The Alpha's First Love

Vicky's pov

I should have known from the first time I crossed the porch that coming into this house would be like walking into a predator's den. But did I know? No, I didn't and I had come home that night.

I should have just stayed back in the grocery store. It was the only place that had agreed to take me in if I needed a job, and it was after I had answered a series of sensible and senseless questions as if I were a thief.

Anyways, what were u expecting? I was just a lowly omega who had been mating less for as long as I could remember and who hadn't even shifted for once since I turned eighteen.

It was embarrassing that I didn't take over my late mom, who everyone said was very strong and beautiful - at least I got her perfect almond-shaped eyes or even my dad, the beta of the pack.

He never ceased to remind me of how my coming into this world had caused my mother, her life.

I sighed; so much for being an omega, and now I live under the wicked rule of my stepmother and sister, who never ceased to make my life miserable and remind me of how pitiful I was.

I dragged my feet along the floor as I got into the living room and hugged my coat; I was still shivering from the cold outside.

"Oh," Alicia said coming into the living room to see me, her face heavily made up in streaks of all the colors of the rainbow.

My perfect step-sister, pretty, the golden child of the family.

She was holding a bowl of sliced fruits.

"Mom!" She yelled over her shoulder." Missy Omega is back." She said, grinning at me because she knew how angry and sad I was when she called me that, but I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry or get angry.

I simply rolled my eyes.

"So, finally, she came back?" My stepmother said from the kitchen, and I heard the sound of her heels before the smell of her expensive perfume drifted into my nose. " I once thought that you had run off as usual or dead like your stupid mother."

Yeah, that got me angry and I saw red.

"My mother is not stupid." I heard myself saying even before I could stop.

"What did she say?" My stepmother asked her daughter, Alicia, who shrugged.

"I don't know but I think she said both of us are stupid," Amicus reported, popping a piece of sliced pineapple into her small mouth.

"I didn't say that -" I started to say, to defend myself but I couldn't finish as something flew high up in the sky and sliced through my cheeks.

At first, I thought I had been hit by a rock, but the sharp pain told me something else.

My stepmother had slapped me.

Tears stung my eyes and I got blind momentarily.

"Don't you dare talk back at me?" She said, her perfectly manicured fingers digging into my cheeks, almost drawing out blood.

"Now go into the kitchen and begin your chores."

Alicia's voice cut through the atmosphere cold and poisonous

"Are you still here?

Even before I heard her words they had an impact on me. She stood in the doorway staring at me with so much disdain

" You should go into the kitchen and prepare something for us to eat or do you want us to starve to death like your dead mother."

I stared down at my feet, my chest burning.

"I'd rather not see your face in the living room when my guests arrive, so vanish? It's embarrassing."

She brushed me aside as if I were a piece of pointless furniture not even giving me a second look. I just shook my head; I was kind of used to all this.

She spoke again as if every sentence were a deliberate jab and I had hardly had time to process what she had said.

I was just going to continue with my chores when I heard a voice call behind me.

"Vicky," she sneered, uttering the name as a curse like I was a curse instead.

"Take that up. Isn't that the reason you're here? She said, pointing to a book she had dropped on purpose.

I just wanted to reach out and give her a very hard slap but that would be like asking for trouble.

Her disdain was so evident that she couldn't even bring herself to look at me.

I was that pitiful.

Even though my heart was racing with fear and anger, I did what I had to do, following orders like a little puppy as I forced myself not to shudder under her icy stare, I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat and bending to get it.

I felt something hard on my head. Alicia had kicked the back of my head with her leg, and I winced from the pain.

I should have expected no less from her as I had long since learned that she would never show mercy just as wicked as her mother.

I had the book in my hands and I stood up straight and gave it to her as if I were merely an invisible servant.

"Maybe if you weren't so completely useless, you might have a life of your own-or maybe even a mate, but you are just an Omega. She sniggered. "Besides, who could love someone as pitiful as you?

Each syllable of her words pierced my soul like daggers but I remained quiet. I wanted to leave, too angry to listen to her words, but ever since I was right and her mother had brought her along after getting married to my father, the Beta of the pack, I had suffered more than any slave.

I turned ready to go back to my room but before I could move her hand sprang out and seized my arm

As she yanked me back, my body froze, and panic struck.

