* * * Eve’s POV * * *
“Who are you?” A girl with black hair asks me.“I’m Eve. I’m an orphaned Omega.”“Are you sure you’re from here? I know all the cubs in the Coral Lake pack and I don’t know you. You must be a Mystic Moon member.”“I don’t know. I was in the woods and the men took me.”“It’s okay. I’ll look after you. My name is Elsie.”“Thank you, Elsie.”All the girls in the back of this van tell me their names and how old they are. Some are eight years old. Some are 14, and others are somewhere in between. The nasty Alpha has been asking them if they are the child of prophecy, he wants the child. They all promise each other that if one of them is the child he wants, they will keep the secret. They don’t want the nasty Alpha to take the prophecy child.“Blindfold and cuff them until we return to the back,” the Beta orders the others and then follows his Alpha.The nice man Walter climbs into the van and apologises to us before he cuffs our arms to the sides of the van and puts a blindfold over our eyes.The ride is bumpy and my arms begin to ache from being held in the same spot. Once the van stops I can hear the other girls crying, it sounds like they are being carried away. Strong arms free my arms and carry me from the van.I'm laid over his shoulder, my head hitting his back as he walks quickly. A nasty smell reaches my nose, it gets stronger and it makes me feel sick. The man puts me down.BANG! A metal door slams, and seconds later my blindfold is removed from my face. I’m rooted to the spot in fear, there are four men outside the metal bars, they have scary and fearless eyes that make me shiver.This room isn’t big enough for us all, but we are huddled together just like a herd of animals. The room has a small toilet and sink in the corner, unluckily there’s no windows to let in fresh air.Some of the girls beg for their lives, some beg for food and water, others, like me, stand silently. Too scared to move or talk.“You will spend the night here. No food and no water. You will remain silent. Tomorrow you will be assigned your jobs,” the Beta barks and walks away with the guards.When the prison door closes and we are truly alone, the girls begin to cry. “Come here, Eve,” Elsie says. As I approach her, she wraps her arms around me.“Why don’t I know you? Who are you?” She whispers to me.“My name is Eve…” I begin to tell her.“Yes, I know. You’re six years old, your mother was an Omega and you’re an orphan. It’s like a practised line, it’s going to land you in trouble. Do you know a witch?” She says.“No. I never left the house,” I tell her.“We need to teach you new words and new phrases. We need to make up your life. Something tells me you’re not what you seem and the Alpha will take you. I’ll help you and protect you,” she promises me.I spend the night with Elsie, learning new phrases to say and building my life history. “My Mother worked in the kitchen and laundry, she was a cook and seamstress. She was teaching me how to launder clothes.” “My father was a maintenance man and died in a rogue attack with my mother.” “I’m an only child.” We practice lots of small details.“But who am I?” I ask Elsie.“I don’t know, it’s strange that you have no memories. You don’t know what you like or dislike. It’s like your mind was wiped clean, that’s why I asked you if you knew a witch. My cousin is a witch and memories are something they can alter. It must have been a powerful witch,” she mumbles.“But what if I’m who they want?”“They’ll never know. Keep up with the lines, learn new likes and dislikes. Behave and when we are old enough we can run away together,” she says.“Why are you helping me?”“When I was very small, I was held hostage by a bad Alpha. He wanted my family's land. I wished I had someone to help me, and promised that one day if I was ever able to, I’d help another person,” she explains.“Thank you, Elsie.” I whisper.“Sleep now, Eve. They’ll wake us up soon,” she says and wraps her arms around me even tighter until I fall to sleep on her knee.I fall to sleep and dream that I have a mother and father. We are playing in the garden and they’re in their wolf form.* * * * * * * * * * * *It’s the morning and the nasty Beta wakes us by banging a piece of metal against all the bars of the cages as he walks down the corridor. The girls I’m with startle awake and cower together, like scared animals.