Saving His Feral Mate

Chloe I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock, only to groan when I saw it was five in the morning. It was already time for me to wake up and start my chores. I was an Omega in the Desert Hill Pack, the lowest rank there was. Most pack members treated omegas like s**t because we were considered weak and useless by the higher ranks. The only thing they thought we were suitable for was cooking and cleaning. I lived with my mother, Trisha, but everyone called her Trish. She was born an Omega and worked in the kitchen with me. I never met my father. My mother refused to tell me who he was and would get mad whenever I asked about him, so I stopped trying. I was two days away from my nineteenth birthday and couldn't wait. That was when a werewolf could sense its mate, and I was really hoping to find mine. Ideally, he would be from a different pack and take me away from this hellhole. A girl could dream. I got out of bed and entered the bathroom before quickly showering. I then got dressed in a black T-shirt and faded jeans and tied my long red hair up into a messy bun before leaving my room. My mother and I lived in a small shack at the edge of the territory. It was run-down with holes in the ceiling that dripped with water when it rained. Most of the time, we didn't have hot water or power. We made it work, though. At least it was far enough from everyone else that we weren't bothered much. I had shifted into my wolf for the first time when I was sixteen. That was the standard age for most werewolves to connect with the animal within them. My mother had been the only one with me when the change happened. I remember her shocked expression when she saw my wolf for the first time. She immediately made me shift back into my human form and dragged me home. She had been acting funny that day, and in the evening, when I confronted her about it, she told me no one could find out about my wolf. She asked me to lie and tell the pack I couldn't shift. It wasn't uncommon for omegas not to be able to shift into their animal counterpart, but still, I didn't understand why she wanted me to lie. Not having my wolf would put a bigger target on my back, one I didn't need. My mother wouldn't answer me whenever I asked why she wanted me to lie. I hated what she asked me to do because I knew the pack would prey on my inability to shift, but she was my mother. How could I not trust her? After that day, I became one of the most tormented omegas in my pack. The past three years have been harsh. The fact that I was only five-foot-one didn't help my case either. I was a total runt, even in human form. Without a wolf, I couldn't really blame them for thinking I was weak. Some days, when I was tormented, the only thing that made me keep my secret was remembering the concerned expression on my mother's face when she saw my wolf for the first time. She had almost looked horrified, and I wondered if I was some kind of freak or something. Maybe that was why she didn't want anyone to see me. Did I have an extra ear or something? Maybe a second tail I didn't notice pocking out somewhere. My mother also expects me to be submissive, even when it kills me to do so. Whenever someone tormented, mocked, or abused me, it took everything in me not to fight back. My mother kept telling me it was for the best, that they needed to believe I was just another weak Omega. I hated it. But she was my mother, and I had to believe she had my best interest at heart. I entered our tiny kitchen, where my mother had already made us a light breakfast. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep okay?" she asked, kissing my cheek. "Yeah, I slept okay. I could use another two hours, though," I grumbled. I hated how the kitchen Omegas had to wake up extra early to make breakfast for the entire pack. Maybe if we were appreciated, I could deal with it, but no one ever thanked us for all the hard work we did around here. "You can sleep when you're dead," My mother deadpanned. It was a classic line she loved to use. "A girl can only dream," I replied dryly, sitting at the table. "Don't talk like that, sweetheart. Things will change when you find your mate. You just have to be patient." My mother said while putting down a plate of food before me. I sighed when I looked down at it. There was a single piece of toast and one egg. It was barely enough for a human to survive off, let alone a werewolf. "Mom, this isn't right. We don't even have enough food to survive here. Why won't you listen to me and leave this pack? We can find a new one that treats us properly. I don't even care if we go rogue and live off the land," I pleaded. "No! Stop talking like that. This has always been my home, and we aren't leaving. We wouldn't make it two days in the forest as rogues. We'd both end up dead." She said angrily, causing me to huff in frustration. We ate our breakfast in silence before it was time to go. It was only a fifteen-minute walk to the packhouse, but that time was my calm before the storm. I enjoyed the few minutes of peace I got every morning. Once we reached the packhouse, we headed straight for the kitchen. I put on an apron and grabbed the eggs, bacon, and sausage from the fridge before heading to the stove. Other Omegas started trickling in shortly after, including my one and only friend, Tessa. "Good morning," Tessa grumbled, clearly just as irritated with the early morning as I was. "Morning. You sound just as excited as I am to be here," I replied with a dry chuckle. "Ugh… Let's just get this day over with. Serve the high-maintenance higher-ups some food so we can go home," Tessa added, grabbing the ingredients to make croissants. We made breakfast for the pack and laid it all out in the dining room so everyone could eat buffet-style. Omegas were prohibited from eating food from