With a venomous growl in her voice and an expression so twisted with hatred that it chilled my spine, she hissed.

" Don't even think of walking away from me. "

I tried to break free from her hold, but it was unbreakable; her fingers dug into my flesh like talons and kept me there.

She scoffed ."Do you think you can ignore me? You are merely a parasite in this household. A disgrace to this family, a wolfless twerp."

" Let go, Alicia. " I whimpered.

Her grip only grew tighter as she enjoyed my discomfort her eyes gleaming with malice.

She gave me a sharp shove that sent me reeling back, my body thumping loudly to the ground.

My body shook from the force but I made myself stay motionless, so she wouldn't see how hurt I was.

She turned away whispering to herself, her voice brimming with disdain." Clumsy freak."

I lay there on the bare ground, the sharpness of her words and the sting of the fall piercing my very bones and tears stung my eyes.

I forced myself to stand up, fighting the wave of shame that threatened to overtake me.

This was my life now-this unending cruelty, this condemnation, this constant reminder that I was not welcome in a home that never accepted me. That I was a disgrace that should have shifted at eighteen but didn't.

My body was still hurting from the fall as I limped to the kitchen.

I only had one simple task to complete: washing the dishes.

It was the one task I could hold onto, but I had to do that hurriedly because if Regina, my stepmother, came back, there would be war.

The quietness I enjoyed in the kitchen vanished as soon as I stepped out of the kitchen.

Regina's voice, as soft as silk but equally poisonous and loud as ever, drummed in my ears as I passed the living room.

Darn. She was back

"This place has become a pigsty, Vicky. Will you clean it up or will you just stand there like a statue all day? "

I bit my lip and clenched my fists until I tasted the copper tang of blood.

The living room I had cleaned a while ago was filled with little puddles, she had deliberately walked into the small puddle outside and made a mess of the living room.

She showed no concern as she pushed me aside

I cleaned it up and returned to see the kitchen stack with more plates, as the soap lathered and bubbles appeared as I proceeded to the sink and submerged the plates in the warm water, I was unable to avoid the unpleasant reality: I was stuck here forever.

No leaving except I was snatched by death

I heard Alicia's shrill laughter, and the sound of her friend's voices filled the house. The doorbell rang.

The sound was one I was all too familiar with. The amusement of those who would make fun of me and take pleasure in my pain.

They were just like her, just like everyone else who had ever made me feel unworthy and invisible.

Everyone in the pack hated me.

High and joyful Alicia's voice echoed from the living room.

"Vicky, come out now, my friends want to see you."

And what followed next was laughter.

I stared down at the rags I was wearing. She does that a lot, showing me off before her friends.

Vicky's pov

I hate being here, and if given a chance, I would swap places with the painting on the wall.

I was just tired of everything, of leaving with them.

I exhaled, and my hands shook. I was already feeling so scared and sad because whenever Alicia brought her friends over, I would be the topic of discussion for hours. I could feel like fainting because I would remain standing while they mocked me till they were tired.

By then I would be feeling like a poor owl.

I knew better than to appear before Alicia and her friends without some drinks or food, or else she was going to do something worse to me, and then my stepmother would do the finishing touches by starving me for weeks, keeping me down in the basement, and making me long for food, water, and sunlight.

As I carefully balanced the silver tray in my hands, I could hear the echoes of laughter reverberating throughout the grand hall, and immediately, my heart fell, and I felt like dying already.

I was already having PTSD. My heart was heaving with a silent fear that sank into my chest. My eyes were already stinging with unshed tears, and I wished for this life of suffering to end. Every day, I questioned the moon goddess why she had left me mateless and without a wolf.

"You can do this, Victoria." I exhaled." Just go there, keep the tray gently on the table, and turn around." I said to myself." Don't say anything, avoid eye contact."

I straightened my back and quickly brushed a stray hair out of my face with my shoulder. My hand ached as I did that small, simple task.

It just reminded me of how I had been hit by the shoulder last week because I served one of the guests with a silver spoon.

My hair was also cut off making me look more like a guy than a girl.

I hated myself even more.

Serving Alicia's guests was not my responsibility but who was I to complain?

As far as I had the scraps from their leftovers and I could sleep peacefully at night, I would rather do all they asked of me gladly. I had been taught and knew better to complain or say a word.

