Cinderella of the Wolves

Anniversary

Lina walked through the kitchen, holding the tray in a near-perfect movement among the other people working in the mansion. Her slender body and hidden beauty were hidden by her uniform. Her dark hair was neatly tied back. Her clothes were impeccably arranged for that evening.

"Done. I can't wait to go out and enjoy my birthday. Finally, I'll be able to transform. It'll be my first full moon, Auntie," she said with a mischievous smile and took a deep breath, her heart pounding, eager to know what it would be like. She felt ready to embrace her inner wolf.

That night, she was turning 18. Her seed had sprouted, and this would be her first full moon.

Working hard, living with her aunt and struggling to become someone wasn't easy there. The pack did not see people like her or her aunt as equals. They were on the base, serving others.

"I'm happy for you. I wish I could take you somewhere else, but they needed us here tonight."

The girl had a pure and genuine heart. She never knew luxury or her parents. But she knew Aunt Mary, who adopted the little baby found at the edge of the forest, wrapped in blankets and shivering in the dark, empty night.

It was Mary who saved the little baby, keeping him warm and deciding to wait for someone to come looking for the baby, but no one showed up. Mary thought the baby might be the result of a mistake by some foolish young pack member.

So she accepted the baby as a gift to the moon. Mary was a widow and had no children, but she always had room at her table and a kind heart. She taught the little one everything she needed to know about the pack until then.

Auntie's fingers were calloused by years of service to the pack and the best families.

"At least it's a birthday, Auntie. It's not as bad as it sounds."

"Please don't go chatting up Mrs. Eliza and Mr. Colin's guests, understand?"

"It's their daughter's birthday. Have you seen how lovely everything looks?"

Aunt Mary put the glasses on the tray.

"Our alpha will be here."

Lina sighed.

"What's he like, Auntie?"

The girl pulled out the cloth and started polishing the glasses on the tray. As she knew how to do.

"He can be good and he can be scary."

"It will be the first time I get to meet him, isn't that a great gift?"

"His name is Dominik Wolfgang. Never forget the name of our alpha, dear."

"Dominik Wolfgang."

She smiled. Lina was passionate about life there, even if it wasn't as easy as it should be. She thought her nature was special, different from ordinary humans.

She just wanted to change one thing. The way omegas were treated by those above them, by the more privileged and wealthy. After all, they were all the same.

There was prejudice against the nameless families; sometimes they ended up serving the bigger families for generations. It was like a vicious circle, better than bringing humans into their reality. The blood secret would be better protected that way.

Being at the Colin house showed that. It was Stella Colin's birthday, and everything was ready, even to welcome the guest of honor.

It was a surprise for everyone.

Wolfgang didn't leave the house much. He was cold, distant, arrogant and fiercely cared for his pack. Prepared and ruthless.

Some thought he was going by order of the moon to find a single potential mate. All thought it would be Colin's daughter.

It was her birthday. The seed of a young girl could emerge on her eighteenth spring, embracing her blood and her nature before the moon.

"Let's get on with it. Mrs. Eliza doesn't forgive mistakes, dear."

"She's a terrible woman."

"Keep that to yourself."

Aunt Mary smiled, watching the young woman take the tray and head for the main hall of the mansion. Lina felt comfortable there, but she didn't like Mrs. Eliza, or even her daughter. They were snobbish and mistreated people.

For a moment, she saw the hall tidy up, every part of it, ready for the pack's most anticipated birthday. She placed the tray neatly on the table with the glasses.

She saw the young Stella Colin coming down the stairs. They were the same age and even celebrated their birthdays on the same day.

Lina didn't know what it was like to be envious. She admired the colors, the clothes and even the makeup, but without malice.

It set her apart from everyone and everything. Aunt Mary was afraid of that, afraid that someone would hurt the young girl. Lina was born fighting; she didn't need to go through any more bad things.

Mr. Colin and Mrs. Eliza appeared right behind the young woman, coming down the stairs.

She approached the other staff and stood straight with her head down, simply watching the scene that was unfolding.

"Everything's wonderful, Dad!"

The young woman hugged the man, with his gray hair and joyful look, fulfilling yet another of his daughter Stella's countless whims. After the death of his first wife, it made him happy, trying to fill a void that seemed endless inside him, even if sometimes he felt he would never make it.

