Meeting them again.

AMELIA 

"I'm sorry, Father." I said with a weak smile, the embarrassment lingering in my chest as he patted my back.

"Don't burn the food." he chuckled, making light of the situation as he drove off, leaving me to follow Vella to the pack house.

Vella was the kitchen manager, well-acquainted with each person's strengths and the best roles for everyone. Once we arrived at the pack house, she handed me an apron and instructed me to start cooking. 

As I cracked the eggs on the stove, the sizzling sound filled the air. Cooking for wolves was no small task; they had hearty appetites, and I was preparing food for hundreds of them, including many warriors. 

To combat the monotony of the task, I always brought my headphones. Once plugged in, I selected some soft music, my preference today as I wasn’t in the mood for anything too intense. Music had a way of making the work easier, distracting me from overthinking and deflecting the constant nonsense remarks often thrown our way by the higher-ranked wolves, who considered themselves above us Omegas.

I swayed my hips slightly, enjoying the rhythm as I turned the eggs over, stealing a few pieces here and there when the other Omegas weren’t looking. 

While I loved spending time in the garden with my father, cooking alongside my mother had always been another endeavor that brought me joy, as I learned her cherished recipes. 

In the kitchen, we were a small team of six, each of us contributing to the morning feast: one was cooking bacon, another making pancakes, and someone slicing fruit.

As the smell of food wafted through the air, hungry wolves began to filter in. Some offered me warm smiles while grabbing what I had prepared, while others passed by as if I didn't exist at all.

I allowed myself to hum along with the gentle melodies swirling through my headphones. This was, indeed, a pretty good morning for me until suddenly, someone came up behind me and yanked my headphones out.

I recognized the scent immediately. 

Lucas.

"Can you feel how hard my morning dick is?" Lucas whispered in my ear, pinning me against the counter as he rubbed himself against my jeans.

My cheeks flamed with embarrassment as I realized how many other Omegas were watching us, their eyes wide with a mix of shock and intrigue. But I remained silent, desperately hoping he would stop this humiliation.

"Derek said he wants nothing to do with you, so that gives me permission to have my little fun with you, freak." Lucas taunted, grinding his hips against mine while his hands gripped the counter on either side of me.

I closed my eyes, taking a steadying breath. My wolf, Nancy, howled in anger, pleading for me to let her take control so that she could tear into him. 

"Is not even two days,yet you're all over another wolf. You disgust me, freaking Omega." another voice chimed in, and I recognized it immediately.

Derek.

I opened my eyes to see Derek standing across from me, his expression cold and disdainful.

"She really is. We can do whatever we want with her, and she won't do a damn thing about it." Lucas said from behind, chuckling like it was the funniest joke in the world. 

To emphasize his point, he seized my hand and slammed it onto a fork that Derek was holding, driving it into my palm. Pain shot through me as I whimpered, hot blood spilling out from the puncture wounds. The shock and hurt flickered through my body, but they just laughed at my suffering.

"This is why I rejected you, Amelia. Because you're weak and pathetic." Derek spat, his gaze filled with disgust as he eyed me as if I were nothing more than a rotten piece of fruit.

With that, they turned and walked away, their laughter echoing in my ears. As they left, my wolf cried out from within me, mourning the bond I had thought we would share. The hurt from their words dug deeper than the pain in my hand; it felt as though my heart was being crushed under the weight of their cruelty.

I lowered my head, hiding my burning tears that silently fell from my eyes. The throbbing pain in my hand was nothing compared to the anguish blooming in my chest. 

What stung more than anything was the realization that no one dared to stand up for me. The other Omegas turned away, and even the higher-ranked wolves, seated and enjoying their meal, averted their eyes from my abuse. 

Couldn’t someone intervene? But who would? 

I was just a weak, pathetic Omega.

I cleaned my hand and carefully bandaged it before continuing with my day. Breakfast came and went, and soon it was time for training. After that, we shifted our focus to preparing lunch, crafting hundreds of plates of food for the pack. Eventually, I was tasked with taking out the trash—four full bags that others had left behind while finishing up their work.

As I made my way out back, I started with two bags, carrying them to the trash bins beside the pack house. The day was bright and sunny, an ideal day to be outdoors, yet I couldn't shake the thought of how much I wished I could be working with my father instead.

