The Alpha's Abused Mate.

Peace, silence, and darkness.

That's what sleep is supposed to bring, right? It's supposed to be a temporary escape from reality. But for me, there's no such thing. Peace has long been a stranger in my life. Whenever things seem calm, it only makes me anxious and waiting for the next storm.

I've made my peace with it-or at least I've tried. This is my reality, and there's nothing I can do to change it. My father is a pack warrior, but I'm not the proud daughter of a warrior. No, I'm the product of his affair with a maid-my mother. That makes me an omega, the lowest rank in the pack, an abomination in the eyes of many.

My mother died not long after giving birth to me, leaving me in the care of a father who never really wanted me. He let me stay, despite his wife's protests. But I'm a constant reminder of his betrayal. I'm a living scar on their marriage. So, I can't really blame my stepmother or others for hating me. Every time she looks at me, she sees her husband's infidelity.

They let me live with them, sure, but there was no kindness in their charity. I'm not a daughter; I'm a servant. My stepmother never misses an opportunity to remind me how lucky I am to have a roof over my head. According to her, my mother was a maid, so it's only fair that I take over her duties now that I'm old enough.

I don't complain. I can't. Life has hardened me. I've faced so much that there's little left that can truly break me. Or so I thought.

I felt a cold sensation on my body. When I opened my eyes, I noticed that it was cold water. I sat up in bed, drenched. Blinking the water out of my eyes, I saw one of the female pack warriors standing there with an empty bucket in her hand.

"That's what you get," she sneered. "I've been calling you for minutes. Get up and do your damn job."

"I'm sorry" I whimpered "I'll be there soon"

She glared at me before turning away and leaving the room.

My heart rate increased in my chest. I shivered, feeling cold from the water and the hatred in her words. I dragged myself out of bed and into the shower. After a quick bath, I got dressed in blue skinny jeans and a black sweatshirt-clothes that would hide the bruises from yesterday's beating. I didn't need the teachers at school asking questions. Not that they cared, really, but I didn't want the extra attention.

I left my room and headed downstairs. When I got down, I felt the tension in the air. My father, stepmother, and stepsister; Raquelle were already seated at the dining table.

"Good morning," I murmured, bowing my head in greeting.

"You're late," my stepmother, Janet, snapped.

"I'm sorry. It won't happen again," I replied quickly,

"It better not," she muttered, dismissing me with a wave of her hand.

I hurried into the kitchen, deciding on pasta since it was quick and wouldn't make them wait any longer than they already had. When I was done cooking, I served their plates.

I stood in the corner, watching them eat, waiting for the moment they'd be done so I could clean up. That's how it was in this house-I was a ghost, only noticed when I wasn't doing something right.

Finally, they finished, and I began gathering the plates and taking them to the kitchen. My stomach rumbled with every move I made. I took the pot of leftover pasta and grabbed a spoon, hoping to get at least some food. But just as I was about to take a bite, a sharp smack sent the spoon and the pot clattering to the floor.

I looked up to see Raquelle. Her smirk widened as she watched the food spill across the tiles.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, tilting her head.

"I-I was hungry," I stammered.

"So?"

Tears blurred my vision, but I blinked them away. It wasn't the first time she'd treated me like this, and it wouldn't be the last. But it still hurt, knowing that someone could hate you so deeply without reason, just because they could.

"Aww, are you going to cry again?" Raquelle cooed "How pathetic."

"What's going on here?" Janet's voice sounded.

She stepped into the kitchen. Her gaze landed on the mess on the floor before turning to me.

"Nothing," Raquelle said "Rose was just being clumsy."

Janet narrowed her eyes at me "I can see that."

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"As always," Raquelle muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Janet sighed "Anyway, I have something to tell you both."

Raquelle groaned in annoyance. "I'm already late for school."

"This won't take long," Janet said. "Alpha Kyle is coming over for dinner tonight."

Raquelle's eyes widened in shock. "Alpha Kyle? He's back? I thought he was at war!"

"He is back," Janet confirmed "And he's honoring us with a visit. He wants to personally thank your father for keeping the pack at peace while he was away."

Raquelle practically squealed with excitement "I need to plan what to wear!"

With that, she rushed out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Janet. I turned back to the sink, focusing on the dishes.

"Rose," Janet called.

"Yes, ma'am?" I replied, turning to face her.

"Don't mess this up," she warned.

I nodded slowly, turning back to the sink.

I hoped with everything inside me that tonight went well.

After I finished everything I had to do at home, I grabbed my backpack and headed to school. The weight of my thoughts was heavier than the bag on my shoulders. As I walked, I caught sight of Raquelle speeding past me in her car. I was a bit reliever she hadn't noticed me. If she had, there would've been some rude comments or a mocking laugh directed my way.

