and sick looking." He touched my cheek, he wasn't wrong, I looked ill.

"If I told you dad you'd kill her or leave her or something, but you look like you're so in love with her."

"How about we go for a run, I haven't seen your wolf since your first shift," He said as he stood up he was irritated, the fact something has been going on without him knowing especially with dealing with his only biological daughter.

"Sure, it's been a while since Alex has had a run." I smile slightly at him. I watched his eyes switch from blue to the different shade of blue his wolf has and he smiled, his wolf was happy.

"You can tell me more when we get away okay Tessie." he walked over to the door as I followed behind him.

"Okay." I smiled at him, this is the father I remember, the one who would put me before anything. I know he's beating himself up about this.

My father shifted quickly into his wolf, his wolf was massive, bigger than a standard Alpha wolf, His piercing blue eyes, his black fur, Atlas is his wolf's name. I shifted into my wolf, hearing the sound of my bones breaking and shifting still makes my teeth grit together. It's not a pleasant sound. My father purred when I shifted and he nuzzled me.

"Your wolf looks exactly like your moms did." he mind linked me.

He wasn't wrong, I have my mothers hair and my fathers eyes. My wolf had white fur, my hair is platinum blonde, and my eyes are deep blue.

"Where do you want to run to Tessie?"

"Let's go to the Lake." I mind linked back.

Our wolves nodded at each other and we took off into the woods, our wolves playing as we ran. I felt like I was sixteen again when I shifted for the first time.

Alex was ecstatic, it's been almost a month since she had gotten to have fun and felt the wind through her fur.

After a while we finally made it to the lake. The Lake had been our spot ever since I was young, him and mom used to take me here all the time. The lake had a small clearing around the shoreline in almost a perfect circle then was surrounded by trees. The moon was at its peak and its reflection was shown in the lake.

We both dipped behind shrubs away from each other and shifted back to our human selves, quickly putting our clothes back on.

"That was very much needed" I smiled happily as I came out from behind the shrub.

"Yes it was." My dad replied as he was already sitting on the shoreline of the lake.

I walked over to him and sat down on the sandy shoreline next to him. I was feeling kinda nervous, knowing he wanted to know more about the situation.

"What has been going on behind my back?" he asked as he looked at me.

"I'm made to stay in the basement, sometimes locked in there depending on if I piss Tara or Marissa off enough." I say softly looking up at the moon.

My father growled loudly "Seriously?"

I flinched and nodded, "yeah. I've sat here all these years wondering why you haven't ended things with her, but I can see now that she has blinded you all these years."

"I get the picture even though you haven't said much about it, I'm sorry I've let you down all these years Tessie, I wont say a thing for now, but she and Tara won't be much longer." My father sighed. "Tessie do you want to find your mate?"

"Sorta, I've thought about it these last couple of months, because if I can find him it will be my escape from Tara and Marissa." I said softly as I dipped my feet in the lake.

"I will find you a dress for the gala for tomorrow night and I will bring it to you, tonight you can come sleep at the pack house, I'll let Alpha Jax know."

"A-are you sure? I don't want to be a burden over there." I was surprised not really knowing what to say. Me? at the pack house where the important wolves stay. Sounds like a dream, a fantasy, a place where you are waited on by the omegas, a safe place.

"Yes, also don't say anything Tessie, but Alpha Jax is stepping down from the Alpha position. The elders already know about it." He said as he looked up at the moon. I'm not surprised that he's stepping down; he is old and creepy.

"Who's going to be Alpha?"

"Me." he smiled widely

I was in shock, my father does come from Alpha blood but he was the youngest of the three brothers, so it will fit him well.

"Really! I'm happy for you dad, you deserve it."

"Thank you Tessie, that's why I said they won't be much longer, Tara will not be my Luna she will bring the pack down to their knees and I will not have that happen. I only accepted her as my mate so you could have a mother figure in your life but I see she was less than that." His voice was sad, he suddenly grabbed me and hugged me. I lost it, tears poured down my face. I don't cry, last time I cried was when mom was killed.

"Shh Tessie." My father consoled me , rubbing my back as if I was still a small child. "I know I can't fix the past but I can surely fix it."

"Thank you dad" I sniffled and pulled away from the hug.

"Now let's head to the pack house and get you settled in for the night, anything from the house you want before we go and we will both go and get it.

"I'd really like to get one of my books if that's okay with you and something to sleep in I guess." I say softly as I stand up and stretch.

"Okay well let's go and get those for you, tomorrow is a busy day and you will be spending it with me alright?"

"Okay" I said as he shifted into his wolf.

I shifted quickly, the noise of my bones finally not bothering me too much this time. Dad came up and nuzzled me.

"Alright then let's get going." He mind linked me as I nodded in response as we took off into the woods, leaving the lake behind us.