Chapter 2 Violet's pov

I woke up not excited at all about what was to happen that day. I rose to don my same dirty clothes and would have to clean them soon before Isabella made a complaint.

I rushed outside, brought in the linens for the guest rooms, and started remaking the beds in each of the six guest rooms. I was already exhausted, not getting a good night's rest from my hunger and worries. I gritted my teeth seeing the time and ran to the kitchen to find my father cooking. He looked at me and shook his head as Isabella started her screeching. She stood up, grabbed me by the shoulders, and yelled at me.

"You're going to go to the pack house! How dare you make your father prepare the morning meal," she spat then slapped me hard across the cheek. My eyes watered as she dragged me to my father and screamed at him to take his whores child to the pack house.

"Get her numbered and prepared for the pack house but bring her back because we need her for the banquet," she demanded. Shaking my head I pleaded with them saying I'd do better and I was finishing up the guest rooms. My father didn't say a word and held my forearm as we exited the house and headed toward the huge pack house.

"Father, I truly was finishing up the guest rooms," I sobbed and he grunted as he glanced over at me.

"Don't act like your real mother. It's bad enough you look like her," he growled and opened the pack house doors. An older man came up to my dad.

"Is this your mistress's daughter, Daniel?" He asked curiously and my dad nodded.

"Give her a number and I will return with her after my son's banquet. Isabella needs the girl to help with the meal prep," Daniel muttered.

I was still weeping when I was taken to a back room and branded on my left forearm. My name was taken from me and now I was simply a number, that number was 713. The man handed me a red choker and told me to always wear it.

"Removing it is a betrayal to our Alpha and an immediate death sentence so never remove it. The pack warriors will hunt you down and tear you apart like what happened to your mother," he stressed and I lowered my eyes and nodded. I fastened it around my neck and was escorted back to my father. He looked down at me and pulled on my arm, reading the number.

"Come 713," he growls and I follow him back to my soon-to-be ex-home. Daniel stopped and waved for me to go through the servant's entrance.

"Find a clean servant's outfit and come to the dining room so Isabella can inform you of what she wants to be prepared," he said softly.

I nodded and headed to the back entrance going to the basement for a couple of clean servant outfits. I knew I smelled rancid but I was only permitted to wash at the lake when all my chores were finished. That was a never-ending occurrence thanks to my stepmother. Spying a small piece of lye soap, I slipped the small fragment into my pocket to use when I could find the time to bathe. Getting myself presentable I went to the dining room to see Isabella and Jack discussing food. Isabella glanced at me and asked me my name.

"713, ma'am," I replied and she grinned.

"Wonderful, these are the dishes Jack wants to be prepared," she snaps, handing me a sheet of paper. I read through the list and my heart fell. It would take hours to prepare them all.

"I will need to head to the butcher and the produce house for some of these. May I leave to gather ingredients?" I asked, hopeful for a chance of reprieve. Isabella looked at me like I was daft.

"Certainly not, let Jack know what you need and he will go to retrieve all the required ingredients. I don't want you to be seen or even associated with this household you stupid bitch," she said in irritation as she stood and left me alone with my stepbrother. I furrowed my brow and eyed Jack. There was no way he would pick the best and it would become my fault.

"Come here 713 and tell me what you need me to get," he grins sarcastically, patting his thigh. I ground my teeth as I stepped closer to his side and ignored the way he was eyeing me.

Laying the list on the table I picked up the pencil and began circling the items then wrote simple notes of what to look for so he would get a good item. I felt him place his hand on my butt and jump yelling, "sir!" He chuckled and leaned back in the chair.

"You still smell like a rotting corpse, perhaps I should drag you upstairs to my bathroom and wash you myself," he growls and I shake my head as I scramble back.

"I need those items if you want your banquet to be a success. I must get the other items ready," I stammered and rushed from the room to hear his laughter following me. I started preparing items that would be alright for the next few days and also the roast I was going to slow cook for that evening meal. I nibbled on a carrot, starving from missing dinner the night before, and watched Jack heading out with the list in hand. My arm was hurting so I ran it under the cold water tap. I frowned at the red scabbing numbers. It would be held completely by the evening due to being a werewolf. I patted it dry with a paper towel and heard Isabella shrieking upstairs. I sigh and head to the bottom of the stairs to look up at her.

"You forgot the flowers! Fresh flowers for each of the rooms, the guests will be arriving this evening," she growls. I nod my head and grab garden shears and gloves as I head out to the garden. I wondered if I should have prepared more for supper but figured the roast was plenty of meat. I clipped several roses, daisies, carnations, and baby's breath and headed to each room upstairs designing pretty boutiques in each room. My small bit of joy was dampened by Isabella coming in to judge them.

"After the food is prepared for tonight make yourself vanish, I don't want the Alpha's to be insulted by your presence," she grins and I asked her who would serve the meal.

"Me of course, you brat. I shall say I prepared it myself, so it better be delicious," she gleamed and I frowned. I sighed and headed back into the kitchen and stuffed another roast into the roaster and began peeling an entire bag of potatoes. I headed to the wine cellar and brought up several bottles of wine and put them in the refrigerator. I noticed my stepbrother entering through the back door with his arms full of bags. He dumped them on the counter and told me to put them away. I exhaled deeply and started the slow process of putting each item into its specific spot. I heard a commotion and looked out the kitchen window to see people arriving. I glanced at the wall clock and it was already late afternoon.

One man caught my eye. He was rugged and handsome even with his scowl and frown. He must have felt my eyes on him because he glanced over at where I was spying on him but I turned before being caught. I started the potatoes to boil figuring the entire bag would take a while. I made a salad using fresh vegetables and an apple. Next, I made my signature salad dressing and stuffed it all into the refrigerator.

I leaned back and touched my hair. It was greasy and I wished I could get some shampoo for it. I frowned and quickly snuck up the normal staircase to head to my stepmother's bathroom. I thought that I could take a bit of hers to wash my locks. I listened to the conversation going on downstairs and shuffled quickly to her separate room. She didn't stay in my father's bed insisting that she disliked him being intoxicated in the evenings.

I opened the door and rushed into the bathroom and to the shower. I scanned the bottles and found an almost empty one. I tucked it into my waistband and quickly left. I ran downstairs and up to my room from the kitchen and wrapped the bottle inside of the clean servant outfit and headed back to the kitchen with none the wiser. I finished mashing the potatoes and started on the gravy. I was just about finished when Isabella came in and told me to go.

"The gravy isn't… " I started and she backhanded me and pointed at me.

"Hide, our guests are hungry and I want them to think this meal was prepared by me," she growled. I ran up the backstairs with my face stinging and red.