Fated To The Evil Viking

I hate daytime. The rise of the sun which usually brings some level of joy to others has only brought sadness to me. My suffering would usually begin with back-breaking chores as the sun rises and would go on and on while getting physically abused in the process, till late in the evening when most pack members finally retire to bed.

What makes it worse is that my body is not strong enough to withstand the magnitude of pain they inflict on me, and I don't heal as fast as a normal werewolf should. I feel the impact of every blow and kick they rained on me more than I would have felt if I had gotten my wolf.

I'm not a normal werewolf you see. I'm a very late bloomer. Normally, the shifting age for werewolves is fifteen years. Sixteen for late bloomers. When I didn't shift at even seventeen years, I became the omega freak who is the butt of every joke. The stress reliever for every frustrated and the punching bag for every aggressive pack member, most especially those that call themselves my family.

Now I'm almost eighteen and for as long as I can remember, I've been insulted and beaten so many times my body has kinda gotten used to it. It's as if they all want to know what it feels like to beat on the freak who smells like a shifter but just wouldn't shift. They wanted to find out how flat I could lie for them to trample on. How strong my body is compared to theirs and how much punishment my body can withstand before it finally begs for mercy

But I refuse to beg. No matter how hard I am kicked and how much pain my body is going through, I have never cowered in fear, nor have I begged for mercy. That is what infuriates them the most about me and what makes me happy the most about them. Oh, how I love to see that look of frustration on their faces when they couldn't break me.

So for me, pain is synonymous with daytime. But nighttime is different. Nighttime means peace and tranquility at last! It is the time I finally get to put my feet up, close my eyes, and forget for the moment all the physical, mental, and emotional abuse I suffered during the daytime.

It is the time I can relax enough so my body can be able to heal till I'm finally able to drift off to la-la land. Nighttime and sleep, my temporary escape from the cruelty that I face daily from my family and pack members.

My name is Ash...

No, not Asher. Not Ashley either. Just plain Ash. Like the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance...

Yeah, strange name for a girl, I know. I guess my parents hate me that much. I mean who named their only daughter Ash, made her drop out of school, and forced her to work as a maid!?

Ever since they made me drop out of school at sixteen, saying I needed to work and contribute to the housekeeping expenses. My mother forced me to work as a maid, the same work she does for a living. While she works at the Alpha's mansion. She made me work at the pack house, cooking for, and cleaning after so many people

Most pack members like my family have their own houses but only high-ranking officials stay in the pack house with their families if they so wish. And most of them do, who would pass on the opportunity of a free maid service?

Today's work is more hectic than usual. All pack officials and elders are gathered inside the pack's dining hall, waiting for the Alpha and his Luna before the day's meeting commences.

'This meeting must be important.' I think to myself, wondering what it is about. I know for sure that the Alpha doesn't necessarily involve the pack elders in a meeting unless it's important and he needs their opinion. Since I dropped out of school and every shifter avoided me like a plague, there's no way for me to keep track of pack matters anymore. Except for the tit-bit gossip that I pick up from my dad at the breakfast table that I'm not allowed to sit at.

I heard my father telling my brother and mom about the two Quinn brothers from the Silver Moon's pack, which is the biggest pack in North America. The brothers want to duel with each other to know who will be the next Alpha of their pack. And the Alpha of our pack thinks it's compulsory for all girls that have not been mated to attend the duel, who knows maybe the future Luna will be from our pack

By all girls that have not been mated, I knew without being told that it doesn't include the Omega maid who hasn't even gotten her wolf yet. Well, I hope someone gets to meet their mate, even if it's none of the Quinn brothers.

After the officials and elders are done with their breakfast, I rush to the dining room to start clearing the dirty dishes off the dining table. I need to get the task done and get the coffee going and it has to be ready before the Alpha and Luna's arrival otherwise the Beta won't be happy with me.

I have my trolley filled to the brim with dirty dishes and ready to leave when the dining hall door is pushed open. I freeze in my tracks and we all look towards the door to see if it's the Alpha and his Luna that just arrived. The thought of the Alpha arriving when everything has not been set and ready on the table frightens me. The Beta will surely have my head. I will be severely punished for being tardy

The door opens all the way in and it isn't the Alpha, thank God for that. A 3-tier trolley cart is slowly being pushed inside. On the trolley are a 55-cup stainless steel coffee urn, large bowls of sugar, a big creamer vessel, and several coffee mugs stacked face down. I turn white with fear when I see the person pushing the heavy-laden cart is Martha, the only person who loves and cares for me in this world.