“Rise and shine, ladies. You will follow me to the packhouse, where you will be given your duties,” he tells us.A guard unlocks the door to the cage, and we file out one by one, walking the long corridor behind the Beta with our heads pointing down. Our footsteps sound like a burial march.We reach the packhouse and are gathered in the reception room. “These she-wolves are Omegas. You will be paired with an Omega and learn how to serve. You will earn your keep and so as you are told,” the Beta barks at us.I watch one by one as the girls are sent away with an older Omega. Some are sent to be laundry workers, some are sent to be kitchen workers, a few are taken out of the packhouse to begin tending crops and the harvest. I’m paired with Rose, she’s a packhouse cleaner.I spend the day following her around, cleaning the things she tells me to clean, bagging rubbish, hoovering and mopping floors. Other than telling me what to do, the day is filled in silence. Rose doesn’t talk much. My small body is very tired by the time we finish and lock away the cleaning trolley. I’m given a slice of toast and a glass of milk.“Come, I’ll show you to your room,” Rose says.I follow her up to the Omega wing, desperate to sleep. “I’m sorry about you room, but it’s where I’m told you should sleep. You can use the sink in my room to wash and I found some clean clothes for you,” she says with a sad smile on her face as she opens a door to reveal a small storage room with a thin and dirty mattress on the floor. “I’ll give you some blankets to cover it with. I am very sorry,” she adds.I wash in Rose’s room and put on the clean clothes. She gives me a candle and a lighter because the light doesn’t work in my cupboard. Then she walks me to my cupboard and carries my blankets. “I’ll find you a clock tomorrow, but I’ll knock three times on your door at 4am to begin work,” she tells me, gently rubbing my shoulder before turning away.I lay in my cupboard, remembering the life I made up with Elsie. I can’t help the tears that fall from my eyes as I wonder who am I?* * * Alpha Charles’s POV * * * * * Four Years After the Betrayal * * I’ve spent years looking over these damn maps. The child has to be out there somewhere, but no matter where I search, I always come home empty handed. ‘Perhaps if you allowed us to spend time with our mate, you wouldn’t feel this way,’ David tells me.‘Enough with this shit. I don’t want our mate, when will you ever learn?’‘Never. Someone is coming.’ The sound of someone knocking at my door has me looking up from my desk. “Yes!” I call out.The door edges open and Ralph peeks around the frame, “Sorry to interrupt you, may I come in, Alpha?” He asks.“Yes, of course,” I answer. I don’t want him disturbing me, but I know I’m lucky to have a Beta who does as he’s told without questions asked.“Is there anywhere else to search?” He asks when he notices the maps on the desk as he approaches.“A few places, perhaps. What is the purpose of your visit?”“Sir, I’ve come to discuss the she-wolves that we brought back from
* * * Eve’s POV * * * * * * Aged 10 * * * I wake up and rub the sleep from my eyes, my body is programmed to wake at this time now. A year of waking up at the crack of dawn and I no longer need an alarm, or for Rose to knock on my door.I had the same dream again last night, the one where I’m an Alpha and I stop Alpha Charles treating his pack so badly. I was wielding fire and I was flying. It felt so real that it has to be more than a dream. How can something that feels so real, only be a dream? I climb from my mattress and straighten my blankets. I throw on my clothes and tie my hair back. It’s time for the day to begin. “Morning, Eve. Are you ready?” Rose greets me. “Of course,” I say as I turn to face her.“Oh dear. Come to my room so we can wash your hands and face. We’re in the kitchen today and the Alpha won’t like how dirty you look,” she says kindly.I follow Rose to her room and let her wash me. We change my clothes and use a belt to make her clothes fit. I realise how
* * * Eve’s POV * * ** * * four years ago * * *I open my eyes to the dim light that is a permanent feature here; I look around the room. Walls are painted white, there’s a series of tiny windows with bars inside and out (They let in no light even during the day, making it hard to tell the time), there’s a metal toilet in the corner, and a metal sink, and my white wrought iron bed. This is my room. I’m not allowed belongings here; they fear that I can make a weapon out of them. This is the institution for the mentally ill. Every day is the same, wake up, shower, have breakfast, exercise, lunch, classes for basic knowledge, dinner, therapy classes, supper, and bed. Always the same.It’s mind-numbing, tedious, and frustrating here.This is the Mountain View Pack; the pack is located in Wales within the United Kingdom. The mountain is Glyder Fawr, within Snowdonia National Park. Its highest peak is 1000m. The pack is situated within a valley with a lake. It’s a beautiful place, majestic