the packhouse, and we also weren't paid. It was practically a crime how they treated us. We basically had to fend for ourselves. They claimed the roof over our heads, and the protection we received was all we deserved. It was total bullshit. Luckily, My mother had a secret stash of money that she used to buy us food. It wasn't much, but it got us by. Many Omegas stole food to survive, which was a significant risk because of the harsh punishments. I had seen one get killed for stealing a loaf of bread before. Sadly, our lives weren't valuable in the pack, and one of us dying was really one less burden in their eyes. After serving breakfast, we returned to the kitchen to start lunch prep. "Chloe! Get your filthy ass out here," a familiar voice screamed from the dining room. I cringed at the sound because I knew it was Alpha Cameron, my biggest tormentor. He hated me the most for some reason and took every opportunity to torment and abuse me. I never understood why he treated me worse than the others. Having said that, I was glad he took his anger out on me instead of anyone else. I could handle him, whereas I wasn't sure the others could. I entered the dining room, dreading what he would do to me this time. He stood next to the table with a murderous look on his face. A broken plate and food lay on the ground before him. "Yes, Alpha. What can I do for you?" I asked softly, bowing my head in submission as my mother taught me and making sure not to look directly at him. "Clean this s**t up, now!" He bellowed. I nodded before turning around to fetch a broom. Before I made it two feet, Alpha Cameron kicked me in the ass, and I flew forward, landing face-first on the ground. It hurt like hell, but I didn't say a word. I started to get back up, but he put his foot on my back, preventing me from doing so. Everyone in the dining room laughed, even though some looked sympathetic. Sometimes, I wondered if they would be cruel to us if Alpha Cameron weren't in charge. A lot seemed to follow his lead because they felt they needed to in order to save themselves the same fate as us omegas. "Pick it up with your hands," he ordered in his usual cruel tone. Situations like these were where I struggled. My wolf Tatiana was growling in my head, begging to be let loose so that she could rip his head off. But the promise I made my mother usually won in the end, and I kept up my submissive act. I didn't reply to Alpha Cameron and started picking up the food and broken glass off the floor with my bare hands. I cut myself a few times but didn't let the pain show. He watched me the entire time with a satisfied smirk on his face. Goddess, I hated that man. Once done, Alpha Cameron finally let me leave the dining room, and I returned to the kitchen. My mother was waiting for me with her usual concerned frown. She knew biting my tongue was hard, especially when I was treated like an animal. I had talked back to Alpha Cameron once before, and my punishment had been a beating that landed me in a coma for a few days. The look on his face when I called him an entitled brat made it worth it, even though my mother didn't think so. My mother and I had different views on life. Whereas I wanted to fight for what I believed in, she preferred to keep her head down and fly under the radar, even if that meant enduring the abuse. It was frustrating, but sadly, a typical omega trait. "Oh, thank goddess, you're okay," My mother said breathlessly, holding her hand over her heart. "I'm fine, mother. It was just another temper tantrum from the entitled Alpha," I replied with a shoulder shrug. "Shhh… Don't speak like that, Chloe, not here. What if someone heard you?" my mother scolded, looking around nervously to ensure no one heard. "Sorry, Mom, but it's true," I bit back. She shook her head in disapproval and returned to work in the kitchen instead of arguing with me. That was always what she did. Somedays, I just wanted to push her until she snapped. I always wondered if there was any fire inside her because I had an inferno burning inside me that had been building for years, and it was only a matter of time before I combusted. After lunch was over, it was time to start prepping dinner. I was chopping vegetables when one of the younger Omegas came into the kitchen. She looked disheveled and out of breath. Her dress was ripped at the collar, exposing part of her bra. She was only seventeen; seeing her in this state made my blood boil. I wondered what had happened, but I already had my suspicions. "Chloe, the Alpha wants to see you in his office," She whimpered, tears pooling in her innocent eyes. "What did he do to you, Lea?" I asked angrily. "He wanted me to do things with him. You know, stuff you should only do with your mate. When I started bawling, he got mad and told me to leave. As I left, he ordered me to send you instead. I'm so sorry," she blurted out, tears running freely down her cheeks. "Shhh... It's okay," I replied, hugging her and rubbing her back soothingly. I wouldn't pretend I wasn't scared because I was terrified. Alpha Cameron had tried to rape me before, but I always managed to prevent it from happening somehow. One time, my wolf was so close to surfacing. Alpha Cameron had me pinned and managed to remove my pants. I kneed him in the groin and ran away from him before Tatiana took control and forced me to shift. It was a close call. I spent a week in the dungeon after that incident, but it was worth it to keep my dignity intact. I always worried, though, that the day would come when he would overpower me, and there would be nothing I could do to save myself. I looked over at my mother who had the same terrified look on her face she always had whenever Alpha Cameron called for me. She knew as well as I did that it was only a matter of time before something terrible happened. Maybe today was the day.