Chapter 3

“Are you my wolf?” I asked in surprise. If this was my wolf, she was a day early. That is assuming the birthday I thought was mine was accurate.

“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Jade. My name is Astrid.” The velvety voice replied.

“How were you able to come forward a day before my birthday?” I was hoping that after everything I’d lost in my short life, the day I’d always been told was my birthday wasn’t one of them. I couldn’t lose the one day I counted on to feel the most connected with who I was.

“I needed to come to you early. I had to tell you a few things. The first is that we are not like other wolves and we are most certainly not an omega.” The way she said it somehow told me she wasn’t looking down on omegas, but she for some reason wanted me to know that I was set apart from them. 

“If we’re not an omega, then what are we? Are we a born rogue?” 

“No, dear. We’re not a rogue as you were led to think. In fact, we are of alpha blood.” I couldn’t believe this. There was no way I, a lowly cook and maid, could ever be an alpha.

“If I were an alpha, why am I here?”

“It’s hard to say honestly. Our memories seem somewhat locked away and I can’t seem to figure out why. But trust me, I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.” Astrid sounded puzzled but resolute. Somehow, despite all my questions and doubts, I instantly believed everything she was saying to me.

“What was the other thing you wanted to tell me?” 

“Ah, yes. Dear one, we are in danger. Someone is plotting our demise as we speak.” I stifled a gasp and nearly dropped the basket in my hands. I watched Emma’s eyebrows go up and I subtly shook my head in such small movements that I was sure she was the only one who caught it.

“Do you know who is plotting to kill me?”

“Someone in this pack. We have to leave.”

“When? How will we even escape? Omegas caught trying to leave are executed. And what about Emma? She needs me. The omegas here need us to save them!” I was suddenly appalled at the idea of simply abandoning all these people to live this subpar life without doing anything to help them. And what would I do? Join the rogues? There was no way I’d fit in on the human side of town, it’s riddled with hunters. They didn’t usually bother us in our own territory but if one of us were to try to move in there, they’d see it as an invitation to hunt that wolf down until they were killed.

“I have a feeling that the way to escape will reveal itself. Our work for this pack is not done. I promise you, we are not abandoning these people.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“You remember I said we are not a normal wolf, right?”

“Right.”

“I seem to know a few things about the future. I’m not sure how or why, but I have a feeling that we have other gifts that will reveal themselves in time. There’s one more thing I must tell you, dear one.”

“What’s that?”

“You cannot shift here. It’s not safe. You must wait until after you’ve escaped.”

“I’ll wait, Astrid. You have my word. I’m glad I have you.” It was true what the older wolves said, I instantly felt one with Astrid. It was like I’d known her my whole life and somehow like I’d known her in some other universe as well. I couldn’t wait to become better acquainted with her.

“I’m glad to have you as well, sweet Jade. I’ll be with you through all of this. We will get through it together.” 

I listened absentmindedly to the chatter going on around me, and I knew Emma was trying to distract everyone from my silence. She kept the conversation flowing expertly, and before we knew it, the laundry was finished and Emma and I were ready to start prepping dinner while everyone else did more busy work around the house.

“My wolf is already here!” I squealed to Emma as soon as we were alone, pointing eagerly to my own head.

“What?! Oh my goddess, you have to tell me EVERYTHING!” Emma said, taking both my hands in hers’ “what’s her name? Do you want to shift tonight? How do you like her so far?”

My stomach dropped as I thought once again about what Astrid had said. “I don’t think it’s safe to say much about her here, she said it isn’t even safe for us to shift.” I confessed and Emma cocked her head as she looked me up and down, almost like she was trying to figure out if I was okay or not.

“Will you tell me later?” She asked, referencing our few hours of time before bed that the alpha so “graciously” allowed us to have…. In our shed. As long as we made no noise.

“Yes, definitely then!” I promised, and we both got to work prepping dinner.

**Victor POV**

The last 2 days had gone off without any problems from Andrew. I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to alpha command him to stay away from the young omega he’d taken a liking to. After a short conversation about rank and finding a mate that makes more economic sense for our pack, he’d snapped right into place. I did catch him stealing a few glances toward her, but he’d really taken our conversations about being more subtle with indiscretions to heart. I was sure that even if he simply had to have this omega girl, he would at least be able to exercise restraint until our high ranked guests left, which was a charming change of pace considering his unceremonious removal from training school last year after several overdramatic she wolves claimed “harassment”.