I was carrying this burden because I was now merely a servant in my father's house, a tool at her whim as she and her mother had always desired and wished I continue to be a servant to them.

I stumbled but caught myself immediately as I pushed open the heavy oak door leading into the lounge.

The conversation became more intense, and Alicia's distinctive syrupy laugh pierced the atmosphere, irritating me like a thousand needles. She was sitting too close to someone whom I could see, but something I couldn't stop wondering was the sound of voices.

They sounded so different, not just the usual girly laughter and chatter of Alicia and her stupid friends.

But no matter who they were, I would avoid eye contact and keep my head down, no speaking whatsoever.

As soon as I stepped inside, I could feel the atmosphere shift. There was something very different about the air that I breathed, something that made me want to stick around.

Once a haven of coziness and comfort, the lounge now felt oppressive, and my chest was making it difficult for me to breathe. I kept wondering if I was the only one who felt like this.

My skin prickled from the energy that seemed to pulse through the room, and for a moment, I just stopped, staring at everyone.

And there she was, Alicia, sitting on the edge of the velvet couch with her back straight and talking animatedly, laughing and gesticulating. She looked so happy and her eyes lit up as she spoke.

A young, pretty lady I had never seen before and two men were with her.

Then, these were duff friends. Richer friends.

The first man easily held the room's attention. His dark hair was carefully combed into place and he wore a sharp suit that appeared to have been made just for him.

He had broad shoulders. He had an air of wealth and authority that was evident around him and his eyes were sharp and beautiful.

The other young woman had gorgeous features, and blond waves cascading down her shoulders and sat next to him, so close that I wondered if they were mates or something.

She held on to his arm in a possessive manner, her smile as piercing and cunning as the diamond necklace around her neck. She was prettier than Alicia.

But my heart was stopped in its tracks when I stared at the second man. He sat with a calm almost regal assurance, his icy gray eyes scanning the room.

His devastatingly handsome face had a strong jaw, high cheekbones, and lips pressed into a firm, dispassionate line. His lips were thin and sensual, those kinds of lips that could kiss you into eternity.

He looked like it was carved out of stone and his face was framed by his dark tousled hair. It was this man that held my attention.

Suddenly for no apparent reason, a weight fell on my chest. Something drifted into my nose.

I forced myself to remain composed as my hands trembled just a little bit and I tightened my grip on the tray.

" There she is ." Alicia's said, her tone brimming with false sweetness. "Please come in and meet my friend, Vicky." Then she turned again to give me a hard gaze and I flinched and felt like vanishing into thin air.

But something was wrong.

Her friends? It was unimaginable. What happened to those carefree girls who jeered at me?

Pheww

Thank the moon goddess that they weren't here because they weren't here. If not, I could have started receiving insults even before I stepped into the lounge.

These were not the people Alicia usually hung out with.

Their air of authority was evident and they were a far cry from her typical group of sycophants who always came here to make fun of me.

The second man had kept his piercing gaze fixed on me since I entered and had never looked away.

I swallowed, and I pushed my feet forward, feeling as if the room itself was trying to stop me with every step.

I could feel the pressure of everyone watching me as I got closer and the tension in the air was oppressive.

" Vicky," Alicia said sweeping her hand haphazardly toward the group.

" These are my dear friends. Lucas, his cousin Caleb, and Caleb's girlfriend Melanie ."

Lucas. His name sounded in my head like an old spell.

I put the tray on the coffee table and said

"Hello, i." in a voice that was hardly more than a breath.

"That's the maid I was telling you about," Alicia added sarcastically her words piercing the atmosphere like a sword.

My face flushed but I kept my eyes on the ground trying to maintain what little dignity I still had and avoided looking into her eyes

She would not be able to see how much her cruelty hurt me and even if she did, she cared less.

I didn't even expect her to know that she was cruel to me.

"That's enough Alicia." Lucas's voice interrupted abruptly, quietly and authoritatively, and without a shred of hesitation. I went cold.

"You shouldn't talk to her in that manner."

My gaze sprang up and met his. Then it happened. The smell. It swept over me like nothing I had ever experienced before.

It smelt with a hint of something wild and uncontrollable it was warm and earthy.

My head was spinning as it clung to the air destroying my senses. I couldn't keep up and my knees instantly felt like jelly.