As I walked further down the street, I noticed a young couple lost in each other's eyes and their faces glowing with affection. They kissed passionately. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. It was the kind of love I longed for-someone to call mine, someone to run to when life became unbearable. I wished for a person to hold, to talk to, and just be with. As much as I yearned for this, I had my doubts.

Would I ever find love? Who could possibly love someone like me?

This question had haunted me for as long as I could remember. Everyone around me, even my so-called family, had made me feel unlovable. I couldn't even think of them as family anymore-just people I lived with. I was never included in their lives, always on the outside looking in. Janet inviting me to dinner with the Alpha had come as a shock, though I knew it was only for show. She needed to maintain the image of a caring stepmother.

I often wondered what my mate would be like. I didn't care about physical appearance, but I hoped he would be kind. I had endured so much already; the thought of being bound to a cruel mate was unbearable.

What if he rejected me because I was an omega? I had heard too many stories of omegas being cast aside, unwanted and unloved. And who would blame them? We were the lowest ranking wolves.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I didn't realize I had reached school. The building stood before me, and I did my best to keep my head down as I walked in. I didn't want any trouble. I always tried to stay out of people's way, but it seemed trouble had a way of finding me regardless.

Just as I was making my way to my locker, I tripped and fell, making the books in my arms scatter across the floor. A chorus of laughter erupted around me.

"Look, girls," one of them sneered, "Now she's down to earth."

"What are you made of?" another girl taunted, "Air? You're so fucking light."

"Such a shame to skinny girls. She's not even pretty," a third voice spoke.

"The Moon Goddess must really hate your mate," someone else said.

I got up, dusted off my jeans and gathered my books, doing my best to ignore their mean comments. I was used to it by now. People never missed a chance to remind me how unattractive I was because of my thin frame. In today's world, skinny wasn't in vogue anymore. Unless you were a supermodel, being skinny was just another reason to be bullied.

I finally reached my locker and began gathering the books I needed for my first period, hoping to go unnoticed for the rest of the day. But fate had other plans.

The R-train was approaching.

The R-train was what people called the three most popular girls in school-Raven, Rachel, and Raquelle, my stepsister. Most referred to them as the Queen Bees, but I thought termites was a more fitting description. At least, bees were useful.

"Hey, Rose," Raven called out.

I didn't respond. Maybe if I pretended not to hear her, she would go away. I didn't want any problems. But then, I felt a sharp pull on my hair, and I couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"Ow!" I winced.

I struggled to break free, but before I could, my head was slammed into my locker. Pain radiated through my skull as I groaned.

"I see you're growing wings," Rachel said "You were actually going to pretend like you didn't hear me?"

Raquelle made a tsk sound. "I wonder what gave you the guts to do that, sister."

I stayed silent. Any response would only make things worse.

"Face us when we're talking to you," Raven demanded.

Slowly, I turned around to face them, bracing myself for whatever was coming next. Rachel stepped closer with a smirk on her face. But before she could do anything, a teacher walked by, eyeing us suspiciously.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his gaze shifting between us.

Raquelle smiled sweetly at him "Nothing, sir."

"We were just talking to Rose," Raven added in an innocent tone. "Just girl talk."

I held my nose, wincing at the pain. Rachel had slammed my face into the locker pretty hard. My face must have been as red as a tomato by now.

The teacher's eyes narrowed as he looked at me. "Why is your nose swollen?"

Rachel was quick to speak up. "I was just about to ask her that."

The teacher looked at me, waiting for an answer.

"I fell." I said.

He didn't look convinced. "You fell? Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir," I muttered.

He looked at the three of them suspiciously "You know bullying isn't allowed in this school, don't you?"

Raven gasped, feigning shock. "Us? Bullies? How can you think such a thing?"

Raquelle waved a dismissive hand "Rose is my sister. I love her to death. How can I bully my own sister? We were just having a conversation, right, Rose?"

I remained silent, terrified that if I opened my mouth, I would cry. If I cried, they would get into trouble, and if they got into trouble, they would make sure I paid for it later. All I wanted was to crawl into a corner and disappear.

"Rose," the teacher pressed, "is this true?"

Did I really have a choice? No. For the sake of my own safety, I had to lie.

"Yes, sir," I said "We were just talking."

He didn't look convinced, but without proof, there was little he could do.

"Very well then," he said with a nod before walking away.

As soon as he was out of sight, Raven leaned in and whispered in my ear "You won't be so lucky next time, bitch. You're only safe because we're in a good mood."

