Claimed by Alpha Caspian

Klara POV “What is this rubbish?” my stepmother yelled. I stood next to the dining table, an apron draped around my waist. I had just finished preparing the table for dinner after spending the past two hours cooking. “I made dinn—“ Smack! Smack! My head twisted to the side, my left cheek was red and stinging. I could taste blood in the corner of my mouth. I must have cut myself on my teeth. “Have you lost your mind? You know what tonight is, right?” she yelled in my face so hard that a spittle sputtered out of her mouth and landed on my face. “Do you want me to be bloated?” A familiar voice called from the doorway of the dining room. My stepsister, Flora, stood with her back resting against the hardwood as she looked at her nails. “Do you think the foodstuffs are for you to waste?” my stepmother yelled with enough distaste to make my skin crawl. I opened my mouth to speak but was immediately silenced by another slap! SMACK! “Control your pheromones!” my stepmother yelled. “You can never do anything right, I should have kicked you out a long time ago.” I kept my head down as I lifted a hand to my cheek. It burned. It burned so much I felt water in my eyes. I clamped my lips shut and did my best to hold back the tears. I couldn’t cry. I knew better. It would just be another thing for them to use to mock me. I was no more than a tool they could treat however they liked. “Clear the table, right now, and make sure you store the food properly. Money doesn’t grow on trees.” Of course, it didn’t. It came right from my trust fund, my inheritance. My trusty father had made her my guardian until I turned twenty-five. I was sure it was his way of making the family stay together long after he was gone, but he simply trapped me. “Hurry up, you have to help me get ready for the party,” my stepsister said as she flicked dirt off her nail. “We don’t have much time, if you make me late I’ll make you crawl there.” “Are you sure you want her to come along?” “Of course, Mum. She would make me look very good. Her disgrace is so palpable it seeps out of her pores.” “Her pheromones would be distracting. And it’s embarrassing to have this foul-smelling slut around you.” I winced at the vulgar name she called me. I didn’t have much control over my pheromones. It might be because I didn’t have a wolf. Instead of a wolf when I turned sixteen I got strong-smelling pheromones that I had no control over. “So desperate for a man,” Flora chuckled. “No wonder the Alpha’s son, Theo, rejected you three years ago. He must have seen how eagerly you’d spread your legs to anyone.” “But nobody wants anything to do with her,” my stepmother crackled. “And they all pity us for having to deal with a wolfless thing like her! Embarrassing!” “It is best she shows up, Mum. Alpha Theo still doesn’t have a mate, he will consider me. His father did promise our family after all.” “You are right, my beautiful princess. Are you deaf?!” my stepmother yelled again. “Didn’t you hear me? I said clear the damn table before I smack you again.” I nodded and immediately moved to do as I was instructed. I moved quickly, taking the freshly made food into the kitchen and stuffing them in plastic containers before placing them in the freezer. It was more than a little cruel. I had started to cook more than two hours ago as I always did for dinner. My stepmother had walked into the kitchen numerous times, each time watching me with a glint in her eye. At no point did she think to mention that they wouldn’t eat before the party. Unfortunately, I was used to their cruelty. I cleaned up the kitchen and quickly made my way to Flora’s room. It used to be my room, now I slept in the storeroom. I knocked on her door twice but I got no response. I knew she was in there, her loud laughing could be heard all over the house. “Flora,” I softly called as I knocked again. “Come in, you stupid b***h, and stop your useless knocking.” I flinched but she and her mother have called me far worse. I turned the handle and walked into the room to see her on the bed tapping on her phone as she laughed hard. “Flora,” I tried again. “You are going to be late—“ “Shut up,” she said and looked at me, her brown eyes blazed. “You’ve called my name twice already. Have you forgotten your position?” “I am sorry,” I whispered. I felt my stomach twist as the words left my lips but right now, I was willing to do anything to save my head. My cheeks still stung and it was embarrassing enough that I would have to go to the annual party but at least if I did as I was told, I might be able to suffer less embarrassment. She hissed and returned to tapping her phone. “Get the dress from my wardrobe. Don’t act like you don’t know which one, I have been planning this for months and you’re here acting stupid. I can’t believe my mother still keeps you around, it would be better to get rid of you and hire someone. You useless stinking fool!” I nodded and walked towards the wardrobe. The dress sat on the hanger exactly as I had left it, I stretched my hand and her shrill voice almost burst my eardrums. “Don’t touch it with your filthy hands. Wear gloves, you know this. I don’t want your stupid pheromones all over my beautiful dress.” I turned around to apologize but was immediately hit in the face with her water bottle that usually sat by her bedside drawer. I picked up the water bottle as it hit the ground. “I will wear some gloves.”