As the morning sun gently streamed into my cabin I stirred from sleep. I Stretched, noticing the stiffness, in my muscles from the mattress. The unforgiving mattress hadn't been kind to me. It was all I had. As I sat up I could see the bruises on my arms and legs from yesterday.
I'm Aurora Nightshade, the omega of the Clearwater Pack. At fifteen years old most would expect me to be excited about shifting for the time and finding my mate. Instead, each day is a struggle for survival in a pack that views me as nothing but a target for their abuse and a servant.
I quickly dressed in my hand-me-down clothes – castoffs from pack members who couldn't be bothered to offer anything better. Time was of the essence; being late to prepare breakfast was not an option I wanted to entertain.
Stealthily leaving my cabin I scanned the surroundings for any risers. The last thing I needed was a run-in with one of those who made my life difficult. Thankfully, the path to the pack house was clear. I slipped into the kitchen.
The kitchen was my domain, not out of respect, but because no one else wanted the responsibility of feeding the entire pack. I moved silently, gathering ingredients and heating the stoves. I got lost in my thoughts for a while reminiscing about the days when my mom showed me how to cook.
Suddenly, a pan slipped from my hands. Made a clanging noise as it hit the floor. I stood still feeling my heart racing in my chest.
“You clumsy useless bitch!” The shout came from behind me. Without looking, I could tell it was Beta Marcus. His strong hand grabbed my shoulder, turning me around and pushing me against the counter. “Can't you ever get it right?”
I held back a cry by biting my lip tasting the tang of blood. It won't happen again.
“See that it doesn't,” he growled his face inches from mine. “Or you'll be sorry.”
As he stormed out, I took a shaky breath and returned to my tasks. My hands trembled slightly as I plated the food, but I forced them steady. Showing weakness would only invite more abuse.
Pack members began filing in for breakfast, a procession of indifference and cruelty. Most ignored me entirely as if I were a piece of furniture. Others made it a game to make my life miserable.
“Oops,” sneered Kara, a she-wolf my age, as she deliberately knocked her orange juice onto the floor. “Clean it up, omega.”
I gritted my teeth and grabbed a cloth, wiping up the spill as Kara and her friends giggled above me. As I stood, Luna Sarah approached, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
“This food is atrocious,” she declared, though I'd seen her eat the same meal with gusto just yesterday. Unexpectedly, she dumped her entire plate on the floor. “Clean this mess and make me something edible. Now!”
As I cleaned up the second spill in as many minutes, I overheard excited chatter from a nearby table.
“The full moon is in two weeks,” a young wolf named Ethan was saying. “Do you think you'll find your mate at the ceremony?”
My heart raced with excitement. The mating ceremony will be on my birthday. It had slipped my mind until now. A glimmer of hope ignited within me. Perhaps this event could change everything if I found my mate. Holding on to that flicker of hope I completed my morning tasks in the kitchen.
After breakfast, I was assigned to do the laundry. The laundry baskets felt heavier than usual. Maybe I was just feeling weaker each day. Struggling under their weight my arms and back ached as I carried them outside to hang the clothes on the line.
As I pinned up the sheet everything around me suddenly blurred into a scene. The bright daylight faded into the night. Images of fur and sharp teeth flashed before me mixed with the sounds of rogue wolves snarling and pack mates screaming in fear. Then I saw them – my parents, shifting into their wolf forms, standing between me and a massive, scarred rogue.
“Run, Aurora!” my mother's voice echoed in my head. “Don't look back!”
I stood there feeling powerless witnessing my parents fight the rogue. The scene was filled with a mix of teeth and claws followed by cries of pain until everything fell silent.
“Hey, omega! Daydreaming on the job?”
Gamma Tyler's mocking voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked, disoriented, only to see him knock over my basket of clean laundry. He laughed as he walked away, leaving me to rewash everything.
I bit back the tears that threatened to fall. Crying wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't bring my parents back or make the pack treat me better. Instead, I gathered the soiled clothes and started over, whispering a quiet prayer to the Moon Goddess for strength.
When it was time for lunch I quietly made my way to a spot in the forest. It wasn't anything special, it was just a little clearing enclosed by thick trees – but it felt like my own little haven. I could imagine myself as brave and resilient.
I moved through the basic fighting stances I'd observed during pack training sessions. My movements were awkward. Unskilled, I kept going. I told myself that one day I would have the strength to protect myself.
