CHAPTER 1

Alora POV

The loud banging on my door jolts me awake. I scramble from my uncomfortable bed, shoving down my clothes hastily.

“ How dare you sleep at this time? Do yóu expect me to clean the house and cook?" My mother's grumpy voice shouts from the other side.

" I'm coming!” I answer, slipping on my sandals and rushing to the door. Pulling it open, my cheek reconnects with my mother's palm. Her fuming face scowls at me and I shrink.

“ You just want Leah to be late for school, don't you? You can't stop your pathetic behavior of sabotaging your sister's life." She hisses, glaring at me.

" I didn't… " I try to explain only to be rewarded with another slap.

“ Useless mutt! How dare yóu talk back to me?"She snaps. My mother forbids me from saying anything when she is talking. I am only allowed to listen and bear the brunt of my mistakes.

“ I want the house spot free clean and breakfast already in bed when Leah wakes up.” She orders before storming off,not without glaring and huffing at me.

I walk to the kitchen to start my day. It's barely dawn for crying out loud, can't I get a moment of rest considering I slept late last night attending Leah's friends.

Although Leah and I are biological sisters, we get different treatment from our parents. Leah is the apple of my parents’ eyes while I am the hated and unwanted child.

After my parents gave birth to Leah, they thought that the next child would be a son. As the Alpha and Luna of the Midnight pack, they needed an heir to the position of Alpha. That's why they conceived me. It was quite the disappointment when I turned out to be a girl. My mother hated me for it, calling me all sorts of names.

One would wonder what my crime was. I never àsked to be born,much less be born a female.

What's even worse was the doctor declaring that my mother couldn't get pregnant again. Apparently, my pregnancy saw to it that her uterus was left unable to carry another pregnancy to termination.

As if that wasn't enough, I didn't shift at the age of fifteen when most werewolves get their wolves.

Without a wolf, I am rendered an Omega,the weakest and lowest in the ranks.

That served to increase my parents’ distaste of me.

“ I wasted my youth giving birth and raising a useless omega. I should have gotten rid of you before you stained our family name." Those words were not new to me. My mother would always tell me every time I annoyed her. A curse, that's what she deemed my existence to be.

I get everything for breakfast prepared and clean the house before retreating to my room. I am not allowed to sit at the dining table with the others. Only after everyone is full am I allowed to eat the leftovers. That is,if my mother doesn't order the maids to discard them.

I can't count the number of times I had to go to bed with a hungry stomach after slaving around the whole day. Sometimes I think about leaving the pack but I know that it's going to be a hard task to pull off, almost impossible.

After I make sure that everyone has had their breakfast and left, I rush downstairs, grab a leftover piece of bread and make my way to school.

While Leah gets to drive a car, I can only rely on my old bike. It's one of the things Leah gave to me when she was in the mood of being generous.

I make it to school just in time for the first lesson to begin.

One would think that being the Alpha's daughter, I get to be respected and perhaps loved by the pack members and my school mates. My case is different, I am the most bullied and pitiful wolf in the school. My sister made sure of that. Her crew of girls make my life a living hell while she stands aside, watching.

I make it my mission to avoid them at all costs, even hiding in the bathroom. As long as I don't get my clothes soiled,hair pulled or worse, embarrassed before everyone.

Being a weak and wolfless omega is like a plague if not a curse as my mother likes to call it.

When evening comes and the bell for training rings, I smile happily,glad that the day will end without me landing my ass into trouble.

Since I don't have my wolf, I am not allowed to engage in the training sessions.

I am about to leave my class when Bella, one of Leah's crew approaches me.

I curse inwardly. Too much for thinking that I could be safe even for a day.

I eye her suspiciously as she stands a foot before me, offering me a polite smile.

Instead of relaxing, that smile makes me even more alert.

“ Don't give me that look, little wolf. I am not here to seek any trouble." She announces but I scoff inwardly. I would be a fool to believe her words. When has she never sought trouble with me?

“ Here,take this," she says,passing me a shopping bag.

" Leah is waiting for those at the swimming pool. I need to rush somewhere.” She instructs.

I scan the bag with suspicion but decide to take it eventually.

Bella turns to walk away and that's how I miss the malicious smile on her lips.

Against my better judgement, I head to the swimming pool. True to Bella's words, Leah is sitting on one of the lodge chairs, still in her uniform.

There are students all over,busy with their own things. I make my way to her and she glares at me.

“ What took you so long?" She scowls at me ànd I fight the urge to roll my eyes.

“ I came immediately Bella gave me these." I say, passing the shopping bag to her and turning around to leave.

Before I can take the second step, someone shoves me from behind and I end up in the pool.

I struggle to float with the little swimming skills we have.

I can hear the students laughing while no one makes an attempt to help me.

I manage to swim to the edge when a hand appears before my face. Without thinking,I take it and allow the person to help me out.

Only when I am out and the coldness starts seeping in do I realize that Lucas is the one who helped me out.

“ What did you do that for? She is your sister and you know she can't swim." He lashes at Leah who has a scowl on her face.

" Do yóu Know who is your fiance between the two of us?” Leah bites, pointing at me,a dark look on her face.

“Why do yóu care what I do to her? It's none of your fucking business.” Leah lashes out, sending me a murderous look.

I can't help but wonder why she pushed me to the pool. She never participated in bullying me before, only watched from the sidelines.

Lucas ignores her and offers his jacket to me. I turn to look at Leah who is glaring daggers at me.

“ No need. Keep it." I decline, pushing it back to him.

I ignore the murmurs and the whistles from the male students. I am pretty aware of how my clothes are clinging to my body, leaving me exposed.

Embarrassed and on the verge of breaking down, I take off.