* * * Eve’s POV * * * When I left the institute, I’d made my way to the packhouse reception and asked a very stern librarian looking woman for Natalie as instructed. Natalie is the head Omega; the position has gone to her head. She acts as though she’s a ranked wolf. Not an Omega who is either ignored or insulted by the rest of the pack. Natalie is an older woman, although her wolf genes would fool a human. She has auburn hair that’s always tied in a ponytail, so tightly that it appears to give her an instant face lift. Her chestnut brown eyes are cold, and years of arduous work has left her with a slim but toned body. If she didn’t have her wolf genes, I dare say she would have callouses on her hands. She has been a packhouse Omega almost her whole life, the longest serving packhouse Omega. As such, she has been promoted to head Omega. Basically, she makes sure all the jobs are completed. A role that has gone to her head. She avoids work as much as was possible.Natalie assigns me t
* * * Eve's POV * * * “Attention everybody” commands Alpha Charles, “I have called you here this morning to inform you that we will be hosting an inter-pack meeting for the council. N……” Alpha Charles stops due to the excited whispers within the crowd. “SILENCE” he orders, using his Alpha command. The noise instantly dies down; all the wolves are forced to submit to his command. It’s strange, I’ve no such feeling to submit. I force myself to lower my head, as the others have. “No more interruptions or there will be punishments. Now, as I was saying, we will be playing host to an inter-pack meeting for the council. I received a call this morning informing me that the meeting is urgent, and our guests will be arriving on Saturday, two days from now. They will be here for three days. As you can appreciate, this is short notice, so there will be extra jobs to be completed. Nobody will be spared additional duties, our reputation is on the line”, Alpha Charles explains and takes a brief
* * * Eve's POV * * * I quickly make my way back to the kitchen to find Becca has been working extremely hard, the kitchen is spotless, pots washed and in their rightful place, shelves and cupboard fronts are clean, canisters organised, recipe sheets lay on the counter ready to be referred to. How much easier duties must be when you are able to use your wolf abilities. I knock on the door. “Hi Becca, it’s only me. How are we looking for ingredients? Will we be able to impress the Alpha and land a permanent gig?” I ask her. Despite doing this at Cora’s request and just because we apparently need to be seen by the visiting Alphas and Council Men, I’m excited to have a change in my duties. Anything is better than scrubbing toilets and washing urine from the floor.“Hi Eve. I’ve gone through all the food storage areas and have planned a menu, if I may go through it with you?” Becca asks for permission. This is strange, nobody asks my permission, I think to myself. “Of course, please do
* * * Eve's POV * * * I’m a young girl, maybe five years old. I’m sitting on a man's knee, and he’s reading me the Wizard of Oz. I giggle as he sings in a squeaky voice “follow the yellow road, follow the yellow brick road. Follow. Follow. Follow the yellow brick road,” I’m happy. The scene begins to blur and then I’m in a pool. There’s a party going on around me. The birthday banners say, ‘Happy 6th Birthday’. There’s music and laughter all around. There are children and adults playing games. A man walks out with a cake, its candles lit. Everyone turns to me and begins to sing Happy Birthday. I know him, this man is my Papa. He looks at me like I’m the most special girl in the world. He loves me. Just as I spot my mother, the scene again begins to blur.I’m walking down a dim corridor holding my Papa’s hand. “Now that you are six and clever enough to understand, it’s time we visit the special library,” he says. “Does it have more fairy-tales, Papa?” I ask him, eager for more stori
* * * Eve's POV * * * I’m laid comfortably in the land of nod, slightly aware of something pushing at my mind. Feeling the familiar mind presence of Aunt Dorothy. My brave, very brave Aunt Dorothy; shouldering this secret for so many years, watching over me as best she can. Not even having her own mate to turn to for support. I lower the barrier to my mind and let her in, while greeting her: ‘Good morning, Aunt Dorothy’. ‘How are you this morning? Did your memories return?’ She asks.‘Yes, they returned, Cora had told me that there are more to come. But that she will filter them for me, so that I don’t become overwhelmed. To be honest, I have mixed emotions right now. I’m happy that I can now remember my parents and how loved I was. I’m angry at Alpha Charles, angry at his lies and that he killed my people. And for what? To be an arranged mate for his son? Becca helped me through it. Do you know her? Can she be trusted?’ I answer honestly.‘I know sweetheart, I’m so deeply sorry tha