A branch cracked behind me. I spun around, my heart racing. Asher, the leader, was at the edge of the clearing observing me with a look. I braced myself for reprimand, expecting him to take me back to the pack house and report my defiance.
To my surprise, he didn't. He simply stood there, his penetrating gaze making me uneasy. After what seemed like an eternity, he walked away silently, leaving me puzzled and cautiously optimistic. Why hadn't he punished me?
As the sun started to go, I rushed back to the kitchen to get dinner. While quickly cutting vegetables, the knife. Cut into my palm. I held back a yelp of pain, swiftly wrapping a cloth around the cut. I couldn't afford for anyone to notice my injury – they'd only use it as an excuse to punish me for incompetence.
Dinner time was always a challenge. Tonight, a group of young wolves decided it would be fun to use me for target practice, flicking bits of food at me whenever the adults weren't looking. I saw Alpha Dominic notice their game, but he did nothing to stop it. Why would he? I was just the omega.
After I completed tidying up post dinner my entire body ached with exhaustion. I wearily made my way back, to my cabin. Collapsed onto the bed feeling the fatigue seep into every fiber of my being. I pulled out my most treasured possession from, under my pillow I gazed at a faded photograph of my parents.,
I traced their smiling faces with a finger. “I miss you,” I murmured, a tear slipping away despite attempts to hold it back. “I'm trying to be strong, like you taught me. But it's so hard.”
As exhaustion pulled me towards sleep, I offered one last prayer to the Moon Goddess. “Please,” I murmured, “let me find my mate soon. Let something in my life change for the better.”
With that final plea, I drifted off, dreaming of a future where I was more than just the pack omega. Where I was strong, respected… loved.
But morning would come all too soon, bringing with it another day of struggle and survival in the Clearwater Pack. Yet deep inside, that tiny spark of hope refused to die. Someday, somehow, things will change. They had to.
I suddenly woke up feeling my heart racing in my chest. It took me a moment to remember why I was feeling so excited and anxious.... Then it dawned on me.. Ah yes, today is my 16th birthday!Usually, I'd already be up, preparing breakfast for the pack. But today was different.I quietly left my room. Headed towards the stream. Despite the water being cold, I didn't mind it as I washed myself, trying to cleanse myself of the memories from the past few years. As I was doing my thing in the water, I couldn't stop daydreaming about what could go down later. Would I find my mate? Would it be someone kind? Someone who would protect me from the cruelties I've endured?“Please, Moon Goddess,” I whispered to the lightning sky. “Let today be the day everything changes.”Back at the pack house, I snuck into the kitchen. For once, I wasn't there to cook for others. Today, I would make something special for myself. It was a small rebellion, using packed resources for my meal, but it was my birthda
As I gazed at Asher, everything else around me gradually blurred into the background. The bond we shared seemed to breathe with life, intertwining us in a manner beyond my understanding. A surge of both thrill and dread quickened my heartbeat, sending a rush of emotions through me. This was the moment that would change everything.Alpha Dominic's voice cut through the hushed whispers of the pack. We're about to start the ritual for accepting a mate, he declared in a slightly tense manner.I paused, took a breath and attempted to calm my shaking hands. This is really happening Asher, the future alpha of our pack, was my mate. Me, Aurora Nightshade, the omega, the girl everyone looked down upon. It was a dream come true.Following tradition, I reached out my hand to Asher, offering it with my palm up, anticipating his grasp to solidify our connection. I gazed into his eyes, hoping to witness the awe and happiness mirrored back at me.Asher's expression had changed. The initial shock of
I sprinted quickly, with tears streaming down my face and mingling with the sweat.I had no idea where I was heading. . I didn't mind. All I knew was that I needed to flee, to escape the shame, the exclusion, and the deep hopelessness that felt like it could consume me entirely.In my hurried escape, I didn't notice the twisted tree root sticking out of the ground. My foot tripped over it, and I suddenly fell. I landed hard, the force making it difficult to breathe. As I lay there, trying to catch my breath, I felt my once-lovely blue dress rip even more. It seemed appropriate, I thought sadly. The dress, like my hopes, was now just torn pieces.Gradually, I lifted myself up. At that moment, it dawned on me, the scents around me had changed. The familiar smells of the Clearwater Pack territory were gone, replaced by the unknown scents of unclaimed forest. I had crossed the pack boundary.For a moment, fear made me unable to move. I had never been outside pack lands before. But then I
