Chapter 1

I wish I was never born at all. Living in the Shadow pack where omegas were treated inferior to everyone, my life was difficult. It was hell. I've never been treated nicely and people always have something to say about me. They did not care about the omegas' well-being. We were enslaved, abused, and taken advantage of.

We can't fight. Mainly, because we're the weakest in our pack. Or perhaps, we are just outnumbered. We can't go to school. We are unprivileged. We could do nothing but to obey the people superior to us. If we wouldn't, they would only make our lives more miserable than they already were. Life is unfair to us, omegas. We were also members of this pack yet we were treated rather like some sort of a stinky rat.

Our good for nothing Alpha was even tolerating his people's misbehaviour. He turned a blind eye to our suffering. He didn't listen to our pleas and instead, he even considered taking advantage of us, too.

Well, it wasn't like this a few years ago. It was far from being like this. The Shadow pack was known for its well-disciplined people. People were principled. They treat everyone with utmost respect, especially to women. Women were treated like a rare gem.

But it was all from the past now. Everything turned upside down in a bat of an eye.

When the previous alpha was killed by his own wife—who was later found to be a spy from the rival pack—the once peaceful and prosperous Shadow pack fell and shattered like a fragile glass.

That was almost 15 years ago. To say it was heartbreaking to see the once beautiful and peaceful pack shattered was probably an understatement. It was too painful. Many lives have been affected by it. Many dreams and hopes were ruined. Happiness was stolen from us—forbidden even. They slaughtered most of all our members and those who are still alive now were ranked as omegas.

To ensure that omegas can't harm the other people—new members rather—they inject us with wolfsbane. They've tortured us. They made sure we were weak enough so they would take advantage. They are all cruel. Even the young ones aren't an exemption.

I couldn't exactly remember what happened before as I was only 4 that time. My father was killed by his traitor wife. I was the alpha's daughter. My mother died due to childbirth, and because my father wanted to give me a whole family, he remarried again, only to be betrayed.

Now, I have to suffer everyday from the mistake he made. He trusted the wrong person. He was so blinded by his love that he didn't notice the lie beneath those smiles of his second wife.

I suffered the consequences of his wrong decision to remarry again. But even so, I couldn't bring myself to hate him. He only wants to give me a complete family I haven't had. He just wants to give me a mother to look up.

My father just wanted the best of me because he loved me so much...

“You wench!” I flinched when an old woman called me. I am already used to them calling me names but up until now, the fear and pain didn't falter. Everytime someone calls me, I can't help but tremble in fear.

I didn't deserve this kind of treatment.

I came rushing towards the woman to aid whatever she asked me to. My body was shaking and my forehead was damp with sweat, which pissed the old woman off.

Before I knew it, her hand collided on my cheek as she slapped me hard. I fell to the ground pitifully as the pain numbed me, and yet, I didn't shed a tear. I stifled the sob that was wanting to come out from my throat.

“M-Ma'am?” I asked, not knowing what I did to anger her. But it seems like questioning her only angered her further. She slapped me once again on the face, which I knew would leave bruises.

“Do not question me, you whore! How dare you sleep with my husband?!” she shouted as she fisted my hair and pulled me up. I squealed. My scalp hurts badly due to her tight grip on my hair.

“I-I d-didn't... I didn't—” I tried to explain and deny her accusation but she cut me off, slamming my face to the vanity table. I could taste my own blood as my head was slammed on the hard surface of the wood. My nose broke for the hundredth time. I couldn't count how many times I was being physically tortured that I lost the count how many broken bones I had.

“Stop lying, bitch! Someone saw you sneaking in to my husband's office and saw you are having sex with him!” She pulled me up, only to push me so hard that I fell to the ground once again. She kicked my stomach, which had me coughing blood. She knelt on either side of me and slapped me again and again until I nearly lost my consciousness. Dark spots blinded my vision as I struggled to catch my breath.

I didn't sleep with her husband. I don't know where she got this ridiculous accusation because her husband was too old that standing up was even a difficult task to him. She's an insecure old woman with a sick mind.

As she continued to assault me, I closed my eyes and tried to think of something to divert the pain into a beautiful imagination. I imagined my second mother's face who raised me up after my father's death. Her warm smile that always reassures and comforts me. I remember her motherly embrace and her soothing voice like the sound of an angel.

She died a year ago from the hands of these cruel people. They've tortured her to death. They didn't even feel remorse from what they did to my poor mother, Janine. They didn't even give us the opportunity to give my mother a chance to have a funeral! They all laughed at us as if we were nothing but a piece of trash blocking their way.