Finally, I reached the last bag and tossed it into the dumpster, sealing the lid with a satisfying clang. But just as I turned around, I was suddenly and forcefully struck in the face with a soccer ball and fell hard against the trash bin, knocking it over.

Dizziness overtook me as the world spun around, and a chorus of laughter erupted, mingled with the sound of approaching footsteps. I knew those voices all too well.

Derek. 

Lucas.

And Nick, the relentless Beta.

"I told you I could hit her from far" Derek jeered, and I felt blood begin to gush from my nose. It quickly became clear that I had broken it, and I braced myself for the inevitable black eye that awaited me.

David, my friend, rushed forward, concern etched across his face. "Shit, are you okay, Ame—" he began, reaching out to help me up.

But Derek growled, pushing David's hand away forcefully. The movement caused me to stumble backward again, hitting the ground hard.

"Don't touch this freak unless you don't want to play with us anymore." Derek warned, his voice as icy as the glint in his eyes.

With that, they turned and walked away, dragging a reluctant David along with them.

I clutched my nose, the pain blurring my vision. Tears threatened to spill as my left eye began swelling shut, leaving me with a limited view of my surroundings.

I hated this pack,it made my skin crawl. If it weren't for my family, I would have left this sick place without a second thought. But even knowing that other packs would likely treat me just as poorly was no comfort.

As I made my way back to the kitchen, I spotted Vella standing there, arms crossed, her expression a mix of annoyance and disbelief. 

"What the hell happened to you?" she demanded, annoyance lacing her tone.

"Kids were playing with the ball; they didn't see me, and then it hit me in the face." I lied, knowing she wouldn’t believe me if I told her the truth. 

"Go get that blood cleaned up and change into some new clothes." she instructed, eyeing me critically. "You smell like trash."

Her tone stung, especially since she carried an air of superiority, thanks to the way the pack treated her better than the rest of us, even though she was an Omega too.

I turned away, feeling the weight of her judgment lingering in the air as I headed toward the shower room. After washing away the evidence of the morning’s ordeal, I stepped out and made my way to the clothing table. Gratefully, the higher-ranked wolves often handed down clothes they no longer needed, so I picked out an oversized shirt and dark blue jeans. I slipped on my old boots and cap, gathered what little dignity I had left, and made myself presentable.

Next, I went to reset my broken nose, which had started to bleed again, stuffing toilet paper into both nostrils as a temporary fix. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time I had to deal with a broken nose.

After I finished up in the shower, I walked out and made my way back to the kitchen, where others were busy washing dishes from dinner. Remarkably, the rest of the day passed without any further disturbances, and I appreciated the temporary peace. 

As dinner wrapped up, the other Omegas I’d worked alongside began excitedly chatting about a party they were planning to attend, gushing about how they wanted to "give themselves" to the three bullies they discussed with eagerness.

Derek. Lucas. Nick.

If only they knew what those boys were truly like.

They were going to the party at the forest,where everyone loved to go to,for privacy and not The Alpha seeing what they do.

I continued washing the dishes until there was none left. My battery died a time ago so I decided to walk home from the back of the back door to the outside and once I was outside,I took a breath of the night air.

It was a quiet beautiful night.

I shook my head, a bitter smile crossing my lips as I walked home. Thankfully, my parents were still at work, allowing me a little reprieve. I decided to take a nap before they came home, not wanting them to see the bruises forming on my face. I figured I could come up with a better excuse in the morning, but for now, all I needed was sleep.

“Amelia! Amelia! Wake up now!” My mother’s voice cut through my dreams, jolting me awake.

“Mother, what’s wrong?” I mumbled, still in a fog of sleep.

“Rogues! We are under attack!” she exclaimed, urgency lacing her tone.

My heart dropped as adrenaline kicked in. I shot out of bed, my mind racing as I tried to process her words. Rogues attacking? This wasn’t just a drill; it was a real threat. 

Without wasting a moment, I scrambled to get dressed, my previous exhaustion replaced by fear and determination. Whatever was happening outside could mean danger for my family, and I couldn’t let anything happen to them.

“Where’s Annabelle? Where’s Father?” I asked, glancing around the room for any sign of them.

“I don’t know about your father, but Annabelle is with me here. Please get to safety with her!” My mother urged, her voice steady despite the panic around us.

Me and Annabelle rushed out of the house and into the chaos outside. The air was thick with tension and the sound of growls echoed through the pack lands. We needed to get to the save house,me and Annabelle fast before it was too late.