The Lycan King Saved Me

Dirty Job

Kinsley

Somewhere far away, I am standing on a cloud, looking over the earth. Am I dead? I wonder. I hope so.

“No, you are not dead, my dear Kinsley,” A woman says.

I turn to a woman who resembles me with brown hair and green eyes. She smiles at me.

“You are so beautiful,” she says.

“Mom?” I say. I only know what she looks like from an old photo of her. Father would be angry if he knew I had it. He often yelled at me for looking at the ones on his desk in his office.

“I wish your father didn’t hurt so much,” She reaches out to touch my cheek. “I am so disappointed in how he treats you. It’s not your fault that Asher and I died. It was our time.”

“Why did you die?” I ask.

“It was an accident,” Mom says. “I fell down the stairs.”

I narrow my eyes at her, “Stairs? No one ever mentioned stairs.”

“Leighton is too busy wallowing in anger to look at the truth,” she says. “But you, Kinsley, don’t give up.”

“Mom,” I sigh. “I hate him. I hate all of them.”

“Don’t let yourself be consumed by hate. You are better than that. A better life is on its way. You must be patient,” she says.

“Kinsley,” A distant voice calls to me.

“I have to go now, dear,” She smiles. “And so do you.”

“Mom,” I reach for her.

“Kinsley,” The voice calls to me again.

“Mom,” I say out loud and open my eyes. I am lying face down on a hospital bed. I turn to see Avery Hayes, Gamma Matthew’s mate, and the pack doctor standing beside me. “What?” I mutter as I feel nothing and try to move.

“Stay still,” She places a hand on my arm.

Avery is one of the few people in the pack that treats me well. She and my mother had been best friends. She hates how my father treats me. She and Gamma Matthew even offered to adopt me, but Father refused.

“What happened?” I ask, trying to remember. Then it all comes back to me, and tears well up. “I was bad.”

“No, you were not,” She mutters. “Leighton whipped you and then made you clean that brat’s bathroom. He found you passed out.”

“And he called you?” I ask.

“No, he dragged you to that broom closet he calls your room,” Avery grumbles. “Then Deb called me.”

I sigh as I feel something cold on my back. “What are you doing?”

“Cleaning your wounds,” she says.

“Are they bad?” I ask.

“They are healing, but yeah,” she sighs.

‘I am doing my best,’ Genesis speaks up.

“I saw her in my dream,” I tell Avery.

“Your mom?” She asks, and I nod. “Flora would hate what Leighton does to you. She would hate him.”

“That’s what she said,” I mutter.

“So, it was more of a vision,” She smiles.

“I guess. She said things are going to get better. But I don’t believe it,” I say. “I don’t deserve better.”

“Don’t say that, Kinsley,” Avery says. “No one deserves the treatment you get.”

I close my eyes and fall into darkness. I am awakened later by Avery and my father yelling at each other.

“I want that little b***h back to work in the morning,” He screams.

“She is hurt, Leighton!” Avery yells back. “She needs to heal.”

“She killed my mate!” Father screams.

“She did not kill Flora!” Avery yells back.

“Avery,” I hear her mate Matthew yell.

“I can’t stand by and watch you abuse Kinsley,” Avery yells. “She doesn’t deserve- “I hear a slap and Avery groaning.

“You need to get control of your mate, Gamma,” Father bellows. “No more discussion. Kinsley is to be back to work in the morning!”

“You are a monster,” Avery spats.

I close my eyes and pretend to be asleep. I try not to listen to Avery argue with her mate. She comes in minutes later, and I hear her sniffling. I open an eye, and she sighs.

“I’m so sorry, Kinsley,” Avery whispers. “I tried. I tried so hard.”

“It’s alright,” I say. “I deserve this.”

“You don’t deserve this, Kinsley,” Avery says as I feel something warm on my back. “This will help speed up the healing.”

I nod and fall back to sleep.

I see a tall figure in the shadows looking back at me. I should be scared, but he smiles, and I feel safe. “Who are you?” I ask.

“I am Zeidan,” he says.

“Who?” I ask and try to go near him.

“You will find out soon,” He grins and disappears.

I am woken up by my bed shaking. I open my eyes to Father’s angry face.

