The Queen of Fire

Chapter 1

Every night I experience the pain from the fire. I can feel the heat encompass me and smell the stench of burning flesh. I try to run away but I feel heavy and stuck. I fall and fall and I am screaming but no one is coming to save me... and then I wake up.

I sit up in bed panting, I can feel the sweat roll down my spine as I try to remind myself that it's just a dream. I blink the tears from my eyes and look out of the window to the right of my bed, the sun is beginning to shine over the top of the mountains surrounding the packhouse. I know that means it is time to get up and get to work. I peek over at Ellie sleeping soundly next to me on her small bed. Yes, we are alive and we are fine, just a dream. I quietly walk over to the small bathroom we share and shower and ready myself for the day.

As an omega in the Blackwood Pack, I am responsible for cooking breakfast each day and cleaning up after the pack devours all of the food. I walk out of the bathroom and kick Ellie's bed.

"arghhh" She groans.

"Wake up sleepyhead, it's time to start breakfast. We can't be late again, Alpha Edward will kick our asses!"

Ellie finally sits up huffing, her red curls falling out from the messy bun on top of her head.

"okay, okay i'm up. I'll shower and meet you in the kitchen in 5".

I laugh at the site of her and agree to give her time to wake up and get ready.

As I make my way down to the kitchen, I can actually pretend I am happy here. Ellie is really my only friend, we're both omegas and don't get treated well here. Bottom of the pack, only good for cleaning, cooking and bowing to our almighty Alpha. Alpha Edward took me in when he found me in the woods. I was so young I don't even remember where I came from. He said I was just a baby and no one knew how I got to the edge of Blackwood territory, but there I was. He let me grow up in the packhouse and then set me to work as soon as I was old enough to bow down and listen to his commands. I ended up learning how to be a pretty good cook and now the pack love to eat my food each day. He likes to try to act like I owe him some kind of favor for what he did. But Ellie and I both know that he is not kind, he is not caring, and he will not treat us how either of us deserve.

If we are late, we get beaten. If we burn food, we are whipped. If we get caught eating pack food, we are locked in a confinement room until we get on our knees and apologise. It is not the life I want to live, but I have no where else to go. Ellie is a year younger than me and I try my best to support her when I can. I have taken the fall for her mistakes many times, but I'd rather it's me who ends up bruised than her.

It is silent in the packhouse. I run my hand over the exposed brick of the walls as I walk silently through the hallways. I pass by Alpha Edward's office and pray he is still asleep and not already awake and working. I can hear him talking and I suck in air, making myself as silent as possible as I tip-toe past. He doesn't emerge and I am thankful.

I flick the kitchen lights on and look around at the clean space. The stainless steel benches and equipment are set out like a commercial kitchen. Anything a cook could ever want is here at my fingertips. I lose myself in my work as I prepare dough to make bread. I jump when Ellie finally meets me to begin working. "Sorry, the shower was so warm for once, I wanted to make the most of it! What can I do to help?" I direct her to start cutting the fruit for the platters we place on the table each day.

Suddenly, the kitchen door slams open and Alpha Edward walks in. He is a tall, muscly man but you can see the signs of his age beginning to show. His dark hair is beginning to gray and he has some fine lines around his eyes. He has been the Alpha of this pack for a long time. His son Archer will become Alpha one day. He is only 16, so still too young to take over for now. He sneers at me and I lower my gaze to show submission. I never really feel submissive towards him. I am unsure why. Sometimes I can feel Ellie cowering when he enters the room. I try to mimic her behavior but I feel nothing. My wolf, Nova, tries to tell me it is because we are strong. I don't really understand what she means, considering we are just omega wolves here.

"Alpha Kyle and his pack will be joining us for Tessa's mating ceremony" he states disapprovingly. Tessa, Alpha Edwards' oldest daughter, just met her mate and her ceremony is coming up in 2 weeks' time.

"Normally other packs don't join us for ceremonies" I say in shock. I quickly shut my mouth, realizing that I have spoken without permission. Alpha Edward moves closer to me, leaning down so close that I can feel his breathe on my face. I look down knowing that I will be in trouble for what I have said. I feel the sting of the slap on my cheek, my teeth cut the inside of my cheek and I can feel the blood fill my mouth. I try not to sway as I feel him move away from me again.

"Normally, they don't" He spits. "But he has responded and said himself and a small number of his pack will join the celebrations. I need you to make sure all of the food is of the highest quality. Don't f*** this up". He turns on his heel and storms out of the kitchen.

I breathe out slowly and turn to Ellie. She rushes over to me. "Are you okay?".

"I'm fine" I breathe out again, wincing as I begin to feel a bruise form on my cheek.

"I can't believe Alpha Kyle is coming, he NEVER comes to anything!" Ellie squeaks in excitement. We never get to mingle with other packs, so this is very exciting, also daunting for us. No one has ever seen Alpha Kyle, he is almost like an Alpha ghost. We have all heard wild stories of the young, blood thirsty Alpha who can make anyone bow to him. It frightens me to know that soon he will be here with us. I feel Nova pace in my head. "What's wrong?" I ask Nova.

"You will soon find out" she says smugly.

Great, my wolf has gone all secretive on me. I don't have time to argue with her so I turn back to Ellie to start planning for the ceremony. Everything has to be perfect, otherwise we will be in big, big trouble with Alpha Edward.