Her Faded Memories

Elodie “You’ve got to be kidding me?” I muttered through gritted teeth. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw every basket in the laundry room contained dirty clothing. From the corner of my eye, I saw an omega smirk at me before she turned and headed up the stairs. I slammed my science book down, realising the amount of work I still had left before my 3-hour shift ended. Before 7am, I must wash, dry, and iron multiple baskets labelled with the names of the highest-ranking wolves in the pack. No pressure there! What on earth had she been doing? It was obvious that she decided to sleep during her shift, leaving all the work for me to do. She was in charge of washing all the clothes, while I handled the task of drying and ironing them, and it’s obvious that the omegas decided to make my day a difficult one right from the start. Ever since I can remember, my mother and I have been outsiders for an unknown reason. I don’t understand why every pack member makes our life miserable. They forbade us from participating in any pack gatherings or runs. They informed us that once the new Alpha assumes control, they would throw my mother and me out, suggesting that we have overstayed our welcome. Moving the first basket, I observe the name ‘Nicholas’ displayed on its side. That was the future Alpha, and I had heard more pack members had been seeing him around lately. On the other hand, I had never seen him before. From the moment he was born, the luna has had a tight hold on him, making him a total momma’s boy, I’m sure. I was curious about what he looked like or if he was going to be a better leader than his father. But that didn’t concern me since I would never have the chance to meet him, and most Alpha heirs were entitled men who always got their own way. I separated the colours and fabrics from the basket, pondering the next Alpha as I load them into the designated washers. I advanced to Sierra’s basket, which was the next one in line. She was a force to be reckoned with, a true spoilt brat which loves to make my life a misery. When I was training to be an omega, she was one of the first to bully me after I accidentally spilt juice on her new dress and my mother tried to intervene. It didn’t end well for either of us, and now we’re down here doing laundry. Hunters’ basket was next. Who was Sierra’s older brother, another wolf I have not had the pleasure of meeting yet. He was the future Beta. I reached the final basket, which had the name Kai on it. My nose scrunched up in disgust. He was undeniably a rotten apple, destined to be the future gamma, and I truly felt sorry for the next Luna. I’ve been a target of Kai’s bullying for as long as my memory goes back. His animosity towards me has been consistent, but since I reached 16, he has somewhat altered his approach, seeking me out before school, although not with the same intensity as when there was an audience. In solitude, his touch is a paradox of strength and tenderness, but the enigmatic depth of his gaze remains a mystery to me. He would pull me from behind, describing my scent as divine, sending shivers down my spine, and not in a good way. Once he’s surrounded by his minions, his attitude completely changes, glaring at me with disgust, hurling hurtful words, and physically harming me by gripping my wrists or cheeks, causing them to bruise. I just wish he would leave me alone, but it’s getting worse every day. One hour into my chores, I’ve finished washing and drying Nicholas’s, Hunter’s, Sierra and Beta Oliver clothes. Placing the freshly ironed clothes neatly in empty baskets. Stepping into the laundry room, Marcy, the head of the omegas, observes the workload that still needs to be completed. “It’s clear that you haven’t been putting in much effort. Most of this should have been done.” “I promise I will finish all the laundry by the time my shift is over.” I whispered, folding the clothes I had just ironed. Realising that it was unwise, I refrained from voicing my dissatisfaction with the negligence of the other omega wolf. The previous time, I ended up with water poured over my head and a broken wrist from being restrained too forcefully. While Marcy acknowledged the mistreatment I faced from the other omegas, she displayed a lack of concern, just like the rest of the pack. They stayed clear of me to avoid becoming the target when someone wanted to make my day miserable. “Better be, otherwise you’ll miss school out until you have finished.” Marcy added, and I rolled my eyes as she storms out of the room. Despite their attempts to hurt me, I never give in. However, I can’t afford to skip school or else the Alpha and Luna will retaliate against me and my mother. I hate this place! I said to Nala. The only people I could trust were my mother, my best friend Raven, and the voice of my wolf, Nala. Nala, my wolf, might as well be a figment of my imagination. When I turned thirteen years old, my wolf appeared to me like everyone else’s. Regrettably, my wolf possessed the ability to only communicate with me through mind-link. I didn’t have any sort of power. I could not transform into my wolf, and I didn’t resemble any of the other werewolves in our pack. So, what should’ve been a magical day of being able to transform into my wolf became a day of misery and humiliation. All she-wolves looked like fashion models with their height exceeding 5’8” and over. Their hair was shiny and healthy, their complexion flawless, and their faces beautiful. While my short ass wasn’t even meeting 5.2”, short brittle hair from the lack of care, freckles all over my face and I had voluptuous curves, as my mother would say. Being fat is what I would call it, and that’s what everyone else would call me: a fat little dumpling. Usually, I try to not let name-calling bother me. I ensured myself they would not get a glimpse of my tears, ignoring their snide comments, and remove myself when they attempted to bully me. I didn’t want them enjoying their taunts, knowing they got to me every single day. However, there was a point where you couldn’t ignore any more, the words echoing in your mind, convincing me of the spiteful words spoken by the she-wolves. Elodie! Pay attention. Nala snapped at me. I jumped in surprise, my eyes shot down to the hot iron that I was still holding. I could see steam emerging from beneath the iron, which remained pressed to the Beta’s youngest daughter’s summer dress. “Oh, no!” I said, louder than I wanted to. Hesitantly, I lifted the iron from the dress, then scanned the laundry room for others. I was unable to sense when someone was close by, as I lacked werewolf senses. Upon picking up the dress, I noticed a rather prominent brown print on the front bodice of the light blue dress. I sighed, slamming