Eliza married the widower, taking her sister's place and forming a family, just as she had once said she would, putting her daughter in a position that was not rightfully hers.

Lina had always found Mr. Colin pleasant; he didn't yell at his employees or humiliate them.

No, he was good. He was fair. But sometimes he was absent and didn't notice the cruel treatment Eliza and Stella subjected the mansion's employees to.

'Tonight you turn eighteen, my daughter. I hope everything will be amazing. I hope you look at the moon, feel the power filling your chest and accept the nature Mother Moon has bestowed upon us."

Lina couldn't resist, she looked up and stared at the man's words. They seemed tender and sincere.

She didn't know what that was. Mary was a widow. She had no father. She didn't have a mother. She had her aunt, the person she would do anything for.

"Our alpha will be here too; we can't forget how important this is."

Marrying an alpha was like a gift, an elixir for life.

Eliza only thought about it when she looked at her daughter.

"I will make him look at me and desire me, mother. I will still be his chosen one."

At that moment, it became clear that mother and daughter had similar thoughts. The father shook his head. He thought it was madness.

Charles Colin had seen Dominik Wolfgang take over the pack after his father's death years ago. He knew how good he could be, but also how cruel.

Handing his daughter over to him was like giving away a piece of himself that would never return, regardless of whether the daughter herself wanted it.

"Just focus on having fun. Today is your birthday. The moon looks beautiful outside."

Lina lowered her gaze and then smiled at his words, understanding exactly what he meant. She just wanted to get through that night and head up to the forest. To wait and let it happen, to run freely on all fours.

"Any problem?" She lifted her gaze. Elisa approached the young girl, who smiled as if there was some joke going on. That was a bad sign. "Seems like you enjoy listening to things. We have rules here, don't we?"

"Elisa."

"If you don't put them in their place, Charles, they will never be as good as they should."

Lina was frightened by the words and saw the woman come closer, raise her hand, and grab a glass.

"You're Mary's niece, aren't you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You've been here for so long, and you still haven't learned?"

"Elisa, stop."

The woman ignored her husband.

"I'm sorry."

She apologized, even though she had done nothing wrong.

"Did you know I never liked you working here? Your aunt is great, but you, you're not good. Look at this glass. Can you see the stains?"

There was no stain at all. It was just a way to belittle the young girl. Her blood started to boil.

"I can clean it again, ma'am." The glass was thrown in front of her, and the shards scattered as Lina took a step back.

"I hate it when you do that, Eliza. She's just a young girl," she said.

The woman laughed in Lina's face.

"Get someone to clean up and then you can go home. I don't want you here tonight; you can come back tomorrow to clean the floor."

Lina's mouth went dry. She felt a shiver, followed by a different sensation. For a moment, she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thought she would scream at that woman. She felt monumental anger, but she held it back.

"Excuse me."

Lina didn't look at anything or anyone else. She just hung her head with her blood pulsating strongly within her.

When she crossed the kitchen door, she took off the apron, and then she saw her aunt, who approached her with concern evident on her face.

"Lina?"

"Mrs. Eliza was horrible just now. I didn't do anything, I swear."

Her aunt took her by the hand and led her to a corner. She took the apron from her hand and then held both of her hands.

"Take a deep breath, stay calm. I'm here, remember what day it is today? Don't feel anger, Lina. Cleanse your heart."

That helped her calm down a bit.

"Why do they treat us so badly?"

"They don't know how to treat us any other way."

Lina's eyes filled with tears, it hurt, really hurt.

"She told me to go away. To do the cleaning tomorrow. At least I can enjoy a little more of the night and go up to the mountain."

"Lina."

"I'm ready to transform. Will you be fine here?"

"Promise me you'll tell me everything later?"

"If you bring a piece of cake, I have prepared a candle. We can sing happy birthday. I will wait for you at home. You are the most important thing in my life. Thank you for taking care of me all this time".

"You are like a daughter to me".

"I have to go before that woman comes here and sees me. I don't want to bring trouble to you, aunty."

"The moon shines for everyone, Lina."

The girl smiled.

"Today it shines even brighter for me."