Alpha’s Playmate

Kyline The sloshing of water was the only sound Kyline heard around her as she tried to keep to herself whenever the pack house was full. It never ended well when the entire pack gathered together—at least not for her. That was when everyone noticed the lowly omega whose lycan was too weak to shift. No one understood why her lycan didn’t even have the power level of an omega. Nothing about Kyline’s birth had been unusual, and growing up there had been no abnormalities in her development. Without an explanation, there was no cure. So instead, Kyline was known simply as the weak omega. The pathetic little runt. The pack treated her exactly as they believed she deserved because she was the weakest member. Her father, Xavier Thorne, despised the fact that his only child was so weak. As soon as Kyline was old enough to understand chores, he forced her to work as a maid for the pack like any other omega lycan. His creeping fear that his only heir was an omega had been confirmed when Kyline came of age and gained her lycan. Her first shift had taken hours, and when it was over she could barely stand—let alone run with the pack. From that moment on, Kyline became the pack’s reject. Well… until the next full moon run, anyway. Without her lycan strong enough to protect her, Kyline simply kept her head down and focused on the chores assigned to her. She always requested the dirtiest, most exhausting tasks, like scrubbing the bathrooms on the days the pack hosted runs. Those jobs kept her hidden from the pack unless someone happened to walk in. Which, unfortunately, had to happen today. A brief scent of smoke mixed with peaches drifted into the room. The distinct aroma reached Kyline’s nose just before the rope lashed across her back. Pain exploded across her skin. It burned, sharp and vicious, spreading across Kyline’s back like fire. She sucked in air through clenched teeth and forced down the scream trying to escape her throat. Screaming would only draw attention, and attention would make everything worse. In this pack, screaming was weakness—and the Ironhide pack showed no weakness. That was why Kyline was such a disgrace. “Stay down, you useless piece of shit.” The whip struck again. The leather cracked loudly in the tight bathroom, echoing off the walls as laughter erupted behind her. Kyline’s back arched from the pain before her body collapsed forward onto the slick, soapy floor. She threw out her hands to catch herself before her face hit the hardwood. Her attacker was the woman who desperately wanted to replace her mother as luna of the pack. Avy. Since Kyline’s mother’s death, Alpha Xavier had never taken another mate. Ivy blamed Kyline for that. According to Avy, Xavier had once said no woman would want to become luna if it meant inheriting a weak lycan runt as a stepdaughter. It had nothing to do with the fact that Kyline’s father was a bitter, angry, stubborn man. Of course not. Kylnie bowed her head and endured the pain. If she resisted, Avy would only whip her harder. It was easier to remain on all fours and let Ivy enjoy her cruelty. “You didn’t clean your father’s bathroom yet,” Avy snarled. “It’s supposed to be the first one you clean.” Her father’s bathroom was the first one Kyline cleaned every day. It had been that way since she was old enough to hold a sponge. She was the only omega allowed in his room because he trusted she wouldn’t touch anything. And because he knew she would suffer if she failed. “I must not have cleaned it thoroughly enough,” Kyline said through clenched teeth as pain burned across her back. Warm blood began to coat her skin while her weak lycan slowly tried to heal the wounds. For other wolves, injuries like this would vanish in hours. For Kyline, it would take a full day. “I will go back and clean it again,” she continued quietly. “This time I’ll be more careful.” A boot suddenly struck Kyline’s cheek. The impact sent her sliding across the wet floor. Her head hit the bucket of water, spilling it over her body. Soap splashed across the open wounds on her back, making her hiss as the sting intensified. Something cracked. Several of Kyline’s ribs fractured from the fall. Her lycan’s weakness affected more than her shifting—it ran deep into her bones. Kyline was fragile, easy to break if someone struck her the right way. And the pack knew it. That was why Kyline avoided everyone whenever she could. They all knew how easy it was to shatter something fragile. She had only one person she trusted in the pack. But that person couldn’t save her right now. “You stupid b***h,” Avy spat. “No wonder your father is ashamed to tell other packs he has an heir.” Slowly, painfully, Kyline pushed herself back onto her hands and knees. Footsteps approached the bathroom. The scent of smoke reached her nose, and Kyline’s entire body froze. Her father. Fear tightened in her chest. Whenever Alpha Xavier appeared, there were only two possible outcomes. He could join Avy in beating her… or he could simply yell at her for wasting time. She prayed for the second. Alexander stepped inside and growled, “What is the meaning of this?” “I’m sorry, Father,” Kyline said quickly. “I was cleaning when Avy came to reprimand me. I’ll return to your bathroom afterward and make sure it’s cleaned properly.” Silence filled the room. Kyline hated when he went silent. It meant he was angry, and she never knew how badly that anger would end for her. Finally he spoke. “Clean up in here and get yourself ready. The pack will arrive soon, and I won’t delay the moon festivities because of your antics.” Then he left. Avy followed him out, growling as she went. When the room fell quiet again, Kyline let out a shaky breath. The broken ribs made it painful to inhale, and dried blood tugged painfully at her skin as she tried to straighten. More footsteps echoed down the hallway. Kyline’s heart stopped again. But then the scent reached her. Chocolate. Relief flooded through her. “Amara,” Kyline whispered. “Thank the goddess.” Amara stepped inside and froze when she saw her. “What the hell happened to you?” Amara demanded, quickly tying her brown hair into a messy bun. Her gray eyes widened as she stared at the wounds across Kyline’s back. “It looks like Ivy went completely insane.” Kylie’s lycan wnhimpered at the memory. “More like she didn’t like how I cleaned my father’s bathroom,” Kyline said quietly. Amara growled angrily. “If only that woman would find her mate and disappear to another pack,” Amara muttered while pulling a small container from her pocket. “Turn around. I’ve got something for those wounds.” Amara had been training with the pack doctor, hoping to become his assistant one day. Because of that, she sometimes carried healing salves meant for injured pups who hadn’t developed their lycans yet. The cool cream touched Kyline’s back. Even with Amara’s careful movements, pain still made her flinch. So Kyline escaped somewhere else. Inside her mind. There was a quiet field near the pack territory she loved visiting whenever she had rare moments of freedom. In her thoughts, that field became her sanctuary. Soft green grass spread beneath her like a bed, surrounded by tall trees. Patches of tulips bloomed in bright colors near the back, and whenever the wind blew just right, their sweet scent filled the air. That smell always brought her peace. Sometimes Kyline even dreamed about that place. And every time she dreamed of it, he was there. A tall, broad-shouldered man with blond hair and piercing blue eyes. His presence radiated strength and warmth, making Kyline feel safe in a way she had never experienced before. When he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead, he would whisper promises to protect her—promises that no one would ever hurt her again. Those dreams were the only moments Kyline truly felt safe. If only dreams could come true.