Evil adjacent: Passed over for his mate

Jamie

Jamie:

I was up early, like every other day. Dad was still in his room, I assume still passed out. I could see the trail of bottles strewn everywhere. I picked them up as I headed to the bathroom, I liked being efficient. I got ready pretty quickly, not that I had much to do. I couldn’t afford makeup thanks to my dad’s drinking habit. I took a look in the mirror, I had thick raven colored hair, it was shinny and straight, and I have big green eyes. A bit unusual for my Puerto Rican background. I’m pretty curvy for a girl without her wolf, I have tanned skin without even seeing the sun. I’m not very tall at 5’5”. I stand out in my pack being that our pack lands are in South Carolina. Just a lot of flat land, with many fields and forest. I throw my hair up in a messy bun and brush my teeth. I take one last look in the mirror before I walk out to the living room.

“Oh lord, I swear the number of bottle’s increase each day”, I say to myself. “Better get this done quickly before my morning shift”. I quickly pick up the living room and kitchen, the only other 2 rooms left in this apartment. We don’t own much but he still manages to knock over everything. I rush out before I’m late. “The head omega will have my ass if I’m late again”, once again talking to myself. I rush down the stairs… our apartment is just above the garage behind the pack house. It’s a smaller garage mostly used for equipment storage and random stuff. There is a much bigger garage that houses the cars on the other end of the pack house. There is actually no excuse to be late when I live so close. Just steps away after the garden that’s closest to the back door. It’s just before dawn, I can start to see the bits of sunlight peeking out in the distance. The air is already humid, but still a little cool, unlike the summer days when the sky is pink letting us know it’s gonna be another hot day. It’s only September but I can start to feel fall coming. It’s not a long season here but it is my favorite. Sweater weather is the best, although all mine have holes. Wish I could afford those pumpkin spice lattes I’m alway hearing about.

I take a deep breath and enter through the back door straight into the kitchen. There are already quite a few omegas started on breakfast. All moving around almost synchronized. I’m not actually an omega, it’s very complicated, I do this for the extra money. It’s how I make ends meet. My father used to be the beta of this pack before my mom died. Hence the drinking problem. Most wolves have a hard time getting over the loss of their mate let alone a fated one. I shake my head as if to shake the thought out. Anyway I have to get started on peeling the potatoes for lunch, I need to be quick about it so I’m not late for school. I do it often so I’m practically a pro. I hardly cut myself anymore. I have a good hour and a half to work before I need to leave and I get straight to it. I work alone, not that I like being an outcast, but it is what it is. I’m not sure what I did to deserve that, but I have me theories. I just put in my earbuds and listen to music as I work. The time basically flys by. Most of the omegas are now cleaning up after breakfast. I had a protein bar. I have incredible hearing for being young with no wolf. I hear the omega women talking about the future alpha and how well he’s doing at his private school. “ the young alpha is doing so well in school, he will become a great leader to this pack just like his father” I heard one of the older ladies say. Just the mention of Dean, even tho they didn’t say his name, had me daydreaming of when we were growing up as kids. He was as very cute as a kid, I can’t even imagine what he looks like now. He’s been away at boarding school for supernatural elites. My dad couldn’t afford to send me, so here I am. I remember how nice he was to me especially after my mom died. Like all other girls I had a huge crush on him, but unlike them, him and I shared a bond. We were such good friends back when we lived in the pack house. We saw each other every day. My dad used to train us as kids, private lessons. Those are the good old days when my mom was still alive and my dad was a ranking member.

I’m jolted out of my thoughts as the alarm that I set goes off alerting me it’s time to go to school. I was done peeling anyway. I swear I’m always in a rush. As I’m running out I bump into the head omega, ms. Laura, “slow down there youngin, last thing we need is for you bumping into someone and making a mess again” she says with a thick southern accent. “sorry ms. Laura, I don’t wanna be late for school, I can’t afford a tardy if I want to keep my top average”. “It’s alright sweet girl, I was needing to speak with you anyways. I’ll be needing you later to pick the vegetables left in the garden. We need to start canning before the fall starts rolling in.” Yes ma’am I’ll get right to it after training and before I go to make daddy some diner”, I tell her earnestly. Ms Laura is the only one who would give me a job and I’m so great full for it. “All right then darling, you get on going to school and have a good day”, she tells me as she waves me out the door. I smile and try to bottle her kindness for the day cuz I won’t encounter another nice person the rest of it.

I relish my walk to school, I cut through the Forest that separates the pack house from where the school is located. It’s probably not a shortcut, but it helps me avoid all the other kids who drive or are driven to school. Can’t risk running into the not so kind ones who pick on my just because of my situation. I’m trying not to let them get to me, but to say their treatment of me really doesn’t hurt would be a lie. I just try to be as strong as I remember my mom being.

I make it to school and to my seat before the bell. I sit in the back. The other students, don’t give me a second glance anymore I’m a pariah here. Thanks to my dad. I sit in the back and just do my work. School is not my favorite but I’m just naturally good at it. I have the best grades in the school and on my spare time I taught myself to speak 2 other languages (my mom taught me Spanish) and I’m working on learning 2 more. It’s not my fault I’m a social outcast, but I’ll be damned if I let that stop me from become something. Before I know it school is done and I’m off to training. Luckily that’s just the building beside the school.

I’m dressed in an old tee shirt that was my dad’s, so it’s very big on me. My shorts are just some cut off leggings and I’m in my regular bra. I can’t afford descent workout clothes and my breast’s are quite small anyways. I used to get so embarrassed, but I’ve accepted that I can’t change my situation… yet! I throw my long hair into a top bun and I’m the first one out of the girls locker room. I’m almost done stretching as the rest of the trainees start to make their way out. Most dressed in sports bras and biker shorts. The guys in tanks and basket ball shorts. Some of the omegas look like me. We get into formation. There are six rows of six a total of 36 trainees. All male and female, scattered. We are the next group in the pack to become of age of receiving our wolf. Different training classes have been going on all day as we were in school. There are even a few more after us. We are lined up by rank. The last few rows being the lowest rank, usually omegas, they are the weakest members in the pack but still stronger than your average human even without their wolf. The middle rows would become low ranking warriors, like guards or soldiers, they may even have other jobs in the pack like having a farm or running a*****e. And the front few rows would become top warriors or if you work hard enough a ranking member of the pack. That’s my goal! I’m in the front row third in line with two males before me. I am the highest ranking female trainee. One of the many reasons guys don’t want to mess with me, amongst other reasons. Even is number one and Sam is number 2. We stand At attention as the gamma who is in charge of training comes onto the field.