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Chapter 1
Myla
“Get it out there while it’s hot, girl. Don’t want the boys to start fussin’,” Addy, the pack cook, said, raising a withered brow.
“Can’t have that now, can we?” I muttered to myself.
Kitchen duty wasn’t the worst job in the Blood Moon pack, but it was close. The only thing saving me from washing dishes was being an Omega. While all females were at the bottom of the totem pole, the truly heinous work went to the Beta females. Their nature made them mouthy, and if there was one thing the males didn’t like, it was a female who stood up for herself.
I grabbed two steaming trays of food and pushed through the kitchen doors into the dining hall. Utensils scraped against plates, and boisterous laughter echoed around me. I stuck to the edge of the room, avoiding eye contact while praying to the Goddess that no one would spot me. I placed the food next to the other trays when I reached the buffet-style serving tables. Maria, another of the pack’s low-ranking females, set two more trays beside mine.
“Don’t look now, but the Alpha females are glaring at us,” Maria whispered, keeping her head down and her hand moving across the table.
Idle hands meant swift punishment.
Maria was one of the first friends I had made in Blood Moon. Being the same age and of similar rank allowed us to bond despite living under Alpha Kane’s thumb.
I rolled my eyes. “When aren’t they?”
Bedwarmers.
The Alpha females of the pack earned their status by occupying a male’s bed at night. The higher the male’s ranking—and the longer they kept his interest—the better the lodgings, food, and supplies the females received.
Omegas were a threat to their livelihood. Once we went into heat, one of them would get booted from their version of a charmed life. As such, I had become enemy number one—along with the only other Omega in the pack.
I didn’t judge them for it. They were doing what they could to survive. Unsanctioned packs didn’t answer to the Council. We were at the mercy of the Alpha and the ranked males. Strength and protection were everything out here, and as a female, there were only so many ways to earn one’s keep.
“This is different. Be careful. Try not to get cornered.”
“Different, how?” I whispered.
Maria headed toward the kitchen, and I followed.
“They overheard the Alpha telling Haley to prepare a room for you.”
My stomach felt like it would fall out of my ass.
My mind spun as we methodically moved tray after tray to the dining hall. Once the last of the food was doled out, we took our places by the back wall.
The shifters filled their plates by rank. The Alphas and Betas took their portions first, then Gammas, Enforcers, males with Goddess-blessed gifts, and average males. Females linked to high-ranking males would eat with their bedmates while the unclaimed were left to scavenge the leftovers. That was if there was anything left.
As the males and their bedmates filled their plates, some sneered and hissed insults while others ignored our presence entirely. It was the latter I preferred.
My wolf’s hackles rose as the males’ gazes slithered over my skin.
“You shouldn’t be out here,” the pack’s Beta, Sam, said from behind me.
I hadn’t heard him approach and fought the urge to recoil. Maria stood beside me, keeping her eyes forward.
“I wasn’t given the order to stay away, sir,” I replied.
He leaned in, invading my personal space, and inhaled. “Hmm, just what I thought. Pretty soon, you’ll finally start being of use to us.” I froze at the implication. “Take my advice and stay away from the dining hall, or the males will find something more interesting to dine on.”
Before I could respond, another Omega, Alex, cut in. “Myla, you’re needed in the kitchens.”
Sam held my stare a moment longer before giving me a short tip of his chin, dismissing me.
I scuttled after Alex.
