CLARA’S POV
Life as an omega has never been a pleasant one. People, whether human or superhuman, male or female, white or black, generally feel better about themselves when they see someone they consider less than them. It’s not a feeling I’ve ever known because I have always been the least regarded, the runt, the one who people like to use in reminding themselves that they are superior even if it is to one person. I am an embodiment of everything inferior and people just like to give me hell to remind me of their superiority. That is why as I walk into our local high school the next morning, I’m not entirely surprised to be tripped by a human nerd. They pick on him and to remind himself that he isn’t the worst, he picks on me. Maybe if I wasn’t the worst, the lowliest of the low, I would have found someone to pick on, who knows?
I put my head down as I walked, eyes on the floor for legs that have been positioned to kick me to the ground. My hair covered my face as I clutched my heavy chemistry textbook to my chest.
1 was pushing the textbook into my stinky locker when I felt a presence beside me. I couldn’t detect who the person was because my wolf senses were gone and without looking at them, I would not be able to know who they were. I didn’t want to turn, didn’t want to look up at whoever was standing so close to me.
I could feel the heat of their body and casting my eyes to the ground, I saw expensive black boots and skinny jeans. My heart slammed, already knowing who was behind me. I felt pinpricks travel through my body which made it clear that people were staring. What did he want and why would he approach me in public?
“Look at me,” His deep growl almost had me complying in fear yet another bit of fear still held my eyes glued to the ground. “Who is he?” He hissed and he was so close I could feel the hot puffs of his breath on my neck.
Who is who? His question left me in a state of confusion yet I would not look at him.
“Look at me, darn it!” His hand gripped my chin to yank my face up and then his eyes widened comically before filling with anger. “Who did this?” He growled threateningly.
*****
-On the way back from school the previous day -
“Hello,” a boy I did not know said, smiling broadly at me. He smelt like pack and something else and I didn’t think he was actually talking to me because why would he? So I continued to walk past, quickening my step a little.
“Hey, you – did your mum tell you not to reply the greetings of strangers?” He asked, chuckling at his lame joke. So he was talking to me! Weird.
“Hello,” I answered quietly, ducking my head shyly. I was not used to talking to people. Conversations only happened with Remi while every other interactions I had with people were usually commands and errands.
“Ah, I thought you didn’t like the sound of my voice or something, “ He chuckled again, running his hands through his spiked dyed white hair. He even dyed his brows white and they managed to look good on him. They were thin and arched high, giving him a permanent questioning expression.
“I’m Kieran, Kieran Witcher,” He introduced, sticking his hand out for a handshake.
“Clara Hansen, omega,” I replied, sticking my hand into his. His grip was firm but his palms were soft. I felt I had to announce my status to him because he smelt like a beta and betas were second to alphas. He might not know it but he was associating with dirt.
“Um, I’m a beta not like it matters, “ He answered with a shrug and I wanted to laugh. Of course a person who never felt discrimination due to their rank would not think rank mattered. “I just moved here with my siblings from the territory in Canada,” He supplied.
We continued to walk, me trying to discreetly increase my pace that he was slowing down without making it seen I was trying to run away from him. “Why did you move, if you don’t mind me asking,” I said. I wasn’t used to having conversations with strangers but I figured that would be a safe enough question.
“A change of scenery never hurt nobody,” He shrugged, giving me a dodgy answer. I had nothing else to say so there was silence for a short while as we walked until he filled it.
“So what’s it like here? Are you a senior?” He asked which gave me pause.
“What’s it like here?” Such a tricky question. For people like Ashley and Jake, it would be fabulous being here but it was hell for me. It was too early to burden a complete stranger with the woes of my existence so I put on a happy smile for that moment..
“It’s great! “ I exclaimed with enthusiasm that I was not feeling. “The woods are vast and beautiful and we have a lot of land so running around shouldn’t be a problem – there are no packs bordering us so there’s no fear of trespassing. The closest beach to us is quite far but we have a few beautiful ponds around and if you’re staying at the pack house, there’s a pool there!” I said as if pools and land were the most fascinating things since Neil Armstrong on the moon.
The boy, Kieran, he must have known there was something off about my response, maybe I had been too enthusiastic in speaking of pools and ponds, but he gave me a dubious look with creased brows. “Yeah, that’s great but I was asking of the people. Are they nice?” He asked.
I laughed in a high pitch, which startled him, before clearing my throat and apologising. “Sorry – yeah, the people are nice,” I lied straight through my teeth.
