I ran.

I ran as if my legs were breaking, like the earth itself would open up and swallow me whole if I stopped. Each heavy breath set my lungs on fire,, but I didn’t care. I just needed to get away from all of them. 

The memory of his cruel laughter echoed in my head as I whipped past branches. My own brother. He’d watched. He’d let them touch me…and this wasn’t the first time. 

My chest heaved when I finally reached the stream, collasping my rubber knees in the shallow water. The icy current bit into my flesh, but it wasn’t enough. I needed to scrub it off. All of it. The filth. The shame. The hands that had groped me, the roughness of their touch still burning on my skin. 

I tore off my dress and threw it somewhere, probably on one of the rocks and clawed at my bare skin. The water swirled red but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t wash away the disgust. 

My hands trembled as I splashed water over my face and into my mouth, choking back sobs as I spat it back out, mixed with the disgusting salty taste on my tongue. No! I screamed silently as his words echoed in my head again. 

“You all can do whatever you want with her. Don’t just fuck her pussy. Her virginity belongs to me.” my own brother had said that. That was his only rule. As if that made it better or made me less broken. 

A soft giggle suddenly shattered the silence. My eyes snapped open but I couldn’t see through the blur of tears. Before I could move, something sharp jabbed into my ribs. 

I screamed, or at least I tried to. No sound came out. Just a hollow desperate gasp. 

Laughter erupted around me. I blinked hard and my vision finally cleared enough to see them. The other omega maids. Their faces were twisted with amusement as they poked at me with long sticks. 

“Looks like snow finally decided to get rid of that black stench.” One sneered, her voice dripping with mockery. 

I tried to cover myself, wrapping my arms around my chest, but they just laughed harder. 

“Aww, don’t be shy. You are all skin and bones anyway.” 

My throat began to close up in panic as they continued to taunt me. All I wanted was to grab my dress and run away but it was as if they heard my thoughts. In the next moment, their leader jumped forward, ripping my clothes from the rocks where I’d left them to dry. My heart slammed against my ribs as I reached for them, shaking my head frantically. 

“Please,” The word caught in my throat, soundless. I mouthed it again, tears streaming down my face. Please. Please. 

They didn’t care. They never did. One of them shoved me back into the water and I hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from my lunggs. 

“Good luck walking back like that!” another jeered before they disappeared into the trees, leaving me naked and trembling. 

I curled into myself, shivering as the cold seeped into my bones. My body shook, and for a moment, I wished the stream would just rise up and drown me. It would be easier. 

But I couldn’t stay here. The senior maid would kill me if i didn’t finish my chores. 

So I dragged myself out of the water, wrapping my hands around my chest as I stumbled to my feet. My whole body felt like it was collapsing in on itself and every step I took towards the packhouse felt like an agony. The dirt and gravel bit into my bare feet, but I kept going. 

Tears blurred my vision as I approached the omega packhouse. My heart pounded in my chest, fear clawing at my throat. The warriors would be in the hallway. I knew it. They always were. 

But this time, by some luck, the passageway was empty. I let out a shaky breath and began to run towards my room but I ran right into the Senior maid. 

Her eyes narrowed the moment she saw me. “What the hell is this?” She spat, storming towards me. She had a heavyset shoulder and huge arms that shook whenever she walked. That same arm lashed out before I could react, and the slap sent stars dancing behind my lids. “I only sent you to deliver a parcel and you lose your clothes?” 

“You filthy whore! I know what you’re trying to do! I’ve heard the stories from the guards. You’re walking around naked, like a slut, trying to tempt the men.” her southern accent was even stronger as she spat at me with contempt. 

The tears running down my cheeks were endless as I shook my head, wishing I had a fucking voice! 

“You need to learn your damn lesson!” 

Suddenly, she moved those huge arms behind her and in a flash, her whip cracked against my back. I bit down hard on my lip, tasting blood. The pain was white-hot, burning through me as she struck again and again. 

When she finally stopped, I could barely stand. My body trembled, bruised and bleeding. 

“You’re nothing but trouble, Snow, always have been. You have the alpha to thank that these virile warriors haven’t fucked your cunt yet if not, with your loose behavior, you’d have at least twenty pups.” 

I could only cry, sniffling silently as blood dripped down my entire nude body. I didn’t know why the warriors always lied that I tried to seduce them. Anytime they groped me or used my mouth, I bit them on their member until they punched me into submission and over time, I just learnt to accept it. It would be over sooner if I just gave them my mouth. 

She folded her arms, tapping her fingers against the whip she had now returned to her belt. “Listen carefully. Tomorrow, you and the other maids are leaving for the Hallow pack. You know it’s the big annual mating ceremony and they need extra hands to clean up after their precious alphas and Lunas. That’s all you’ll ever be good for–scrubbing floors and serving food.” 

Her lips curled into a smirk. “Don’t get any ideas about the ceremony. You’re not there to mingle, just to serve. And if I hear so much as a whisper that you’ve stepped out of line, I’ll make sure your punishment is worse than what you got today.” 

I flinched as she stepped closer to me. “Pack whatever rags you call clothes. The bus carrying the maids leaves in a few hours, and if you’re late, I’ll whip you till you can’t walk.” 

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I nodded. 

“Good,” she spat, “Now get out of my sight.” 

She didn’t even complete her statement before I weakly dragged myself toward my room, feeling like I was taking a death march. 

When I finally closed the door behind me and collapsed onto my mattress, the dam broke. I sobbed, my body shaking as I buried my face in the thin pillow. 

This was my life. This has always been my life since I could understand how to read. 

After my parents were murdered, everything changed. Everyone blamed me, especially my brother. They said I couldn’t control my powers and I’d killed them. I was just ten. My wolf had come too early, but no one listened when I tried to tell them the truth. 

Choking back hiccups, I dried my face and moved away from my bedding. The mattress ruffled as I lifted it, revealing the knife and the vial of wolfsbane I’d hidden there. My chest tightened and tears blurred my vision again. 

Tomorrow would be my nineteenth birthday. The day I finally escaped from this earth. 

But before that, I had one wish. Just one. To meet my mate. To feel the sacred bond. Just once. 

Even if it was for only one magical night.