Just the mere thought of the unfortunate death of my late mother, anger rose within me. The strength I had thought that I no longer had seemed like coming back, and the last thing I knew, I was gasping for air as I pushed the old woman hard– so hard that she flew across the room.

The loud thud of her body slamming against the wall almost deafened me. My vision blurred. I was disoriented. I didn't know what's going on. I didn't know what I just did.

I closed my eyes briefly and held my bloodied head as it stung. My whole body aches and begging to be healed and rested. I'm afraid if the assault would continue, it would be the end of me.

Now remembering the person who nearly beat me up to death, I opened my eyes and looked around the room. Fear was creeping into my bones, making me tremble. A silent gasp escaped my mouth and my body suddenly went cold when I realized that the old woman who assaulted me was now lying on the floor... and seems to be lifeless.

I froze.

What did I do?

With frightened, wide eyes, I stared down at my trembling hands and felt heat radiating off of my own palms. My skin seemed to be pricked with thousands of needles as I felt an energy emitted from my body. But instead of hurting, I felt somehow... good.

There's a dark smoke. And it came from me. The energy was so strong that it nearly suffocated me. The black smokes emitting from my palms scared the shit out of me.

What the hell is happening?

I gasped when realization hit me. My eyes snapped up towards the woman. With a trembling body, I crawled towards her direction and inspected her state, only to find that my suspicion was indeed true.

I killed her...

Suddenly, I heard a clapping sound of hands from behind as if applauding me for doing such a great job. Startled, I looked over my shoulder to see the person standing near the doorway, leaning against the wall nonchalantly.

I couldn't see his face but he was tall. Taller than every man I've seen in this pack. His body was also lean, as if exercising was a routine for him. He was wearing a hooded trench coat, covering most of his face. I could only see his lips, which were now smirking.

My heart began beating painfully fast and loud against my chest. I could literally hear it in my own ears.

He saw what I did, didn't he? What would he do? Is he going to tell everyone? Is he going to kill me, too?

All my negative thoughts faded when I heard his hoarse yet cold voice speaking to me from a distance. It sent shivers down my spine. “Well done, baby.”

He took calculated stealth steps toward my direction. My eyes were focused solely on him, attempting to see his face. But to no avail.

“W-Who are you?” I stuttered as he stood right before me. I cranked my head up in order to see him. I should be feeling scared and worried that this stranger was here and saw what just happened, but for some odd reason, I couldn't feel the fear within my chest. In fact, I felt even... safe.

The stranger squatted in front of me. “I am glad to finally see you, milady,” he said. His voice was surprisingly deep yet soft. Gone is the coldness I heard earlier. Now was laced with softness and carefulness.

“Who... a-are you?” I asked once again, eager to know his name. I could hardly recognize my own voice.

He smiled. “Someone not significant.”

I gasped and closed my eyes as the numbness of my body was slowly disappearing. The pain I felt earlier seems to triple. Blood was incessantly flowing down from my open wounds. The loss of blood was starting to get me lightheaded. I could feel it. My body was slowly fainting... or mayhaps, dying.

My body finally gave up on me, I lost my strength to keep sitting and I collapsed. But before my body collided on the floor, a pair of two strong arms catches my pitifully fragile body.

“My apologies for not coming too soon to save you, milady.” His voice was laced with pain and remorse. “Only if I'd learned about your existence way earlier, you wouldn't have to suffer this long.”

I felt him taking something from his coat's pocket. If my guess was right, it was a dagger. My heartbeat thumped fast but I couldn't bring myself to open my eyes and struggle from his hold. I am way too weak to even protest.

I don't know what he's up to. If he would kill me, then so be it. I have no reason to live anyway. My biological parents were dead, and even the new family who adopted me were now buried 6 feet under the ground. No one in this pack treated me nicely nor even at least, casually. Happiness and peace are forbidden to an omega like me.

Maybe, if I'd die now, I would finally be able to feel the happiness that I'd never truly felt even before. If I die, I am able to finally be with my family. If it means dying right now is the only key to finally see the light, then so be it. I am so tired of being engulfed with darkness. For once, I've never actually felt scared to die.

But just before the darkness engulfed my consciousness. I felt a sweet blood dripping down my lips. The life that seems to be seeping away from me came back. My body accepted his blood—a blood that I'll surely not forget its smell and taste. A sweet reminder of me to the mysterious man who saved my life.

The stranger caressed my cheek lovingly. “Take my blood and live. I will come back to find you again, milady. For now, even if it hurts to be away from you, as long as it will keep you safe, I will endure all the pain.” He planted a lingering kiss on my forehead. He, then, whispered into my ear in a strange language, “I will come to see you again... Sidrich.”