Chapter 0003

LAIKA

The pack was festive as The Alpha and his cohort arrived and were settling into their tents. Tables were set around the pack center and meals were displayed. Werewolves and she-wolves gathered around all looking cheerful. Madam Theresa forbade me from going to the ceremony because I was not fit to be there. I helped dress Erika, her daughter and made her up. I was left with a heap of clothes to wash and finally go to my new master's tent to find out what he would need for the night.

The festival went on without me and I did not care. I was not worthy of any of those masters. I mopped the floor of Madam Theresa's tent. I could do the mopping in the morning, but Madam Theresa had asked me to mop the floor to keep me away from the festival of the arrival of The Alpha and his cohort.

By the time I was done working at Madam Theresa's tent, the night had gone far. The welcome ceremony was almost ending, and I rushed over to my new master's tent to do my last checks before he gets in. We were required to stay in the tent and introduce ourselves to our new masters. I was nervous about meeting my new master and my hands quivered as I went around the tent putting things in order.

"Laika!" I heard my name from outside the tent. It was Erika, she was looking for me.

I took one last look at the room and dashed out, but I crashed into a pillar that was not supposed to be there and yelped, only it was not a pillar. It was a man, a huge man. His scent intoxicated me so much and his touch sent tingles through my body. It was the same scent I perceived earlier. What was Karim doing here? I looked up and his cold green eyes pierced into mine. I was grateful for his arms around me, holding me steady because my knee would have given way.

"Uhm— I am sorry," I apologized, as it started making sense to me. Karim was one of the cohorts that returned with the Alpha. I stepped back; away from him. My eyes dropped to his feet. He wore a muddy boot, still muddy from our earlier encounter.

There was a mistake somewhere. I cannot be mated to one of the warriors I was not worthy of them. I was an Omega of the lowest rank, and I was ugly, no one would accept me. It would be better if I stayed mateless than go through the pain of rejection again.

"Go to the fur and spread your legs wide for me," Karim commanded. His voice was deep and grave.

My eyes snapped open. What does he want me to do? I was not ready to fuck any warrior. I was not ready. Erika was outside waiting for me, and I cannot be fucking anyone when she was there, Madam Theresa will kill me if she finds out. I cannot let Karim see my ugly, scarred body too; it may disappoint him. He probably hates me already, hence he did not acknowledge me as his mate. He had never spoken anything about it. Would he reject me?

"I told you to lie down and spread your legs," he repeated.

"I am— am sorry, I can— can't," I stuttered and moved back.

"I can smell your arousal, Omega. Now, quit being stubborn, spread those legs wide, and welcome me with gratitude."

I stared at him quietly. I was dripping wet now, but I wasn't letting any other man use me like that.

"I am sorry, but I will have to reject your offer."

He froze and stared blankly at me for a while. He looked so stunned more by the fact that he did not believe anyone could reject him. What would he do? My hands quivered and my knees almost wobbled. My heart was hammering in my chest and I thought it would burst. I was torn in two. A part of me regretted why I rejected him, I know this would cause me a lot of trouble, while the part of me that never wanted to do anything with a higher rank werewolf stood firm.

"Are you rejecting me?" he asked.

The way he said it made it sound demeaning and improper. I did not mean to, but I was not ready to be broken inside anymore. I needed to stand firm in my decision and wait for the consequences; I was used to torture anyway.

"I am saying I don't want to have sex—"

"Alpha Karim," someone called from outside interrupting me. It was my turn to freeze, and I stumbled backward.

Karim was Alpha of the Titan Pack? He was the son of the late Alpha Ehiz? I just rejected the Alpha of all Alphas and to top it all he was my M-A-T-E!

"Yes?" the Alpha answered and ducked his head out of his tent to answer whoever called him.

I grabbed that opportunity and picked up my cleaning utensils around the room as quickly as possible and dashed out of the room in a confused haze, my heart in my hands. I had not only rejected him, but I had also disrespected him. What would he do to me? Would I undergo another torture from an Alpha just like Alpha Khalid tortured me? Will he hate me too? Will he make life unbearable for me because I rejected him? All these questions ran through my head as I walked back to my Mistress' tent.

"There she is!" someone said. Her tone was angry, and only then did I realize I was standing in front of Madam Theresa's tent.

I looked up and saw her and Erika standing there glaring at me. What have I done this time? Joy whimpered inside because she sensed the danger, we were about to go in. With my Mistress and her daughter, whatever I did was wrong. Goosebumps blanketed my skin when I saw the long whip in Madam Theresa's hand.

"I warned you not to go to that festival, didn't I?" she growled.

"I didn't go to the festival," I lamented.

Please run, Joy urged me.

I cannot run from Madam Theresa because I was not fast enough anymore. She would tell the men to catch me, and she would torture the hell out of me. I had tried it before and almost died from the repercussion.

