CH01

Snow’s P.O.V

I hear them.

My parents screaming.

Their agony is raw and clear as their screams rip through the air. I try to move, to run to them, but my legs won’t work. They feel like they’re made of stone. I reach out my hands to them, but all I can do is watch, frozen and helpless as the black rogues tear into them. The sound of ripping flesh, the blood that splatters the ground–it’s too much, too loud, too real.

I wanted to scream too. Help! Help! Help! My lips formed the words but not a single sound escaped.

Hel–

A sudden splash of cold water dragged me from my nightmare, and back to reality. My body jerked awake, and I snapped my eyes open, looking around me like a wild animal, panting as my chest rose and fell.

I was not in the forest.

No, I was in the same room under the stairs of the pack house, where I’ve always been–forgotten and unwanted. It would have been pitch dark here if not for the thin sliver of light seeping through the floorboards above.

The walls of my room were cracked and worn and the floor was covered in dirt. No matter how much I scrubbed, it only got worse so I gave up a long time ago, conserving my limited energy as I barely had food to eat.

“I see you’re having sweet dreams, runt!” A sharp voice cut through my thoughts and I started to tremble.

I didn’t need to look up. I already knew who it was.

The senior omega maid.

Her footsteps were heavy as she approached me and when I dared to glance at her through my lashes, her eyes were glinting with malice.

I cowered back on the thin mattress, wrapping my arms around my knees as I pulled it back to my chest.

“Can’t even speak for yourself. Dumb little murderer!” Her words were like daggers, each one cutting deeper than the last. She hated me. Everyone in my pack did.

My heart thudded when she suddenly dropped a parcel on the bed.

“Take this to Alpha Liam, now. The package came in for him this morning and the other maids are too busy to tend to it.”

My eyes widened, and I began to shake my head frantically. I didn’t want to go. Please don’t make me. I lifted my shaky hands and tried to sign, but I was just too frantic, and not even I could make sense of my own words.

She only sneered at me in response. “What? You’re trying to talk to me in dumb language now?"

That said, Snr Maid slapped me across the face, hard enough to make my ears ring in pain. But I didn’t dare make a sound. I only lowered my head as tears pooled in my eyes, too scared to even look at her.

“Pathetic mutt,” she muttered. “Now go.”

I didn’t know why I even tried to beg her when it always went the same way every time. I didn’t have a choice and I couldn’t escape either.

Slowly, I stood up from my bed, my body trembling. A part of me hoped she would leave so I could quickly clean up. I wasn’t able to shower yesterday at all since the other maids used every drop of water and then assigned so many tasks to me that my brain flattened as soon as I pressed my head to my almost-gone pillow.

But Snr maid didn’t even bat an eye. She stood there like a hawk, watching me, her eyes filled with scorn as I reached for the package. There was no way I could try to look a little presentable since she was here so I took the package and exited my room.

I closed the door behind me, footsteps light as I tried to be as small as possible. My feet carried me through the omega pack house, the place I’ve called home, though I knew it had never been a home to me. The floor beneath me was cold and cracked, covered in dust. I passed the crumbling walls, where the other low-ranking pack members lived and banned me from staying in. I couldn’t help but feel the pain of it, the emptiness.

To make matters worse, the warriors that lingered in the hall—those disgusting men–leered at me as I passed them. Their hands reached out without any concern, groping what they could, my breast, my butt…one even reached his hand out and spanked me on top of my mound. But I just kept walking.

Don’t react. Don’t stop. Just keep moving.

My throat tightened and tears blurred my vision, but I bit them back. I'd learned not to let them see. They feed on fear.

When I finally reached outside, to the gates of the Alpha’s packhouse, my throat expanded with the huge gulp of fresh air I swallowed.

That place was so suffocating.

Just as the thought crossed my mind, the gates to the Alpha’s packhouse creaked open.

A large hand of fear curled around my throat, squeezing out the fresh breath I’d just taken in. I didn’t want to be here.

Honestly, the house was the cleanest and most luxurious place in our Midnight pack, but the men inside there, I think they were worse than the warriors at the Omega house.

Tears burned at the sides of my eyes and I was tempted to hand over the box to one of the guards manning the gates but Snr maid would kill me if she found out that I didn’t follow her instructions.

So biting on my bottom lip to hold back a sob, I ventured in and was immediately met by a pretty looking maid who smelt like flowers.

“Hey, you are Snow, right?” Her voice was airy and soft. “Barbara said to expect you. Come with me.”

I could only nod in awe.

All the maids in the Alpha’s house always looked like princesses in my eyes, clean and very pretty. It used to be a dream of mine to be recruited to work in the Alpha’s packhouse when I was just stripped of my birthright as Alpha’s daughter and sent to work in the literal pigpen with the rejects of society. But that wish changed after what…what they did to me.

My throat closed up and my steps faltered. I didn’t want to go in here. Please. Please. The maid turned around and frowned when she saw that I wasn’t following her. I stared at her with wide eyes that burned with unshed tears and brief sympathy crossed her features before she grabbed my hand and began to drag me inside.

It was only when we stepped into the foyer did I stopped struggling. I hunched my shoulders, blood drained from my face as I followed her through the pristine corridors. Her footsteps echoed against the marble but mine was quieter. I stayed as far behind her as I could, feeling every single eye on me as we arrived in the den.

The first thing I saw was the men. They were loud, boisterous, and gods, drunk. My heartbeat was violent against my ribcage as I moved through them, trying to reach the man in the center of the room who was playing cards.

Finally, I got to him and after waiting for a few mind-numbing seconds, his gaze swung towards me and I immediately fell to my knees, bowing before him as I presented the package to him.

“What did I tell you about interrupting me during a game?” I heard it before I felt it, the heavy blow exploding across my face. He’d kicked my face with his boots. Stars danced behind my lids but I refrained from touching my nose, knowing the blood would stain my hands. One thing my elder brother hated was seeing blood on me, it made him want to make me bleed more.

“Stand up, runt!” He yelled and I scrambled up, tears running down my face and mixing with the blood from my probably broken nose. “What do you want?”

Holding the package with one hand, I looked up at him, signing with my other hand as I tried to explain but he just looked at me with increasing contempt so I stopped. It wasn’t like any of them tried to learn how to communicate with me anyway.

“Why are you so filthy?” He sneered at me as he took the package from my hand. I felt my face flush with shame, but I couldn’t answer. The words were trapped in my chest.

When he didn’t give me his attention anymore, I made a sigh of relief and turned to leave, but a voice stopped me.

“Hold on,” it was one of the Alphas who left their packs to come to drink with my brother almost every day. His tone was dark and commanding and without turning around, I could feel his disgusting gaze run over me, undressing each bit of clothing. “Come here.”

I froze. Please, not this. Not now. Please.

I darted pleading eyes at my brother, silently begging, hoping he would step in, that he’d do something to stop this. But he only shrugged..

Tears stung my eyes and I just couldn’t hold them back anymore as I approached the Alpha.

When I stopped in front of him, he waved his hand and I followed his silent command to go on my knees.

“Take my cock out.” He instructed in a thick voice and the stench of alcohol on his breath burnt my eyes. “Is that okay, Alpha Liam?”

My shoulders shook with terror and despair as my brother shrugged again. “She’s just a dumb runt. Maybe her mouth could be put to better use.”

There were cheers that echoed in the room and having no other choice, I took out the Alpha’s cock from his leather pants, choking as he grabbed my hair and shoved it into my mouth without any warning.

Tears ran down my eyes and I could only kneel with my mouth gaping open as the Alpha fucked my throat while my older brother and his goons watched.