******But how can she act normally when they are going to seduce an unknown alpha that is fated for Maggie and convince him to go against the two? To convince a stranger to blatantly disregard the bonds of fate and work with her to make two bullies suffer, the whole idea is insane******
*Seven years earlier*
Leilani grabs her long white blonde, slightly dishevelled hair, wrapping it up in a tight bun above her head as she picks up the mop and starts cleaning up where the bucket has tipped, caring little about the large gash on her forehead, as the bright red blood slowly trails down her pale face. The gray tiles show a slight reflection on their flooded surface, the dirt and bubbles slightly distorting the view.
Her stormy blue eyes look near lifeless as she looks at the mess in front of her. Just desperately trying to clean it up before someone notices.
She wipes her forehead as the last bit of the evidence is all cleaned up, hearing footsteps coming her way. She cringes trying to grab the mop bucket before a foot connects with it. The dirty water spills once again and laughter prevails in the silent hallway.
Leilani's stormy blue eyes move up to meet the hazel eyes of Maggie, as Maggie looks down at her condescendingly a flicker of maliciousness in her eyes and a cruel taunting laugh fills the empty hallway.
"Look what you did, you orphan scum"
Leilani looks back down at the floor. Her shoulders droop as she breathes out a soft sigh of frustration, not daring it to be audible enough that Maggie hears it, all Leilani can do is constantly swallow the insults and try her very best to blend into the background.
Maggie looks at the girl who is a few years younger than herself and already carries the sort of beauty, with stunning features that will either grow into a gorgeous girl or end up a mess. Leilani is too skinny and is so used to lowering her head that her shoulders almost seem hunched, even though she is only fourteen. Every time Maggie actually sees Leilani’s face. It just makes her want to grab the white blonde hair and slam Leilani into the wall once more to add to the destruction of her face.
It is rarely just a thought. If Maggie wants to do something she just does it.
Maggie grabs the bun on the top of Leilani’s head and pulls it back harshly to make Leilani look at her as she hovers over with gritted teeth and fiery hatred burning bright.
Leilani tries to hide the tremor that threatens to engulf her body as she looks into the vicious face.
“Your parents probably killed themselves as soon as they saw you. I am not sure why they didn’t kill you instead. There would have been one less plague to mankind, one less oxygen thief in the world”
The laughter is so cold and Leilani can feel it creeping up her spine, threatening to engulf her, even though she has heard all the words many times before, it never gets any easier to hear.
“Maybe they didn’t even die, maybe they just saw you and knew what a bitter disappointment you would grow into, so they just left you and walked off into the sunset knowing how much better their lives would be without you. Maybe they are sitting someplace nice with their new family, a loving mum, dad and kids, clinking glasses knowing that they have avoided the curse that you are”
Leilani’s bottom lip trembles slightly as she tries to keep her emotions in. She wants to be strong, but with the constant taunting, the constant attacks, the lack of support, compassion and love that makes the others thrive. She has nothing, she is hated within the pack that she has been in since she was around four months old, no one knows even her birthday, no one knows the name her parents gave her. Everyone just hates her for her unknown origins, but how is it her fault?
Leilani didn’t choose this life, she had no say in the matter at all.
“What is it? The little princess is gonna cry? You are so weak, you disgust me”
Leilani tries to hold back her tears but the uncooperative beads fall down one by one, staining her pale cheeks.
Maggie laughs hard, manipulating the hair in her hand to hit Leilani’s head into the wall with as much force as she can muster. Leilani slumps to the floor and Maggie kicks her in the jaw and bends slightly, extending her hand with red manicured nails and picking up the mop bucket, pouring the rest of the water on Leilani before walking away laughing.
Leilani pushes herself off the ground as soon as Maggie’s footsteps have faded. She just pretends to be unconscious as she can usually halve the beatings that way, but it has given everyone the impression that she is unbelievably weak.
Most in the pack assumes that she won’t even have a wolf when she turns eighteen. Leilani can only hope that that is not true as it would be nice to have something on her side. She has been terribly alone for a long time.
