CHAPTER ONE BARELY A WOLF, BARELY ANYTHING AT ALL

DAPHNE’S POV ‘I think I might be in love with Xander.’ That was the last thing I wrote in my diary before it was snatched out of my hands from the rear. My heart jumped to my throat. No one comes here, to my dumpster room. It was the worst of all the rooms in the pack and secluded from the pack house. It was even worse that I hadn’t noticed that someone was in the room with me. I stood up to see Amelia, the devil who thought she would be the next Luna of the Lunarian rogue pack. “Give it back, please.” I pleaded. I knew if I came in too strong, I would tip her curiosity or make her angry. I was not willing to do other so it was better I played it safe. “And why would I do that when you are here scribbling nonsense in this junk…” she looked at my book disdainfully, “What could you even be writing?” NO! I reached for the diary and as I tried to grab it, she shifted out of the way and I fell flat on my face. “Quit playing with the slave girl, Lia. We need to get to school.” I heard Xander call from the hall and Amelia looked at me with a very annoyed expression. “I still need to read this.” She said as she stuck the book in her back, my heart sank dejectedly. How in the world is I to get my data back? I can't afford to let her know the things I have written there about her boyfriend. Xander has always pretended as if I never existed even though all I have ever done was to be as nice as I could to him. I laughed at that thought. He was Alpha’s son, and the perks that came with that were not lost on me, especially the fact that he was the subject of every girl’s fantasies. I would secretly sneak him on his quiet time in the library and pretend like I wanted to clean. They weren't even supposed to find out I could read which I taught myself. I would get carried away in a book while I stayed in a secluded place to read. The sound of Amelia’s heels clicked as she walked away. I hurried out after her but I could not do anything to stop her. I slowly returned to the room dejected and angry. I will never be able to stop her from reading the content of my diary now. I went about my chores quietly for a while until I felt tired so I went to get a little rest in the room. ‘Life will be easier when you get to find a mate.’ I have listened to the free-born girls of the pack say countless times that I may have started to believe it myself but what kind of life awaited someone like me? A slave, an omega as far as everyone is concerned? I should know better than believing in fairy tales yet my dumb heart will not yield. “Daphne, you better be up or you’re dead meat!” Sharon, the Alpha’s youngest daughter shouted from the corridor that led to the little basement room I lived. I scrambled to my feet hurriedly because despite that she was six years younger than I, she had the freedom to do with me as she pleased so my two choices would simply be to obey or to disobey and get punished. “I’m up.” I jumped out of the door just before she reached me. “The maids said you have refused to do chores all morning, why?” “I am sorry, I have been feeling a little down, I …” “And how is that supposed to be my business?” “I’m sorry, I will get to work.” “You’d better!” I turned around to go inside but she pulled me back roughly. “Where do you think you are going?” “I need to…” “Get to work now!” She pulled my hair with such great force, that I wondered what it would feel like to have that kind of strength. That was one of the reasons they always looked down on me. I tried to get my hair out of her grip but it was hard because she held it with such great force. I cried out in pain as I twisted in her hand. “What is going on here?” A loud voice called from the rear. She suddenly let go of my hair, causing me to reel forward. I fell right in front of her brother, Xander. He looked down at me with a very angry expression. “Come with me.” He said to me and turned around to go. Oh no! It was a little bearable with his sister but the few times I got in trouble with him, it was never something I could deal with. I couldn't even ask him why he was taking me away or where he was taking me. I just knew I had to follow him if I was going to make this any easy on myself. He stopped in front of the men’s training ground and I could see that some of the men were already done with training and cleaning up, the stench of sweat filled the air and I fought the urge to puke. Even though I was only a weak omega, barely a wolf, barely anything at all, I had a very good that could pick a stench from very far. I knew what was to come and I could not say I was prepared for this. I was a slave to the pack and they had the go-ahead from the Alpha to do with me as they pleased and as I braced myself for what was to happen, Amelia came from among the wolves who were training and stood in front of me. Immediately I saw her, I knew she must have read the content if my diary and would kill me for sure “I have always wondered what it would be like to fight a wolfless girl. I will take her.” And that was when I noticed a few other wolves around my age were there and they all looked as scared as I was. This pack was merciless to the ones they considered outsiders and in truth the only reason I have stayed alive till now was that I learned at a very young age how to stay out of everyone’s way and that kept me until but it seemed as if I survived this day, I would have I find new ways of survival. I hurriedly threw myself at her feet to beg her. When you are a wolfless slave in a rogue pack, you beg even the smallest if them because your life is not guaranteed. “Please, I can…” Before I knew it, her feet came in contact with my cheek and the people around began to gather immediately as they cheered her. Looks like there is no escape for me after all. In my six years in this pack, I have secretly trained to fight in the quest for survival. I have always hoped that I would be able to escape this hell someday but if I die today… “Kill her!” I heard the loud voice of Nita, Amelia’s friend called from the crowd. I hurriedly scrambled to my feet and I started to notice more people arrive. “Please, just let me go. I beg…” She ran toward me at full speed and I made to run outside of the arena only to be thrown back by Xander who looked at me trained. “If you win, I will make sure you stay alive one more day.” What was that? Did he read my diary too? I looked between him and Amelia. I would die eventually? No, that can’t be my fate. I turned towards the girl who was raging with fury. She has always hated me even more than she hated the rest of the omegas in the pack so it wasn’t surprising that she wanted to kill me and now that I have given her mire reasons to want to kill me, there was no escape. “You’re dead meat!”