Chapter 1

Snow

How did we get to this point?

That was the first thought I had when I looked at the empty bottles lying on the dining room table, a sure sign that Aunt Susan had not only come home late but that she had spent the money I gave her to buy the week's food on alcohol, all for the purpose of getting drunk.

Realizing that I wasn't going to wake up for a few hours, I cursed through my teeth and checked the refrigerator for something that might assuage my hunger. When I opened it, I noticed that, instead of having any fruit or vegetables, I only had a six-pack of her favorite beer.

"I have to take care of the grocery shopping myself," I said wearily, and I went back to my room.

I immediately did something I always did whenever I felt like my head was going to explode and I needed to calm down: hug my parents' picture. It seemed like a silly gesture, but it helped control the rage I sometimes got from the crazy situation I was living in.

They were a couple who were once the envy of the pack because they had achieved everything that destined souls are supposed to achieve, but after a tragic accident, they became the symbol of misfortune.

"Dad, if you hadn't died in that accident, Mom wouldn't have killed herself and I wouldn't be in this mess," I mused painfully.

I realized that hadn't done much good, so I sighed before kissing the photo and preparing for another day at Ever Green Pack. The biggest, strongest, and most powerful of all the packs in the south and, personally, a breeding ground for show-offs.

I put away the chemistry paper I had finished the night before and picked up everything I needed to go to high school, took a quick shower, and dressed in the most comfortable clothes I could. Then I left the house, but not before grabbing my headphones to lose myself in the music as I walked the necessary miles to get to class on time.

The problem was that I didn't notice that the connector was broken, and I wouldn't be able to hear anything.

No doubt this day is starting off on the wrong foot, my she-wolf said, and I paid no attention to her.

She could be obnoxious when she put her mind to it, and if I played along, she could irritate me enough to ruin all the work I had done and go unnoticed.

Shut your mouth and go to sleep, I asked her earnestly.

Her laughter was amusing, but I ignored it until I got close to the park, which was a block away from the high school. Unfortunately, there were too many students from the various southern packs in the vicinity, so I immediately put on my headphones to pretend I was listening to something.

"Do you think William will ever turn to look at me?" asked a girl in front of me, and I realized she belonged to one of the farther packs.

"I don't think he looks past your face," her friend replied smugly, and I held back a smile.

"I just really like him," she said when we were close to crossing the street to enter the high school.

You and almost the entire female population, I thought mockingly.

It was well known that William Walker was the son of Ever Green Pack Alpha, the heir to the position, and a young man who was not only handsome but athletic, popular, and exuded confidence. He was the captain of the football team and a star throughout the southern territory because he had accomplished great things for the team.

The problem was that what he had of handsomeness, he had of arrogance and presumption.

I was over 17 and three months later, I would come of age. The girls at school all wanted William to be their mate but I won't. An arrogant alpha heir would be a big trouble for me who had a secret to hide.

With that thought, I entered South Pack Union High School, which made things more difficult for me every day. Not only was it the fact that they tended to be excessively strict with underprivileged students, but it was the ideal center for the new leaders to exercise their bullying power.

I got ready to go to my locker and almost wanted to go home when I saw the evil entourage laughing down the hall as they searched for prey to torment. That group was led by Britney, one of the high school bullies, a she-wolf from one of the southern territory packs, and my personal nightmare.

I dodged it as best I could, and at that, a fool hit my shoulder hard, but he didn't apologize; he just ignored me, and I cursed through my teeth until I turned to go straight to my locker. I took a deep breath and counted to relax; that's how I got to my locker quickly.

One step at a time, Snow.

I told myself about the day I would have, so I opened my locker to put my stuff in and grab the book I would need for the literature class later in the afternoon. Only it seemed like the Goddess wanted to test me because, to my left, Britney appeared with all her bad vibes.

I tried to ignore her, but it was impossible when she tapped something next to my locker.

"Hi, Snow," she said, amused, and I couldn't help but look at her.

She was the epitome of beauty: blonde, light-eyed, a nice figure, and fashionable. She was a first-rate capricious, but she was also a good fighter, and that annoyed me.

"Hi, Britney."

"I noticed you avoided seeing me; that's not done when we're such good friends," she said with mock seriousness, and her entourage burst out laughing in the background. "Since you have no friends because you're an Omega male and dumb, plus your mother was a suicidal nutcase who couldn't stand the pain of her mate's death, and your aunt is a vulgar Omega reject, you should be grateful that I'm doing you the favor of addressing you."

If you gave me the chance, I'd rip her throat out immediately. My she-wolf spat angrily in my mind.

"Thank you for talking to me, Britney," I said mechanically. "Now you can go to hell and leave me alone."

I had lost patience with that asshole.

It was one thing for all my classmates to pick on me and another for them to talk about my family that way, so I squared my shoulders right away, and she glared at me angrily.

"Who do you think you are, poor useless Omega? You were born to be a worthless Omega like your family, so you should be thankful that I even look at you to see."

"I'm not interested, so go away because I have a lot to do."

Saying that was like lighting a damn fuse, so Britney took advantage of the fact that I had my locker open to throw everything I kept inside.

My past tolerance fueled her arrogance, I would not let her go easily this time. She touched my bottom line. A blind rage consumed me immediately, and without words, I tackled her and took her straight to the floor.

My quick and strong behaviour let her widen her eyes.

“Bitch! You dare to hit me.” She tried to get up, and just as I was ready to give her a good thrashing, everyone who had surrounded us made room for someone to see. When I looked up, I ran into the most famous pair of green eyes of all, and he frowned as he saw all the mess Britney had created by throwing my stuff.

William Walker folded his arms and denied; he looked at me haughtily, as if I was trash, and I swallowed saliva because whatever he said, I couldn't contradict him.

"Get the floor clean, now," he ordered. He left without interest, and many of the she-wolves nearby sighed at the sight of him.

People scattered, then Britney nudged me and stood up, then laughed in amusement.

"Do you work, cleaner," she shooed before walking away.

I picked everything up and then heard a familiar voice over the school speakers.

"Snow Blake, your presence is requested in the Dean's office immediately."

I cursed to my insides because Henry, the Beta of the pack and the Dean of the school, was going to reprimand me when I was not to blame.

Would this ever end?

That was the thought with which I questioned everything as I went straight to receive punishment.