Beyond The Pack's Judgement

"LOOK DOWN," My wolf, Thea, whispered in my head. I broke eye contact and dragged my gaze from the angry face of the pack's alpha.

"You're still as defiant as you were when you were a pup," He snarled. He turned to look at a thin woman standing behind him. "Katlyn," He called and the woman stepped forward. "I expected you to have broken her spirit by now. I am disappointed."

Katlyn was the head of omega-ranked wolves in the pack. She collapsed at Alpha Jake's feet and put her head to his toes. "I will redeem myself, alpha. Please give me more time."

Alpha Jake lashed out with his leg, striking Katyln across her ribs. "I want it done before her eighteenth birthday." With that he walked away, slamming the door shut behind him. 

Katlyn gathered herself from the floor and stood up, if looks could kill, I would have been very dead as she stared daggers at me. 

I knew what was coming. She was going to transfer all the anger gotten from alpha Jake's treatment to her on me. 

"You..." she growled. "You made me seem unworthy in front of the alpha." She walked up to me, I could hear sharp gasps of breath with each step she took. The alpha had hit her really hard. I kept my gaze on her feet, studying her cracked toenails. 

"Look up at me when I'm talking to you!" She yelled.

With a smirk on my face, I looked up. She slapped me hard across my face. Warm liquid filled my mouth. I recognize the coppery taste of blood. I spat it out, intentionally on her feet. 

She looked like she was going to rip my head out, but I knew she wasn't going to. Alpha Jake needed me alive, his instructions to her were simply to break my spirit - whatever that meant. 

"You insolent bastard!" She raised her hand to strike me again, but seeing as I didn't flinch, she drew her hand back. "After your time in the coolers, you will be on bathroom duty until your birthday." She clapped her hand twice and two huge men came into the small wooden shed. They grabbed me by my arms and dragged me out. 

The coolers were a special type of prison for rogues and other hated enemy wolves. It was built underground. It was dark and cold. The only air supply had little bits of wolfsbane in it. Breathing in the air wouldn't kill you, but the wolfsbane made the lungs sore, making each breath feel like thousands of knives were stabbing you at once.

Katlyn opened the cage and tossed me in. "See you whenever I see you!" She snarled, slamming the doors. "Don't give her any breakfast!" She told the guards as she walked out. 

Alone and in darkness, I allowed myself to break. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I crawled to a corner and hugged my knees. I closed my eyes, imagining myself to be back in time. The happier times.

I am Adrienne Hale, the only daughter and second child of Claude Hale, Beta of the North London pack. Or should I say, former Beta of the North London pack. 

From the age of 5 when I shifted for the first time, I had had a funny notion that the goddess was playing games with my life. 

My parents died 9 years ago in a fatal accident, and it was my fault.

Every once in a century, a special wolf is sent directly from the moon goddess. This wolf spreads destruction and chaos wherever it goes, she is called the blood wolf. It used to be a funny legend and bedtime story that was told to us in the nursery to make us keep our mouths shut, but not until I woke up one night to blinding pain in my head. I cried out and my parent rushed to my bedroom, it was expected from every pup that had the werewolf gene to start shifting around that age, so this was a very welcomed happy surprise for my family. 

But the happiness gave way to horror when red fur sprouted from my back. That should not be a good reason to make me think I was the blood wolf, but all wolves in the pack were either gray, white, black, or brown not crimson red like mine. 

My parents exchanged fearful glances and turned to look at me. My father's eyes glowed yellow as he stared into my eyes and said, "Receed. Go back. Do not shift!" He was speaking to my wolf, and out of obedience, my wolf went back. 

They hugged me, telling me that it was nothing to be worried about, but I knew they were lying. I don't know how, but news went around the pack that I was wolfless, and my misery started. 

In middleschool, when shifting happens, new friends are made. New societal hierarchies are formed, and the wolfless ones are the bottom feeders. I was a bottom feeder. 

