My Rogue Queen

Chapter1

In the heart of the Saltyside Pack, where the moon cast its silver glow upon the dense pine forest, Taiya was born into a world of shadows. Her father, once the respected Beta of the pack, fell from grace in a scandal that left him shamed and died. He had failed to protect his Alpha then. Taiya's mother passed away shortly after her birth, leaving her at the mercy of the pack and its new Alpha.

Growing up, Taiya was treated as an outcast, a living reminder of her father's failure. She was given the least of tasks; every available job that was even a little bit irritating to others was assigned to her, and she did them without complaint. She had been branded as the lowest in rank among the Omegas.

As she grew older, Taiya's fate seemed sealed; she was destined to live out her days in servitude. From the first light of dawn to dusk, Taiya's days unfolded in a relentless cycle of slavery.

This morning, as usual, the bell rang to signal the start of the day in the Saltyside Pack. Imagining that the chores were whispering to her, Taiya was already hard at work, her hands calloused from years of labor while the rest of the pack still rubbed the sleep from their eyes. With a weary sigh, she set about her duties, knowing that any delay would only invite further punishment.

"There's that irritating little mutt." One omega spoke to another as they passed by with baskets in hand. They were probably headed for the small lake in the middle of the pine forest to do the laundry. The lake was supplied by a bigger water body that was salty.

"The poor thing has probably not eaten this morning, but I'm not feeding her for the life of me," the second omega said with a little concern. No kind-hearted person could help her, or they would also become subjects of ridicule.

Taiya's tasks were endless and thankless, ranging from scrubbing the floors of the packhouse to tending to the needs of the Alpha's family. It made her not really pay attention to the insults. She had gotten so used to them.

Despite the cruelty she endured, Taiya found solace in the quiet moments spent among the pine trees, where the whisper of the wind offered her fleeting moments of freedom. The only other time she wasn't the subject of abuse was when she tended to the Alpha's son, Jackson. He didn't show any particular kindness, but he always asked how she was every morning.

Like this morning, she had knocked on his door and waited patiently for him to usher her in.

"Good morning, Jackson." She greeted him without looking directly at him. It was disrespectful to do so.

"I'm glad you have gotten used to calling me by my name." He said this before getting up from bed while she dropped his breakfast on his desk. When he noticed she didn't reply, he asked again.

"How was your night?"

Taiya had noticed previously that he never actually called her by name. She understood that she wasn't that relevant for him to remember her.

"It was fine. Thank you," she answered. It was all part of Jackson's good manners. Unlike the rest of the pack, only his presence made her comfortable, but unknowingly to her, that wasn't what he thought.

Jackson knew that he made this maid uncomfortable, and for some reason, it bothered him, so he made sure to leave the room while she made the bed. He wasn't one to actually befriend the maids or females in the pack, but he noticed sometimes how this particular maid was treated.

Throughout the rest of the day, she was subjected to the cruel taunts and jeers of her fellow pack members, their words like daggers that pierced her fragile pretense of indifference.

Later, the head maid at Alpha's house gets angry, and as the only known scapegoat for these matters, Taiya was called upon. She moved with the quiet efficiency of someone well-acquainted with the sting of the whip, her movements devoid of any trace of defiance as she got on her knees in front of the headmaid.

As the sun reached nadir, Taiya stole moments of rest whenever she could. Retreating to the sanctuary of the forest out of habit to seek solace among the trees. In the cool shade of the pines, she allowed herself to finally cry. Letting all the pain of the day wash over her in waves. After her little moment, she went to the lake to take a bath. With each passing day, the weight of her shame grew heavier, threatening to crush her under its suffocating hold.

"I'll be alright!" She said this to her reflection in the water as she bathed. The wounds on her back stung whenever the salty water from the lake touched them, but she had gotten used to it. She felt helpless and weak while looking at herself through the water.

"I'll be alright!" She changed again while sniffling. It was a prayer and a promise to herself. She would be turning 18 soon. She would manifest her wolf and possibly find her mate. If none of that worked, she would at least be old enough to leave the pack. Not once had she ever cursed her father for his failure. It couldn't have been his fault. Her mother, too, had done her best to stay alive after losing her mate. She wondered how her own mate would be when they finally found each other.

As darkness covered the forest and the shadows lengthened around her, Taiya returned to the pack house to finish the last of her chores. They would probably be done with their evening feast. She would have dinner from the leftovers while doing the dishes. There was nothing she could do as the outcast of the Saltyside Pack but bear her fate. After all, she had nowhere to run to in her weak state.