“Get up, Kinsley!” He barks. “You have laid here like a bum long enough.”

I groan as I try to move. I hiss from the pain in my back.

“Quit crying and get your ass up!” He growls.

“Why do you hate me?” I mutter.

He snorts, “What is there to love?” He stares for a moment. He has curly hair like me and my brothers. But I have my mother’s eyes. He stomps towards the door. “If you are not at the packhouse in the kitchens in ten minutes, I will come and make you regret life.”

I want to cry after she leaves. I slowly prop myself up and try to stand. I cry out. “s**t,” I mutter.

A nurse shuffles into the room. “You really need your rest, but Alpha- “She trails off.

“Thanks, Elle,” I say as she helps me put on a pair of sweatpants and a grey shirt.

“Dr. Hayes will drive you to the packhouse,” Elle sighs.

“Thanks,” I say.

She hands me a banana and juice. “It’s not much, but it will help.”

I nod and let her walk me outside, where Avery is waiting with her truck.

She has tears in her eyes. “My brother, Jeffery, has agreed to let you live with his pack,” she says. “You can leave any time.”

“I have to wait,” I say as I sit down.

“You don’t,” She mutters. “I know you want to wait until you are eighteen, but- “

“I can wait,” I say.

“Kinsley,” she sighs.

The drive is quick, and Avery drops me by the back door. “Thanks,” I say and get out of the car. I cry out from the pain.

“Deb said she would try to give you something easy. Rest if you can,” Avery says.

I nod and slowly plod away. Deb and Ina are waiting when I enter the kitchen.

“My god, girl,” Deb cries. “Alpha did a number on you.”

I shrug, “It’s what I deserve,” I mutter.

“No,” Deb sighs. “Come on,” She puts a hand on my back and directs me to a table where the napkins are stacked, “Fold the napkins. The rest of us can handle breakfast.” She sets a plate of toast down.

I take a nibble as I begin to fold the napkins. I feel a little bit of peace for once. It didn’t last long when I heard a door slam, and Father stood in the kitchen.

“Why aren’t you working, Kinsley?!” He shouts.

“She is working, Alpha,” Deb speaks up.

“That is not working,” He roars. “Kinsley, get up!” He walks over and grabs my arm. “Get your lazy ass up. I will find you something to do.”

I groan as I am dragged from the kitchen. “What about school?” I fall to the ground when he backhands me across my face.

“Did I say you could speak?” He yells.

I am pulled to my feet and dragged out of the packhouse. The omegas all watch with sympathy or pity. I wish he would just kill me. I hate this existence.

He stops when we reach the landscaper, Craig. “Craig,” He shouts. “Kinsley needs work.”

Craig is an older man with scars on his face and a pronounced limp in his walk. “What do you want her to do?”

“Whatever you got,” Father growls. “The harder, the better.”

Craig sighs, “I will see what I have, Alpha.”

Father shoves me to the ground. “Good. If she stops working for a minute, call me.”

I sigh as he stomps away.

“Come on, girl,” Craig grunts. “I have some flower beds that need dirt.”

I spend the rest of the morning painfully pushing a wheelbarrow full of dirt back and forth to fill some flower beds. My back aches, and I know it’s bleeding, but I can’t stop. I can’t complain. I have to keep going. I pray that the two weeks come fast. I don’t know how much more I can take.

“You can take a brief break,” Craig informs me after several hours. He hands me a bottle of water. “After the break, I will have you plant the seeds,” he said, pointing to a stack of large seed bags.

I sigh and sit on a bench to sip my water.

“I heard the Lycan King is coming next week,” I hear someone say.

“King Austen?” The other asks.

The name sends shivers down my spine. Genesis makes a noise, but I think nothing of it.

‘Austen,’ she mutters.

“Yeah, I guess he is looking for his queen,” the first person says.

“I bet Luna Sydney will do everything she can to get him to take Esmae,” the other laughs.

“We would pay money for him to take her away.”

I have to refrain from laughing.

“Back to work,” Craig says to me.

I sigh and chug the water before standing up. “King Austen,” I say to myself with a smile. “No, he would never want me,” I sigh and return to work.