Yeah, they were going to be real nice to him, especially the girls. He was not overtly built, but I could see he worked out from his toned biceps that were exposed in his sleeves tee. He was over six feet by my estimation and when he smiled, both sides of his cheeks flash a charming dimple. It didn’t hurt that he was a beta. The girls were going to eat him up.
“Cool. I’m always excited to make new friends – we’ve been here since Friday and you’re the first person I’ve managed to have a conversation with. Isn’t that awesome? “ He fist bumped the air in a giddy fashion and I couldn’t help the smile that graced my lips.
“Yeah,” I agreed and we chatted lightly as he followed me to the elementary school to pick up Jessy. It felt nice to have someone other than Remi speak to me like I mattered.
Jessy was not in her class when I got there to collect her. Their school closed an hour earlier than the high school and she was usually waiting with her teacher for me to come get her after mine closed but she was nowhere in sight.
“Oh, Clara. Your mum already came to collect Jessica an hour ago,” Her class teacher told me and I nodded, turning to walk out of the school. Mum had never picked Jessy from school in the one year since she started school because she was either working a shift or sleeping off a shift so when did she have time to come get Jessy? Especially since she was working a day shift.
Kieran was still waiting for me outside the school building and when he saw me, he smiled a dimpled smile and my heart started to race. “Where's your sister? I thought you were picking her up?” His brows furrowed as I shrugged. I had thought so too.
“My mum already picked her up,” I answered and he nodded. He walked with me till I got halfway home and then he bid me farewell as he entered into a bakery. He wanted me to come with but I had refused vehemently, scared of what my brother would do to me if he found out.
The first clue that something was wrong was that Jessy did not run up to me when I got home. She was hardly ever home before me but when she was, she would usually wait to attack me as soon as I came through the doors. I put my nose into the air to sniff for her but my wolf was nowhere to be found so I could not catch any scent asides from my dad’s pungent body odour.
That was anther strange thing. For his stench to be so heavy in the air, he had to have been by a few seconds prior and he was never back till late at night.
I went into Jessy’s room to look for her but she wasn’t there and the room was a mess with clothes strewn on the floor.
“She’s not here,” a voice said eerily close to me and I jumped. Quinn. I hadn’t heard him approach and he was uncomfortably close.
I wanted to ask him where she was but I knew my place and it was not a place for questions. “O –okay,” I answered meekly, ducking my head quickly.
“Aren’t you curious why?” He asked with a vague emotion in his voice. It was a trap, I knew it. I was curious and he knew it so why else would he be asking if he wasn’t up to something terrible? It was a trap and I was uncertain on how to dodge it.
“Answer me!” He steamed and my mouth responded before I could think any further.
“Yes, I’m curious! “ I exclaimed in fright.
“She took her and she left! Mum took her and it is all your fault,” He screamed, already starting to hit me. “You worthless b***h! Look what you’ve caused!” He rained blows down on me and I tried to deflect them, dodge at least, but it was futile.
A blow on my stomach, my thighs, my head, my chest, they just kept coming, faster and heavier. I was his boxing bag and as he breathed heavily, punching me, I begged for my life.
“Please – please stop! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to! Please stop,” I kept chanting, shouting for help but help would not come.
“Useless piece of s**t! You ruin everything. Everything,” He stopped hitting me and I thought that was the end but oh no, it was only the beginning. He drew his belt and started to use it on me. There was blood on his knuckles and I didn’t know if it was mine or his.
“I’m sorry, please, no – Please! I didn’t – I can’t,” I wailed as the belt decorated my skin.
“You better be sorry! You’ve cost dad his mate! She is gone and she promised never to come back and it’s because of you useless thing, you human! Tell me, whose bastard are you?” He shouted, raising the belt to hit me on the head.
“I don’t know! I don’t know! Please – I’m sorry. Please, leave me! I promise to do anything please don’t kill me,” I cried.
“I’ll kill you! You deserve to die. You’re nothing but a useless waste of space,” He told me. My arms were weak and my legs could not hold me up as I collapsed to the ground. He was heaving like a runner after a long run and his eyes · his eyes were filled with so much hatred.
“Your days are numbered,” He spat before turning on his heels.
A while later, I still lay there, unable to move. I heard footsteps coming up the stairs and I started to drag myself on the ground, hoping to escape a second round of beating. A five feet eight inch man with a prosperous stomach and eyes the exact same shade as mine walked by, sparing me a glance before continuing on his journey.