Kinsley
Kinsley
"Kinsley!"
I am awoken from a pleasant dream by Deb barging into my room. Well, it's a cleaning closet that I sleep in. I open my eyes to the woman standing over me.
"Get up," she says in her deep raspy voice. "You don't want to be late again."
I groan as my head hurts from being slammed into the wall by my stepsister Esmae last night. I had accidentally dropped her drink, and she slammed my head into the wall. My stepmother and father both watched and did nothing.
Deb turns on the light and frowns. "Did that Esmae do that?" She points to my head.
"I dropped her drink," I mutter as I sit on the dirty mattress I sleep on.
"That little b***h," Deb mutters, not hiding her disdain for my family.
For as long as I can remember, my family has hated me. My father, the Alpha of Shadow Lake, has hated me since the day I was born. He blames me for the death of my twin brother and my mother. He says I should have died, not them. I had never known his love, which only worsened when he married Sydney. My siblings, too, hate me, except for my youngest brother, Jaiden.
Standing up, I walk over to the plastic bin I use to put my few clothes in.
Deb and the other omegas give me used clothes from time to time. They raised me. Deb is like an aunt to me.
"Hurry and get your shower," Deb says. "The girls and I will start breakfast."
I sigh and slink down the hall to the shared bathroom. The other omegas have rooms, but my father feels I am unworthy of one. He wanted me to sleep on the floor in the kitchen like a dog, but Deb insisted I sleep in the broom closet.
The hot water stings as it cascades down my bruised body. I am rarely without some wound or bruise. My father takes his anger out on me. My stepmother and stepsister also use me as a punching bag. I close my eyes as I imagine a better life. I am turning eighteen in a few weeks and will be free to leave this place and never return. I have saved what little money I can for a train ride.
"Kinsley," Ina, another omega, knocks on the door. "Hurry up," She yells. "Maxine and I want hot water, too."
"Sorry," I yell. I quickly finished my shower and dried off. I put on an old pair of jeans and a white T-shirt with a faded logo on it. I try taming my wildly curly hair but put it in a messy bun before heading to the kitchen.
Deb is waiting for me as I enter. "Dreaming again?" She snorts while chopping onions.
I nod.
"Dreams are useless, darling," she says. "You are stuck here."
I sigh as I head over to the fridge. I pull out bacon, eggs, and other items to prepare breakfast. We make a variety of things for the pack each morning. I try not to cry as I start the bacon and sausage.
"Was Deb being a harpy again?" My best friend Madeline walks over to me.
I shrug, "It's alright. She's right."
"No, she's wrong," Madeline huffs. "We are getting out of here, Kin."
I smile at her. She and I have been tight since we were pups, as we had almost no one else. Ina adopted Madeline after her parents died.
"No chatting," Ina walks over. "Thanks for the hot water," she snarks at me.
"Sorry," I mutter and put my head down.
"Hey," Madeline nudges me. "Want to go hang at the pond after school?"
"You know I can't," I say. "I have to clean Esmae's room."
"That worthless cow," Madeline snorts.
None of the omegas like Sydney or Esmae. They are both entitled snobs that treat the omegas like dirt. My father is a little better, but the pack respects him.
Madeline gets the food cooked and placed on platters to be taken out into the dining room. Some of the warriors are already gathered for breakfast. I get some eyes, but they are all staring at Madeline. She is so beautiful with her blonde hair and large breasts. She purposely wears tight shirts to show them off.
"Hey, Tommy," she grins at a warrior she has been seeing for a year.
"Maddie," Tommy drawls as he grabs her butt.
I keep my attention on getting the food served. While putting out silverware, I am shoved against the table.
"Watch it, killer," My younger half-brother Jaxson hisses. He is the pack's future alpha, so I can't say anything to him. "You nearly ran into me."
'He ran into you,' My wolf Genesis hisses.
'You know I can't say anything,' I whisper.
