1. Bullies

Rhianna's POV

"Hit her. Come on, Louisa. Break her jaw."

Oh hell. Not again, I thought with a frown.

"She needs to know where her place is. Do it."

"Bitches," Nia, my wolf, said. I sighed as I looked at the crowd around me, their faces vile. They were all angry for what I -- no, what Nia did.

"Show her she can't mess with a Beta's daughter. How dare she? This orphaned, weak bitch whose wolf is the size of a puppy... and she dares touch you. We should not let her get away with this."

More voices urging Louisa to put me in my place. More cruel jeers.

I had never done anything to warrent this kind of hatred from them, but they derived their daily dose of happiness from hurting me, mocking me. They were pure sadists, these wolves who thought they walked on water, while I walked on mud.

"I didn't mean-" I started and stopped when a growl stopped me. I knew it was not going to help me in anyway.

I looked up to see Louisa glaring at me, covered in pancake batter from head to toe. I wanted to laugh, but I didn't. I have already caused enough problems for myself today.

"Nia, you idiot. What did you do?" I shouted at my wolf. "You should control yourself."

"What she deserves. She is such an asshole, and I can't take her. I want to break that ugly face of hers," my Omega wolf snarled. She didn't appreciate me calling her an idiot. For someone so weak, she acted like she was the descendent of the moon goddess or something.

The crowd was cheering Louisa on. Even if she decided to forgive me for this --which she wouldn't, these bloodhounds wouldn't let her walk away.

That broken jaw was confirmed. I gritted my teeth, frustrated with Nia. She had a temper, and I was the one always paying the price of her temper.

"So worth it," Nia growled, shaking her head, looking fierce. "The bitch deserves more."

I didn't know why they get satisfaction from hurting me every day. They were all psychopaths, that was what they were. A bunch of bloodthirsty psychopaths.

I closed my eyes and waited. I had suffered in silence for a long time, and after everything that happened, nothing phased me anymore.

An Orphan who didn't have anyone. An Omega with the weakest wolf. I was the perfect target.

"I am not weak."

Not in spirit. She was fierce, wild. I wondered why she had such fierceness when she was so small. Physically my wolf was weaker, smaller than a normal Omega wolf, and it took me days to heal. Even a small knife cut would take at least a day.

A broken jaw will take at least a week to heal. Shit. I winced. It was all because Nia couldn't be an obedient wolf.

Before she came, I was only occasionally mocked and bullied. But after she came, later than everyone's wolf, she only made more trouble for me.

She got angry too easily and sometimes she retaliated, which, in turn, made the others punch me more. It was a big cycle. Not over.

I felt the first punch and my neck cricked to the side. The sound of Louise's fist against my jaw was so loud. Everyone heard it and cheered louder.

"Wh*re. How dare you throw the batter at me? You weak, f*cking-"

"I didn't. My wolf doesn't like it when you call her names. So she did."

"Oh, for a f*cking runt, your wolf sure has some attitude. And you will get a punch every time for the Wolf's action. Don't you wish you had never gotten that pathetic, weak wolf? She only brings you more trouble."

Nia snarled. "Let me rip that bitch's eyes out of their sockets."

"Please, Nia, not now. Just stop." I sighed. I loved how fierce she was, but I was alone here... no one was here to stand up for me.

"Do you also think you would be better off without me? Do you wish I hadn't come?" She sounded sad and broken.

I had never seen her look like that. She was always fierce and feisty and I was proud that she was mine.

"Nia is amazing and I will never wish her away. She isn't pathetic. You are the pathetic one," I said and winced. Yeah. I had gone and done it. And that would get me a broken arm or something. I sighed.

Nia smiled, though. "Thanks for that. I don't know why I am not like other wolves, and I am sorry."

She was shorter, more the size of a dog than a wolf. She was also slower and her senses weren't as developed as other wolves. Even other Omega wolves were bigger than her.

"What did you call me?" Louisa snarled as her eyes flashed in anger. She wanted to kill me right now, and she would have...

If a voice hadn't stopped her.

"What do you think you are doing? If you touch her one more time, you won't have your hand." A dark voice said. I looked up to see a handsome man. He was dark and dangerous, and my body flushed to his nearness.

What was this feeling inside me? Why was it so hot in here? Why were my panties so wet?

Nia looked up, her blue eyes shining. She trembled inside me.

"Because you are aroused," Nia said.

"Why? I have never felt like this before." I was twenty, and had not even kissed once. Not because I didn't want to, but because no one in the pack wanted to.

"Because he is our MATE."

"Mate?" I blinked, confused. "How can he be our mate? He looks powerful and like an important person."

Nia just chuckled, looking excited and amused.

"Alpha King Theodore." They all bowed and Louise took a quick step back from me. "Why are you defending a weakly Omega?"

"Because Louisa...she is my mate."

Nobody could talk after that. The silence was intense. Everyone took a step back, suddenly afraid. Their eyes met mine, wide and fearful and I saw how it could be, if he actually chose me, but I knew... he wouldn't.

An omega for a king? No way in hell. He would reject me as soon as this was over.

"And if any of you ever touch her again, you will have to answer to me. Now, apologize to her, Louisa."

"I won't apologize to a runt," Louisa said. She almost stomped.

"If you don't... you will regret it. Apologize to her."

"It is alright," I whispered.

"No, it is NOT alright, Rhia. You are the reason why they do this to you. You don't defend yourself. You let them do whatever because you are a coward." My wolf was irritated with me.

"I am not a coward. I am just practical. I know how it is and I accept it."

She growled and shook her head. "I don't."

"No it is not. What is your name?" he asked in a gentle voice.

"Rhianna."

"Louisa, apologize to Rhianna NOW." I was sure he was using his Alpha voice. The sound was powerful.

Louisa growled and then snapped her mouth shut when the Alpha King growled louder.

"I- sorry."

That was how I met my mate. Alpha King Theodore. I expected him to reject me, to belittle me like everyone else did, but he swept me off my feet and carried me away to a castle in his car.

"Don't you want to reject me?" I had asked when we reached the castle.

"Why would I do that? This is your castle now. You are the Queen."

My room in the castle was big, filled with everything I would ever need. My mate was sexy. Every girl wanted the Alpha King and his attention, but I was the one who got it. I was his mate.

He was mine.

I was the happiest wolf in the whole world. He was kind. He was loving. He gave me everything, he gave me things I didn't even ask for.

... but one day, I realized the things he gave me were only to keep me in the dark. That he was NOT the man I believed he was.

And the big dream I had built in my head collapsed right over me. I was buried under it, under the rubble, and dirt.

I couldn't even run.

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