Bound to the Alpha Twins

Imagine living amongst greatness but being mediocre, dwelling with those who hold power in the cusps of their hands but having none yourself. That's the life of an Omega; that's my life. In the fourteen years that I've lived in Silver Fang, it's always been the same. I noticed it less as a child, but as years passed, the "rankism" became far more glaring. To make it worse, I'm not truly one of them, being an immigrant. Mom and I arrived here when I was barely eight, seeking a fresh start; a chance to leave behind the life we had known and step into something new, different from our past. When I was younger, she'd often tell stories of the land we left behind; its many rivers, rumored to have healing powers, twirling through lush forests. "The waters gleamed like silver when the sun's rays kissed their surfaces." Her voice always sounded wishful. I'd sit between her legs, trying my very best to picture it, but the memories were vague. Eventually, she stopped and began praising Silver Fang instead. Mother swore that our quality of life was far better than what it had been where we came from. I tried my best to believe her, but I couldn't help but wonder—if what she said was the truth, then what sort of life was that? There were still a lot of privileges we didn't touch because we were yet to be acknowledged as members of the pack. On average, it took five blood moons to become official members; so hopefully in six years, mother and I would. And hopefully then, I could properly serve as a healer in Silver Fang. In the meantime, I took healing classes held by a junior healer, Yale, who was more than happy to share her knowledge with anyone willing to learn. I won't exactly say my life is hell, nor that I have two wicked stepsisters who despise my very existence and do everything possible to frustrate me. Nor will I say my life is perfect; that I am feverishly happy and everything goes as I would like it to. But I can say that it's not that bad. I've learned how to cope; to keep to myself, hover in the background, and stay out of trouble. As an Omega, and worse, an immigrant, you'll either learn that the easy way or… the hard way. Flexibility is key in Silver Fang, lest you break under the pack's rigidity. "Hey," a voice called from behind me, and I couldn't help but smile. I turned toward the door, already knowing who it was. A dirty-blonde in a black jumpsuit stood in the doorway, grinning at me, all her teeth on display. Perfectly white teeth. Pilar, as always, unfiltered and impossible to ignore. "I know you got them whitened," I said, stifling a laugh at her mock-offended expression, "so you can close up now." "f**k you," she shot back, two middle fingers up in the air. Classic Pilar. "Did I just hear a curse word, girls?" Mom shouted from downstairs. Pilar's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "No! Serene! You didn't," she hurried to slam the door, clearly panicking. "Why'd it take you forever to get here?" I asked, eyeing the plastic bag slung over her left shoulder. "It's a long story." She pushed past me, dragging out the suspense like she always did. The bag rustled loudly in her hand as she walked further into my room. "What's that?" I gestured toward the bag. "Well," she said slowly, "I have… news." Her tone alone made my stomach sink. "Pilar," I said through my teeth, "what did you do?" "Why assume I did something?" I gave her a look. "Just tell me, will you?" She lifted the bag slightly and grimaced. "Your dress." My eyes narrowed. "What about my dress?" "It might have… had a small accident." My heart dropped. "What do you mean by an accident?" I snatched the bag from her hands before she could answer and pulled out the familiar pale-blue fabric I had spent the entire week fixing and adjusting—only to see a huge chunk of it missing. A large blackened burn mark spread across the side. I stared at it in disbelief. "You burned my dress?" I said, for some reason not really angry. Pilar raised both hands defensively. "It wasn't on purpose!" "Well, I guess the Moon Goddess doesn't want me going to the ball then," I muttered, disappointed, though inside I felt the opposite. I groaned, dropping onto the edge of my bed in a performative manner. "Well… that solves that," I said after a moment. "What do you mean?" "I mean I can't go to the ball now," I replied, trying very hard not to sound relieved. "Problem solved." For a moment, Pilar just stared at me. Then she sighed dramatically. "Oh please." "What?" "You really thought I would ruin your dress and leave it at that?" Her hand disappeared into the plastic bag again and she pulled something else out. The room suddenly filled with the deep shimmer of red.