The Hybrid Princess

The sun rose above the trees, filling my small attic bedroom full of light. I rolled onto my side and threw the covers over my head. I knew my alarm was going to go off at any second but one could only hope to have a few more minutes of uninterrupted sleep. I breathed out, counting the seconds until the sound of my alarm clock blared. I threw the covers off of me and jumped off of my cot to get ready for my shift in the pack kitchen. As a hybrid, my status in the pack was already low in rankings. My mother was a witch and my father was a wolf. My mother worked in the strip club on the outskirts of our territory and my father was the previous Alpha of the Moonstone pack. My father, John Moonstone, cheated on his mate and luna with my mother. I didn’t even know my mother’s name but when she gave birth to me, she showed up at the pack house with me in her arms. Obviously, the Luna, Naomi, did not take it well and killed my mother on the spot. Before she could kill me, my father stepped in to stop her. Much to her dislike, my father commanded her to raise me like her own daughter. Naomi had just given birth to my half-sister, Hallie, a month prior to my mother leaving me. She didn’t have it in her heart to love or care for me like her own daughter. In fact, she has hated me throughout the 18 years of my life. I could have left when I turned 18 but there was no other place to go. Most packs were unaccepting of witches or witch hybrids. Hallie was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth. She treated me like one of the help and was just like her mother. Between Naomi and Hallie, they spread vicious rumors throughout the pack saying that I was a cursed bastard child. It made other wolves avoid me at all costs, regardless of how I acted or worked hard to dispel those rumors. People never spoke to me and it’s not like I did not appreciate the silence. Things got worse when my father was killed by a hunter in the recent war about 7 years ago. Since then, Naomi has had me working in the pack kitchen instead of training. What she doesn’t know is that I have secretly continued my training. I spent every night after dinner in the woods, in the outskirts of our territory, training by myself. I didn’t have any combat skills but I did keep up my stamina and strength. Since shifting into my wolf, my witch abilities have also blossomed. I am what you call a white witch. I can grow plants around me as well as control them and also heal living creatures around me. The woods and earth have spiritual energy that I can manipulate into different light creatures. On a school trip outside the territory, I was able to snag a couple books on simple spells and herbal medicine. I practice everyday and keep the books hidden in the floorboards underneath my cot. If Naomi knew I was studying witch craft, she would have my head. I pad across the floor to my cracked full-size mirror and brush my long pale blonde hair. I braid it and tuck my baby hairs behind my ears. I study my face and the notice the dark circles under my pale blue eyes. I frown at my reflection, hating how tired I looked. Sighing, I get changed into my normal dingy clothes that I found for free at salvation army – a long over-sized T-shirt with a name of some human Italian restaurant and a pair of black legging with a tear in one of the knees and a pair of heavily used converses. I make my pay down to our kitchen, taking caution when walking past Naomi and Hallie’s rooms to prevent waking them up. Once I reach the kitchen, I turn on the lights and admire how the white granite counter tops shine in comparison to the black wooden cabinets. We lived in a modern pack mansion with several rooms and a banquet hall to accommodate not only our Beta and Gamma families but also a plethora of guests if we hosted any balls or parties. I put on my plain black apron and begin cooking breakfast for the families that live in the house. My wolf, Snow, hums in excitement when I pull out the bacon. Make sure it is the thick cut. I laugh as Snow speaks to me in my mind, ‘Of course, there is no other type of bacon to cook.’ She yips in agreement as I take out the pan and start frying the bacon. I make a pot of coffee and take a moment to make myself a cup and take a couple sips before I continue cooking. I work mindlessly to make scrambled eggs and pancakes, enjoying the smells of the food cooking and the silence of the house before everyone begins to wake up. About a half an hour later, I can hear footsteps as Beta Thomas and Gamma Andrew make their way downstairs and into the kitchen. I lower my head and start pouring two cups of coffee as they grab a plate and begin filling it with the food I had just made. They begin having a conversation, ignoring my presence. “If the King is correct, then we may have more than just a rogue problem.” Beta Thomas exclaims, grabbing a large scoop of eggs and placing it on his plate. “How would we even begin to defend our pack against the mad mage? And what if the king was wrong?” Gamma Andrew replies angrily. I listen closely, handing them cups of coffee as they pass by me. The Alpha King ruled over our domain. The Moonstone