Martha is of African-American descent. The seventy-six-year-old maid has been asked to retire due to a hip injury that happened as a result of a bad fall but she outrightly refused to because of me. She was afraid I would one day be beaten to death if she was no longer around to watch over me and plead on my behalf

Martha is like the mother I never had. Even though I know she's just trying to help me out so I don't get punished for finishing late. Looking at her struggling with her bad hip to push a 3-tier trolley with so much stuff on it hurts my heart so bad. I'm angry at the system that refused to get more maids to assist me but would still punish me whenever I didn't finish my chores on time.

I immediately abandoned the cart I was pushing and rushed forward to get the trolley from her

"Hey, freak!... This water pitcher is empty, go fill it up right this moment!" I heard the Gamma chief's voice call from behind me before I could get to Martha. I know right then that I'm in deep shit because he knew how much Martha means to me and wanted to use her to punish me for refusing his sexual advances. I hesitated in my tracks for about three seconds, considering whether to go fill the water pitcher or help Martha with the trolley

All the shifters in the room gasped when they saw I continued towards Martha. Even Martha froze. I can see how badly she's shaking when she lets go of the trolley and leans on the wall for support. She knows I'm not trying to deliberately disobey the Gamma chief. Why would I do that when I don't have a death wish?

The fact is, whether I fill the water pitcher or not, Mr. Asshole Gamma chief would still look for an excuse to punish me, and punish me hard he will! He's had it in for me ever since I kicked him hard in the nuts for trying to force himself on me. Since I know there's no escaping this one, I ignore his command and help Martha to a chair. Then I mentally readied my body for the blows and kicks that I knew would soon come raining down on me.

After the Alpha, Luna, and Beta, the Gamma wolves are the next in command in a pack's chain of command. They are the supreme protectors of a pack which puts them among the high-ranking and most respected officials of a pack. No wonder all the shifters inside the dining hall had shock written all over their faces when I didn't rush to do as the Gamma chief had commanded. They thought I'd gone crazy for having the guts to disobey a high-ranking officer of the pack

I squat in front of Martha's chair instead and look into her eyes that has tears in them. Martha is not a shifter. She's human, yet she treats me better than my own kind. As if she's my mother.

"I told you I'll make the coffee, Martha. You could have hurt yourself! You didn't even have your walking stick with you, what if you fall and break another bone?"

"I'm sorry child. I just wanted to help. When I saw you were already behind schedule... I–I was trying to help so you wouldn't get punished, instead, I made it worse... I'm sorry!... Oh, Lawd, Ash! He's coming behind you!" Martha warned. She feared for my life. I can feel the hands she places on my cheeks shaking badly as she talks

"It's not your fault Martha. I'll be okay, c'mon don't cry..." I say and smile in assurance. Behind me, I can hear the Gamma chief's heavy footsteps on the hardwood floor as they march toward me in anger. Even though I see the fear on Martha's face and feel the bastard's presence when he arrives at my back, I didn't turn or flinch away from him

"Well, aren't you a cocky bitch!?" He growls and grabs a fistful of my hair, dragging me on the floor with it. God, that hurts! It feels as if I'm being scalp alive. I use my two hands to hold down my hair in a bid to reduce the pain and prevent my hair from getting ripped from the root.

My actions doesn't stop him from taking a handful of my hair with him when he forcefully slams my head into the floor near the foot of the dining table. My vision first go sort of blurry before I lost consciousness. I came to, feeling the pain of his kicks everywhere as he continually scream...

"Yeah, that's what I thought! Stay down! Stay down where you belong! I will mop the floor with your ass, you ugly freak!" He screams on and on as he kicks me.

I roll into a ball trying to prevent my face and stomach from making contact with his foot as much as I could.

"That's enough Mitch! What the hell do you think you're doing!" The Luna's voice mercifully says inside the room and the kicks immediately stopped.

"Alpha!..." Except for me, who is struggling to get up, every other shifter in the room stands and slightly bows their heads with respect to the Alpha and Luna.

"What's going on here?" The Alpha asks walking past me like I'm invincible, to sit at the head of the table.

"It's nothing Alpha. The Omega was getting ahead of herself and needed to be reminded where she belonged." The Gamma chief replies, looking down in satisfaction towards where I'm still struggling to get up.

"Fuck you!" I say in a whisper and smirk back at him. I don't know what gave me the guts to say that to a Gamma chief. I must have been out of my mind and delirious with pain to care anymore. Nobody saw what I did except him and I see with satisfaction how the smile on his face quickly change to a frown. Congratulations Ash, another round of beating loading.

