Margaret's POV
"Look, there's a thief eavesdropping on our class! It seems that your Omega parents didn't teach you how to behave like an Omega," Jack, the son of the Dark Moon Pack's Beta crowed as he snatched my precious notebook from my arms. The notebook was specially requested by my parents from our master, Oscar Miller, the next Alpha heir of the pack.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Please give me back my notebook," I looked at him carefully, with pleading eyes.
His eyes showed undisguised disgust as he tore my notebook apart in front of me and scattered the pieces over my head.
"How can an Omega even dare to think about learning?!" He turned to the boys behind him and said, "Teach her a lesson!"
Before I could even feel sad, I was pushed hard by one of the boys and fell against the wall, scraping my arm. He snatched my pencil, and as I tried to grab it back, another boy kicked me hard in the chest, causing a sharp pain to course through my body.
The pencil was handed to Jack. With barely any effort, he snapped it into two pieces and threw the remains in front of me.
My tears fell on the ground as I picked up the broken pencil and looked at Jack with sadness in my eyes. "I just want to learn! Why is that so wrong?!"
"Omegas are not worthy," he looked down at me and said, "Don't let me see you in school again, Margaret Morton, otherwise I'll make sure that it won't be just a pencil that's broken next time!"
I ran away in fear until I came to a stop by a strange river, the cool water calling out to my parched throat. I drank the clear water from the river and sat down on the bank to rest. It was then that I realized I had already run out of the Dark Moon Pack's territory.
The unfamiliar environment only enhanced my fear and amplified my sadness, and I cried with my head buried in my arms.
I missed my parents terribly at this moment. They are with the Alpha, Beta, and Oscar negotiating with the Berserk Pack.
"Hey girl, are you okay?" A strange voice with concern sounded behind me.
I looked up at the source of the voice and saw a boy who appeared to be a few years older than me. He had high eyebrows and deep-set eyes, with perfect, delicate features that made him look as though he weren't a real person.
Although he was dressed in a simple white shirt and black casual pants, his appearance exuded an elegant Greek temperament. I had never met anyone like him before, which made me stare at him blankly.
"Are you a forest elf?" I couldn't help but speak what was on my mind.
"Haha..." The smile that he gave me radiated a warmth that seemed to heal me as he walked over to me, sitting down next to me naturally. "My name is Jacob. Are you lost?"
Jacob took out a navy blue checkered handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me, gesturing for me to wipe away my tears.
"I've been exploring this forest lately and I'm quite familiar with it. If you're lost, I can help you find your way home."
"Thank you, but I'm not lost." I took the handkerchief and wiped away my tears. I could find my way home on my own.
His eyes were the color of maple syrup, and just looking at me made me feel warm. "My name is Ma...ry."
In the moment before I was about to say my name, Margaret, I changed my mind and told him a fake name instead. I was afraid that if he found out I was an Omega, he would become disgusted with me like Jack always was. I didn't want my name to be spoken in a derogatory way by such a seemingly gentle person.
He had just mentioned that he had been exploring, so I cautiously asked him, "Can I explore with you?"
"Of course! I would be glad to have a partner in crime."
Over the next few days, we discovered a cave deep in the eastern forest that was filled with crystals of various colors. We also rescued an injured black-headed waxbill in the central forest while picking wild fruits and found wild bees, so we stole some of their honey. In the western valley, we saw squirrels hiding food...
Although Jacob and I had only known each other for a few days, we had become good friends who were so at ease with each other that we could talk about anything. It felt like we had known each other forever. So much so that just now, he told me that he was actually the Alpha heir!
I jumped up from the grass in shock. "You're the Alpha heir!?"
"Why are you so surprised? Is it that unbelievable?" He didn't understand why I had such a big reaction.