Bound To The Alpha King

"Wake up, you brat!" Kaliyah jolted awake at the sudden command. Before she could scramble to her feet, a bucket of icy water was splashed on her. She gasped, shivering as the morning chill bit into her skin. She rose quickly, her dress drenched and dripping with water, her hair plastered to her face. Through the tiny window in the room, she noticed it was daylight already. She had overslept. Again. She looked towards the door, where an elderly she-wolf stood, glaring at her. "Good morning, stepmother." She mumbled and curtsied slightly. "I didn't mean to sleep in. I must have been so tired and..." Ophelia, her stepmother, raked her furious gaze over her and flung the metal bucket at her. "If you don't get out there and start your chores, heaven help me, I'll whip you even worse than I did yesterday." She snarled. Kaliyah felt that familiar emotion rising within her. Terror. She was terrified of Ophelia, and she knew the woman would definitely carry out her threat. She still had the fresh scars from yesterday's whipping, scars which hadn't healed because Ophelia used a whip made out of silver. She hurried out the door, and just as she ran past Ophelia, a harsh slap landed on her back. "Out!" Ophelia yelled as she smacked Kaliyah's back. Kaliyah swallowed the sob that rose to her throat and hurried into the large kitchen. This was her morning routine, and she was used to it. As usual, the sink was filled to the brim with used dishes and cutleries. It didn't matter how much Kaliyah worked the previous night. The next morning, there would always be a pile of chores awaiting her. Without wasting time, she dug her arms into the large bowl of soapy water and began to wash. Just then, a young woman stepped into the kitchen. She was about the same age as Kaliyah, with short brown hair and brown eyes. She was Yennefer, Ophelia's daughter and Kaliyah's step sister. Yennefer strode up to Kaliyah and dumped the cup of water she held over her head, the liquid cascading down Kaliyah's already drenched form. Kaliyah glared up at her, her emerald eyes burning with anger and pain, but she could do nothing. "What? Got something to say?" Yennefer sneered, her eyes twinkling with mock amusement. Kaliyah remained silent and grabbed the cup from the floor. Years of living with her family in GreyOak Pack had taught her that remaining silent would make people lose interest in her. But this time, Yennefer had a motive. She grabbed a chair and pulled it beside Kaliyah, before sitting and crossing her legs. Kaliyah paused and turned to her. "What do you want, Yennefer?" "So the brat speaks. I thought you'd gone dumb as well as stupid." Yennefer said in a voice filled with spite. "If this is your plan to put me in trouble with stepmother like you did yesterday, it's not going to work." Yennefer threw her head back and laughed mockingly. There was pure derision in her eyes. "I admire your attempt at being brave, Kaliyah. But you're still a fool." She smiled cruelly. "I'm just here to tell you that your plan to escape will never be possible." Kaliyah gasped in shock. How did Yennefer know about her escape plans? Yennefer noticed the look of shock on Kaliyah's face and laughed again. "Oh Kaliyah, you're so naive." She said. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? Smart of you to think you'd be able to escape once you turn eighteen. I wonder how mother and father would react when I tell them your plans." "Yennefer please, you can't." Kaliyah dropped the dish she held and turned to her stepsister. Then she suddenly realized how Yennefer knew. Her diary. Yennefer must have gone through her things and seen it. "You stole my diary." She muttered. "How could you? That's invading my privacy." "Privacy? Oh please, Kaliyah." Yennefer scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Imagine a worthless person like you thinking she has something worth keeping private." Kaliyah stared at her in silence, her eyes brimming with tears. "Why do you hate me so much?" She whispered. "All I have ever done is try to be a good sister to you. I have never tried to impose my position as first daughter on you..." Yennefer's smile disappeared suddenly. She leaned forward and grabbed Kaliyah's hair in a tight grip. "You're only older than me by a few seconds, and that doesn't count." She snarled. "Never you think you're the first, or the eldest." She shoved Kaliyah away and her mocking smile returned. "And to answer your question, I hate your very existence because you never should have been born. You were a mistake, Kaliyah, and if it wasn't for father, you'd be dead now." She stood up and smoothened her dress. "You are nothing, and you will always be nothing. There's no escape for you, because you were born to suffer. Try to escape, and I will go straight to mother and father." Having delivered her hurtful words, she kicked the bowl of soapy water away and walked out of the kitchen. Kaliyah stared as the puddle of dirty soapy water splashed and spilled on the dishes she had cleaned. Then her gaze shifted to her hands and wrist, where her scars were still prominent, healing slowly. Her vision blurred and more tears spilled down her eyes. She was tired of living this way. Why couldn't the moon goddess just take her life? Death was better than the life she was subjected to. She longed for her mother, the only woman who would have been able to protect her. But she died few hours after Kaliyah was born. Kaliyah still remembered the story one of the midwives told her when she turned twelve. The story of her mother's death, and how Ophelia became her stepmother. Algernon Thorne, Kaliyah's father, had brought in his mistress Ophelia, shortly after Kalista passed away. Kalista, Kaliyah's mother, hadn't been Algernon's real mate. Algernon had chosen her to be his mate when he didn't find his own mate after several years. As if the moon goddess was playing a cruel joke on him, Algernon found Ophelia, his true mate a year after he chose Kalista. He hadn't been able to resist the mate bond, so he mated with her and marked her. Few weeks after their passionate night together, Ophelia discovered she was pregnant. She told Algernon who had also just discovered that Kalista was pregnant with his child. When Ophelia learned that Kalista was pregnant also, she became bitterly envious and urged Algernon to send her away. But Algernon couldn't, even though he didn't love Kalista. She was carrying his child. Ophelia gave birth to Yennefer few seconds after Kaliyah was born. Totally neglecting Kalista and her new born, Algernon hurried to meet Ophelia. It was when he returned, hours later, that he realized Kalista was dead. None of the midwives could explain the cause of her sudden death. Hence, Algernon's hatred for Kaliyah surfaced. He brought Ophelia and Yennefer into his home, and Ophelia became Kaliyah's stepmother. This story played in Kaliyah's mind everytime she thought of her mother. But she was all alone. Her father and stepmother loathed her, her stepsister hated her very existence, and the pack members all treated her like a omega. If she couldn't escape, the best thing was to take her life. She slowly wiped her eyes and dried up the spilled water, before continuing her chores. By the time she was done, it was almost noon. She was starving. She walked out of the kitchen and made her way to the living room. As she got closer to the door, she heard whispers. Pausing so she wouldn't make a sound, she leaned against the door and eavesdropped. Her eyes widened when she heard Ophelia say her name. Snatches of the conversation reached her ears... "... Kaliyah isn't fit for the role..." Kaliyah frowned. What role? What were they talking about? As she leaned closer to listen well, someone opened it from inside and she lost her balance.