"Let's go, girls," Raquelle said.

As they walked away, Raquelle bumped into me, sending my books crashing to the floor. They all giggled at her petty action.

When they were finally gone, I let out a deep breath.

At least that was over-for now.

Slowly, I walked home from school with my backpack pulling at my shoulders.

There was nothing good about my day, but I couldn't afford to complain-things could always be worse.

At least I hadn't run into the R-Train again after the incident that morning. It was a small progress, I guess.

I watched the sun in the sky as I walked. If I had the time, I would've liked to just sit somewhere and watch it set, maybe even take a moment to admire the trees swaying gently in the breeze. But that wasn't an option, not now. There were chores waiting for me at home.

All I wanted was to get back, collapse onto my bed, and forget about the stress of school and everything else, even if only for a little while.

As soon as I got home and stepped into my room, I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the bed, hoping for a short, peaceful nap before dinner.

But the moment my eyes closed, I was thrown into a strange dream.

I found myself standing in a dark alley. I could feel how tense the air was Goosebumps rose on my arms, hinting at the fact that I wasn't alone.

From the shadows, a woman appeared. Her face was covered in darkness, hidden from my view, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching me intensely.

"Hello?" I called out "Who are you?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she slowly raised her hand which contained a knife. As soon as I saw the weapon in her hand, I became filled with panic. I tried to run, but my legs felt like lead, rooted to the spot.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. I knew it was just a dream, but it felt so real, too real. The fear was suffocating me, choking the breath from my lungs.

The woman stepped closer to me in a slow motion until she was right in front of me. As she raised the knife, ready to strike, a scream tore from my throat. It was the only thing I could do.

And then, as if the spell had been broken, I woke up.

I sat upright in bed with my heart beating so fast. What the hell just happened? What kind of nightmare was that? It was so vivid, so terrifyingly real. I've never had a dream like that before.

My clothes clung to me, drenched in sweat, and I struggled to catch my breath. But the horror wasn't over yet. The next thing I saw nearly made my heart stop.

At the foot of my bed, the woman from my dream stood. This time, her face wasn't hidden in darkness. I could see her face now, twisted into a evil smile. The knife was still in her hand.

I screamed, a real scream this time.

How did she get in here? Am I imagining things?

Just as I was about to run from the bed, the doorknob rattled, and the door creaked open. The woman vanished as if she had never been there at all. I blinked in shock, wondering what the hell just happened.

Janet stepped into the room with a confused expression.

. "What's the matter?" she asked "I heard screaming."

"Uh..." I trailed off, trying to find the words. "Nothing. I had a bad dream."

She squinted at me, not entirely convinced. "Get dressed. Alpha Kyle will arrive in a few minutes."

"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled.

She nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

I stayed still for a moment, trying to process what had just happened. My breathing was still erratic and my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.

What just happened?

I scanned the room, but it was empty now, just as it should be. But that dream... It felt too real, like more than just a figment of my imagination. I tried to convince myself that I was just seeing things, that it was nothing more than the aftereffects of a terrible nightmare.

But deep down, a part of me was sure that the woman was real. That she had been in my room.

I shook my head, trying to get rid of the thought. No, it was just a bad dream. Sometimes, after nightmares, your mind plays tricks on you. It's happened to me before, and this time is no different. It had to be that.

Still, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling I felt. I couldn't remember the last time I had a nightmare this real. There was something off about it, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

But I had to push it aside. I couldn't afford to think about it, not when I had to get ready. I didn't want to get on Janet's nerves, especially not with Alpha Kyle arriving soon.

I forced myself to stand and headed to the closet. There weren't many options, but I settled on a blue dress that stopped just above my knees. It looked nice enough.

After I put it on, I brushed my hair and let it flow down my back, hoping it would help me look presentable. I slipped on a pair of white flats and left the room, making my way downstairs.

In the dining area, Raquelle and Janet were there. Dinner was laid out on the table. The maids had taken care of everything in advance.

A man stood talking to my dad, his back turned to me. All I could see was his tall, muscular frame, towering over everyone else. I felt tiny compared to him.

My dad introduced Raquelle to him, and she smiled charmingly as she shook his hand. There was an undeniable attraction in her eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alpha," she said in a sweet tone.

"The pleasure is all mine," the man replied in a husky tone. Something about it sent a shiver down my spine. I had the urge to hear it again and again.

My dad's eyes met mine, and he gestured for me to step forward.

"This is my daughter, Rose," he said.

I took a small step forward, intending to greet him, but before I could speak, a strange sensation washed over me.

My wolf, Anna, stirred to life within me, her voice whispering in my mind.

"Mate."