Serena

The rickety bed frame groaned beneath me as I surfaced from sleep, the familiar springs digging into my spine. What I hadn't grown used to was the sound that assaulted my ears the moment my eyes cracked open.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"

I winced as Lily's voice pierced through my skull, off-key and enthusiastic. My younger sister stood at the foot of my bed, beaming as she held a plate of leftover pancakes from yesterday's breakfast, two wild red cherries perched on top.

"Your birthday cake," Lily announced, thrusting the plate toward my face.

I stared at the offering. "Lily. It's six in the morning."

"I know! I wanted to be the first to wish you happy birthday!" She climbed onto the bed, settling cross-legged beside me. "Eighteen, Sera! You're officially an adult now. That means..."

"That means after I graduate in three months, we can get the hell out of this pack." I took the plate from her hands. "These look like they've seen better days."

Lily's face fell. "I tried my best. I even put the last remaining sprinkles on them but they melted into the syrup."

I spotted the faint rainbow-colored smears on the plate and felt a pang of guilt. "They're perfect, Lil. Thank you." I took a bite, chewing mechanically.

"Don't say things like that," Lily said quietly, hugging her knees to her chest. "About leaving. You know I hate when you talk about it."

"Because you don't want to leave the pack?"

"Because I don't want to leave you."

I set the plate aside and pulled her into a rough hug. "You won't leave me. We'll leave together. That's the whole point."

She grumbled into my shoulder. "It's not that simple. You think they'll just let us go? We owe them money. Lots of money."

The familiar rage bubbled up. The inflated bills. The crushing taxes. The way Alpha Kieran drained us dry while we lived in the Poor District with the other omegas and lowlifes.

"We'll figure it out," I said, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes. "I always do."

I went to the freezing bathroom, taking a quick bath because we had no heater. When I was done, I looked in the mirror. Six foot one. Tall for a girl, tall for most guys too. My hair was a tangled mess of red atop my head. I had dark circles under my eyes, a sharp jawline and a mouth that would never stay shut.

I sighed. "Can I skip school today?"

No, you can't. Raina, my wolf, spoke up. You need to pass so you can leave, remember? And at least try to be excited. It's your birthday.

I snorted, yanking a brush through my tangled hair. "Freedom. Right. Because eighteen years of poverty just magically disappear when you graduate high school."

You're impossible.

"And yet you're stuck with me."

Lucky me.

I pulled on my worn jeans and the only decent shirt I owned, the one with the hole under the arm I'd patched three times already. My gaze drifted to the small wooden pendant hanging around my neck, the only thing I had of my father before he died for the pack.

Lily had already gone to school because I was always late and she was the good kid. On my way out, I spotted a half-smoked cigarette squashed into the dirt near the porch steps. I picked it up, lit it with the lighter from my jacket pocket, and took a drag.

Ewww, Sera. Put that out. It's disgusting. Raina huffed.

"It's my birthday."

That's not an excuse to destroy our senses.

"At least then I won't be able to smell the garbage from the dumpster next door." I dropped the cigarette anyway, crushing it under my boot, and started walking toward school.

The school gates appeared ahead, and I kept my head down as I approached, trying to blend into the crowd of students streaming through. It never truly worked.

I'd barely reached my locker when a hand slammed into my back, shoving my face into the cold metal.

"Well, well. If it isn't the trailer trash princess."

Cole. Of course it was Cole.

I turned, my cheek already throbbing. He was flanked by his usual hyenas, all sneering. Cole himself was a few inches shorter than me, but he made up for it in pure cruelty. His father was a high-ranking noble who would never believe his son's misdeeds.

"I heard you've been working in the pack's hotel recently," Cole said, stepping close enough that I could smell his cheap cologne. "Do they pay extra if you open your legs?"

I forced myself to stay still. "Move."

"Or what? You gonna hit me? We all know how that ended last time."

Don't fall for it. He's trying to bait you.

But it was already too late.

"Just let me through," I gritted out.

Cole's smile turned cruel. He lunged forward, shoving me into the lockers again, harder this time. I felt something warm trickle down my cheek.

"Look at that." Cole laughed. "Bleeding over a little push. Typical omega trash." His eyes flicked down to my chest, and he grabbed my pendant—the one last thing I had left off my parents—tearing it off my neck. "Nice necklace. Did you steal it from one of the men you sleep with?"