my eyes shut and hoping to the moon goddess that I hadn’t ruined this tiny piece of material. It’s ruined! Nala said. Ugh, I can see that! I snapped back at her, opening my eyes and seeing the damage I had just created. What do I do now? I said, more to myself rather than my wolf. “What have you done?” A loud shriek suddenly filled my ear. Someone chooses today, of all days, to collect their basket from the laundry room. Usually, all the washing is delivered to their rooms in the pack house. The higher ranked wolves refuse to do omega jobs like washing and cleaning. As the Luna said, it’s beneath them to do servants’ chores. I turned around to see a pissed off Sierra, who was the same age as me but lives a way more luxurious life than I could ever imagine. Sierra places her manicured hands on her hips, staring at the ruined dress I hold. I glanced at the garment, then at her. Fear covered my face, and I couldn’t stop trembling as she grabbed the dress from me. “I’m sorrr-” I stutter and shake uncontrollably. Exposing my fear in the pack was something I despised, as they relished seeing me quiver in front of them. Sierra examined the dress in her hands and then shifted her gaze down at me with a threatening expression in her eyes. Unexpectedly, the room seemed to shrink, and the air became heavier, making it difficult for me to breathe as Sierra stared at me. “You’re sorry! You’ve ruined my favourite dress!” She shouts down to me. If I possessed the heightened senses of a wolf, I am certain I would detect the waves of anger aimed at me right now, but all I sensed was the terror engulfing me. If Luna discovered this, having to pay for the dress would be the least of my worries. She grabs hold of my arm and throws me to the ground. “You stupid b***h!” She screamed at me as I hit the floor with a thud, my ironing board flying in another direction from where I had just fallen. As I tried to shrink further into the wall, I felt a sharp pain in my backside. “I’m sorry!” She walks up to me and kicks me in the stomach a few too many times, a burning sensation filling my stomach with each blow. I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on something else other than the pain that was radiating through my ribs. I silently hoped I hadn’t broken any of them. A few stray tears fall down my face as the pain gets more unbearable. Suddenly, the kicking stops to see a small shaking figure in front of me. My Mother! Unable to get up from the floor, I tried sitting up instead. “What is your i***t of a mother trying to say to me?” she said, sounding extremely irritated by her presence. My mother turns around and kneels in front of me. A concerned look on her face as she helped me to sit in an upright position. She starts to sign, and I stop her from finishing her sentence. I shake my head at her, but she nods at me, giving me a reassuring nod and a tight smile. With a shaky sigh, I looked up at Sierra. “She said it was her fault. Mum asked me to fix the damage she had done.” I stammer, fighting back the tears. Despite being deaf, my mom always looks out for me. “Tell the deaf bint, I’ll be telling the Luna about this.” And with that, she was gone. I sighed and looked at my mother. Angrily, I sign to her she shouldn’t have done that. But as always, she responds with a smile and pets my face. After that eventful morning, I ran home after my chores, making me late by half an hour. Unlocking the door, I stepped into the small cottage. This was the only place where we could experience a sense of safety. Our cottage was the furthest away from the other pack members. If we got any further away, we would be out of the pack territory and into human territory. But that’s how we liked it, far away from anyone else, to let us forget the nightmare we live in. Apart from us and the block of flats across the territory, there were few places on the outskirts. They were wolves who didn’t add value to our society, yet weren’t completely cast out as rogues. It was beyond our control to be labelled as outcasts, both my mother and me. We made contributions and fulfilled the role of omegas in the pack house. Despite this, the pack labelled us as outcasts, a fact my mother never clarified. I struggle with my keys before finally opening the door. A brief look at the wall clock revealed it was just 08:00 AM. Shit. I groan. I had 45 minutes until school started and having a shower was a no go this morning. With a groan, I wash my face and rush to put on my school uniform. The pack school was located at the far end of the territory, beyond the pack house, so I would need to run to make it there on time. Not even ten minutes passed before I walked out, the sun glaring down on me as I slung my backpack on my shoulder. Instead of taking the pathway, I opted for a faster route through the trees towards the park. “You’re later than usual.” I heard someone speak. I looked up to see Kai standing under a tree, with his foot leaning against the bark. He pushes off and throws his cigarette on the floor. Kai's intimidating height dwarfed mine. He had messy brown hair and dark blue eyes. While others saw him as the bad boy of the school, I knew his true nature. Kai’s relentless movement forces me to collide with a tree, and I immediately divert my eyes away from him. What’s he doing here? Nala growled. Kai has never come this close to the house. I tell Nala. With his finger, he tilts my chin up so that I am looking directly at him. “I asked you a question?” He points out, his face close to mine. I can feel his disgusting breath fanning against my face and assaulting my nostrils. I stop myself from gagging from the cigarette stench, my eyes watering, and I take a deep breath before I push him away. “Get off me!” He smiles, which doesn’t reach his eyes, and laughs as he grabs my wrist, pulling him towards him and then pushing me back against the rough bark. His face disappears into the crook of my neck as he inhales deeply. “Your scent is divine.” He whispers against my neck as I try to push him away. He snickers at my attempt to free myself. My breath raising as we stand under the tree that feels like hours until he kisses my neck gently before leaving me feeling disgusted and violated. “I’ll be waiting if you plan on being out late again tomorrow.” He walked off, whistling a twisted tune, and flashed me a smile over his shoulder. As he retreats, I tremble against the tree, tears welling up and blurring my vision. I took a deep breath, gathering my composure before embarking on a different path to school. It was certain that I would be late, but it was better than crossing paths with Kai and his minions. I consider school to be the second worst place in my life. Hopefully, my day improves, Nala. You’ll always have me, Elodie.