Thinking that life couldn't get harder, the moon goddess played another game with my life 3 years later. Our pack was attacked by rogues. It was a well-coordinated attack, hitting all our bases at once, but the North London pack was strong and we did a good job of sending them away. 

I remember that night like it was yesterday. It was the night my parents died as a result of my carelessness. I did not even know we were being attacked, and I had walked out of the house, drawn to the full moon and airy night.

(Flashback begins)

"Adrie!" My 11-years old brother Finn snapped from his door frame. "Where are you going?" 

I ignored him and went out. When I realized we were being attacked, it was too late, as I had a pair of sharp fangs at my neck, ready to bite down. The rogues had used me as a hostage, Alpha Jake stepped back, ordering his warriors to fall back and let the rogues take what they wanted as long as they let me go.

The leader of the rogues pulled me by my neck and went to our supplies store. They depleted our supplies before pulling me to the borders, my pack followed at a safe distance, and then they let me go. 

Mum and Dad rushed forward, snuggling me to check that I was okay. There was a small bite mark on my neck where I had been pulled by. Then Dad growled and launched at the rogues in anger. 

"Claude, No!" Alpha Jake yelled through the mind link. 

But it was too late, 5 rogues smashed into Dad. Giving him fatal wounds before baring their teeth at us and running off into the night. 

He struggled for the next 5 days, going in and out of consciousness within those days. We were allowed short visits once in a while. On one of the visits, he grasped my hand weakly, "Adrienne..." 

I crouched next to his bed. 

"Remember, you are special." He gasped through his life support. "No matter what, do not let them break you. Your mother is the daughter of an alpha, you have alpha blood running through your veins. You have power. Always remember that!"

I nodded, tears streaming down my face and not understanding what he was saying. The next day, he died. 

The whole pack was shaken to the core, my father was a very integral member, and he made most of the decisions in place of the alpha. My mother was the most affected by his death. 

At school, we had been taught the effect of losing one's fated mate, but I never for once imagined that I would see it firsthand. I watched my mother's health deteriorate fast after my dad died. A week later, she was dead too.

Alpha Jake demoted me. For some strange reason, he blamed me for the rogue attacks. My brother, Finn, was treated a bit better because he was a werewolf. From what I heard, he was being trained to be a warrior. Alpha Jake barely let him visit me. 

I had been subjected to many demeaning duties. Kitchen duties, toilet duties, and many others. During that time, my wolf emerged from my subconscious. She started speaking with me, and although she made no intentions of wanting to take control, it was slightly comforting knowing that I had her with me. 

I will be turning 18 in a few days, and I can't wait. Not because I might find a mate. In fact, I do not want a mate. Not after seeing how it made my mother weak. 

At 18, I will be legally allowed to leave the pack and become a rogue by myself. Alpha Jake has no idea of this plan, I am sure he has some evil plan for me on that day, I have tried to think of what it might be, to no avail. 

(Flashback ends)

The sharp pain of wolfsbane cutting into my lungs brought me back to the present. I whimpered and hung my head lower. I recited my father's last words to myself and almost chuckled at the irony, it is his best friend and alpha that is trying to break me. 

A soft chuckle from the darkness startled me. I squinted trying to see amidst the fog of wolfsbane that hung in the air. But I didn't see anybody. 

"Who's there?" I asked in a low growl. 

"Nobody special," A male deep voice replied. "That little quote you were saying... it is inspiring." He chuckled. 

"Don't make fun of me!" I snapped. 

"Maybe you should stop your delusion and face reality. You are in a prison cell, and the earlier you break, the better for you." The voice countered.

"Who are you?" I asked again. There was something familiar about this strange man, but I could not put a finger on it. 

"As I said before," the man said again. "I am nobody important." 

I knew that was a lie. This person was a strong enemy, or else Alpha Jake would have just put him as an ordinary omega slave, not locked him in a cooler. 

I could feel this man's aura through the wall that separated us, and strangely, it gave me strength. He was an alpha too.