I cannot run, Joy, I am sorry.

"Why were you in the Alpha's tent then?" Erika barked.

"I— was— was not— I was assigned to that tent."

The whip landed on my shoulder. I shrieked and crumpled to the floor. Erika came to me and held my legs. Madam Theresa whipped me again. This time I did not scream, my body was used to all the punishment Madam Theresa and her daughter meted out to me. She flogged me to her heart's content and left me writhing on the floor in pain.

"First thing tomorrow, you will go and tell Madam that you want a change of duty, do you hear me?!" Madam Theresa yelled at me.

"Yes, ma." I could barely speak. My whole back was on fire, and I prayed for death to take me with it. If I got this stroke just for being seen in the Alpha's tent, what would they do to me if they find out that I was the first girl Alpha Karim had asked to fuck?

Of all the she-wolves, why did the moon goddess choose me as Alpha Karim's mate? He was a leader, the Alpha, the highest in rank while I was the Omega, the lowest in rank. He was the Alpha of all Alphas, we did not fit in, and we could never be together. I was not worthy of his acceptance. The other she-wolves looking to fuck the Alpha would be livid if they found out that I was the first she-wolf The Alpha showed interest in. I did not want that; I did not want to be noticed.

~~~

I woke early the next morning, at the first crow of the cock. I stood from my ratty fur on the floor and folded it, rushed to the corner where I usually had my bath, and brushed my teeth. I did not take my bath because my skin still ached from the pain of the lashes, I received last night. I did not care about my look anymore because there was no need. Madam Theresa and Erika wanted me to remain as ugly as possible.

I went to the tent, where I kept my little belongings, and took up one of my shapeless dresses. Madam Theresa had removed the band on it so that it would not give me any shape. It hung on me in a shapeless mass, but I did not care. I went out to do my morning round that morning, patiently waiting for Madam and her assistant to wake from sleep.

When the pack became a little busy, I went around to the Madam's tent, she was not there, but her assistant sat there. A hooded eye woman who also hated the sight of me.

"Greetings," I called to her. She eyed me and said nothing. "Uh... I was thinking if I could request a change of duty." She turned to me; her eyes pierced into my skin. I understood she was asking why I was making such a request. "I— I— The Alpha doesn't want me, and he wants me replaced," I lied.

"Of course, he won't want a stupid, Omega scum near him. I will tell Madam about that, get your smelling ass out of here."

I nodded and turned on my heels, leaving the place. The sun was rising in the east now and the warriors were falling out for training. The morning sun bathed their brawny muscles and they looked gigantic as they fell out. This was the only thing they did all their lives, dedicating their whole lives to fighting in an isolated place with no pleasure, only pain.

My eyes caught the mighty Alpha Karim as he stomped out of his tent. He was a huge man with a defined build. He was clad in hide pants with a belt of weapon wrapped around his waist. His chest was bare, just like the other warriors, but he held my gaze. There were slashes across his back and tattoos I could not make out what they meant on his right chest. Now that I knew he was The Alpha, he looked deadlier and more frightening.

Just like a cue, he turned and looked my way, our eyes met, and I tore mine away from him and hurried away. My heart began to hammer in my chest again. I would die from a heart attack before anything happened. I was curious about what was going on in his mind.

I walked into his tent; it was scattered. His weapons were scattered around the tent. It was as if he fought a war in there because different pants were scattered around the room. I huffed and started to rip through the tent, picking up his belongings and arranging them. Alpha Karim was careless. I walked into the other room where his bath was. The water in it was milky from his bath and I would have to remove the water and replace it with a neat one. I could hear The Alpha barking out orders to his warriors and was overwhelmed by the sudden urge to peep at him again, but I shook away the thought from me. I wanted no more drama.

The flap of the tent opened, and Erika stepped in with a tray in hand. The warriors dislike people in their space, except if you work for them or you were permitted to. I wondered why Erika was in The Alpha's tent. Did she get permission from him? Did he grant her request? She glared at me.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I wo— work here."

"I told you to meet Madam today."

"I did, but—"

"Take this tray away from me, place it on that table, and leave right now. I do not want to see you anywhere near The Alpha, he is my future mate. I don't want you bewitching him."

"But I am not done working—"

"I will do the rest. Get out!"

I carried the tray of food from her and placed it on the wooden table in The Alpha's room. Erika does not pick a pin in her mother's tent; I did everything and was surprised that she wanted to work in The Alpha's tent. My heart fell a little at what she said. I knew I was not worthy of any struggle because Alpha Karim would reject me, and Erika was beautiful and gracious. The Alpha would be charmed by her beauty, and he would want to be with the most beautiful girl in the pack and the daughter of the former Beta, than with a weak, cursed Omega like me who was not from their pack in the first place.