Split Alphas

Sunlight filtered through the broken blinds, casting thin golden lines across my ivory skin. I groaned in protest, realizing it was time to roll out of bed and rush to get ready. It was just a couple minutes before 6 a.m., and I was already running late. I should be in the kitchen by now—today was my turn to make breakfast. The omegas took turns with this dreaded duty. None of us liked waking up early, especially after the past week of nonstop work. Our pack was preparing to host a mating ball for the Alpha’s daughter, and every omega had been running overtime to get things ready. Twelve Alphas from all over the country were coming, along with their Betas and Gammas, all hoping to find their mates. In werewolf culture, it was common to find your mate around your eighteenth birthday. But sometimes your mate lived in another pack, so mating balls were hosted to give wolves a chance to meet. These events were usually reserved for higher-ranking wolves or wealthy families. I was nineteen and still hadn’t found mine. But I was just a servant—a nameless omega in my pack. Both of my parents were killed in a rogue attack when I was seven. With no family left, the Alpha and Luna took me in, but only as a servant in exchange for raising me. I rarely saw Alpha Michael. The rumors said he cheated on our Luna, but she didn’t seem to mind as long as he kept it discreet. They weren’t fated mates, so maybe she didn’t care. Luna Clarissa, however, was kind—at least if you kept up with your duties and stayed clear of the Alpha. She demanded a spotless pack house and strict mealtimes. If anyone failed to meet her expectations, she never hesitated to dish out severe punishments. It was always best to stay invisible. Realizing I had just under an hour before breakfast needed to be served, I jumped out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold wooden floor, and grabbed a clean uniform from my laundry basket. Our standard was a plain white button-up shirt and either black jeans or a pencil skirt. All my jeans were dirty, so the skirt would have to do. Lately, my body had filled out a bit more, and it was getting harder to squeeze into my clothes. I pulled my long cinnamon hair into a high ponytail and smoothed my curly bangs behind my ears. Dark circles bloomed under my crystal-blue eyes, and freckles danced across the bridge of my nose—sun souvenirs from working outside. I never wore much makeup. Every spare dollar I had went toward my online college courses. I could only afford to attend part-time for now, but someday, I’d get my degree and work in pack finances. It wasn’t glamorous, but all I wanted was a quiet life in a little cabin on the pack borders—alone and free. My best friend Jamie was already at the counter slicing fresh fruit as other omegas began to trickle in. She was petite—barely 5’3”—with long black hair and warm hazel eyes. Like me, her parents had died when she was young, and the Alpha and Luna allowed her to stay as a servant. After we finished high school, I tried to convince her to take college courses with me, but she said she was content living in the pack house. “Good morning, Jamie. I’ll take it from here,” I said, sliding beside her and popping a slice of orange into my mouth. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.” “No problem,” she said, rinsing her hands at the sink. “I know you’re never late. Just try not to stay up so late next time, or Luna Clarissa will have your tail.” We both chuckled. With the fruit prepped, I quickly whipped up scrambled eggs and toast. It wasn’t fancy, but I was out of time. Grabbing plates and silverware, I rushed into the dining room. It was already 6:41 a.m., and Alpha Michael hated delays. As I placed the last placemat, Luna Clarissa walked in. “Good morning, Ginger,” she said curtly, taking her seat at the head of the table. “Good morning, Luna. You’re early today. I’ll bring your breakfast right away,” I said, bowing respectfully. “Please do. Charity and I have much to finalize for her mating ball.” I turned the corner back into the kitchen and stopped short. Charity was in the hallway, screaming at her handmaid Nicole—and then slapped her across the face. I winced at the sharp crack. “You useless b***h!” she shrieked. “I gave you one job! One! Get my laundry and dry cleaning to my room so I could wear my favorite crop top today. But you couldn’t even do that right!” “I’m sorry, ma’am,” Nicole said softly. “The dry cleaners were already closed by the time you asked me, but I cleaned what I could last night.” Another slap echoed off the walls. “I don’t need excuses,” Charity snapped. “You better have my room spotless, my closet organized, and both my cars detailed by the end of the week—or I’ll make you regret it.” Then her cold eyes landed on me. “What are you staring at, you ugly omega!?” My wolf, Amethyst, growled low in my mind. She rarely spoke, preferring silence most days—but she hated Charity with every ounce of her being. I bowed quickly and hurried past. “My apologies, ma’am. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” I held my breath until I made it back to the kitchen, relieved I could take the alternate hallway and avoid her again—at least until breakfast. The rest of the morning blurred by as I finished serving and scrubbing my part of the kitchen. I had a short break before I needed to return for lunch, which was always managed by one of the older omegas. Our lead omega assigned me to prepare one of the guest cabins for the incoming Alphas. Some would stay in luxury suites inside the pack house, but others had requested private cabins. We had five total, and four were spoken for—but the Luna wanted the last one ready just in case. I didn’t mind. I preferred cleaning in peace to enduring Charity’s endless tantrums about how she wanted fuchsia napkins instead of magenta. The cabin had already been stocked with a cart of cleaning supplies. I found a rhythm quickly—scrubbing the bathroom, changing the linens, polishing the windows. It felt good, accomplishing something with my own two hands.