As the morning sun gently streamed into my cabin I stirred from sleep. I Stretched, noticing the stiffness, in my muscles from the mattress. The unforgiving mattress hadn't been kind to me. It was all I had. As I sat up I could see the bruises on my arms and legs from yesterday.
I'm Aurora Nightshade, the omega of the Clearwater Pack. At fifteen years old most would expect me to be excited about shifting for the time and finding my mate. Instead, each day is a struggle for survival in a pack that views me as nothing but a target for their abuse and a servant.
I quickly dressed in my hand-me-down clothes – castoffs from pack members who couldn't be bothered to offer anything better. Time was of the essence; being late to prepare breakfast was not an option I wanted to entertain.
Stealthily leaving my cabin I scanned the surroundings for any risers. The last thing I needed was a run-in with one of those who made my life difficult. Thankfully, the path to the pack house was clear. I slipped into the kitchen.
The kitchen was my domain, not out of respect, but because no one else wanted the responsibility of feeding the entire pack. I moved silently, gathering ingredients and heating the stoves. I got lost in my thoughts for a while reminiscing about the days when my mom showed me how to cook.
Suddenly, a pan slipped from my hands. Made a clanging noise as it hit the floor. I stood still feeling my heart racing in my chest.
"You clumsy useless bitch!" The shout came from behind me. Without looking, I could tell it was Beta Marcus. His strong hand grabbed my shoulder, turning me around and pushing me against the counter. "Can't you ever get it right?"
I held back a cry by biting my lip tasting the tang of blood. It won't happen again.
"See that it doesn't," he growled his face inches from mine. "Or you'll be sorry."
As he stormed out, I took a shaky breath and returned to my tasks. My hands trembled slightly as I plated the food, but I forced them steady. Showing weakness would only invite more abuse.
Pack members began filing in for breakfast, a procession of indifference and cruelty. Most ignored me entirely as if I were a piece of furniture. Others made it a game to make my life miserable.
"Oops," sneered Kara, a she-wolf my age, as she deliberately knocked her orange juice onto the floor. "Clean it up, omega."
I gritted my teeth and grabbed a cloth, wiping up the spill as Kara and her friends giggled above me. As I stood, Luna Sarah approached, her nose wrinkled in disgust.
"This food is atrocious," she declared, though I'd seen her eat the same meal with gusto just yesterday. Unexpectedly, she dumped her entire plate on the floor. "Clean this mess and make me something edible. Now!"
As I cleaned up the second spill in as many minutes, I overheard excited chatter from a nearby table.
"The full moon is in two weeks," a young wolf named Ethan was saying. "Do you think you'll find your mate at the ceremony?"
My heart raced with excitement. The mating ceremony will be on my birthday. It had slipped my mind until now. A glimmer of hope ignited within me. Perhaps this event could change everything if I found my mate. Holding on to that flicker of hope I completed my morning tasks in the kitchen.
After breakfast, I was assigned to do the laundry. The laundry baskets felt heavier than usual. Maybe I was just feeling weaker each day. Struggling under their weight my arms and back ached as I carried them outside to hang the clothes on the line.