Luna Charlotte

Charlotte

"Your worthless piece of shit!" He screamed before his boot slammed into my ribs again.

Pain exploded through my body the second I hit the ground but I refused to make a sound. I learned years ago that screaming only made them enjoy it more. They liked hearing me cry and begging made them happy because my pain entertained them so I stayed quiet.

Another kick landed against my stomach making my body curl slightly from the pain.

"Your worthless Omega!" He spat.

I shut my eyes tightly trying to focus on something else besides the burning pain spreading through my body. My ribs definitely felt broken this time but I forced myself to stay still. Don't react, Charlotte just don't react.

He grabbed my hair forcing my head up before narrowing his eyes at me. "What? You too weak to cry now?"

I said nothing and for a second irritation crossed his face when he realized I wasn't going to beg him to stop he spat on me before shoving my head back down. "You're no fun today."

Then he punched me hard in the stomach one last time before finally walking away laughing with his friends. I waited until their footsteps disappeared before allowing myself to breathe properly again. A shaky breath left my lips as I stared at the ceiling above me.

Why does this always happen to me? Because you're an Omega.

I rolled my eyes bitterly at my own thoughts. "Thanks for reminding me."

I hated that word.

Omega.

In this pack being an Omega was worse than being dead we were weak in their eyes pathetic and worthless most packs treated Omegas badly but ours was different here they treated us like dirt beneath their shoes especially me.

The higher ranks always acted like they were Gods walking among peasants. Alphas, Betas, even some Gamma's thought they were better than everyone else. The popular girls at school were even worse.

Paige.

Just thinking about her name made my stomach twist she made my life hell since we were children I still remember the first time she hurt me. I was only six years old it happened two months after my parents disappeared. I was on the playground during break when Paige shoved me into the dirt while her friends surrounded me laughing.

"Your parents ran away because they didn't want you!" She yelled.

I tried to get away but one of her friends grabbed my arm holding me down while Paige jumped on it. The crack still haunted me sometimes.

I screamed so loud that day begging the teachers to help me but they just stood there watching none of them cared because they belonged to our pack too and that was the day I realized nobody was ever going to save me not the teachers, not the Luna and not even the Alpha.

When I told the Alpha and Luna what happened they blamed me instead.

"You should know your place Omega," Luna Jasmine told me coldly.

After that the abuse only became worse.

I slowly pushed myself off the floor ignoring the sharp pain in my side my whole body ached as I limped toward the bathroom sink. Blood stained the corner of my mouth and I washed it away quietly sometimes I wondered how my life would've turned out if my parents never disappeared.

Would I still be treated like this? Or would they have protected me from becoming the pack punching bag?

People always called them traitors but nobody would tell me exactly what they did every time I asked questions the pack members either ignored me or became aggressive but I remembered my parents.

I remembered my mother's smile and I remembered my father carrying me on his shoulders through the forest while I laughed those weren't the memories of parents who hated their child so no matter what everyone said, I couldn't bring myself to believe they abandoned me willingly.

I searched for them for years every chance I got I looked around town hoping maybe I would see them somewhere. Hoping one day they would come back for me but years passed without a trace and sometimes it felt like they never even existed.

A sigh escaped my lips as I carefully opened the door making sure the hallway was empty and luckily the coast was clear at least for now. I slowly walked outside feeling the cold night air brush against my bruised skin. The full moon shined brightly above me lighting up the dark forest surrounding the pack grounds.

I stared at it quietly. "I guess you saw that, huh?" I asked bitterly.

The moon remained silent.

I started walking toward the woods where my small cabin stood far away from the other pack houses the Alpha forced me to move there when I turned fifteen.

"You can't stay near decent wolves," he told me that day.

I remembered standing there holding the tiny bag containing all my clothes while everyone watched me leave like I was some disgusting animal that was the day I found the old cabin hidden deep in the woods it was broken and falling apart when I first saw it but over the years I fixed it the best I could it wasn't much but it was mine and inside those walls nobody could touch me.

