Marked by the Alpha

The Ostracized

8 hours earlier...

Others had prided themselves since they belonged in a pack, even if one was only born in the lowest rank omega. Every werewolf who was associated with a pack was grateful enough to have something to rely on, something that they could call kin.

But not for me. Not me who was ostracized in our pack because of a deed I had nothing to do with.

Almost all of the members of the Crimson Pack treated me like a criminal when I was rumored to be the reason for my father’s death. They saw me as a wicked, crazy person even before when my father was still alive.

It has never changed.

It has always been that way.

But as oppressed as I am and utterly companionless, whipping me with hurtful words was nothing foreign.

It had been in Crimson Pack’s nature to judge, wag their tongue as if they knew everything, scrutinized as if they had every right when they were completely clueless. And that was the only reason that I’m tightly holding, the truth that they were blind to see.

If I let it affect me, I would surely live a miserable life. Well, not that I was far from living such a life since I have been loathed not only by the people from the pack but also by my own father, because I was the reason for my mother’s death.

My mother gave life to me but she lost hers in my stead.

And now my father couldn't accept the fact that because of the thing that he wanted so much becomes the reason for the start of his hollowed life. I felt sorry for my parents, always had been since the moment I was born. I was the reason why their supposed to be happy marriage was quashed because I existed.

“Didn’t you know? She killed Sir Constantine... her own father.”

I heard one of them say but I immediately spurned it by pinching my lips together. With no emotion, I remained watching how my father was now being buried, making everybody wonder and disgusted by my lack of sympathy.

“See? No sign of sorrow or any lamentation at all. She could have at least pretended to cry at her father’s burial,” the woman added with a grunt of disappointment, validating everyone to believe her because I show no grief at all.

Can they force me to show an emotion I am not willing to profess though? My father had never been a good father. Never did he even smile, or settle his eyes on me as a father. For him, I was merely a child of disgrace and the reason for his immense misery.

This shrewdness and insensitivity of mine was the outcome of my father’s doings. I wouldn't have become like this if I was treated right. And I can say that my father’s death was a breath of fresh air. But even though I have come to the point that I treated him as a useless guide and figure, I have never hated him.

I am no evil. Ergo, I was incapable of killing my father or someone’s life.

“Why would she even dare to do that? Sir Constantine was a great man and the most trusted beta of the Alpha, is he not?” asked one of them, possibly even shaking her head out of dismay. “He doesn’t deserve such ferocity, let alone an evil daughter. No parents are!”

I almost laughed at their words. Even without looking at them, I knew they were spearing me with sharp looks, grazing me with their biased opinions, forgetting that I am capable of hearing and hurting.

The world and its people are really cruel. My father and I had lost the one we loved in the same measure. Do I not deserve sympathy as well?

“Why are you so clueless about this controversy? It was known in our pack that Sir Constantine never liked his own daughter. She was the reason for his wife’s death after all... died in childbirth, I mean.”

That, I can say, was the truth out of all they have said about me. And everybody knew it. Who wouldn't? My father had been quite expressive about his hatred towards me. Because of him, I became the talk of the town overnight and eventually became the subject of the pack’s ire.

Still, with a placid face, I looked down and let out a silent sigh, making sure that nobody could hear it before I went back to sit on my chair and then decided to leave when the funeral was over. I was the first one to leave and every eye was on me as I walked away. There was no use in staying and pretending that I was grieving like them. I never was anyway and they knew about that.

After my unsympathetic exit, I went straight to continue trimming my dress at the company and spend my time there the whole afternoon.

Smiling after everything was finished, I checked my pink dress once again, double-checked if there was any part that I needed to trim, and then steamed it using a steaming iron when there was none.

By six in the evening, I went to the bathroom and changed into my dress. I went out to check myself in the mirror when the mean girls walked in with their expensive dresses paired with heels, their faces were perfectly touched with make-up while bringing their own makeup kit for a follow-up touch.

One of them rolled her eyes at me and groaned. I remembered that she carried the name Sasha, the leader of the bullies here in the company who sew designer clothes for celebrities. She was fated and claimed by the son of one of the first-rank betas of our pack.

“Is this true, outcast? I’m really seeing you wearing a dress?” Sasha asked and walked behind me. She looked at me in the mirror and scoffed when she noticed my dress. “And is this your own designed dress for tonight's ball?”

Compared to her who was wearing a body-tight dress with a low cut, her breasts were almost peeking at her dress and her legs were exposed since it was a slit on them despite having a short skirt already. I have to admit that she was beautiful and undeniably sexy. She had everything that everybody wanted to possess. But what is one’s perfection if you have the mindset of evil?

“Why aren't you answering me?” Sasha demanded and twirled her index finger at the ends of my hair which I immediately eluded by drawing slightly away from her.

“Stop it, please...” I rebuked her annoying gesture as I fixed my hair, afraid that I might end up being tormented just like the last time when they cut my hip-length hair so I ended up cutting it to my shoulder level.

I saw her smirk at me in the mirror before pulling down my hair. “Did you just pull restrictions on me? Do you forget who I am?”

Wincing and moaning out the pain, I lowered down and grabbed my hair when she pulled it even tighter, until she was able to make me kneel.

“I’m sorry. Please, stop...” I begged, but she kept pulling down my hair until my scalp started to sting. But despite the harsh treatment, I remained calm. Tormenting me in a comfort room has been ongoing for a year now, it’s nothing new.

She laughed menacingly before she motioned her hand. One of Sasha’s followers handed her scissors, so I panicked. I looked at my hair and shook my head at her, pleading.

“No, please. Not my hair again,” I said and clamped my lips using my teeth when my tears were now forming in the corner of my eyes.

“Okay then, let’s go for the dress,” Sasha drawled and then cut my sleeves.

My eyes widened and I started wriggling, trying hard to escape from their vicious hold. But her followers held my hands, enabling Sasha to cut all the important parts of the dress until I was naked. Since it was only made of thin fabric, she was able to ruin my dress and strip me naked when she also cut my bra and the garter of my underwear.

Shouting for help will be a waste of time. Sasha’s pets were blocking the door, making sure that no one would get in as they tortured me. l

Sasha smiled wickedly as I hastily covered myself. I flinched when Sasha dropped the scissors on my side. She motioned the other two to stand up as she pulled out her phone from her purse.

The other two stood me up and I struggled to get free from their grip but to no avail.

“Stay still, outcast, or you will have to get your head shaved,” Sasha warned as she directed her phone at me.

With trembling hands, I looked down and let the tears slip from my eyes when I realized what they were going to do to me.

“Raised your head,” Sasha ordered and motioned me the scissor beside me.

I pinched my lips together to control my sobs before raising my head. Sasha had a wicked smile plastered on her face when I finally complied. She took several photos of me half-naked, crying, and with disheveled hair.

“This kind of photo deserves to be uploaded on social media...” she said which stopped all my senses.

“No,” I said and shook my head, begging her to spare me that idea by offering her a generous return. “Let me do your workload for two weeks, Sasha. Just don't do it, please.”

“It was too kind for you to offer, but Mindy and Daniela were on it already. Social media will surely feast on this picture of yours!” Sasha laughed menacingly, making everyone follow to laugh as well.

I closed my eyes and prayed for the Moon Goddess for rescue, uttering help in silence as their annoying laughs jabbed in my ears. Until the door swung open and a handsome man wearing a formal suit went inside the comfort room and came to my aid.

Confused, I looked at the man and scented a sweet scent coming from him as he shielded my naked body with his.

“All five of you! You must all be punished for this atrocious act!” he roared and glared at each one of them.