The Forbidden Mates

"agghhhh!!!"  I let out a blood-curdling screech as the icy water hit my bare skin like a thousand tiny needles stabbing me at once. "get up, you lazy slob!" Sandra's shrill voice tore through my head as she dragged me off of my makeshift bed in the dreary basement. "Why isn't my breakfast ready yet? Up all night w*****g around were we?! well, this ought to teach you to get your priorities straight!"  she seethed in my ear, holding me up by my matted brown curls. She drove her knee up and threw me forward towards the ground simultaneously. Her knee made contact with my ribcage, and a sickening noise filled the air as 3 of my ribs shattered again. I still hadn't healed fully after last week's beating, but I refused to make a sound. I would not let her see my pain. "Hurry up and get breakfast ready, and don't let this happen again, you useless mutt!" Sandra hissed as she kicked me again and again before she spun on her heel and left me wheezing on the cold concrete floor. I waited until I heard the door click shut before I tried to drag myself up. The throbbing pain that shot through the left-hand side of my body would have been enough to make a grown wolf whimper and fall down, but I couldn't afford to do that now. I had overslept already, and now I had to frantically rush to make breakfast for the packhouse. I was usually up before everyone by 4am at the latest. Still, today was different, the Alpha had forced me to clean the packhouse 4 times last night, and I was up until 2am making sure it was spotless. There was supposed to be a meeting between the 3 neighboring packs Alphas and Alpha Jez. I am expected to make the whole house shine and cook for the meeting and keep out of sight. Today was a new day, and each new day bought me closer to the day I could leave this hell-hole. As soon as the clock strikes midnight on my 18th birthday, I will shift and finally be strong enough to get out of this pack and maybe even find my mate. That is still 2 months away, though, and until then, I will be stuck here as the pack slave. "Kestrel!" Someone called into the dark basement, hurrying me along. "s**t!" I hadn't meant to zone out. I quickly and carefully stripped my soaked and torn nightgown from my body and dressed in one of my 3 outfits. Basic black leggings, an old holy t-shirt, and the converses I had found a pack member throwing away. I threw my matted mane up into a bun. I knew I looked horrible, but I didn't care. I sprinted up the stairs into the kitchen and started heating up all the pans I would need. While the pans heated, I cracked a dozen eggs, added some salt and pepper, and whisked them up. I threw some bacon into half of the pans and the eggs into another. I quickly cracked and whisked another 4 dozen eggs and put them in the remaining pans. The kitchen staff were rushing around me, making sure to set the buffet perfectly with an array of fresh fruits, yoghurt, toast, pastries, and cereals. They had already put sauteed mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, and beans into their respective serving dishes. All that was missing was the bacon and eggs. I heard the pack members start moving about in the house and kicked it into overdrive. I was stirring the eggs flipping the bacon and helping to put the drinks out simultaneously. My heart was racing, and I started to panic as I heard the footsteps get closer to the dining room. If I don't have this food served and get out of here before the first pack member enters, I will get beaten again, maybe even thrown into the pack dungeon. I moved like my life depended on it, and in all honesty, it did. The omegas were already moving out of the kitchen as I put the bacon and eggs in their dishes. The door handle rattled, and I quickly placed the last piece of bacon in its tray. I grabbed my still burning pans and hissed as they seared my flesh. I ran through the doors and threw my pans into the sink. I jumped up and down, holding my hand, praying to the mood goddess to not let my hands blister. Thankfully I made it out of there just in time, but I have no time to relax as I have to start the dishes and the rest of my chores. I sighed to myself as I thought about what my life had become. It wasn't always like this. My parents used to cherish me. I was loved and wanted until the Oracle told my parents I would be the weakest wolf in the pack. My parents were both betas. Both had Alpha and Beta parents. They refused to accept that their child would be ranked anything less. But then, when I was 12 years old, and the Alpha gave out our rankings based on our test results and observations in training, I was told I didn't even deserve the rank of omega. My parents threw me out, and I've been the pack slave since then. I felt tears well in my eyes as I reminisced about my childhood, I missed my parents, but I would never forgive them for casting out a child. Our ranks aren't even confirmed until we turn 18, but I was not hanging around to find out if mine was wrong. The pack had shown me its true colours, and I would rather be rogue than stay here even a minute longer than I need to. I've managed to stay alive for this long, just 2 more months. I am out of here, I silently promised myself as I finished the dishes and made my way through the packhouse, collecting laundry and working on my chore list.