1: A Gift

ADRIANA

“Happy birthday,” I whisper to myself as the clock ticks midnight.

I am eighteen!

I waited for the excitement to settle in, a new feeling of joy or anything. Nothing came, I felt the same way I did, slightly worse from when my brother, Damien kicked me in the ribs earlier, but the same nevertheless.

I sighed heavily, not that I expected anything different. No candles or surprise parties for me finally turning eighteen. The age every she-wolf looked forward too.

Not that the whole pack sees me as one, I don’t blame them since it’s not like I have a wolf.

My not having a wolf isn’t the only reason they hate me, being the bastard child of the alpha definitely didn’t make you likable. I was looked at as a disease in the pack, and I wished it was the type that made them avoid me. They like to torture me instead.

“Adriana, where the fuck are you?” my half-brother and also the future alpha bellows from the stairs.

Ignoring the pain in my upper half, I force myself up and as fast as I can and rush out to meet him before he repeats himself. We’ve done this a million times for me to know it wouldn’t end well for me.

“Yes, alpha.” I bowed when I reached where he was standing. He was my brother but I dared not call him by his name, that offense was punishable.

“Get me a glass of water from the kitchen.” He snarled at me in disgust. I barely nod before I start running down the stairs, he didn’t like incompetence and I liked my health.

If this were different I would have told him he was closer to the kitchen than I was, and coming up to call me was unnecessary and even more work than it would have taken for him to get his own water, but I wasn’t that brave so I kept shut and did as he said.

There was no one in the kitchen when I got there. Being the alpha’s daughter, although from unfortunate circumstances, you would think at least the pack members thought of that before bullying me and calling me names. Without a wolf I was as weak as an omega, and the fact that my mother was human didn’t help me at all.

I crouched and gripped the side of the counter, holding myself up. My breath was labored, my body deciding walking down the stairs was a serious work.

Unlike most packs, the alpha’s house is different and we don’t all live in the pack house. Others may decide to stay there because of the free amenities but most pack members prefer to have their own place, because of privacy.

In my eighteen years of life, and fifteen years in this pack, I could count the number of times I’ve been inside the pack house.

My father, also the alpha, said I have no business going there since I wasn’t a wolf. Technically I was, or in simpler terms, I wasn’t human.

I had abilities like your usual wolf, I’m faster than humans and have a more advanced hearing but not as good as a wolf’s, and my healing abilities were second to none in terms of being a wolf. In short, I was a disappointment to my family.

“Why are you wasting my time?!” Damien’s angry growl forced me into an upright position.

“I’m sorr—“he glared at me, cutting off my baseless apology.

“Bring three coffees up to the office,” I nodded immediately and forced my feet to move.

Damien turned and started walking out of the kitchen, I held my breath when he stopped abruptly.

“You better be fast if you know what’s good for you.” Is the last thing he said before storming out.

Taking his word for it, because I know he isn’t the type to bluff, I quickly started sorting out the coffee beans and brought out their mugs to make the coffee.

While I waited for it to brew, I let my mind wander, thinking of how my life would have been if my mother had just kept me instead of bringing me back to my father. I didn’t have memories of her, only what I was told. She brought me to the pack when I was three because she didn’t want to raise an abomination.

That was what everyone said, but in my mind, she did what she had to do. It was only to console myself from the actual truth that she didn’t want me, just like my father doesn’t want me now.

“Adriana!” the angry growl pulled me from my trance.

“I’m coming.” I replied loudly and quickly started serving their coffee. The last thing I wanted was for him to come back, or worse, his younger brother and my other brother, his name is Carlson and he is a year older than me. He is to be the beta and he is even worse than Damien.

I placed all three mugs on a tray and headed for the alpha’s home office. It was on the ground floor and not very far from the kitchen.

I was almost by the door when my ears picked up on something that made me stop in my steps.

“The Lycan king is a threat to the pack,” I overheard Carlson saying. I stopped dead in my tracks. “Knowing it would be stupid of me to walk in on their conversation. I’ve done that before and I had to wash everyone’s training clothes for a month.

They have a pack Laundromat so I didn’t have to go to the pack house. I took that as a blessing knowing I would have gotten beat up and still have to do the chores.

“It would be best to keep him off our radar,” Damien said thoughtfully.

“We can’t deal with him and the rogues at once.” This was Carlson.

“We just have to give him something to back off.” Damien replied.

Standing here wasn’t any better than going in, though I knew they couldn’t smell me. Very few people could smell me when I’m close, especially if I’m trying to hide. I didn’t know the reason but I liked it. In situations like this, I know I am safe until they open the door.

“What do you suggest? Because he is rich so I don’t think he will want money.” Carlson muttered sarcastically at his brother.

They hated each other and were always fighting, the only thing they have in common is their parents and their hate for me.

“No, even if he wants money we don’t have much to give him.” my eyes narrowed as the alpha replied. Whatever that meant, I knew the pack was doing good or at least it seemed that way. It sounded like they were obviously keeping something from everyone.

“The girl.” Damien said, I could picture the evil smirk on his face.

My heart thundered in my chest, making the tray rattle in my hands. I forced myself to stay still and moved back to stand in a more hidden part of the hallway in case they opened the door.

There was only one person he referred to as the girl, and that was me.

“She is worthless.” Our father growls. My heart breaks at his comment.

After all these years, I still wasn’t used to his hate for me. many times I imagined him realizing I was his daughter and him coming to his senses and loving me, it hasn’t happened up till now and I doubt it would when he was still acting like this.

He has said it multiple times, I’m just the one refusing to accept me. He believes I’m a curse and that I killed his mate.

She had died of a heart attack when my mum brought me to the pack. She couldn’t believe his infidelity and that made her heart stop. It wasn’t abnormal for wolves to die of heartbreak when their mates cheat on them.

I got blamed for that and that added to his hate for me.

“But he doesn’t know that.” Damien chuckled darkly. They didn’t say anything for a few seconds.

Tears were brimming my eyes at this point but I refused to let them fall.

“You can present her to him as a gift, no one outside of this pack knows of her disability.” There were murmurs of agreement. My heart breaks with each word that he utters.

“He is said to not have a mate, so it should be easy to convince him. She has a pretty face, at least she isn’t completely useless.” I heard a scoff from Damien as she said that.

The so-called pretty face is why I stay away from the people on the pack, especially the women. They feel intimidated by me and call me a witch because of my face. I looked nothing like my father, so I guess I got my looks from my mum. My straight blonde hair that is almost to my waist and crystal blue eyes that look almost transparent.

“He can keep her as his slave or whatever. He has a reputation with women.” There was a brief moment of silence before he continued.

“As Long as he is out of our hair.” Damien finished and the alpha laughed. A sound that has never been directed at me unless it held scorn.

“And she will be out of our hair too. It will be like killing two birds with one stone.” Carlson laughed too.

“He would help with the rogues situation, he has powerful warriors.” They all hummed in agreement at our father’s suggestion. I didn’t want to listen more.

I turn on my heels and start running out of the house, letting the tears finally fall. I knew they heard the tray fall and I would pay for it when I came back, but I didn’t care. I just wanted to get away.

They wanted to give me out to the Lycan. The man that is known to be a cold blooded killer, and a playboy. He didn’t have a mate and he has probably slept with half the she-wolves. That is not adding human women to the equation.

I would rather die than be forced to live the rest of my life miserable as his slave.

They’ve wanted me dead for a long time, I’ll make their dreams come true faster than they expected.