The instant his eyes met mine, time seemed to pause. With the magnetic pull of his gaze, everything vanished, including the room, Alicia, and the others.

There were just the two of us

"Mate." I blurted out before I could stop myself, the sound hardly more than a whisper.

For a brief moment, something unreadable flickered across his features as his eyes widened.

His voice barely raised above a murmur softly.

"Mate ." Between us, electricity flickered, and I stood there staring at him like I was hypnotized.

"Vicky? "Alicia's voice pierced me and drew me out of my thoughts.

I blinked my eyes struggling to leave Lucas's face.

I snapped out of it and realized everyone had been staring at me.

"I-I should go." I stuttered.

" Don't be rude." Alicia yelled in a sarcastic and mocking tone." Can you imagine this omega running away from doing her duties?" she asked, turning to her friends.

"That's enough," Lucas said.

Alicia's face hardened, but she said nothing, her lips pressed in a hard, unforgiving line.

My heart was thumping in my chest I turned and left the room without saying another word.

I leaned back against the door as It clicked shut behind me, I was feeling as though I might pass out from the sudden dizziness.

What had just happened?

As I closed my eyes I could still see Lucas's intense gaze and hear his soft voice whisper mate in my mind.

It didn't make sense. Not at all. All I knew was that I was in deep trouble because Lucas was Alicia's mate.

I had heard her discuss him with her mother last night.

Vicky's pov

Alicia shoved me out of the lounge and I almost stumbled, and if I hadn't caught myself just in time, I could have fallen face down and had my face disgusted or even dead.

Alicia pushed me again, and the tray crashed from my hands to the floor; her voice sounded down the hallway with a sharp, biting edge. I didn't know what to do that instant but I knew that I was just in deep shit.

She slammed the door with such force that the walls shook, and I almost jumped out of my skin, my stomach dropped, and I knew that I was in deep shit.

The guests had gone minutes ago and now it was time for me to save the devil himself.

" Never embarrass me in such a manner again. " She hissed, and before I knew what was happening,, she had slapped me hard across the cheek,s, and I felt my head spin like I had been hit by a bazooka.

Tears stung my eyes as they flowed down my eyes like rivers, I bit my lower lip in anger that it could almost draw out blood.

There were a thousand and one things I wanted to say, to lash out at her and give her a piece of my mind, but I just couldn't say a single word.

Embarrass her?

What does she mean by that?

She was the one who had embarrassed me and had continued to do so.

"You filthy piece of a wolf." She spat." Mother will hear of this." She said." Get out of my sight."

She said and pushed me again.

As I ran down the hallway, my heart still thumping from the ordeal and so much embarrassment, my fists clenched in silent rage, and the other hand holding my reddened cheeks that had received a sharp slap, my eyes also reddened, and I just stopped crying.

Alicia always wanted things her way; every day, I wanted to remind her that I wasn't her servant, but what good would that do? I just couldn't, my tongue tied and I was scared.

I would probably get more beating and insults, perhaps, and I didn't want to starve for days, too.

Life was just cruel, and every day, I wonder why bad things do happen to good people.

I could still picture Lucas's sharp eyes, his devastatingly handsome face, and his deep voice saying, Mate.

I wished he had taken me with him, away from this stupid place.

The memory washed over me and I found myself smiling sheepishly. I leaned against the door of my room as I remembered the way that he had stared at me like I was the only one in the room.

That's what I had always wished for, for someone to stare at me like I was the moon goddess herself.

That unexplainable connection pulled at me like an unseen thread drawing me back to him. I had also called him my mate, does that even mean he was?

I shook my head as if doing so would make the thoughts and his handsome face vanish from my memory, but it stayed there, waiting for me to resurrect it.

What did it mean, though, and why? I shook my head to concentrate. I had lots of things to do than stand here thinking of someone who wasn't probably thinking about me.

I had never had a boyfriend or a mate, so I didn't know what having a mate meant, and I couldn't ask Alicia either. I would only look so stupid.

I left my room and everything that I was thinking about and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

I concentrated on cooking and doing the dishes. But doing all that was as difficult as climbing a mountain because my thoughts kept going back to him.

My stepmother would surely come up with another nasty method to torture me if I wasted too much time in the kitchen.

The sounds of conversation and laughter drifted in from the lounge, sharp and annoying, as I washed the dishes in the kitchen.

