CHAPTER ONE

“Well, where the hell is she?” A querulous male voice bellowed and it echoed throughout the house.

“Where else do you think? She’s probably still in bed, dreaming about all the mischief she could cause here.” A feminine voice replied in an equally annoyed tone.

The sun was bright, and its rays streamed down on the large area of land, occupied by beautiful erect buildings, surrounded by high, mighty walls. The bright and clear sky was promising, and the atmosphere in the air was friendly and a bit cheerful, but Riley on the other hand was cranky. She lay in bed with her beautiful face set in a frown, her full l red lips pressed together as she glared at the door.

Any moment now. She thought, dreading and loathing the noise her step-parents made from downstairs. She had been awake for the past thirty minutes, her mind was still clouded with only one thing, just like it had been for the past year or so. She needed a mate, not just any kind, a handsome, well-built mate that would fall in love with her at first sight and propose love instantly to her. She had pictured it so many times, the moment her prince charming would spring up from the blue and sweep her off her feet, to the dismay of her harsh and wicked step-parents.

“They all have to be this, don’t they?” She thought wearily. “Stepparents!” She exclaimed and blew at her cheeks.

Just as she had expected, the wooden door to her bedroom, which tilted awkwardly most of the time due to its weak hinges, flew open and her step-parents stormed in like they were searching for a snake that had snuck into the house.

“There you are, you little piece of scum, what are you still doing in bed?” Her stepfather, Adolphus, snarled. His white full beard was stained with orange and his cracked lips were also stained with the same color.

 He's smoking those tobaccos again. Riley thought as she regarded him.

“You just sit there? You repulsive delinquent, get out of bed and do something!” Her stepmother, Gwen, said, disdain written all over her face.

Riley thought she was becoming too unhealthy, recently she had put on a lot of weight, and the dresses that once sized her were clinging awkwardly to her fat body, some woman. Riley thought as she crawled out of bed.

“I’m going to school, what do you want me to do?” Riley asked meekly.

“Those damn dishes aren’t going to wash themselves. You can’t live here like it’s your parent’s house, are you forgetting that you don’t have any?” Gwen said scornfully.

Riley’s fists clenched at her words, but she remained calm, it wasn’t the first time Gwen had pierced a dreadful hole in her heart with her harsh words.

“I’ll do the dishes before I head to school.” She replied with a faint smile.

Riley knew that whenever she smiled during moments like this, it angered Gwen more, so she made a habit of it. She walked towards the door but Adolphus suddenly stopped her, grabbing her roughly by the wrist.

“You don’t need to be told to do these things, Riley. Do I have to remind you that you would be dead if we hadn’t taken you in? You’d probably be in some forest battling the wild beasts of nature.” He said, boring a hole into her eyes with his hollow, washed-out blue eyes that contained years of hardship.

“I understand,” Riley whimpered and looked at her wrist. “You’re hurting me.”

“Call me father.” He said abruptly, tightening his grip.

“What?” She was utterly confused and her teeth gritted as the pain increased and shot through her body.

“Call me father! Like you’re supposed to.” He repeated in a hoarse tone.

“You’re hurting me, father!” Riley cried and he let go of her.

“Good, now go wash my car also.” He commanded as though he were talking to a slave he had just bought.

She was confused, “But you don’t have one.” She pointed out, rubbing her palm soothingly over her wrist.

“Oh, get out of here then.” He said, nudging her by the shoulder.

“Ugh! We really should get rid of her! She’s rather a burden.” Riley heard Gwen say with disgust as she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen.

About an hour later, she closed the front door behind her and began her walk to the Packs school. The Greenwood pack had served as shelter for her since she had lost her parents and Adolphus and Gwen had taken her in.  Over and over again, they repeated to her that she was an object of their mercy and if it weren’t for them, she would have probably been dead.

She scoffed bitterly, “A dead person might fancy his situation more than this hellhole I’m forced to live in.” She said to herself as the sun beat down on her face.

On her way, she passed the Alpha’s mansion, a huge, astonishing building coated in marble. Riley wondered what it would be like living there, probably as the Luna of the pack and not just an Omega.

“Ugh! School.” She exclaimed with zero enthusiasm and in about twenty minutes, she arrived.

The halls were fully packed by this time with others chattering about different topics, relevant or not. Riley couldn’t blend in, she had no friends and no one to share her fantasies about a mate with, but it didn’t bother her. She didn’t need friends or sympathizers, all she wanted was a mate and her life would certainly be complete.

Dressed in a flashy black leather jacket and jeans, with a glistening chain on his neck and an expensive gold watch on his left wrist, a tall, handsome fellow walked towards her and Riley recognized him instantly, in her humble nature, she bowed as he walked past. Then she felt something within her as she inhaled his Cedar leaf scent and it fueled a burning desire for him in her. She had never felt that way about anyone else before and it intrigued her as she came to an exciting conjecture. Even in class, her hands trembled and her heartbeat hastened with excitement, could the Alpha’s son, Shawn, be her destined mate?