~ Hazel’s POV ~
Each morning I get up, I die a little. I think I am at the point of life where I believe that even death won’t be painful than living.
The life of omega is not easy in the wolf’s pack. I belong to the Moon Stone Pack. It is one of the packs which is strongest in the continents.
Well, it’s not like they even treat me as a member as I am still not allowed to shift in my wolf form.
The Alpha of the pack doesn’t like me even one bit and so does his son who is next to the line. They don’t leave any chance to insult me.
For the alpha, I am someone who is the reason behind his wife died, for Jarred, I am someone who has snatched his mother from him and for the pack members, I am someone who has killed the Luna.
Well, I have stopped explaining to them as I am certain that they are just not interested in listening to my pleas.
They all are preparing for the welcoming party for the next alpha of the pack.
Jarred was out for training with his future Beta and now he is returning with him. It’s been quite a long that I have seen their faces.
I never understand this hierarchical thing.
Well, it’s not like anything is going to change after all this year.
They say that I should feel privileged that they have allowed an orphan like me to stay in the packhouse as an omega or should I say more like a slave?
The worst thing is that they never allowed me to even go to school as they believed that a girl like me has no use of education in my life.
I did try to ask for the Alpha’s permission, but he always have the last word in the pack. I am not allowed to go against his decisions.
The Luna did tell me how to write my name when she was alive.
She took care of me like her own child and this thing was not taken quite nicely by all the other members.
She is alive in my memories.
I still get the nightmares of the day she died.
I look around myself and saw nothing, but darkness.
They have given me the garret to live and I don’t even have a couch to sleep on.
It’s freezing cold at this place and sometimes it’s got nearly impossible to stay here.
I want to escape this place as soon as possible, but they have made me completely dependent on them and even if I get successful in escaping then what?
I don’t have any educational qualifications and nor I am proficient in any sort of work other than mopping and cleaning.
Everyone loves to accuse me of killing the Luna, but why the heck will I kill someone who was my saviour.
She accepted me when my own family decided to abandon me when I was just one day old.
They say that I was found in the dumpster which was near the packhouse.
I always asked myself a question that if they never wanted me or if I was just a mistake for them or did they just threw me away because I am a girl?
What was the exact reason that my own parents didn't want me?
“Hazel, where are you?
Come down!
Are you planning to let everyone starve because of your laziness?”, I heard Vivian voice from downstairs.
I can’t believe that they have named me after the colour of my eyes.
My arms are still aching because of all the scrubbing that they asked me to do and now they are ordering me to prepare food for the whole pack.
If only I have a mate then he would have saved me from this hell of a place. He would have protected me from all the harm.
They say that weak omegas need a string mate.
Well, I still haven’t awakened my powers let alone, protecting myself.
It’s not like I have never heard the voice of my wolf.
I did, but after the sudden death of the Luna, my wolf also became silent and after that day the Alpha never allowed me to shift.
I immediately pushed my hair in a nice bun whilst I wore the apron on my ragged clothes.
At least the apron is hiding all the holes in my top.
The moment I took my step into the kitchen, I was welcomed by a hard smack on my face.
“Where were you, slut!
Have you seen the time? The Alpha is growling in anger because of your laziness”, Vivian retorted while I silently looked at her.
My cheeks are burning because of the slap, but I can’t complain. I am born to endure all these hardships.
That’s what they have told me for twenty years of my life.
“How dare you to look me straight into the eyes!
Did you forget your place, b***h!”, Vivian again slapped me whilst she grabbed my hair and after that, she hit my forehead hard on the kitchen’s countertop.
I don’t understand what kind of happiness they all get by hurting me?
Vivian is one of the meanest members and also one of Jared’s women.
She thinks that she is going to be the next Luna of this pack as Jared will choose her as his mate.
Just because she didn’t get any kind of response from me she again hit my forehead against the countertop and this time even blood started to ooze out of my forehead.
I yelped in pain and tears started to fell on my cheeks.
For how long I have to bear all these things and for how long they will torment me in this manner?
Aren’t they tired of hitting me? Am I just a stress reliever for them?
“I am sorry Vivian. I won’t repeat the same mistake. I will quickly prepare the food for all of them”, I pleaded to her and she only clicked her tongue in annoyance.
She pulled my hair back whilst she looked at me with a smirk on her face, “Alpha Elliott has ordered me to give you punishment if I find any sort of mistake in your work.
So, now you won’t have any meal for the day.
Well, it’s not like you are going to need it as you are already fat enough.
You should think of this as a diet. I am not giving you punishment, but I am helping you to lose some weight.
Who knows if one day by chance you find your mate then maybe he won’t reject you after seeing your ugly face.”
What!
No meal for a day!
They are already underfeeding me by giving me a single meal and now she wants to even take that single meal of mine.
How can she be so heartless?
I thought to ask her to rethink this punishment, but before I could say anything to her, I heard a familiar voice, “Vivi, the alpha is asking for you. Just leave her to me.”
Vivian only nodded her head whilst she glanced towards Kara.
She saved me.
Well, Kara is the only person who treats me like a member of the pack.
She always looks out for me, but in front of the other pack members, she acts like she is on their side.
I want to embrace her right this instant, but I can’t because of Vivian.
She glanced at me for one last time and after that, she told me in a cold voice, “Don’t ever look at me with those eyes.
You seriously resemble a monster whenever I look into those eyes.”
I immediately lowered my gaze as I doesn’t want to get beaten again by her.
Well, she is right.
I do resemble a monster. Maybe that’s the reason why everyone left me one by one.
Vivian left the kitchen with a huff as she gets irritated just by my presence.