I slowly opened my eyes, trying to prevent the light from blurring my eyesight. I looked around. This place wasn't the forest, nor was it the infirmary of my old pack. The walls were a gentle beige, and the room had a scent of cleaning supplies mixed with pine. Where am I?Before I could figure out my location, someone hurried over to me. My vision was still a bit unclear, but I could make out wide shoulders and eyes full of concern. As my sight cleared, I saw the face of the most attractive man I had ever laid eyes on. He had a firm jawline, tight with worry, and his dark green eyes looked at me with seriousness.“You're awake,” he said, sounding both relieved and anxious.I wanted to speak, but my throat felt very dry. The man – Alpha, my wolf whispered – reached out to touch my arm.I instinctively moved back, which caused a sharp pain in my body, and I couldn't help but let out a small sound of pain. But what really made me step back was the memory of Asher rejecting me. The unhap
I heard the sound of the infirmary door creaking open. Looking over, I spotted Alpha Xander entering with a tray filled with food. His expression lit up at the sight of me being awake. His smile sent a flutter through my chest.“Morning, Aurora” he greeted me in a soothing tone, his voice resonating warmly. “How are you doing today?”I tried to answer, but I hesitated. How was I feeling? “I… I think I'm feeling better,” I said.Alpha Xander nodded, setting the tray down on a nearby table. “That's good to hear. Do you think you can sit up? You should try to eat something.”I nodded and then started to carefully lift myself up. A sharp pain went through my side, making me flinch… Without a word, Alpha Xander was there, his strong hands gently supporting me. I tensed at first, the memory of Asher's cruel touch still fresh in my mind. But Alpha Xander's hands were different—warm, gentle, steadying. I allowed myself to lean into his support, just a little.Once I was settled, Alpha Xander
The conversation I'd overheard between Alpha Xander and Beta Jaxon echoed in my mind. Border breaches. Rogue wolves. Was I bringing danger to this pack that had shown me nothing but kindness?As the early morning light started to shine through my window, I hugged my blanket closer, feeling uncertain thoughts fill my head. How could I possibly be the Luna this pack needed? I was broken, cast aside by my former pack. What if I am not good enough?A sudden knock at my door interrupted me. “Aurora?” Alpha Xander's deep voice called softly. “Can I come in?”I hesitated before responding, “Yes, come in.”Alpha Xander entered, he was worried with concern as he took in my huddled form. “Aurora, what's the matter?” he inquired, moving to sit beside me on the bed.I couldn't meet his gaze as I quietly admitted, “I'm not sure if I can manage this, Xander. To be your Luna. What if I don't measure up?”He extended his hand and clasped mine, a gesture that felt comforting and warm. “Aurora, please
I stood my ground as Lyra moved closer, her eyes showing her ill intentions. I could feel my heart beating fast. But beneath the fear, a new strength was rising. I was the Luna of this pack, and I wouldn't let Lyra intimidate me.Just as Lyra opened her mouth to speak, a loud crash interrupted our standoff. Beta Jaxon burst into the room, his face etched with urgency.“Luna Aurora!” he called out, barely sparing a glance for Lyra. “Alpha Xander needs you at the border immediately.”Relief and concern flooded through me in equal measure. I gave Lyra one last steady look before turning to follow Beta Jaxon. Whatever was happening at the border, it had to be serious for Xander to send for me.As we raced through the pack grounds, Beta Jaxon filled me in. “A group of wolves appeared at our border, seeking sanctuary. They're in bad shape, Luna. Alpha Xander wants your input on whether to grant them refuge.”My first major decision as Luna. The thought made me feel anxious, but I tried to i
The chaos that broke out when the wolf transformed was more than anything I've witnessed before. Xander's strong leadership prevented the pack from becoming overly anxious as we tried to control the situation. With Zara's expertise, we managed to sedate the wolf, his unnaturally red eyes finally closing as the sedative took effect.“Take him to the dungeon,” Xander ordered, his voice grim. “We'll question him when he wakes.”As the unconscious wolf was carried away, Xander turned to me, his eyes filled with concern. “Aurora, are you alright?”I nodded, though my heart was still racing. “I'm fine. But Xander, what was that? I've never seen a transformation like that before.”He shook his head, looking worried. “I haven't either. But we'll figure this out.” His expression became gentle as he held my face. “For now, get some rest. We'll handle this tomorrow.”I couldn't sleep that night because my mind kept thinking about the scary change over and over. When morning finally came, I was t