Spite!

For a long time, I was grateful to be a part of the Hallow Wood Pack. Growing up in the pack, it had been drilled into my head that I should be grateful to have been taken in by such a powerful pack.

Me.

An orphaned pup, abandoned by my own pack.

Over time, my gratefulness began to dwindle. Though, now, I was able to pinpoint the exact moment when it completely dissipated.

“There you are,” a voice screamed out, cutting through the serene silence of the far courtyard where I was taking down the last of the laundry hung out to dry.

I looked to the ground, not wanting to make the future Luna of our pack, Elizabeth, even more upset than she presently was.

“How dare you make me come out this far in my pumps!” she yelled. “Are you trying to piss me off?” she accused.

I said nothing as she began to yell at me.

Elizabeth was the most beautiful of the young females in our pack. She had straight blonde hair that fell down past her back, warm ivory skin, and sparkling hazel eyes. Despite her outward beauty, she was the ugliest wolf in the pack due to her rotten insides.

“You did not wash my clothes properly! You will rewash everything immediately!” she howled.

“And I know it was you who washed them! I cannot believe you got that other wolf to try and take the blame for your mistake!” she continued to yell.

“I was not assigned your laundry today,” I responded.

“Do not lie to me, you filthy outcast!” Elizabeth screeched before slapping me across the face. I did nothing in response.

“I know it was you! I know it is always you!” she said as she spat onto my face.

“One day, I will make sure you know your place in my pack, you ungrateful piece of shit!” she growled before turning and leaving me alone.

Once I did not hear the clinking of her pumps on the stone pathway, I peeked my head up. A few feet away I was able to see she had thrown a large basket of clothes onto the ground.

“Right in the mud,” I sighed as I turned back to the clothing line and finished taking down the last load of clean clothes. I then went over to her disregarded basket and got all her clothes up.

I knew that it did not matter if the servant who had been assigned to wash Elizabeth’s clothes told her the truth or not because she was just going to blame me in the end. After all, I was the only outcast in the pack that she had grown up with.

“That’s the future Luna for you,” I said to myself as I thought about how delusional Elizabeth was when it came to me.

I suppose she picked on me because I always chose to defy her when we were children. I unfortunately learned with time that no one defies the future Luna. I learned to accept the fact that if something happened to Elizabeth, it would always be my fault.

“I will let these soak while I return the clean load to the mansion,” I said to myself as I prepared a fresh bin of water for the now muddy clothing. I used the water pump nearby to fill the bin and added some of the homemade detergent I had on hand.

“I should split the last of the detergent into two so I can wash these out twice…” I said as I considered how difficult it would be to prevent mud stains on the expensive clothing Elizabeth had thrown into the mud.

I sighed as I put the muddy clothes in the bin before grabbing the clean basket and heading back to the mansion.

I used to be grateful to the Hallow Wood Pack, but it faded over time. And when Elizabeth decided to start tormenting me, I lost all the gratefulness I had left. The others did nothing to address the abuse I endured. It was often justified by pointing out that I was an orphaned outcast and that Elizabeth had every right to mistreat me because she was going to be the next Luna.

It was always strange to me how they decided her future position was simply based on the fact that she received her blessing, her wolf, at the age of twelve. It was the earliest age ever recorded for a wolf to receive their powers.

“And she has become even more rotten ever since…” I commented as I entered the main courtyard.

I noticed the current Alpha, Killian, speaking to the head maid, Marian. I was not allowed to enter the mansion without permission, and most of the time the other servants would handle the tasks within the mansion, so I did not have to sully the space with my outcast presence.

Marian was the one who gave me my orders, but she was so busy speaking with Killian that she did not notice me. I decided to stand off to the side of them, waiting to receive my instructions.

The courtyard was unusually busy. This was due to the next Alpha’s, Killian’s son Adal’s, birthday party the following day. I managed to stay out of the way of the other servants who were busy setting up tables and place sets for the party.

I glanced up at the bright blue sky, basking in the sunlight. The last storm of the season had passed through the day before, and it was the first day in months when the sun was shining. There was not a cloud in the sky except for a single fluffy white cloud hanging out in the distance.

When my gaze returned to Marian and Killian, Killian noticed me. I averted his gaze since it was considered disrespectful to make eye contact with the Alpha. I also did not want to look at him since the sight of his face filled me with such rage that I worried my anger and resentment toward him would cause me to explode into a thousand pieces.

“Villi,” Killian called out to me. I grabbed the basket of clean clothes and walked over to him and Marian.

“Yes, sir?” I responded as I kept my gaze low.

“Oh, did you finish the last load of laundry?” Marian questioned me.

“Of the ones assigned to me, yes. However, Lady Elizabeth had requested I rewash her laundry for her, and I have that load soaking at the moment,” I explained.

Marian let out a sigh of frustration when I told her about Elizabeth. Marian was the closest thing I had to a parental figure in the entire pack. She was one of the only wolves in the pack who treated me with any sort of respect, at least in the sense that she did not bully or beat me just because she could. She was still relatively cold to me, but I held no malice toward her because I understood that if any of the pack members openly showed me kindness, they would be ostracized like I was.

“Such a problem child, that Elizabeth,” Killian commented, then he looked at me. I glanced down to the ground and avoided his gaze as he spoke to me. “Did you wash her clothing?” he inquired.

“No, sir,” I answered.

“I have been assigning her Adal’s and the Beta’s laundry, sir,” Marian explained. “Elizabeth had constant complaints about how she washed her clothing.”

“I can assume that the complaints were not valid if Villi is still assigned laundry duty,” Killian determined.

“You are correct, sir,” Marian nodded her head at the intimidating Alpha. “Villi has gotten no other complaints for how she washes clothing.”

“Then have the servant assigned to wash Elizabeth’s clothing rewash them. And then, tell Elizabeth that I reassigned Villi, and she will not be doing any tasks for her anymore,” Killian commanded.

“Yes, sir,” Marian bowed to Killian. She then turned to me. “Let me take this to the young master’s room,” Marian offered as she reached for the basket of clothing.

Killian stopped her. “She can take them to his room,” he ordered. “I need you to stay here with me,” Killian told Marian. “Go and take that to Adal’s room, Villi,” he instructed.

Marian and I both stared at him in surprise. “You want to let her into the mansion?” Marian posed.

“Is that not what I just said?” Killian asked, a bit peeved by an Omega questioning his order. “Have her take the clothing to Adal’s room! I need you to help me with the current task at hand.” He gestured angrily to the courtyard.

“Yes, sir.” Marian pulled away from me. “You know where his room is?” she asked me.

“Third floor?” I clarified.

“Yes. Third floor. Door all the way at the end of the hall from the elevator,” Marian explained. “If anyone has an issue with you being inside the mansion, tell them you are doing a task assigned to you by the Alpha,” she explained.

I nodded then grabbed the basket and headed inside. I did my best to hide my panic as I made my way to the future Alpha’s chambers.