When The Wolf Ran

Rosalie — POV Scrub, scrub, scrub. The brush moved back and forth against the dirty floor as I scrubbed the male toilets in the warrior wing of the pack house. My knees were aching, my hands were sore, and my back felt like it was going to break. Nothing scared me anymore. At least, that was what I liked to tell myself. I was used to the back-breaking work. As an omega, this was my life. Clean. Cook. Garden. Babysit. Keep your head down and don't cause trouble. “Rosalie!! Are you done? We have to go get dinner ready!!” yelled Zyphorah, an older omega in the pack. “Not yet. I still have to mop the floor. I'll come as soon as I can!” Life in this pack was quiet and boring if you were an omega like me. But it could also be scary and unpredictable. Our Alpha and Luna didn't allow us to attend parties, social gatherings, pack festivities, or training. After an omega graduated high school, no matter how well they had done, we were doomed to this mundane life. We suffered terribly at the hands of some of the pack members, but our pack leadership never intervened or said anything. They simply looked the other way. As I finished mopping the floor, I heard voices and footsteps approaching. Shit. They were back. The warriors had probably finished training earlier than expected, which meant they were back before I had managed to get out of their shared locker room. I quickly pushed the mop against the wall and grabbed the bucket. “Look what the cat dragged in!” one of them yelled. The others laughed. “I'm sorry. I'm on my way out. I just finished. I'll be out of your way.” “Why be out of my way when we could have some fun together, little omega?” The room erupted in laughter. My stomach twisted. “Why are you so nervous?” another one said. “I can smell you from here. I promise it won't hurt. You just have to let us all have a turn.” More laughter followed. I had heard stories from other omegas about the things that happened to them when they were alone with pack members. I knew exactly what they were suggesting. I didn't want those things to happen to me. I tightened my grip on the bucket and walked towards the door. “I'm leaving,” I whispered. “Not so fast.” I basically ran for the door while they whistled and catcalled behind me. My heart was pounding as I reached for the handle. Then the door opened. I froze. On the other side stood our Alpha's son, Sean, and his best friend, Luka. The room went quiet. Alpha Sean looked at me. There was something in his eyes that made my entire body tense. He walked towards me slowly, like I was an injured animal and he already knew I couldn't escape. “Out,” he said in a measured tone. The warriors immediately started filing out of the room. I tried to follow them. I just wanted to get out. I wanted to get back to the omega quarters. But just as I reached the doorway, Beta Luka stretched out his arm, blocking me. “Where do you think you're going?” he asked in his raspy voice. “Uhm... Beta, I...” I stammered. Alpha Sean walked towards me. I instinctively backed away until my back hit the wall. There was nowhere else to go. “Please, Alpha,” I whispered. He grabbed my face and pulled me towards him before pressing his mouth against mine. I froze. His kiss was rough, forceful and completely unwanted. He tasted like bourbon. For a second, I couldn't move. Then I pushed him. With everything I had. “Alpha! No!” He stumbled back slightly. His expression changed immediately. The little smile disappeared from his face, replaced by anger. “Omega, you don't say no to me.” The slap came so hard that my head snapped to the side. I hit the floor. My cheek burned. For a moment, I couldn't hear anything except the ringing in my ears. Then I felt him grab me again. “No!” I screamed. I kicked and squirmed, desperately trying to get away from him. “Lay still, dammit!” he shouted. I fought harder. I didn't care anymore. I scratched at his arms. I pushed against his chest. I kicked my legs, trying to create enough space to get away. “Stop fighting me!” “No, Alpha! Please!” Tears streamed down my face. I was terrified. But I refused to just lie there and let him do whatever he wanted. I had always imagined my first time would be with my mate. Someone who loved me. Someone who would hold me gently and make me feel safe. Not like this. Not on the cold floor of the male locker room. But in this pack, omegas were regarded as nothing. Ranked members took whatever they wanted from us, and everyone else pretended not to see. I screamed again and fought with everything I had left. Then, as I struggled, my knee caught him hard in the crotch. “Aaah! You b***h!” He immediately pulled away, clutching himself in pain. I didn't think. I just ran. I scrambled to my feet and sprinted towards the door. Beta Luka was standing there, laughing. “Oh, Alpha, you got your ass handed to you by a wolfless omega,” he said between chuckles. I didn't wait to hear what Sean would say. I ran. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Down the corridor. Past the kitchen. Past the other omegas. Straight towards the basement. I didn't look back. I was terrified that Sean would come after me. I was terrified that he would find me. But I kept running. When I finally reached my room, I slammed the door shut behind me and collapsed onto my bed. The tears came immediately. I buried my face in my pillow, trying to muffle my sobs. A few seconds later, the door opened. My heart stopped. Was he here? Had he come to finish what he started? I sat up quickly, my whole body trembling. “Rose... what's wrong?” It was Zyphorah. I let out a shaky breath. “Zee...” I sobbed. She rushed over and sat beside me on the bed. “What's happened?” “It's Alpha... He... He... touched me. He...” I couldn't get the words out. Zyphorah's face changed. She pulled me into her arms. “Okay... okay...” Her voice was soft. “It's okay.” “No, it's not!” I cried. “He will come and get me... and punish me.” I could already imagine it. Alpha Sean had never liked being challenged. And I had just fought him. Zyphorah held me tighter. “Rose, look at me.” I looked at her through my tears. “You're safe right now.” She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small brown bag. She took out a small green pill and placed it in my hand. “Take this.” I did as I was told. Within a few minutes, I started to feel my body relax. Zyphorah stroked my hair gently. She had raised me after my parents died many years ago. She was the closest thing I had to a mother. “Honey...” she whispered. I looked at her. “You are almost eighteen.” I nodded slowly. “On your birthday, I want you to leave this pack.” My eyes widened. “Leave?” “Leave and never come back.” “But how?” I whispered. “I don't have enough money. And where would I go” In this pack, if you wanted to leave, you either had to run away or buy your way out. If you ran and were caught, you would never be seen again. But buying your way out was almost impossible. Omegas received a small stipend for our work, barely enough to survive. You could work two lifetimes and still never have enough money to buy your freedom. “Don't worry,” Zyphorah whispered, stroking my hair. “It will all work out.” I wanted to believe her. I really did. My eyes became heavier as the medicine started taking effect. For the first time that night, I felt a little safe. And just before I fell asleep, one thought stayed in my mind. I was leaving. No matter what it took. I was leaving this pack.