The planning of this event had really gotten away from me. Krista, my Luna, had taken over and in her obsession with being the brightest and best pack, she’d gone way over budget. We were nearing bankruptcy, it was getting to be crunch time for finding our children some high ranking mates with cash to knowingly— or unwittingly— float us until I found a new way to funnel some cash in. This was a task I was not particularly thrilled to begin the process of doing, given that my son was honestly not the brightest wolf, and my daughter took the meaning of the word “shrill” to new levels. I’d always heard that children were a blessing, but honestly, I failed to see how that description could possibly cover how I felt about MY children.

Things simply weren’t the same in the last 12 years since we lost our top trade partners at Mystic moon. They’d loaned us money when we were in a spot and even helped us to create several successful businesses outside of the pack. The only problem was the business savvy of my beta was nothing compared to the beta of mystic moon and those were soon run into the ground without his direction, a problem made only worse by my high maintenance luna and her commitment to turn our daughter into a miniature version of her.

I walked down the hall toward my office. If I was to be kissing this much ass once the other alphas arrived, I’d surely need a drink or two and I kept the bar in the office plenty stocked. If you had the overbearing wife and absolutely rotten children that I had, you’d understand. I downed the first glass as I thought about the decision to take on a chosen mate. Sure, I needed Krista’s bloodline and my omega mate could’ve never competed with that, but I just wondered if I would have felt more than apathetic disdain for my children with her had I not rejected her for Krista. I poured myself one more double glass, slamming it down after polishing it off in only 2 drinks. I figured I’d hide out in here a little while, hoping I wouldn’t see or hear anything to kill my buzz but knowing better than to count on it.

On my way down the hall, I couldn’t help but cringe as I heard my daughter, Amelia squealing at decibels that actually pained my wolf hearing about her dress for the party this evening. She was absolutely sure she’d be bagging an alpha at some pack or another, and all her little friends were assuring her that this dress would do the trick. As long as the poor sob had deep pockets I can’t say I’d have a problem with letting her go and drain money elsewhere. 

I was considering going for another refill when the door practically fell off the hinges as my worse half slammed open the door. “Victor, the omegas have completely ruined everything! I must insist that you do something to punish them before this event to make sure they toe the line.” Krista’s blonde hair was slicked back perfectly and her blue eyes burned with absolute rage. It was amazing how she could look so similar to my son, who couldn’t intimidate me if he made it his life’s purpose, and yet Krista was someone I’d grown to genuinely fear. I could swear there was steam coming out of her ears for something that was no doubt a minor infraction, but it was, after all, her world and we were all just living in it.

“What’s happened now, darling?” I said through gritted teeth, trying to contain my hatred for her. It was something about her that I just felt averted to ever since we’d been together. Our courtship had been fast and mostly arranged by our fathers, so I didn’t exactly notice how much of a chore of a woman she was until I’d brought her home. By then, we’d already mated and marked each other and she was quickly pregnant with Andrew. There would be no escape for me, and I’d spent the almost two decades following trying to accept that.

“One of the serving platters is cracked, the finger sandwiches look sloppy for high tea, and they haven’t even started on dinner yet!” She shouted with her shrill, irritating voice which sounded shockingly similar to our teenage daughter’s.

“It’s only noon, darling. They still have plenty of time.” I tried to reason with her, but I knew there’d be no point.

“If we’re going to have everything ready in time, they should be moving a hell of a lot faster than they are right now! I want you to go and talk to them. Maybe take one of them and make an example out of them. Just do SOMETHING! I won’t have this night ruined and have everyone know what a pathetic excuse for an alpha you really are. I’ve gone to all of this trouble to hide your impotence, so you would do well to make sure my well laid plans are executed to perfection.” She had made her way around my desk and stood over me, preventing me from getting up and moving. She looked at me with as much disdain as I felt in my heart for her. She always had a way of reminding me how very little good I had done for my pack and made sure I left each and every interaction we had feeling about one inch tall. Sure, I was the most powerful wolf in this pack house but at this very moment, Krista had all the power.

“Whatever you want, darling.” I uttered barely above a whisper, refusing to fully make eye contact with her for fear she’d see just how much I both loathed and envied the power with which she was able to carry herself. I just wanted her out of my office and I’d do anything to make that happen. I heard the clicking and clacking of her heals and the slamming of the door and knew I was alone.  With a resigned sigh, I decided to go and get that refill after all. After realizing I was kidding absolutely no one—not even myself— I threw the glass at the wall, watching it shatter before me and took one long swig of scotch straight from the bottle before I prepared to go and take my rage out on someone who really deserved it: my inferiors.