Chapter 1 – What Now

“LUCY!” I heard Alpha Ranger roar at me through the house.

I was folding towels in the laundry room located in the basement of the pack house. My hands began to tremble as I hear him yell, “GET YOUR SORRY ASS UP HERE!”

I quickly raced up the steps and nearly stumbled over my own feet. I entered the kitchen to find Alpha Ranger standing next to his girlfriend, Miranda. She was tall, blonde and beautiful, but she was ugly on the inside. I graduated high school three months ago, and although Miranda tormented me in school and made me miserable, I still liked going. It was a break from my chores and being the pack slave.

I also miss eating every day, even though most kids hated school lunch, it was often the only meal I had.

The kitchen smelled great as the cooks prepared breakfast. My stomach growled loudly at me; I haven’t eaten in three days. I only get table scraps and leftovers, since werewolves have big appetites, I often go days without eating.

“Yes Alpha.” I nodded my head down in submission.

“Lucy, I’m only going to ask you once, did you take Miranda’s iWatch?”

My mind was racing, and panic started to set in. She was accusing me of taking her iWatch. What the hell would I do with an iwatch? I don’t even know how to use electronics; I’ve never had any.

I’m not a thief! Even if I don’t have much besides my raggedy old clothes, I would never steal from anyone. My eyes filled with unshed tears. “No Alpha, I would never.”

“She’s lying babe, Lucy’s the only one who’s been in my room. I think she needs to be punished.” Miranda screeched.

Ranger stared at me and for a moment, his beautiful blue eyes seemed to flash sadness, but it was quickly gone. He stood tall, well over six feet, jet black hair, muscled body with his arms folded across his chest. I felt a strange pull in my heart. I wanted to beg him not to punish me, to tell him that Miranda was wicked, to make him see the truth, to touch his chest! Wait, what am I thinking? Touch his chest? He was twenty-five, looked like a Greek God and still had not found his mate. Of course, everyone wanted to touch his chest!

Ranger was stone faced for a moment before he spoke. “Lucy, as punishment you will not have any food for the next three days, thievery will not be tolerated around here. You’re lucky I don’t throw you in the hole.”

He walked out of the kitchen and left me standing there alone with Miranda.

“Watch yourself loser. I’m going to be your Luna soon and when I am, I will have the power to do whatever I want to you.”

I turned around and went out the back-door walking towards the woods. Some of the wild berry bushes still had fruit on them, if I was lucky, I might be able to eat a handful before I returned to my chores. I was responsible for cleaning the pack house and all the laundry. There was no way for me to sneak food from the kitchen, I was entirely at the mercy of the leftovers and scraps that I got a few times a week.

When I reached the woods, I sat for a moment on a big fallen tree log to take some deep breaths. I enjoyed breathing the fresh pine smell as a cool breeze blew through the trees. I shivered for a moment in my baggy shirt and yoga pants.

I was small for a she wolf and thinner than I wanted to be. I was five foot, three inches tall with striking amber colored eyes. My skin was fair, and my hair was waist length and dark.

In a few weeks from now, I would finally be eighteen and experience my first shift. I only hope I’m strong enough to handle the first shift which can be very painful and takes a lot of energy. I was also hoping to meet my mate soon and be saved from my daily abuse.

“Please Moon Goddess, have someone kind and loving paired with me. Someone who won’t reject me and will love me regardless.” I silently prayed.

Our pack was attacked by rogues four years ago. My father was a warrior and was killed during the attack along with my younger half brother and sister. Benjamin and Brianna were twins that belonged to my father and his second chance mate Ursa, they were playing in the front yard when the attack occurred. They were only eleven when they were killed. Ursa is my stepmother and has never really treated me well. I was a spitting image of my mother and reminded her of my father’s true love. My mother died when I was a baby, no one ever talked about her, and I only have two photos of her.

When the attack occurred, I was cleaning the attic and organizing the boxes up there, just as Ursa had told me to do. I had done everything she had asked me to do and tried to gain her love and affection, but she never liked me. She faked being nice to me when my father was around and only tolerated me. Now, she had an excuse to really hate me, she blamed me for the death of her children. Ursa often said I should have been watching them in the yard and keeping them safe. I was only fourteen, unable to shift or do anything. Sometimes I think she blames me for surviving and wishes I had died that day. On occasion, even I find myself wishing I had died that day too.

After my father and siblings were buried, Ursa threw me out of my father’s house which had belonged in the Michaels family for generations. The house was rightfully mine, but the Alpha did nothing about it. Ursa also happens to be Miranda’s aunt, being cruel runs in their blood.

Ranger’s father was Alpha Knox LaRue, he was good friends with my father, who was his best warrior. Alpha Knox had also lost his mate, our

Luna, in the same rogue attack. He took pity on me and gave me a nice room at the pack house. He was always nice to me.

Two months later, Alpha Knox’s oldest son Ranger, became twenty-one and took over our pack as Alpha of Dark Moon. Ursa’s niece, Miranda, hated me and she was a popular girl because she was the daughter of our Beta, her brother Max is now the Beta. Miranda turned all the kids against me, and I had no friends. The few friends I had started avoiding me. I became a loner and the pack punching bag in two short months of losing everything, my family, friends and home.

Alpha Knox lives in the Alpha family home a few miles north of the pack house and is rarely seen around. I assume he’s either become a hermit or is traveling. Ranger doesn’t have a Luna yet, because of this, Ursa became Ranger’s house manager and runs the day to day operations of the pack house. She immediately moved me out of my comfortable room at the pack house and down to the basement in the Laundry room.

I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard some footsteps behind me and turned around to find Miranda standing there with her minions.

“What now?” I asked feeling annoyed.

“Someone needs an attitude adjustment. Let’s give this little thief what she deserves.” She smirked back.

I was always so busy with housework, that I was never allowed to train. I was weak and they preyed on weakness. I tried to run back to the pack house but was grabbed by Beth, a mean girl with a hard punch. She punched me in the mouth and split my lip wide open as I hit the tree behind me. When I landed on the ground, all five of them started kicking me all over. I tried to curl up in a ball and protect myself as much as I could.

“Look at her, she’s so weak.” One of the girls said. “She needs to be put in her place.” Beth said.

“You’re sad and pathetic Lucy, no one is ever going to want you.” Miranda spat.

Someone landed a hard kick to the back of my head and I saw stars. The forest was spinning, and I couldn’t see straight, everything was blurry. From a distance I heard a familiar male voice call out, “What’s going on? What have you done?”

I felt warm strong arms lift me up and carry me as the darkness pull me under.