Leilani stands once more, wiping her blood with her drenched and dirty shirt before cleaning up the mess once again. She hears footsteps and grabs the bucket, gripping it tight as she runs in the direction of the cleaning cupboard that doubles as her bedroom. She has been in charge of cleaning the whole pack house for as long as she can remember. Usually, the wolves don’t move into the pack house until the age of sixteen, staying with their parents in the various houses dotted around the property. Leilani is not so lucky, somehow being looked after enough to keep her alive till the age of four, when a small mattress was deposited on the floor of the cleaners room that became her room, as there were no spare beds in the pack house.
Leilani laughs as she cleans the ten extra empty rooms once weekly.
She once tried to use one of the rooms without asking and was beaten badly and tied to the punishment pole until she nearly lost her life.
Leilani has taken to the more natural cleaners and even then they are stored in an airtight container so she doesn't get poisoned as she sleeps.
Leilani sighs as she looks at her bed that is covered with floor cleaner. She has no idea what she has done to offend Maggie, but she cannot catch a break. Maggie is the alphas daughter of a neighbouring pack and Gabriel’s current most favourite plaything.
Leilani bundles up her soiled sheets and takes off toward the laundry room. What does one more load matter when she has sixteen to do a day on a good day? The weekends are the worst when she has to wash so many sets of sheets and keep the beds of all the s*x crazed wolves clean.
She pauses slightly as she hears the conversation coming from the slightly ajar alpha office. Not usually one to eavesdrop, she has enough self-preservation to prevent herself from doing something so suicidal, but for some reason the conversation just draws her in. Leilani pulls the sheets tight to her body and tries to control her breathing as she listens.
In the office, future alpha Gabriel faces his father, Alpha Lance. Gabriel runs a large hand through his slightly long, blonde wavy hair.
With a slight tug on the end, that is the only thing that shows his frustration.
Lance looks at Gabriel with raised eyebrows. His fingers are knitted over the keypad of his laptop as he studies his son and the strange sudden request from him.
"Let me get this straight. You want to send Leilani away?"
"Yes, there is nothing complicated about that request Dad. I want that orphan peasant off the pack grounds. Her presence in the house makes me sick. It is like allowing a vermin problem to just fester away without ever getting an exterminator"
Lance shrugs his shoulders. He has nothing particularly against the meek little girl who does a good job cleaning and keeping out of sight. She used to be annoying, but now he knows that she is doing about four other people's work.
Lance sighs as his fingers expertly fly across the keys of his laptop.
Outside the door. Leilani's silent breath is struggling to draw the required oxygen as her eyes glaze over the unshed tears that are threatening to fall as her heart squeezes.
Lance stares at the screen casually like he isn't about to change a girl's life just because his son feels like it. To him, an orphan, a she wolf of unknown origins means nothing. She is replaceable and it makes no difference to him whether she lives or dies.
"Hmm let's see here. There is not much coming up at all. Most things start in the new season. The only thing available sooner is elite training"
"When does that start?"
"In two days"
Gabriel nods his head before he continues.
"What about the others?"
"The others have only just started and they never allow you participants once started, so it won't be up for another three months"
Gabriel rubs his chin. There is no way that he can handle being in the same house with that mate scent that just rubs it in his face 24/7 that he somehow is mated to someone as pathetic as Leilani.
"No, that's too long. Elite training it is"
Lance clicks into the information. While he knows all about elite training, it is not something that he has ever sent a member of his pack to.
"It has an incredibly high death rate to the point that you're more likely to die then you are to come out the other side of it, made worse by the fact that Leilani is at the youngest end of the accepted applicants"
“That's fine, good riddance really"
Gabriel leans back in his chair with his arms crossed behind his head, his posture is relaxed and the tension that has been sitting in his shoulders since his eighteenth birthday when he first got his wolf and he first smelled that scent finally starts to release.
A slight smile quirks the side of his pursed lips as his facial muscles finally allow a different emotion than it has been three whole days that he hasn't been able to bring himself to make a single smile but now he is actually happy.
His voice has a tinge of joy and the anger that has been sitting behind his eyes is gone.
"How long is it for?"
"If she makes it that far, it runs for six years"
Gabriel's slight smile turns into a broad grin as he nods happily. Even if the worst happens and she does survive, at least he doesn't have to see her for six whole years. By then, he will be Alpha and then he doesn't need to allow her back into the pack anyway.
He can pick someone strong to be by his side.