Chapter 2 TMR

365 DAYS BEFORE THE CRIMSON WAR "How many times do I need to tell you, I don't work with lazy wolves, you piece of trash!" The old Celine shouted at every female pack nurse in the room. One of the female pack nurses was a twenty-year-old young lady. As a pack nurse, she was living the worst form of life any human being could possibly hope not to experience. From ensuring that medications were prescribed to all pack members, to making cleaning in up the Pack HQ, she did it all.

On this occasion, she had missed the morning duties because she had a fever, but old Celine was not being considerate. "I am sorry Celine, I promise it will not happen again," Nora continued to plead with the head nurse. Nora knew that none of the pack nurses would get this form of bad treatment like she would easily get due to her predicament. Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, the door opened, and in that moment, Nora felt goosebumps of fear strike her. Apparently, her worst nightmare had just stepped into the room. It was Lucy, the daughter of the highest-ranking pack officer, second to the Alpha, the Beta and one of the very popular persons that detested Nora so much. As Lucy stepped into the room, every nurse stood at attention and bowed their heads in respect. Silence engulfed the crevices of the entire room. "She and the rest of the nurses failed to perform their duties; I want you to deal with her especially, so she serves as a lesson to be learned by others to never abscond from their responsibilities in this pack again," Celine explained to Lucy. It wasn't strange for the old lady to be answering to Lucy because in a werewolf pack, rank was what mattered. She was the daughter of the second most powerful werewolf and every single person, old or young had to give her that respect. Lucy smirked, nodded and approached Nora briskly like a predator circling her prey, still with that smirk on her face; she grabbed hold of Nora's hair and pulled it back, Nora could feel her scalp tearing up. "You weakling, I find it hard to believe that the Alpha would even let you live...you are a disgrace to this pack and every member in it. You haven't transformed yet and you still don't have a mate. What a failure" she said aggressively as she slammed Nora's head onto the wall. Everyone in the room watched in disbelief. Lucy turned to the rest of the nurses and shouted at them to leave. They all fled the scene except old Celine. "You weakling, I find it hard to believe...you are a disgrace to this pack and every member in it," she said aggressively as she slammed Nora's head onto the wall. Everyone in the room watched in disbelief. Lucy turned to the rest of the pack nurses and yelled at them to leave the place. Nora, her voice trembling with pain and fear, tried to reason with Lucy as the torment continued. "Lucy, please, there's no need for this brutality. I had a fever, and I couldn't carry out my duties. I'm trying my best." Lucy, fueled by anger, sneered at Nora's plea. "Your best is worthless, Nora. You've always been a burden to this pack, and we're all tired of it." Struggling to hold back tears, Nora replied, "I don't want to be a burden. I want to belong here, to contribute like everyone else." Lucy's grip on Nora's hair momentarily loosened, and she hesitated for a moment. "Belong? You'll never truly belong when you still haven't transformed. Or have you forgotten, werewolves transform We transform when we are 13 or 14? You are not even a late bloomer. There isn't going to be any blooming for you" Nora, even in her battered state, looked into Lucy's eyes with determination. "I may not have transformed yet, but I have a strong will to serve this pack. I won't stop trying." Lucy spat on the ground beside her and left the room, leaving Nora alone in the room. She used the solitude as an outlet to release her pain in tears. She knew she was weak and was even more human that wolf and that's why she was incessantly bullied. But the question she kept asking herself was, when would it all end? While sobbing Nora reflected on her life for the past few years and how it has been nothing but pain and all she wished for above everything is to find peace. She had been rejected by her mate during the mate ceremony and she sought solace in her work as a nurse but she found no form of comfort in it. She stood up from the corner, still in pains took out the mop and brooms and ensured she cleaned the room before old Celine returned. Once Nora was done checking on some of the sick members of the pack in the sick bay, she retired for the night and went to her room. It was a reserved area commonly meant for the serving nurse and it was relatively small, and it had no window with only the sound of squeaking rats as company at night. Cleaning up her room to sleep, she heard the old metal door that hung across his room open; it was Hannah, her best friend. Hannah had been Nora's friend since the previous year. Hannah had developed a soft spot for poor Nora when she noticed how terribly she was being treated by old Celine and other nurses. "You should eat some food before going to bed, it will help you get strength" Hannah said as she came into the room. She hadn't noticed the horrific bruises and injuries that hung tightly to Nora's body. "What do you think of tomorrow's moon goddess celebration. I know you have some PTSD because of the last one but you can try again to get a mate" Hannah said as she sat on the mat across the room watching her friend eat. Hannah stopped eating and looks at her friend, and with wide eye asked, "Tomorrow is the moon goddess celebration day?" Hannah stared blankly at her friend. "Who in the Pack does not know that the celebration is always once in every blood moon?" Nora just shrugged and something struck her mind and in swift movement turned and looked at her friend "Tomorrow is my birthday" Hannah's eyes went wide as she remembered Nora had told her once that she was born on the same day as the moon goddess celebration day. "That is great news, you get to finally meet your mate" at the sound of the word mate, Nora began to panic for so many reasons. The memories of that night flashed through her mind and tears formed in her eyes. Hannah noticed the countenance of her friend had changed and so asked "Something bothering you?" Nora heaved a sigh and said "Take a look at me, I am all bruised up and have endued so much pain in the hands of everyone" Hannah finally noticed Nora's injuries and she came closer to her friend to observe her body. Her back and head was covered in bruises. Hannah couldn't believe someone her age would go through series of brutal torture in the hands of people she called family, few drop of tears dropped from her eyes as she thought of what her friend is going through and said. "Nora, you have gone through a lot, and I know the moon goddess is watching and would not want any of her children to suffer till infinity. I need you to cast your mind of the past and look to the future. Think about it this way, your mate being someone that would love you for who you are, regardless of the fact you are a serving nurse or regardless of all these flimsy excuses you gave me just now. All that matters is that by tomorrow, you will be blessed with a mate and I can finally see you being all happy once again" and with that Hannah hugged her friend in a comforting manner as Nora cried on her shoulders.