"Give. That. Back."

"No.” He hissed, throwing the pendant to the floor and stepping on it. “You don't deserve to wear something..."

I didn't wait for him to finish before I headbutted him.

The crack of his nose was the most satisfying sound I'd ever heard. Blood exploded across his face, and he screamed, both hands flying up to cup the gushing mess. His hyenas scrambled backward.

"WHAT'S WRONG, COLE? CAT GOT YOUR TONGUE?"

The hallway had gone silent. Dozens of students stared at me like I'd just grown a second head. Cole was on his knees now, blood dripping through his fingers.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

Principal Lance stared at me with pure fury. His face was purple, veins standing out in his neck.

Brielle, Cole’s girlfriend and notorious queen bee, rushed forward. "Principal Lance, Cole did nothing wrong. He was only trying to ask Serena some questions when she went feral on him."

"Wow, Brielle. I see you've taken more lessons on lying. It would be better if you'd taken more on makeup though. That eyeshadow does you no justice at all."

Brielle scowled but quickly brought out a mirror to check her face as I chuckled.

"SERENA WOODS, TO MY OFFICE NOW!" Principal Lance ordered.

I bit back a smile as I followed him.

That was stupid, Raina said.

"But it was worth it."

So, so worth it.

*

Principal Lance's office was the same as always, but my attention was fixed on the other person in the room.

Beta Thorne, flanked by two enforcers in pack colors. The sight of them made my blood run cold.

"Miss Woods." Beta Thorne's voice was flat and professional. "You'll be coming with us. On the Alpha's orders."

I stared at him, my mind racing. "For what? I broke some rich kid's nose. That's not exactly a pack-level offense."

"Those are Alpha's orders." He gestured to the enforcers. "Don't make this difficult."

The rage that had been simmering all morning boiled over. "Difficult? You want to talk about difficult? Try living in a trailer with no heating while the Alpha sits in his mansion deciding which omega to crush next. Try working double shifts just to afford the inflated bills your pack keeps sending."

"Miss Woods." Beta Thorne's voice sharpened. "You can come willingly, or you can come bound. Those are your only choices."

I looked at the enforcers. They'd take me regardless.

"Fine," I bit out, raising my hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't want to disappoint the great Alpha Kieran."

Beta Thorne's jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

We made it to the entrance of the school before I bolted. I didn't think about it. I just ran.

I almost made it to the tree line before an enforcer tackled me from behind, slamming me face-first into the ground.

"Get off me!" I thrashed wildly, but he was way bigger. Another set of hands grabbed my arms, wrenching them behind my back. The bite of zip ties cut into my wrists.

"You made your choice, Miss Woods," Beta Thorne said from somewhere above me. "We tried to be civil about this."

I spat dirt from my mouth and glared up at him. "Civil. Right. Because dragging an omega teenager to the Alpha's office is the definition of civil."

He didn't respond. Just watched as the enforcers hauled me to my feet and shoved me toward the waiting car.

Immediately we arrived, Beta Thorne led me to the Alpha's office. "The Alpha's in here," he said and left me there.

I stood with my palms sweating as Raina paced restlessly.

*Just get it over with. Whatever it is, we can handle it.*

"Yeah. We always do."

I pushed open the door.

The office was enormous—two times bigger than the trailer. Behind a huge desk sat the man I'd spent years hating.

Alpha Kieran.

He was younger than I'd expected, probably only a few years older than me. If I didn't hate him so much, I would have thought he was handsome. He was tall, broad-shouldered and had dark hair, with eyes the color of cold steel which was fixed on me with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

I clenched my fists, trying to calm the rage building inside me.

He rose from his chair and started walking toward me when I felt a deep warmth that spread through my veins like wildfire. My vision blurred for a second, and a pine scent hit me like a wave. It smelt so intoxicating that it made my knees go weak.

Raina went absolutely still.

"Mate," I gasped. The word slipped out before I could stop it.

Kieran gave me a look and I realized that he had known we were mates.

"Hello, Serena," he said.

I looked at him in disbelief, "You knew?!"

He took a step closer, and I backed away until my shoulders hit the wall. He was so close I could feel the heat radiating off him.

"Yes I did. Which is why you are in my office right now.”