Chapter 2 Uncomfortable 1

My alarm blaring rose from my sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced to see the emotional me had set an alarm for six before I passed out so that I could go for a morning walk. Thanks, emotional me!

Not bothering to shower since I did last night, I only washed my face before pushing my hair into a beanie. I brushed my teeth and changed into some joggers and an extra-large jumper. I always wore baggy clothes as it turned the jokes about my body into jokes about my clothes. Better for my ego, I suppose.

I wore my cheap white trainers that squeaked little on the wood floor. I quietly made my way out of my room and followed the hallways downstairs. The main front doors were already unlocked since the omegas on breakfast duty today would've been up since five.

The front door shut softly behind me and I deeply inhaled as the breath-taking sunrise across the mountain range met my eyes.

This was the only time I ever had peace for myself. Early in the morning, when all the important pack members were asleep. It was just the lower ranks rushing around cleaning or cooking. Thankfully, I had today off work. Most pack members didn't treat me fairly, but Alpha Xander ensured everyone received fair treatment in terms of work. Little did he know I was constantly the target of everyone's insecurities.

Let me get into this a little.

When I was three years old, they found me floating in a river, my body marred with marks and burns. I have no recollection of how I ended up in that river and clinging to a tree branch, but Alpha Xander and his men were out on patrol when I washed into their sand bed.

After hearing that a resistance pack took down a pack in the mountains, he immediately took me in. I never did, and still never, know the full extent of the situation. I was told that there was no longer a pack there, otherwise I would've gone exploring a long time ago.

People did not accept my type well. I was an outsider who took up Alpha Xander's time, so he left me in the trust of an omega family. My adoptive parents were lovely, but even they did not realize the extent of the torments I awaited just for existing. It didn't help that I was twenty years old and still haven't shifted.

Most female wolves shift when they turn fourteen, usually after they have gone through human puberty. Male wolves turned at sixteen years old since they went through puberty later than us. It was always a celebration when a normal wolf shifted; a hunt usually followed by a BBQ and a night of partying.

When I turned eighteen, no one seemed to care other than my parents. We weren't exactly sure of my age, so we went with my "GOTCHA" day for my birthday celebrations. They estimated me to be shy of three when they took me in, so we just went with it. Along with being an outsider, I had not shifted, hence the bullying. In a pack's eyes, I was not normal and most did not want me here.

Alpha Xander has two children, a daughter called Audrey, and a son called Harry who had yet to take over since he had not found his mate; soul mate, that is.

Every single wolf had a soul mate, another half made just for them. We find our soulmates at eighteen years old and a wolf born into alpha status like Harry cannot take the position until they have a mate or the old Alpha dies. They can challenge the position, but that is to the death. That is why Ruth is his to-be mate. If he does not find his true mate by twenty-five, he gets betrothed to a female worthy of the position. Pack politics.

The elders always said that a wolf's 'true potential' is achieved through mating. That's why he cannot take over his father's leadership. He was twenty-four now, still mate less. His sister Audrey was turning eighteen this week, hence why the wolves were running about cooking and cleaning. It's not every day your alpha pup turns eighteen.

Strolling through the woods, I followed the stream I was lost in so many years ago. If I had just kept drifting, maybe I would've found a better pack that accepted me more. One that didn't harm me both mentally and physically.

I rubbed the faded white marks that adorned my skin. The burns I had received as a child were so severe that even enhanced wolf DNA could not shift the scarring. I was thankful that the pack doctor could skin graft and save what he could, but most of the scars were on my arms and legs. I must've been crawling through the fire or something; nothing about my childhood makes sense. But I remember the pain and the needles, and I have hated hospitals ever since.

I longed for my history and my heritage, but it was all burnt to the ground and destroyed. From what I was told, no pack inhabited that land anymore; they left it for nature to take over.

Glancing at my worn watch, I was astounded to find it was six-thirty am already, so I made my way back to the packhouse in my constant daydream. Most wolves were up at eight for breakfast and training, so I hurried so that I could confine myself away from their hate-filled glares.

Someone was pounding on my door.

Taking off my headphones, I was unaware of who it was since I did not have the heightened wolf's senses or mind link yet. Merely human, with just the hint of wolf DNA waiting to come to life.

"Who is it?" I asked politely.

"It's moi." The deep voice chuckled.

I smiled and spun around from my desk. "Come in Dad."

He entered with a cheerful smile. His warm chocolate eyes glanced around until he found me sitting at my desk in the corner.

"Working hard?" He wondered, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

I chuckled. "D-Dad, even y-y-you know I'm not d-d-doing anything."

He sat on the edge of my bed, fluffing my pillow. "Yeah, I know, Dad. This is my only day off in the week!"

I gaped at his imitation. "I do-do n-not sound like that!"

He hummed. "Okay Lolly, sure you don't."

I grumbled at the use of my nickname but turned back around and continued with my drawing. My parents had named me Lydia Hope, which translated to new hope, rather corny, if you ask me. But Dad insisted on calling me Lolly.

"Richard," I grumbled.

"That is father to you, Lolly." He chuckled, not bothered by the use of his name. "Ah well, best be off. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go for the pack run."

I shook my head. "Dad, you know I can't sh-shift, and they'll just b-b-bully me about it."

My father knew of the torments to a certain extent; though it was just name-calling. But he persisted in me joining in on the pack fun even though he knew I never would.

"Okay Lolly, if you change your mind, I'll be the most handsome wolf there." He chortles before leaving the room.

I blew my fringe from my face with a roll of my eyes. Dad was so cocky, even as an omega; he was proud. With wavy, chin-length brown hair that he always curved behind his ears, he was proud of his appearance and still caught the eye of many women, even though he was mated.