One

CHAPTER ONE

"ROLL ON THE GROUND AND CLEAN IT UP! ROLL ON THE GROUND AND CLEAN IT UP!"

Lupita looked on in despair as they all chanted. She looked down at the spilled drink before her and wondered what wrong she had done to deserve what befell her.

Lupita was the most picked on slave. Her rank was the lowest in the pack. Omegas were better than she was.

For some reason Lupita could not fathom, everyone picked on her more than they did to the other slave. She had lost the memories of the first eight years of her life so it was probably because of a mistake she had made during that period, but she could not remember anything. What she had done wrong was unknown to her and no one was close enough to her to tell her what had happened.

Lilith, the sister of the current Beta and the daughter of the previous Beta, had ‘accidentally’ spilled her drink and of course, Lupita had to clean it up. She had no problem with cleaning Lilith's drink up. What she had a problem with was how Lilith wanted her to clean it up.

"Hey," Lilith called out, snapping her fingers at Lupita's face. "You're nothing but a slave so you should do whatever we ask of you. My drink is spilled and you should clean it up."

"And I will. I just need to get the mop," Lupita said with a small voice and Lilith giggled.

"Darling," She called out gently— too gently, placing her hands on Lupita's shoulder like she cared. Then, she cackled and squeezed Lupita's shoulder and Lupita winced in pain. Lilith looked at her face, glaring hard at her. "I'm the one to decide how it gets cleaned. You would roll over the spilled drink till the floor is sparkling clean. Because, you're nothing but a rag."

Having said that, Naomi pushed her and her butt hit the ground.

"ROLL ON THE GROUND AND CLEAN IT UP!" They all continued chanting. Someone kicked her back and she fell flat on her face. She felt another kick on her waist and she rolled as she winced in pain.

She shut her eyes close to stop the tears building up from rolling down her cheeks.

NO! DON'T LET THOSE TEARS FLOW.

As she rolled over the spilled drink, her eyes became heavier with tears. Soon, it'll burst open and all the tears will flow freely. They'll all see how weak she was.

DON'T LET THEM SEE YOUR PAIN. BOTTLE IT ALL UP.

Her clothes were damp now. She felt uncomfortable as the liquid penetrated her clothes and caressed her skin. What pained her more was how the others had looked down on her and embarrassed her.

As she thought of it, she could not hold it in anymore.

Tears flowed.

The laughter increased and more tears flowed as they all jabbed at her and mocked her.

When she was done, she ran out of the room, away from their taunts to seek solace.... Or cry out loud and ask the moon goddess what mistake she had made for her to have given her a miserable life.

~~~

"Sorry."

Lupita stopped crying as she heard the word. She had left the room to the pack's garden. The place was hardly visited by the werewolves so she was always alone whenever she visited. That was what she needed now. She needed to be alone. So, who had said that?

She stood up from the ground, spun around and she saw Conan. Conan was an Omega. The pack members were sometimes rude to him, but like the other Omegas, he was not treated as badly as she was.

Lupita wondered why he came here. They had never spoken to each other before. He would always watch in pity as she got bullied, but he had never for once said a word to her.

He took subtle steps toward her until he was close enough to her. With the back of her palm, Lupita cleaned off the tears that were on her face. She sat down on the grass and Collins did the same. He sat beside her.

He did not say another word to her and she did not say a word to him either.

"Don't let them get to you," Conan finally said after a while of silence.

"Y— you should not be here with me," Lilith began with a sad look. "If they see you talking to me, you might end up like me. They'll begin to bully you."

"Well, nobody is here and they hardly come to this place. So, I'm pretty much safe."

Their eyes met but Lupita looked away. Conan looked at her for a while and then he smiled. She looked cute.

"I'm Conan by the way," he said, putting his hand out for a handshake. Lilith eyed his hands and then she looked up at his face without making any move to shake his hands.

"I know."

"Oh! Well, that makes us both. I know your name too. You're Lupita."

"Yeah, everybody knows me." She gave him a sad smile. "Unfortunately, they don't know me in a good way."

"Lupita," Collins called out softly and she looked at him. "The other werewolves are just too stupid to not see how unique you are. You're beautiful and tolerant. I've watched you closely recently and I can say that you're pure at heart. The universe seems cruel but with time, everything should fall in place."

He smiled.

"So," he continued, extending his hands again for a handshake. "You should not let them get to you and feel like you don't deserve the kindness of others."

Lupita smiled back at him. "You're not wrong. They're all arseholes for treating me badly. I deserve better." s

Her smile widened and she placed her hand in his.

~~~

"How is she?"

Alpha Romulus' voice was husky and intimidating.

"Miserable," the werewolf before him replied. "Just as you want her to be. Her birthday is in three days. She will most probably get her wolf that day and maybe, a mate, but her status in everyone's eyes should reduce much more than it has."

"We make sure her food is laced with wolfsbane. How would she get her wolf?" one of the guards said. "You should not trouble yourself again and leave..."

Before he could finish talking, Alpha Romulus threw the silver bullets at him and they struck him, killing the guard on spot. Everyone present shuddered in fear and they did not dare to say a word.

"Does anyone have unsolicited advice to give?" Alpha Romulus asked nonchalantly like he had done nothing.

"No, my Lord," his guards chorused.

"The pre-phase is almost" over," he said with a smirk. "In three days, phase one would begin."