"Did you hear me?" Jaxson yells and slaps the back of my head. "So useless," He grumbles and shoves a plate at me. "Put food on it and don't drop any."
"Yes, Alpha," I mutter.
Jaxson is three years younger than me, but I must do whatever he asks. I am nothing to them but a servant.
"Is she giving you trouble, son?" I hear my father say.
"She ran into me, Dad," Jaxson complains.
While piling food onto the plate, my hair is roughly grabbed, and my head is wrenched back. "Kinsley," my father growls in a deep voice. "Did you run into Jaxson?"
I set the plate on the table and turned to my father. I am not allowed to look at his face, so I look at his shiny, expensive shoes. "Yes, Alpha." I hiss when he slaps me hard across the face.
"You must be home early to scrub the floor in Jaxson's bathroom. If you are a minute late, you will be whipped," He hisses. "Is that understood?"
"Yes, Alpha," I say.
He shoves me away, "Now, finish serving your brother breakfast."
"Yes, Alpha," I mutter.
"Is she being useless again?" I hear Sydney say to Father.
I glance over to see the woman pawing at him. Father doesn't seem to be into her. It is well known that he cheats on her constantly.
"What are you staring at?" My stepsister, Esmae, shoves me, causing a sausage to fall off Jaxson's plate. Esmae would be beautiful with her strawberry blonde hair and hazel eyes but her persona makes her ugly.
I say nothing, carry the plate to the table, and set it in front of Jaxson. "Anything else?" I ask.
"I need coffee," Sydney demands.
I nod, head over to the coffee pot, and pour a mug. I put in the right amount of sugar and her favorite vanilla creamer. I set the cup in front of her.
Sydney sips it, "It's wrong." She slams the cup down. "I swear you work hard at being useless, Kinsley. No wonder your mother died."
I say nothing as I pick up the cup and carry it back to the pot. I pick up a fresh cup and start again.
Sydney finally accepts it. "You can do something." She snickers.
"Anything else, Luna?" I ask.
"No, go away," She waves me away.
Breakfast is a mad rush to get everyone served and the dishes cleaned.
I walk into the kitchen to listen to Ina berating Madeline.
"You flirt with danger," Ina says.
"But Mama, he loves me," Madeline argues.
"That warrior does not love you," Ina counters. "He loves your boobs."
Madeline huffs and walks over to me. "I hate this place."
I say nothing as I drop dishes next to the sink. I start to wash them.
"You girls get to school now," Deb shoos me away from the sink.
"Alpha will be mad if I don't finish," I say.
"I'll tell him you finished," Deb says.
I nod and head to my room to fetch my backpack. It was a gift from Deb and Ina. It's not much, but it gets the job done. I change my shirt and brush my hair before running out the door.
Madeline is already walking down the sidewalk. "So? Park today?"
I shake my head, "I have to scrub the floor in Jaxson's bathroom."
"What?" She grumbles. "That's Rita's job."
"Alpha told me to do it," I say.
"What did you do now?" She grunts.
"I ran into him," I say.
'No, you didn't,' Genesis growls.
I ignore my wolf. "I mean, I didn't run into him, but- "
"You can't say anything," Madeline sighs. "I think your mother would hate your father for how he treats you."
"It's my fault she is dead," I mention.
"You were a newborn," Madeline says.
I look at the ground as we walk. "Two more weeks," I say.
"Two more weeks," Madeline concludes.
We get to school just as the bell rings, and I rush to my first class. I see the room ahead but run into a rigid body.
"Watch it, you clumsy b***h," Someone yells, and I am shoved to the ground.
I look up at Dylan Lane, the future beta of the pack and Esmae's boyfriend.
He kicks me hard in the side, "Stupid slut."
"Baby," Esmae runs over. "What happened?"
"She ran into me," Dylan points out.
Esmae looks at me and spits on me, "You are so worthless, Kinsley. I am telling Daddy."
I sigh as she kicks me hard and walks away. I groan as I get to my feet and saunter into the classroom.