Chapter 3 - Mari

I eased myself out of bed with a long stretch, having laid there for so long waiting for all sound of movement within the house to have dissipated. Knowing that the lack of sound meant my brother and my father should have left for their daily work duties, or to attend the pack training. Thankfully I was not expected to train with them…

My belly grumbled with anticipation for the breakfast I was planning to make the moment I stepped into the kitchen. I was hungry. But, it was only as I rushed down the main staircase of the house, my body still aching, in desperate need of a strong coffee was I suddenly aware of a second presence within the house. There was movements. They were only slight, but now that I was downstairs I could hear them. And my wolf, weak as she was, became on edge. That was indicator enough on it's own. Then, his familiar scent hit me the moment I walked through the kitchen door. My father.

I had hoped he was at work. But his dark eyes watched me the instant I stepped into the room. His jaw tight. This was the face of a man I hated. “I wondered when you would come skulking out of your room.” He snarled, and any appetite left me instantly. I wanted to scurry back to my room...

I knew better than to scurry away before he had done a thing. That would only feed his temper. I assumed he was implying he thought I had slept too late? “I did not sleep well.” I told him. That was not a lie. My sleep was filled with nightmares as it so often was. Nightmares of him stepping past the usual slaps and verbal abuse. Him unable to reign in the overwhelming anger that seemed to take over, and leaving him in nothing but in a red haze of rage.

A rage that would end my life. My nightmare that replayed over and over, I feared was me foretelling my fate…

“And? What do you want, sympathy?” He snapped, slamming his coffee mug upon the countertop of the breakfast bar within the large open plan kitchen. Of course. No matter what I said or did was going to be wrong.

“I was…” I began to explain, despite knowing no explaination would suffice.

“I do not expect an explaination. I expected you up at a decent hour like your brother. I have sat here quietly waiting. You have work to do.” He demanded. The thing was, I have been awake since a decent hour, as my father calls it. I had heard my brother arise, and shower, preparing for his day ahead. I had heard him leave. I had assumed that it was my father leaving too. He clearly had been keeping quiet. Lulling me into a false sense of security. Any movements he had made were small. And, now my wolf was weaker, my hearing was not as strong as it should be. I had not picked up on it. She grew weaker by the day I feared. Wolfsbane, I was sure. I just needed to discover how he was lacing me with it. Poisoning me. Sedating me. Just as he had been since the day my wolf had come.

His eyes met mine. But I have no intention of arguing the point with my father. Because then I would be expected to explain why I then chose to hide out in my room. Hide away in the hopes he was gone...

His eyes are upon me. Dark. Filled with resentment and hate. The same feelings I hold toward him. Only I have true reason for my feelings. He appears to be waiting for a response. I knew there was my usual task around the home that were waiting for me. That was my sole purpose to this man. I was his personal slave. Nothing more than an omega. Cooking. Cleaning. A personal maid. I knew what I had to do around the home. But I was unsure of their urgency.

“I know, and I plan to do them as soon as I have breakfast and have a shower.” I explained. This had been the case ever since I was old enough to complete all of this tasks in a manner to his satisfaction. I dread to think what life must have been like for my mother if this is how he treated her… not that I have any reason for thinking that he had. All tales I hear of them, they were very much in love, and he worshipped her. Treated her like a queen.

“You think I sat here wasting my precious time over some fucking chores? Wake yourself up to reality, Mari. Though you will not be getting away with not doing them, oh, no. The chores will have to wait until this evening. Alpha stated that you were aware of the new computer system they are using?” His voice was irritated, like the mere fact I knew something he did not was frustrating him.

I enjoyed studying. My entire time in school and college had been enjoyable; and not just because it was an opportunity to escape the prison like home I was enduring when here. I loved to learn. Here he mentioned a brand new software the pack were planning on introducing for their business. Though, what this had to do with me, I had no clue. They had people they brought in to handle all of this.

“Yes, I think so. We learned of it in college. Plus I did additional training online.” I explained, and his eyes narrowed.

“Hmm, Matthew may have mentioned it.” He muttered. Matthew, or Matty to most, was the Alpha’s son, and would one day be our new Alpha. My brother’s friend, but also a friend to me, as he was in my year of school. Our father’s being friends meant we had grown up alongside one another too.

Before I could say anything more my father stood from the bar stool at the breakfast bar. “Alpha Aaron decided your presence could be helpful. Better than paying for the hired help to be at our beck and call over the length of time our guests are here. I assume you know enough of this software to be capable of handling issues if needed? Plus he said you could be used as general omega too, meeting and greeting. Helping the guests where needed. Keeps you busy and helping the Alpha too, makes you fucking useful for a change. Imagine that, the waste of space that is my daughter actually coming in useful.”

His insults were intended to hurt, but all his words meant little anymore. I was used to much worse. I simply nodded. I think I should be able to manage what they were asking of me. I could easily refresh my memory on the software to ensure I was aware of it all again. Though, I had no clue of the guests he was talking of, but this was a change to my day to day routine, and while it meant I would be working day and night, I was glad of the change.

“When does this start?” I asked, already beginning to look forward to it.

“Alpha Carter of Obsidian Storm Pack and his people will be here anytime, so get your sorry behind upstairs and make yourself presentable. I do not expect you to show me up, Mari.” His tone was vicious.

My stomach tightened with his words. Obsidian Storm Pack? They were renowned… Vicious. Brutal. And their Alpha was meant to be one of the worst. Did I really want to be helping him? I thought my own Dad was hard to please I could only imagine this Alpha would be even worse…