Sometimes I want to fall into a deep slumber so that no one will be able to harm or disturb me.
“What will you do without me, huh?
Now, quickly prepare the food and serve it to those damn people”, she said to me in a low voice while she smiled at me brightly.
Why is she smiling so much?
“Why? Is there any specific reason that I need to be quick?”, I asked while I was still preparing the meal.
My eyes then fell on the floor.
The blood was still dripping on the floor.
Oh, I forgot to bandage the wound.
Kara kept her handkerchief on my forehead to stop the bleeding.
“How can they be so ruthless?
Forget it.
It’s not like they are going to change.
You were asking for the reason, right?
We have a party to attend and you are coming with me.
Don’t worry, I have planned out everything. No one is going to notice your presence there as it’s a masquerade party.
As for your eyes I have asked my witch friend to fix it so no one will be able to see that unusual eye colour of yours”, she asserted to me calmly whilst she also helped me in preparation of the meal for the alpha and the other pack members.
I only glanced at her with disbelief written all over my face.
“What!
A witch?
You are friends with a witch?
Don’t you know if alpha will get to know that you are friends with witches then he will surely banish you from the pack?
He has warned everyone not to associate with those people and yet you went against him”, I responded and then turned off the gas stove.
Kara told me to stop nagging and that she has already prepared dresses for us that we will wear to the welcoming party.
I just nodded at her as I can’t win any argument against her. I immediately dashed towards the dining room as the alpha was growling in anger.
The moment I placed the bowls on the table he punched me hard on my guts and I fell on the floor whilst I grabbed my abdominal.
After getting up from his chair he started to kick me hard to vent out his anger on me. I only curled up like a ball to protect myself.
“I don’t have my Luna by my side because of you and yet you are breathing.
How many times do I need to tell you that I don’t like to see that pathetic face of yours!
My mood just gets worse whenever I see that ugly face of yours.
I don’t understand my late wife’s infatuation with an unwanted thing like you who was abandoned by her own parents?
You are just like a weed in this pack.
Get out of here. I don’t want to look at you while having my meal”, Alpha Elliott exclaimed in an irritated tone whilst he kicked me for one last time on my stomach.
At this rate, I don’t think that I will be able to survive this cursed life.
He asked someone to throw me out of the dining hall and Sam came forward to follow his orders. He then grabbed me by my hair and dragged me out of the dining hall.
I was pleading with him to let go of my hair, but he was not listening to me at all. He threw me outside the packhouse to freeze in cold.
“Don’t even think to come back here.
The Alpha has asked you to stay in the woods until the party gets finished.
Many other packs and their Alpha’s are coming to congratulate the new alpha so, it will be better if you don’t show your wretched face at the party.
You are just a disgrace to our pack.
Well, it won’t stay for too long as the alpha has decided to sell you off to some other pack.
Well, that person is quite interested in collecting the rare thing and your eyes will be perfect for one of his collections”, Sam laughed at my condition and after that, he took his leave.
What!
He is planning to sell me off, but why?
I have done everything which he has asked me to do still he is planning to get rid of me by sending me to some other pack.
No, I don’t want to go. Who knows what they will do to torture me?
Why I am so useless?
I am now sitting all alone in the cold while I started to rub my hands.
They have not only scarred my body, but also my soul.
They don’t even want to see my face at the welcoming party.
The one who prepared all the things was me, but I am the one who is not invited to this party.
Isn’t this quite funny?
For how long? For how long do I have to go through the same things again and again?
I tried my best to get up from the cold ground, but the alpha has kicked and punched me so hard that I am not even able to stand on my feet.
After few attempts, I finally stood up, but I am still not able to walk properly.
They have told me to stay in the woods even though they know that it’s dangerous to roam here.
I was limping while I was heading towards the dark forest.
The deeper I went inside the forest the more I started to hear the howls of the wolves.
I looked here and there whilst my hands started to tremble in fear. I clenched my fists tightly as I am not sure what will I do if I came across any rogues.
I don’t even know how to fight and nor I can shape-shift to protect myself from their sudden attacks.
After gathering all my courage I walked a little more into the dense forest only to find the rogues from whom I was trying my best to hide.
They were not only growling at me but also glaring with an angry look in their eyes.
I could sense their irritability level by their gazes.
Before my fear could completely take over me, I dashed in the opposite direction and they all just followed me.
I was getting breathless, but I can’t stop running.
Not right now.
Even though I am running barefooted, even though my feet are blistered and even though my body is covered with wounds, I still don’t want to give up on my life.
Not before meeting my mate.
I glanced behind and they were still following me. At this rate, I will get caught by them.
There was no path ahead of me, but only a lake.
I don’t think the water is too deep.
If I could successfully cross the lake.
On the other side, there is Blood moon pack which is not on good terms with us.
They too are one of the strongest packs, but both the Alphas of the packs doesn’t like each other.
The moment, I heard their loud growls, I immediately jumped in without thinking twice. Shortly I realised that I was wrong.
The lake was indeed quite deep and being a non-swimmer I started to drown in the water. I tried my best to get out of the water, but the water was too deep.
I tried to plead for help, but no one will come to rescue someone like me.
I was getting unconscious so, I stopped moving my hands and feet here and there.
The only thing which was now surrounding me was only water and darkness.
Maybe only through this method, I will be able to escape my fate and miseries.
Should I just embrace the darkness and let go of my futile hope to meet my mate in this life?
Then suddenly I felt someone’s hand on my arms, but I was still not able to open my eyes.
I then felt something soft touching my lips.
Am I getting kissed underwater?