The Demon Wolf hood

Chapter 1. I spent most of the day cleaning the opulent halls of the pack home before collapsing upon my mop. The sun hadn't even risen when I got to work at five in the morning, but this wasn't your average day. The mansion had to be immaculate for the impending grand celebration. Suddenly, a burly warrior brushed by me, nudging me deliberately and grinning defiantly as I stumbled to maintain my balance. "Get out of my way, tainted servant! "Get to work, you lazy scoundrel!" he snarled. "Yes, sir, sorry, sir," I said, hunching over and looking down. This made it easier for me to avoid getting into arguments with people who are stronger than me. Life hadn't always been like this. I was not a slave once; I was the daughter of the Alpha of the Black Moon pack. My twin sister Domitila and I were our father's only children, born shortly after our mother, the former Luna, passed away. Our father was so distraught that he could not look at us since our faces reminded him of our mother. So we were reared by our grandparents. Everything changed on our eighteenth birthday during the shifting ceremony in front of the entire pack. After this, we were officially accepted as part of the Black Moon pack. My father had smiled triumphantly at Domitila that day, and I shivered to think of how he had scorned and hated me. With easy, Domitila transformed into a gorgeous silvery-white wolf, but I was unable to release my human form and was left in front of the group to endure their inspection. Everything changed dramatically that evening. While Domitila had seen her wolf emerge, one that resembled our father's, I had not. This seemingly insignificant difference fundamentally altered our roles within the pack: I was shunned and punished for my supposed failings, while Domitila was welcomed back into our father's family as his true daughter. I could still clearly recall the hurtful things my father had said to me, even though it didn't seem like he had spoken them in front of the entire pack. "I don't need someone like you. You are a failure, not my daughter. You're not worthy of being called the "daughter of the Alpha." There's just one place for runts like you." For me, that statement was the beginning of the end. I was taken from my grandmother's cosy home in an instant and brought to the dingy, dirty Omegas' quarters, where I was made to work as a slave. I had to fast learn how to take care of myself, my responsibilities, and social structures in this harsh new environment. Still, this wasn't the worst change or betrayal I experienced. No, the one who really betrayed me was my own flesh and blood, my twin sister Domitila. She transformed into someone completely different over night. She reaped the rewards of her new status as the official Alpha's daughter, as well as the love and pride of our father. She never missed an opportunity to point out to me how drastically different our statuses were. My sister was never a saint, but once she actually had power, she turned cruel, and I became her primary target. With a cunning smile, she invited me into her lavish room at the pack house the day after our shared birthday. There, she told me, quite cruelly, that I was to be her personal maid. She didn't need to give an explanation; it was just a technique to make sure I never failed to notice the stark contrast between her opulent life of luxury, comfort, and the best things and mine, because I didn't have a wolf and she did. I had no idea that I would be here, supporting her as I cleaned the house for her engagement party. There were just a few days left before the wedding, which was to take place under a dazzling full moon. Her fate was to wed Pete Ovie, the son of the Alpha of the adjacent Red Moon pack. It was greatly anticipated by both packs since it signalled the start of a new alliance in addition to their union. Since girls were usually expected to marry and could not assume the role of father, this wedding was planned. Pete was someone I knew from our school days. We attended the same high school since our packs were so close to one another. Having been my classmate for four years, he was a senior when I started my freshman year. Pete embodied perfection, possessing a perfect As in being the star of the basketball team, taking advanced classes, and commanding the attention of every student who has a uterus. And to top it all off, he had an extraordinary level of humility and compassion. If there could be such a thing as good, he was almost too good. However, I then recalled the day following Domitila and I's moving ceremony, when he abruptly lost recognition of me and avoided me like the plague. The few times he had visited our house, he had acted as if I hadn't existed. Since I'm a wolfless outsider, I couldn't really hold him accountable. Who would want to hang out with me? " karen!" Mrs. Dawson, the head Omega, yelled from across the corridor, startling me out of my daydream. "Are you finished yet?" "Almost done!" I replied, working quickly on my homework. Assuming that Omegas and slaves will be friendly was a stupid assumption. Even among the lowest ranking of the wolves, instincts prevailed. In the wolf hierarchy, conquering your enemies remained the one constant, regardless of one's status as an omega. And Mrs. Dawson played that horrible game very well. I had all too well seen what she had the men do when their work did not meet her expectations. I had been the unwilling target of their unwelcome approaches on multiple occasions. Smothering a shiver, I focused again on the task at hand, buffing the parquet until it gleamed in the dim light. I threw the mop and bucket in the basement quickly, now that the floor was spotless. For a moment, I wondered if I could squeeze in a quick snooze. Not many slaves had beds like us; the lucky ones got presents from my granny, usually a bedroll and maybe a pillow. Amidst the agony, those items seemed like invaluable pleasures. Wishing for a little respite from the ache in my shoulders and back, I made my way to my bedroll. I was about to settle down when I received a dismal command from Mrs. Dawson. "Up, everyone!" Her words echoed through the packhouse. "The Red Moon have arrived!" I closed my eyes for a while, wishing my much-needed break had never ended. That day was obviously not going to provide me any serenity. "The Alpha requests that everyone greet them outside! Now get moving!" With a resigned sigh, I rose from my makeshift bed and cautiously made my way to the doorway to join the procession. Abruptly, Mrs. Dawson clutched my forearm and yanked me towards her. "Make sure nobody sees you, runt," with a snarl. "You don't want to incur the Alpha's wrath - or Miss Domitila's." In other words, my father and Domitila wanted me to keep out of trouble and not draw attention to myself. They disguised the shame the family was going through by acting as though I didn't exist. I gave the impression that I was docile and submissive, and eventually Mrs. Dawson let go of me. The meeting was not going to go well.