"Well somebody should help her up to the medic or wherever, let's get this meeting started." The Alpha says in dismissal.

I don't know how it's done in another pack but in this pack, such is the life of an Omega. I could have died and it would have been business as usual. That is why I wouldn't be waiting another day longer. I will leave this pack and take Martha with me as soon as I turn eighteen. That is if I live to see my eighteenth birthday.

I just hope the moon goddess would afford me that opportunity. Even if she wouldn't give me my wolf, then let me leave this pack alive. If not for my sake but for the sake of Martha. She doesn't have any family that I know of and need someone to take care of her in her old age.

Even though the Alpha said someone should help me to the medic, nobody came forward to help except for old Martha. Since I know Martha can't help me without falling over herself, I hold on to the edge of the table and manage to pull myself up, stifling a groan in the process because of the intense pain I'm feeling on my side.

I quickly limp to where the coffee trolley is and push it to the dining table. I'm about to arrange the cups in front of everyone when the Luna stops me

"Leave it. I'll arrange for it to be done. You go take care of yourself at the medic"

My jaw nearly dropped with surprise...

'She cares!?' I thought to myself, surprised by her behavior when I've always thought she was no different from the rest of her family. I observe the Alpha is cold, aloof, and somewhat unfeeling and Miranda, their only child is around my age. Miranda is hungry for power and cruel, no two ways about it. She did a number on me once. According to her, 'I looked her straight in the eyes.' Bitch nearly broke my arm for looking her straight in the eyes! So, so evil!

.

.

It was past one in the morning that I finally get off work. My body aches all over, especially my right side where I was kicked the previous morning. I wonder if the asshole had broken my ribs since It hurts so bad to breathe and move around. At that moment I wish so badly that I have my wolf and I wonder with sick feelings in my heart if I would ever.

I gingerly raise my shirt under the streetlight and swears softly when I see the angry color of red, blue, and black on my left side. If I had just gone to the medic as the Luna had suggested maybe I wouldn't be feeling this much pain. On the other hand, would Martha have coped with the work if I had gone? I would rather go through the pain than Martha.

I turn left, away from the street, and enter into the woods, which is the shortcut I take every day to my house...

The night is perfect. Yeah, all nights are perfect to me but this is different. Warm and windy summer nights have always been my favorite time of the year. I don't need to use my small flashlight that I always carry with me this night as the moon illuminates my path perfectly.

As I limp deeper and deeper into the woods. I enjoy the coolness of the wind blowing on my hot skin and the silence of the night.

I stop walking with my head cocked to the side when something occurs to me. This night is different. It is far from being perfect. Something is certainly not right!

Even though my sense of hearing isn't that great, I stand still in the middle of the woods, listening with my head tilted to one side... but all I hear is silence! I become worried then since I know there's nothing like a silent night in the woods that I've been walking to and from the pack house for the past two years.

It is simply not right. The night air is supposed to be dominated by the sounds of crickets and frogs. The sounds of owls that hoot every so often in the distance. The sounds of the wind that relieves the humid heat and rustles the trees, and also the occasional high-pitched howls made by amorous foxes.

I feel cold chilling sensations and goosebumps all over my body as I resume walking– hurriedly this time.

The only sound I can hear right now is the sound of my footsteps crunching over twigs and dead leaves and it's creeping me out. I stop walking yet again when it feels as if I'm being watched, turning around to see if there is somebody behind me but no one.

'I must be mistaken then' I say to myself but deep down, I'm not convinced about that notion. To assure myself everything was okay, I started talking to myself under my breath...

"Don't be scared, Ash. I don't know why you're suddenly feeling weird since everything seems normal. You've never been afraid of walking in the woods before and it's not going to start now. Remember this pack has competent Gammas that protect the pack land all hours round the clock...

Gammas!.." I repeat to myself with a sinking feeling in my heart when realization hits me. I was disrespectful to the Gamma chief yesterday morning in the dining room. For the first time in two years, I feel vulnerable walking alone in the woods. I look around with fear as I quicken my steps towards home. I wish I could run but how can I when I find breathing difficult because of the intense pain I'm feeling around my ribs?

All of a sudden the woods come to life around me and the silence fades away. I might be a half-baked werewolf but my sensory organs are still much better than any average human. I hear paws pound through the undergrowth and trees rustling as bodies crash into them from afar. Before I know what is happening, five pairs of yellow eyes glow golden at me.

"Rogues!" I murmur to myself and stand still out of fear. My heart pounding to the extent it seems it will burst out of my chest.