I limped through the forest trying to ignore the pain shooting through my leg and ribs with every step if I had a wolf my body would've healed faster by now but I didn't and that was another reason everyone thought I was cursed.

I was twenty years old and still wolfless most wolves shifted at eighteen and met their mates soon after. I waited for my wolf on my eighteenth birthday with so much hope in my heart but nothing happened.

No voice in my head, no shift nothing by nineteen I gave up hoping the pack members said the Moon Goddess cursed me because of my parents sins maybe they were right I didn't know anymore finally I reached my cabin and pushed the door open.

The familiar scent of wood and old blankets greeted me immediately making my shoulders relax slightly I locked the door before walking toward my tiny bed I was starving my stomach growled painfully reminding me I hadn't eaten all day.

The pack cook sometimes brought leftovers when nobody was paying attention but tonight she didn't come maybe there wasn't enough food left or maybe someone caught her helping me.

I wasn't allowed to work outside the pack either the Alpha made sure of that after I finished school.

"If she starves then she starves," I once overheard him telling another pack member too bad for him I learned how to survive alone years ago. I usually hunted fish or rabbits in the woods but tonight I was too weak. My body felt heavy from the beating earlier.

I grabbed a glass filling it with water before drinking slowly trying to ignore the hunger twisting my stomach sometimes I wondered why I stayed here. Why not leave? Why not run far away from this place But becoming a rogue was dangerous because most packs killed rogues the second they crossed their borders and deep down a small part of me still hoped my parents would return one day.

What if they came back and couldn't find me?

I walked toward the bedroom window opening it wider allowing the cold breeze to drift inside. The moonlight poured through the room making everything glow softly.

I stared at the moon again.

"Maybe you really do hate me," I whispered quietly.

I shook my head immediately. "You bumped your head too hard, Char."

I crawled into bed wincing when pain shot through my ribs the room was silent except for the sound of the wind outside. I closed my eyes trying to sleep but my thoughts kept racing.

Where are they? Are they alive? Do they ever think about me?

A tear slipped down my cheek before I quickly wiped it away. "Don't start crying now," I muttered to myself.

"No amount of tears will bring them back."

Still more tears came no matter how hard I tried stopping them eventually exhaustion pulled me into darkness.

Dream...

A strange light filled my room making my eyes snap open I sat up quickly looking around in confusion my entire room glowed silver then I saw her. A beautiful woman stood near the window. Her long blonde hair shimmered like gold beneath the moonlight while her glowing white dress flowed around her.

She didn't look real.

Water suddenly surrounded my room along with hundreds of water lilies floating around me and I froze staring at her.

She smiled softly before stepping closer. "It's almost over Charlotte," she said gently.

My brows furrowed in confusion. "Who are you?"

She chuckled quietly. "That doesn't matter dear child."

I swallowed nervously keeping my eyes on her.

"What matters is who you're destined to become."

My irritation immediately rose. "I already know what I'm destined to be," I snapped bitterly. "An Omega."

Sadness flashed across her face. "Oh child," she whispered softly. "You are so much more than that."

I stared at her completely confused. What was she talking about?

She moved closer reaching her hand toward me but stopped inches away. "You are stronger than you know Charlotte. Hold on a little longer. Don't give up now after everything you've survived."

"What do you mean?" I asked quickly.

But she only smiled sadly. "When the time comes you will understand."

I quickly tried standing up wanting answers but the second my feet touched the ground the woman disappeared.

My eyes snapped open and I looked around breathing heavily the room was dark again there was no glowing water, no woman nothing.

I ran my hand through my hair trying to calm my racing heart. "It was just a dream," I whispered.

But somehow it didn't feel like one. I laid back down staring at the ceiling unable to sleep anymore.

Who was that woman? Why did she feel so familiar? And why did her words make my chest ache strangely?

I turned toward the open window watching the moon shining brightly above the trees and for the first time in years something inside me felt different not happiness and not exactly hope either but something was coming and I could feel it.