pack resides in the Midwest of the domain, as other packs ran the other sections of our domain. The Alpha King resided in the Northeast, covering a generous portion of the coastline where he could keep track of the incoming and outgoing ships at our ports. He also maintained the alliance, which was the group of Kings throughout the world of many different races. Its where the rulers of the world kept peace among the different domains and helped each other when it was needed most. “I highly doubt the King would make up the mad mage. Plus, according to the keeper of the Fae, the mad mage has been growing an army in the veil.” Beta Thomas looks down at me, “Let’s keep quiet about this now. We never know who’s listening.” He bumps into me, almost making me spill Gamma Andrews coffee. I blush from getting caught from listening and bow my head as low as I can. Gamma Andrew takes the coffee roughly from out of my hands and follows Beta Thomas into the dining room, glaring at me as he makes his way out of the Kitchen. Once they are out of the room, I brace myself against the counter and immediately focus on the ring that I placed around our territory. I don’t sense any other species; do you think our protection spell will stop an army from the veil? Snow questions. ‘I would hope so, I did make sure to add precautionary measures.’ Our internal conversation is interrupted by Hallie’s shrill voice coming down the hallway. “Oh did the help make my coffee yet?” She sing songs as she prances into the kitchen, dressed in a way too short skirt and tank top. She and I were almost identical in looks but her skin radiated in a healthy tan. “Let’s go help! I don’t have all day! We’re on school vacation and I plan on going to the lake with my friends.” I rush over to make her a coffee, keeping my head down and trying not to attract too much attention to myself. “Poor Little Maddie, no friends and no one to care about you.” She sings, sitting on the island counter, watching me make her coffee. “Make sure to add the creamer that I like, don’t want you to make it wrong!” She whines, grabbing bacon off the tray and eating it. Naomi then makes her appearance in the kitchen, making her way over to Hallie and kissing her on the cheek, “Good Morning my princess.” She coos, leaning against the counter and watching me, “Help. Coffee. Now.” I nod my head, bringing over Hallie’s coffee. She hits it out of my hand, the scalding liquid burning my arm. I gasp, grabbing my arm and looking up at Hallie. “You didn’t do it right. Make it again, Help.” She seethes, peering down at my face, “Don’t make eye contact with me, slave. You are too low to even look at me.” I nod quickly, looking down at my feet. “What are you doing help? I need my coffee I don’t have all day.” Naomi all but screams, not moving from her position next to the counter. “Sorry ma’am.” I whisper, running back and re-making the coffee for Hallie and a new cup for Naomi. “Did I ask you to speak?” Naomi asks, Hallie laughs at her mother’s question. “Mother, can we go shopping for a new ball gown for the Alpha Summit?” Hallie asks, getting off the counter to make herself a plate of food. “Of course my princess. You will be the most beautiful she-wolf at the ball.” Naomi coos, “Plus you need to look the best as the Alpha King will be there, so will his twin sons who are still looking for their mates! Not only that but all of the other Alphas of the domain will be there as well! You need to look your best!” I interrupt quietly to hand them their coffees when Naomi grips my arm where Hallie had burned me. I suck in a breath as she digs her well-manicured nails into my burning skin. “Down on your knees peasant.” She growls as I drop to the floor. “You listen now and you listen good.” She seethes, getting close to my face trying to get me to look up at her. Much to her disappointment, I keep my eyes down, silently waiting. “You will not be anywhere near the ball. You will stay up in your room and you will not make a peep. You’re eighteen and I do not want you to find your mate nor do I want you to embarrass me in front of the other alphas.” She digs her nails in more, making me yelp in pain as blood trickles down my arms and drips onto the floor. “Do I make myself clear?” She half-yells, yanking my arm. I nod my head fervently wishing for her to take her hands off me. “Good.” She says, taking her hand off me. “Now clean up this mess.” She says whipping a rag on my head and pointing to the spilled coffee on the floor. Hallie hands her a plate of food, giggling, as they make their way out of the kitchen. Bitch. Snow growls in my head as I sigh, grabbing the rag and wiping up the spilled coffee, making sure not to drip too much blood on the floor. Once the floor is clean, I begin washing my arm under cold water. She can’t keep us from finding our mate. ‘She can and she will. The only way to get out of this place is to find my mate.’ I hold back the tears in my eyes as I wrap my arm with some wet paper towels. Because I was a hybrid and not a full-blooded werewolf, my healing was a lot slower. Which meant that I would have to spend the rest of the day doing my chores with a burned arm.