CHAPTER ONE

I’m in the pack house, cleaning up after breakfast when I see him.

Troy.

The Alpha's son.

I don’t move as I watch him standing in the doorway, glancing around.

He’s gorgeous; tall and broad-shouldered with black hair and blue eyes like his father. The long scar that runs across his cheek that looks like it was made by a knife only adds to his rugged handsomeness.

I don't know what to do.

I’m attracted to him, but he’s never going to notice me. Which is probably a good thing.

He’s in a motorcycle gang in town, and he has been arrested once when he beat up a cop while he was drunk. He’s a gorgeous bad boy, which is the worst kind.

He catches my gaze and my heart beats faster. Could he ever notice me, and Omega?

No. After all, one day he will be the Alpha. He doesn’t have time for people like me.

"Hey," he says. He smiles at me as he walks over.

"Hey," I say as I smile back.

All other words flee my mind as he stops in front of me and looks at me with those dark eyes.

“I’m not sure I’ve gotten the chance to know you at all,” he says. “Though you must be part of the pack. What are you up to this afternoon?”

"Just cleaning up,” I reply.

I wish I had something more impressive to say, but this is how most of my days go. It’s my place in the pack.

"You don't have to do that."

"I can help you, if you want," he says, in a dreamy, deep, soft voice.

I can't believe it. Is this a dream? It has to be.

"Really?" I ask. "Don't you have to get ready for the party tomorrow night?"

"It’s okay," he says. “I’ll have time to do that later. In the meantime, I want to get to know you more. Let me help.”

I’m stunned as he crosses the room, opens a drawer, and pulls out a bag of chips. Then, he walks back to me and smiles.

He opens the bag and dumps them on the floor.

“Oops,” he says with a mean grin. “My bad.”

I freeze, trying to work through the confusion of what was going on.

"Clean it up," he says, his tone changing completely. "That's what Omegas do. You clean up our messes because you’re not good at anything else."

My heart sinks.

I hear laughter and I don’t want to look but I can’t seem to stop myself.

I turn to see three other boys, all laughing at me.

"That's right, Troy," they say. "You tell that Omega."

I feel like dying.

"Oh, no," Paul says. "I think she’s in love with you, Troy."

"In love?" Ryan teases. "That Omega? You're out of your mind. She's a freak."

"She's a total freak," Mitch agrees. "All Omegas are freaks. She’s a loser."

"She's a total loser," Paul agrees. "I don't know why our Alpha lets her stay here."

“To clean up after us, of course,” Mitch says.

I look at Troy, hoping he’ll step in to stop them while knowing he won’t.

I want to scream at him. I want to do something, anything.

But I don't. That is life as an Omega. Just another miserable day.

“Just stop,” I say. “Leave me alone so I can do my work.”

“Don’t tell us what to do,” Troy snarls.

I start cleaning up the mess regardless and try to ignore him. It’s not like this is the first time he’s been mean to me. I just thought this time was different.

The way he looked at me this time made me feel like he saw me.

I guess he did.

There is just something about me that he doesn't like. I haven’t done anything to him. I haven’t done anything since I’ve gotten here but get bullied by him and everyone else in the pack.

In my old pack, I was a Luna. Then they were killed in a rogue attack, and I was left all alone.

Until Kirk, the Alpha, took me in as an Omega in his pack. Though I hate this pack, I still owe Kirk my life. I just wish his son had inherited some of Kirk’s kindness.

In a way, I’m still alone. No family. No friends. Just an Omega and sometimes it feels like that’s all I’ll ever be.

I stand and look at Trey. I think of my old pack; my mother, my father, my sisters, my brothers, the Alpha.

Familiar tears threaten to make me look even weaker as my heart pounds.

Before I can break down in front of them, I pick up my mop and walk out of the room.

*

As I find safety in my room, I start to consider what I should do with my life. I know I have to leave this place eventually. But then what will come next?

A noise breaks me from my thoughts.

I turn as the door opens.

To my horror, it’s my worst enemy, Heather. Heather is Troy's girlfriend and the biggest bully of them all.

"Hello, Omega," she says. "Look at you, all pathetic and helpless."

Heather’s beauty doesn’t help anything. Her long blond hair and beautiful blue eyes are paired with a tall, thin, model type of body.

She can have anything she wants, but she wastes her time on me.

She steps into my room and shuts the door behind her.

"Heather, what do you want?"

"I thought I would come and see you,” she shrugs. “Just for a moment. Just to say hello."

"Hello,” I say. “Goodbye."

“Kind of rude, don’t you think?” Heather asks. “Shouldn’t you at least ask me how I am?”

"How's it going?" I ask with a sigh. Anything to get her to go away.

"It’s going great,” she says. “I’m going to the party at the club tomorrow night. It’s going to be awesome. Troy’s taking me. And you're not coming, of course.”

I look at her. I want to say something, but I can't get the words out. Probably a good thing because anything I could say would probably only make things worse.

So, I ignore her and hope someday this nightmare will end.