Cecilia

"Where in the world is she? I can't count how many times I've told you to make sure that she gets up early!"

I jumped off the mattress the second I heard my father yelling, and my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it hurt. I had a tremendous amount of fear of him. I was never allowed to sleep in, and I was always compelled to get up in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes even before the sun came up, in order to look for any leftovers and make breakfast for my parents and my younger siblings. I was worn out, but I never once complained; I accepted my lot in life as a poor omega who had to live in smashed houses made of bamboo with no roof. I do sleep on the mattress, but not in a traditional bed; rather, I put it directly on the floor. And despite the fact that my life seemed to be a living hell, I had no complaints about the fact that I was surrounded by my siblings and my parents.

Both my mother and my father put in a lot of effort for the family, and even though my father yelled, he had such a kind heart. My mother and my father did everything they could for the family.

I double-checked my outfit, put on my shoes, and dashed outside, telling my father that I was now awake. " I am sorry that I have kept you waiting yet again."

"It's okay," my father sighed as he kissed the top of my head and said. " However, you should be aware that I have only just returned home from my job, and that your mother needs to go to her job. It is expected of you to look after your younger siblings. You are the one that I depend on."

I nodded, feeling sorry for them as I saw how exhausted they were. Most of the werewolves in this area worked for the alpha king's lands; my father was a farmer in this area. We had nothing of our own, and we subsisted on the scraps of food available. My mother had a job as a maid in one of the beta houses during her time there. In addition, I was responsible for the upbringing of my two younger siblings, including providing them with breakfast and other meals as well as accompanying them to and from school. Walking more than ten miles every day wasn't easy, but I had to help them finish their schoolwork despite the fact that their school was located at the very end of the territory controlled by the kingdom. I just didn't want them to quit school after ninth grade for any reason. Despite this, enrollment at this school was free of charge for low-income werewolves; however, I was unable to complete my education there because my parents were too busy with their jobs to wake me up and walk me the long distance each morning.

As a result, I decided to withdraw from school and face the consequences of my actions.

My ten-year-old brother and seven-year-old sister made me the happiest person in the kingdom when I was nearly babysitting them.

I was never interested in having a powerful or high-ranking mate; all I ever wanted was to find someone with whom I could share my life and discover my true soul mate. On the other hand, I suppose the goddess chose a different road for me.

I went for a walk into the woods and scoured the ground for any kind of fruit I could find. I came across some berries and mushrooms. I hastened my pace and sped up my approach to our residence.

"they are late," I told my mother. "they are late."

She heaved a sigh and muttered, "Let them take today off from school.  Why do you insist so strongly that your siblings go to school? I just don't get it. I have no idea why they are going to wind up with it. They will not end up having a lot of wealth. We are just some lowly omegas."

I focused my attention on my mother as I did my best to suppress the urge to throw a fit. “no. I can't tell you how many times I've told you that my siblings will become wealthy one day. It is certain that they will. The question is, Why do you want them to be enslaved like us?"

My upper chest moved up and down. It made me very angry. I had very high expectations for them. I never wanted them to assist us in escaping this impoverished life, but I did want them to at least be able to make something of themselves and live a life that was secure.

"We are not enslaved," my mother stated with a depressed tone.

I gave a smirk and said, "yeah, really? And by toiling day and night to only eat and never disobeying a command issued by the highest-ranked werewolves, what does this mean?!"

I moved closer to my mother and said, "Mother, you know I love you, and I appreciate what you are doing for us." I said this with a broken heart but with high hopes for the future. " But if you could, just give them another chance at life, okay? Never once did I grumble about having to walk the kids to school. I beg you."

My mother comforted me by placing her hand on my shoulder and saying, "Okay, I just didn't want you to throw away your life on them.  You are without question the most stunning she-wolf in the entire kingdom. You're 18 years old, by the way. You might get lucky and find a good mate... and..."

I interrupted her when she started saying "mother. Even if you look at me now and notice that I am not wearing clean clothes, that does not change the fact that I am an omega. I look so miserable. I make my home in murky places, which is probably how a high-ranking wolf would describe me. Even the possibility of finding a soul mate was beyond my reach. I beg you, do not start talking about this topic again. And at this point, I must leave in order to assist them in donning their garments. Excuse me."

It used to drive me crazy whenever my mother would start her sentences with "Cecilia, look at yourself!  You are as bright and beautiful as a diamond!' I am well aware that I am caked with mud!

I then walked over to my brother and sister and said, "Tina! John! Are you prepared?" They were both already dressed in their school uniforms when they exclaimed with joy, "yes, we are."

I blew a kiss to each of them before saying, "All right, let's go.  You can both eat breakfast while we walk."

They let out a chuckle before following close behind me. My heart skips a beat whenever I catch sight of one of their grins. They were an integral part of me. And I knew that my parents wanted to see them do better than us, but they were limited in what they could do to improve their situation.

To get to the school near the territory's borders requires almost a half an hour of walking at a brisk pace. I gave John and Tina a kiss, and then I said, "Now, go inside.  After some time has passed, I will return and pick you both up."

They waved to me, and I waited until I was certain that they were already inside and safe before entering the building myself.

The location was secure, but it wasn't in the best spot because it was on the border between the kingdoms of the vampires and the werewolves.

Even though there is a peace treaty and coexistence between the two races, we still do not know what will take place between one generation and the next.

Because of this, I make it a point to monitor my siblings constantly.

Although I hadn't shifted just yet, I knew I wasn't weak and that I never had been. My body structure is physically more robust than that of the majority of omega males. I was confident that I could shift at any time. But I was waiting for some kind of threat before I would move out of the way.

And I can't believe how close I was to the threat! While I was waiting that day around the school and digging further in the forest, it was already morning, which meant that the vampires wouldn't be in their full power to attack any of us. But it seems that my assumption was incorrect.

I turned quickly to look behind me after hearing footsteps approaching from the rear, but all I could see was a shadow. I was sure I was surrounded by vampires, but all I could see was.... “Kid!”

I scowled, moved closer to the young child who was sobbing, and acted as though I did not know what to do. I bent down, "don't be afraid! Where do you come from? What happened to your parents?"

He stumbled and shivered while saying in a cute way, "I am three."

I suppose he couldn't know any more, and he had such a babyish appearance with his big green eyes and long lashes. However, when I looked into his eyes, I saw something different, and even his scent seemed foreign to our race of people.

At that point, I became aware of a powerful male voice yelling, "you! Don't put your hands on my child! Or I will rip your throat out and drink your blood!"

Oh my God, a vampire!