Chapter 2 - The first time!

Helena

I kept my head high. He had exiled me. I no longer had to listen to him! The warriors grabbed me and dragged me out of the dining room. I didn’t struggle as they basically dragged me all the way to my room, and finally shoved me inside. It didn’t take more than two minutes to grab my small backpack and stuff my things into it. I didn’t own much. I wanted to take my books, but the warriors wouldn’t allow me, and they shoved me out of the room.

All my life I’ve had to take their beatings and their hateful words, but no more! I was free! I could live my life in peace. I had no plan. No idea where the hell I would go, but I knew that anywhere else was better than staying with the pack. I had no intention of begging Liam to keep me there. I didn’t want to be there!

After the moon goddess revealed her cruelty by choosing that bastard as my mate, I just wanted to find somewhere that I could just live a peaceful life!

The entire pack was waiting as I walked out of the building. One by one, they turned their backs on me as I walked past them. As though they actually cared about me when I was still part of this pack! I left with my head held high, and the tears only started to run when I crossed the border of our territory. I was in no man’s land. I was a lone female without any protection. Rogue territory. Scared that Liam would send warriors after me, I decided to make a run for it. I could worry about finding shelter when daylight came, and it was safe to do so.

I didn’t dare shift for the first couple of hours. I was scared my scent would be stronger if I did. I honestly couldn’t see Liam just letting me go like that! It was not in his nature. It made no sense. The moment kept playing through my mind over and over like a awful movie. My muscles were aching, but I couldn’t stop running.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief as morning came. I knew that things would slowly become easier. Daylight brought new hope. The creatures who wondered these empty unclaimed lands would all be sleeping. I could actually look for someplace to rest and try and figure out what the hell I was going to do. I ran into a couple of rogue scents during the night, so my first priority had to be to hide my scent.

If Liam did send people after me, it would only help if my scent was hidden. I also had to find some food. I hadn’t eaten in hours and my body needed something. My wolf was still whining and crying in the back of my head, but for the first time ever, I couldn’t listen to her. I needed to push on.

Finding a mud puddle, I almost dived in. It had to have been a water source of some kind at one point, but I can’t remember. I didn’t know this territory that well. I tried to remember if they taught us anything about it at school, but my mind was on a mission to drive me mad as a flashback of the past suddenly popped into my thoughts.

Flashback

“You little bitch!” The slap that instantly turned my cheek red, rang through the air and stung far worse than the words. “You’ve ruined my dress! How am I going to face Liam now?!” I kept my eyes lowered no matter how much I wanted to tell her off! I had knocked her glass of water over while trying to sweep her room. “Aren’t you even going to apologize?!” She burst into tears as I heard the door open.

“What’s going on here?!” Liam’s voice echoed throughout the room, silencing the girl for only a moment before she ran into his arms and sobbed. Through her tears, however, she mustered enough strength to tell him what I did, and I knew what was about to happen would be far worse. I had started working on the ranked floors just a couple of days before, but I already knew what our future alpha was like.

“It’s okay, babe. You won’t be wearing the dress for very long in any case.” His words surprised me as I looked up in utter shock. He winked at the girl, who started to blush as he wiped the tears from her cheeks. Only then did I notice her damn cheeks were dry! They deserved each other! She deserved everything he did for her!

I looked away quickly, but it didn’t save me from my punishment. Liam closed the space between us. Thus far I had only heard about his punishments. He lifted my chin and it hurt. It felt as though he was trying to crush my jaw bone!

“YOU will work to pay for that dress!” He growled and as I stole a glance at the girl behind him, I saw her smiling.

“How am I supposed to do that? We don’t get paid!” My fury pushed to the top and the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them! Something flashed in his eyes as an empty smile formed on his lips. This time my entire skull shuddered as the slap rang through the air. Tears sprang into my eyes, not because of what he did or because it hurt. Because of the force with which he hit me.

“I don’t really care how you do it, but you will pay for the dress!” He gripped my chin and glared into my eyes with sheer hatred. I tried to nod, but he hadn’t let go of my damn chin yet.

“Yes, alpha.” I nearly spat the word at him. If his father knew that he was making us call him alpha when he wasn’t the alpha yet, there would be hell to pay. All I could do was hope that the scene his latest little model caused wasn’t enough to draw the attention of his father. I scurried away the second he let me go.

End of flashback

I pushed the memory to the back of my mind. It happened a couple of years ago. It was the first time Liam hit me. I was still learning the ropes of being on their floors. It wasn’t like any of the other omegas were of any help. None of them wanted to work on the ranked floors and, since I was the newest member of the cleaning team, they forced me to do it. I eventually became so good at it, and so numb to the pain of the ranked member’s words and deeds that I just kept on working there.

I had one hope. One hope that had now been completely shattered. If I found a mate, no matter his rank, I would be safe for the first time in my life. I guffawed as I climbed out of the mud puddle and breathed in the forest air. I looked up at the clear blue sky. Some of the stars were still shining brightly even with the sun slowly making its way into the sky.

It was going to be a hot day and I looked at the mud as it dripped from my limbs. Taking a mud bath might not have been the best idea I had since leaving. I sighed deeply and grabbed my small backpack. I was going back and forth about shifting when I heard something rustling behind a bush. Lifting my nose, I caught the scent of the rabbit.

Within the blink of an eye, I stopped wondering and shifted. I knew I would not be able to catch it if I was still in my human form!