No... Gammas don't have yellow eyes, they have cold, steel-blue eyes. Right then, I don't know if I should feel relieved that the Gamma chief isn't lying in wait for me or be more afraid than before.

Pain rips through my body as something big and furry suddenly crashes into me from behind. My painful scream rends the night air when I'm knocked down and my injured ribs hit the ground hard. Almost immediately, the wolf that jumped me shifts to his human form.

"Make another sound and I'll snap your neck so fast you won't know what hits you!" He growls, breathing down my neck. I can't make any sound even if I wanted to. Just the wheezing sound coming from me because of my difficulty in breathing. His entire weight is pressing me down, almost crushing the life out of me.

I can clearly smell my assailants and I realized I was mistaken again. They're not rogues! There's this pungent, fecal, and rotten odor that usually pollutes the air whenever rogues are around and these werewolves don't smell like that. In fact, something about them smells familiar but I can't place it. Maybe because I'm delirious with pain and can't think straight as a result of that.

'Who are they and what do they want from me?' I wonder and gasp painfully when he forcefully yanks my head up with my hair. Not all the way up that I'll be able to see their faces but up enough for me to get the idea of what I'm in for. What I see makes me sick to the pit of my stomach

They are all naked. Werewolves don't go all naked even if they just shift back to their human form. They usually have some patches of fur covering their private areas. So why are these ones naked!? What do they want from me? I asked myself even when their erect dicks that are pointing threateningly toward me said it all.

My eyes widen with fear and I try to struggle but he's way stronger.

"Rope and gag!" He commands towards his friends, shoving my head back into the dirt.

A rope and kitchen towel was thrown on the ground right in front of my face. He roughly turns me on my back, straddles me, and tightly ties my hands above my head before passing the other end of the rope to one of his partners in crime who then ties it around the nearest tree

"What do you think you're doing? What do you want from me!? Let me go right now!" I finally find my voice, trying to be bold and not show the fact that being raped by five werewolves scares me to death

They all laugh at me. My questions might have sounded stupid to them...

"What do we want from you?..." He smirks before turning to his friends "Can you believe this dumb bitch!?" He asks, and they laugh again.

He turns back to me

"Isn't what we want obvious enough? Now instead of asking stupid questions, shouldn't you be begging me to spare your virginity?" He mocks with a raised brow.

The next thing I know, he swiftly pulls my leggings down, taking my panties along with it. I scream then, struggling to free my hands from the thin but thick cord that binds them together. Not minding the pain on my side, I twist and buck to get him off me...

"Get off me, you son of a bitch!... I'm going to kill you...I'm going to fucking kill..."

I don't get to finish my words when he slaps me hard across the face, shutting the rest of my words up in my mouth.

"No, you're not going to kill me, you stupid bitch! Do you know why?... Because you don't have what it takes! A freak like you? Really?" He speaks like he finds my statement a joke.

"You're the freak nobody wanted. Your parents don't want you. The pack doesn't want you. Even if we decide to kill you after having our ways with you, you won't be missed. Absolutely nobody would care"

He's right. Even if they decide to kill me, nobody would care. Well, Martha would, but what can she do? She's just an old human after all.

I clamp my thigh shut and he uses his knee to forcefully pry them apart

"Guys I'm going in first..." He tells his friends and they all laugh. I heard another one of them say... "Me next after you..." as if I'm some kind of game they're taking turns to play

"Noooo... Get away from me..." I scream and he grabs the kitchen towel that was still lying beside my head on the ground and shoves it in my mouth.

Immediately, my body stiffens and I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. Then I start convulsing violently. When the spasm racking my body finally stops, I start to tingle all over.

I open my eyes then and see my attackers looking down at me strangely. Why did they stop? I thought to myself, breathing and growling like a huge carnivore.

I began to feel pain. Indescribable pain from the crown of my head to the sole of my feet, like nothing I've felt before in my life. My eyes burn in their sockets. I feel and can hear the sounds of my bones as they snap and my skin stretches too tightly.

Nothing and no one prepared me for what it feels like to shift and take the form of your wolf. My family who was supposed to inform me and get me prepared never cared. I thought I was used to pain, but this pain is on another level and I wish for death to come.

I wonder if my heart will finally give up from the pain of my skin stretching and shredding in some places to accommodate the new growing shape of my bones before it was finally replaced with a new, tightened layer of hairy skin.

Finally, the pain become less intense and I manage to sit up when I feel better. The rope used to bind my wrist had long since been shredded into pieces and my attackers were nowhere to be seen. I look down at my hands and I'm shocked...

"Oh no, no, no... not again! Save me Moon goddess, I'm a monster!"