Although Alicia's high-pitched laughter was like paint on a whiteboard, my thoughts were scattered and kept returning to Lucas.

And I didn't want to hear the sound of her laughter because it was just too annoying.

I had actually become confused by his intense gaze, the smell that surrounded me, and the low tone of his voice then that I wouldn't keep it from my mind.

It was a sensation I had never felt before and it made me uneasy and happy at the same time.

I shook my head, trying to shake off my thoughts, and I muttered under my breath ." What is wrong with me?" And then exhaled.

I was already exhausted and then to rest.

"Focus, Vicky. You still have lots of things to do." I said to myself as I remembered that a party would be held tonight in the grand hall that was just two blocks from our house.

People like Lucas lived in a world that was very different from mine, so I should stop thinking about him. He was Alicia's mate, not mine.

I wasn't ready to get into any trouble and having my little daily scraps was also important to me.

---.

By evening the mansion was bustling with activity. The air was heavy with the rush of excitement and the heady scent of pricey perfume as guests arrived dressed for the party.

The guests had arrived while I was still in the kitchen.

I had to take a hot shower, combed my short hair, and grabbed a short, almost dirty gown.

It was the time of the annual gala and my stepmother had managed to make me a servant once again.

When I was thinking, at least I could escape from being a servant.

As she pushed a tray of champagne flutes into my hands, she yelled ." Vicky, stop wasting time and prove yourself; go serve the guest. Don't try to embarrass this family please.'

"But-." I started to say, I thought I was even invited.

Her eyes held me with disgust. "You should count yourself lucky that you are even permitted to remain in this house ." she broke off and pushed me aside.

As I entered the grand hall, I swallowed my saliva in fear, nodded silently, and clutched the tray with shaking hands.

The chandeliers shone their golden light over the throng of tastefully attired guests illuminating the lavishly furnished space.

I was a glorified servant in a place that should have felt like home, and to think my father had turned a blind eye to all this.

I moved, slicing through the sea of people like an invisible shadow.

Across the room, I caught a glimpse of Alicia comfortably nestled in the middle of her group of friends, enjoying the attention she was receiving.

As her dress glistened in the light I briefly felt jealous of her-not because she was cruel but rather because she seemed to control every area she occupied and she had the freedom and love she wanted.

"Pardon me" a voice cut through my daydream. He was standing when I turned.

Lucas. Our eyes met again and my breath caught in my throat.

The air between us seemed to crackle and the indisputable bond from earlier seemed to return in a flash.

"Uh..." My voice trailed off and I quickly turned away because I was embarrassed.

With a smooth murmur, he took a glass from the tray and said "Thank you. "

As his fingers touched mine I felt a shock of electricity.

My heart thumping in my chest, I stood motionless trying to gather myself.

Alicia was at his side in an instant, her arm draped possessively over his before I could bring myself to speak.

" Don't just stand there, Vicky," she yelled her eyes filled with hatred.

"You're causing discomfort to my guests."

Embarrassed, I bit my lip and quickly pulled away my face burning with shame.

Later that night I took cover in the kitchen and tried to calm the chaos that was brewing inside of me.

The party continued, but I didn't want to go back to that world.

But Alicia, as usual, had other ideas.

With her trademark flair, she burst into the kitchen and exclaimed.

"There you are. You cannot spend the entire night hiding in here, sis. It's time you put together and make yourself look beautiful for the party. "

I was suspicious of her motives

"Beautiful for what?"

She smiled slyly and threw a dress at me, a fairy tale- kind of deep red and lavishly beaded.

"Why are you giving me this? I asked in a small voice.

She sneered ."Don't flatter yourself. I'm only letting you wear it to show to my friends my generosity. Now hurry and get dressed. "

Even though I was hesitant, I shrugged.

I liked Alicia as my sister and maybe tonight she was feeling so generous.

Alicia gave me a glass of wine when I came out.

"Drink this," she ordered with an unusual grin

I gave her a suspicious look, but before I could object, her smile changed to one that was more calculating and icy. She said in a venomous tone, "Don't make me repeat myself, how are you supposed to get a boyfriend when you are always so naive."

I took the glass reluctantly and took a sip. The flavor of the sweet wine lingered on my tongue.

I tried to relax but something told me this night was going to be long.