Chapter one

“Watch it.”

I don’t hear the male’s shout before they bump into me from behind, and I fall face flat onto the ground. In the wet, sticky mud of all places. Story of my life. I roll over to see one of my pack mates standing over me, smirking as I wipe the wet mud off my cheek, and I struggle not to sink further into it. I don’t actually remember this one’s name, but I’m certain he knows who I am. Everyone does, and lying in the dirt is kind of ironic, considering that’s what they all think of me.

“Elodie, what are you doing on the ground?” Lucy bellows, and I cringe. The male wolf pushes me back at the same time as kicking my arm so I fall further into the mud and I glare as I pull myself up. Lucy stomps over to me, her hands on her hips holding up the sides of her dress and I know better than to tell her what happened. Somehow, it will be my fault. One look at the frustrated expression on her haughty face tells me I’m in for a fun night.

Not. Lucy is the alpha’s mother and a very old wolf shifter female at that. I don’t know why she keeps me alive when I know her son would kill me in an instant if he had his way. Or worse. The whole pack treat me like a human because I might as well be one to them. I’m the only wolf ever known, not able to actually shift into a wolf. I have little supernatural strength, or speed, or anything like most wolf shifters do. It’s frustrating as hell, but

I’ve learnt to be as invisible as I possibly can be to survive.

“I have told you time and time again not to walk this way to get to the kitchens. Our proud pack do not want to see you walking around like you’re actually a wolf. You are only asking for trouble and I won’t have you causing it,” she says, her voice ringing with disappointment as she gets to me and roughly grabs my arm. Lucy drags me around the main house and into the pack kitchens just behind it. When the warmth of the kitchens soaks into my skin, she finally lets me go and stares me down.

“Honestly, I don’t see why you can’t just stay in the shadows and listen to me.”

I can’t help the little defiance I have left in me as I speak. “I tried to go the other way, but one of the betas was waiting for me and I wanted to avoid trouble. Like you’ve always told me to.”

“A beta wouldn’t look twice at you. I do not know why you are so scared of them,” she tuts at me. I ignore her, knowing damn well I have every reason to fear the beta twins and the way they follow me. I turned eighteen yesterday, and without a mate or any chance of getting one, I’m fair game to anyone in this pack. The alpha said as much to me when I asked to leave the pack on my sixteenth birthday. I shiver at the memories. That did not go well. I was lucky to be able to walk out of the pack house the next day.

“Now start washing up. I will be back to check on you later,” Lucy demands as she shoves me out of her way as she leaves. Another day, another hell. I do as I’m told and start getting to work on the dozens of dishes that are piled high, knowing being whipped by Lucy isn’t worth it if I don’t finish them. The scars littering my back and thighs are a stark reminder. I don’t heal like other wolves, and they all know it. I just finish the dishes when Lucy comes into the kitchen with a paper list in her hand.

“The alpha has very important company coming over tonight. He wants you to serve them, and this is a chance for you to prove you can be useful. Do not let him down,” she states. In other words, if I mess up tonight, I’m dead. “I have made a list of acceptable food.” My heart pounds in my chest as I nod. If the alpha wants me there tonight, I’m in trouble. The last time I was in the alpha’s house, I left covered in blood and bruises, and I was lucky to leave with my life at all. I didn’t have any dignity left, that’s for sure. Lucy doesn’t seem to notice or care about me freaking out as she slams the list in front of me and goes to walk away. Only she stops and looks back to run her eyes over me, before sighing loudly.

“You cannot wear that grey dress to serve the alpha and his guests. It makes you look like an outcast when you are not one.” Outcasts are wolves without a pack—and something Lucy and the Alpha Bishop have always reminded me I could be. I think living out in the dark woods doesn’t actually seem like such a bad idea. At least I wouldn’t have to deal with being a slave to this pack and treated like dirt.

“I might as well be,” I mutter under my breath, but Lucy doesn’t call me on it as she carries on her rant.

“I have a purple dress you may borrow for tonight, one I once wore as a young wolf. I will leave it in your room,” she muses, nodding her head like she is pleased with herself and walking out of the room without another word. I look down at the complicated list of ingredients for the meal and groan in frustration. This is going to take me hours to find these things in the forest and storage room, and I have no idea if I can even pull off this kind of complicated, fancy food. I know I don’t have a choice as I start getting the things needed out of the cold storage. I have to somehow cook this meal to perfection, or I might as well try running from my pack to be an outcast. The alpha warned me what would happen if I cross his path a second time… and none of it would be pretty.