Chapter 1

The Nameless Wolf:

My body shuddered as I opened my eyes to cold water being spilled on me.

I gasped for air and it felt as if the air was knocked out of my lungs. Everything around me started spinning, but I knew better than to say a word.

"Get up, runt. The pack's breakfast is not going to cook itself. And then head to the bathrooms, they need cleaning." The heir Alpha of the pack, Ryan, my half brother, spat. I got up, knowing to keep my mattress as wet as they let it be. If I tried to take it out, I would be beaten by my brother. It was not something that I wanted.

"She was still asleep?" Luna Amelia, my mother, asked, looking up and down at me. "Did I not tell you to be awake by dawn?"

She grabbed my chin, forcing my eyes on hers. "We have guests this evening, important guests, and if I see you slacking; I am going to have your head myself, do you understand me? The pack Alpha has been working for months and I am not going to allow a bastard like yourself to ruin things for him."

"I understand, Luna." I whispered, forcing myself not to wince as her nails dug into my skin. The cold air of the house hit my cold clothes and face, and though I tried not to shake, I couldn't help but find myself shuddering.

The Luna glared at me and shook her head, clearly not impressed by me. Had it been another wolf, I knew that the cold weather wouldn't have mattered to them. It would have been the most normal thing. They would be able to warm their bodies, something that I couldn't do.

She took a step back, and Ryan rolled his eyes before walking toward his chambers. Whatever it was they had to do this evening, I didn't care, I wasn't going to be included anyway. I might as well just find myself lost in the forest for all they cared.

I walked toward the kitchen, and opened the fridge to pick out what they were going to have for their breakfast. A table that I was never allowed at, I knew that if they saw me, if I dared think of sitting by their side, I would be losing my head. I didn't want to put myself through such embarrassment.

"Breakfast is being prepared by Lisa. Go and tend to the bathrooms. We are going to need you here before lunch, we prepare dinner early tonight as Luna Amelia is going to need to check on everything and I suggest that you shower. You are wet and you smell like a mouse died inside you." Headmistress Jane said, looking me up and down. "And change that dress, I will not have it in my kitchen and if you don't have one anymore, if you ruined the ones we gave you, go and find one in the closet of the younger maids. You know that they tend to get rid of theirs every once and while, suit yourself with one that will fit. I don't want you walking around the rooms, ruining their smell, and touching the clothes, ironing them with that stench on you. You are going to force us to do the work the work twice and three times, and we don't have time to waste on that."

She looked at the bruise that was on my cheek before walking toward me, her eyes showing what little kindness she could offer. She knew better that to be too kind to me. They would have her kicked out if they catch her. "Put an ointment on your cheek. You won't be seen by the guests, but I don't want to deal with seeing a bruise on one of my staff's faces."

"Yes, headmistress." I said, and she nodded, taking a step back. I walked out of the kitchen and took my leave toward the old closet room. It was filled with dust and spiders, some even said it had rats, but it still was better than my room. At least the bed in her was a bed rather than a haystack with a thin mattress on it.

I stared at my reflection in one of the broken mirrors that was in the room. And I couldn't help but find myself looking away. I couldn't blame the pack members for not wanting to look at me. I didn't want to look at myself.

I pulled out a few dresses and chose those that suited my body. Some had cuts and tears on them, but I knew to settle for it. I would tend to sewing the cuts later, they still were more presentable than the clothes that I wore.

I took a cold shower, I had no right to think of asking for a warm one. I was merely the bastard, shame, and reminder of my mother's pain. A pain that she had to look at and live for years.

"The Luna's bastard daughter..."

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"You are going to disappear tonight. Stay in your room and I don't care if the pack starts burning, you are going to burn inside that bedroom." Luna Amelia said, and I nodded, looking down at my feet. "Go and take your leave, bring the wood for the fireplace then get out of my sight."

"Yes, Luna." She looked up and down my body and shook her head in question.

"Is that a new dress?" I looked down at the tear of the worn out dress before nodding, keeping my eyes to my feet.

"I had her changing her dresses, Luna. She was taking care of the cleaning and if she was to clean in dirty clothes, the rooms were going to smell." Headmistress Jane said. Mother nodded and looked down at me.

"Good. But next time I am to know of these changes."

"The dresses were going to be thrown away, Luna. I figured we make use of them."

"Very well," she said, leaving the kitchen. I let out a breath that I didn't realize that I was holding, and taking a step back, I walked through the backdoor, knowing to keep my head down in case any of the pack members approached. I didn't want to stir any of them by looking at them, and I knew better than to annoy my brother if he thought of coming to speak to me.

"Ryan…" I heard low moans in the forest as I walked toward the wood that I knew was broken. "You are going to marry her? You will just leave me?"

His groans could be heard and my heart raced against my chest as I caught sight of him, holding an omega to one of the tree trunks, pushing his cock inside her before he pulled out.

"She is going to be my wife on paper. A deal that I am going to make. You know that my name comes with a price. I am going to need to make sure that I fulfill my role for the family." He said, resting his forehead against hers. "And when she is mine, when I have her children, we are going to be closer to the Ivanov family."

He tightened his grip around her waist, and my heart raced as I took a step back, wanting to run. A stick cracked under my feet, and my eyes widened in surprise before I heard the girl, her name was Natalia asked. "Did you hear that? Ryan must have seen us…"

I ran before I could hear what was going on, ignoring the clench that I felt in my chest with each step that I took, knowing that I would be killed if my brother saw me. He wouldn't have any mercy on me. He would kill me here and now, get rid of my body and claim that I ran away, and if anyone caught him, he would accuse me of something that I would never do. I knew that he would.

I could hear footsteps approaching, and though it should have stopped me, when I heard him call 'STOP!' I should have stopped. Only I couldn't, my body wouldn't allow me to. It was as if it begged me not to, and with every step that I took, I could hear him coming near me.

He would have your head if he catches you, run, just run…

It wasn't until I felt him coming closer to me, his breath on my neck that my body came to halt. Only it wasn't because I wanted to stop, it was because I hit a hard chest.

I nearly fell, my knees losing their footing before whoever it was, wrapped his arm around me. Sparks coursed through my veins, and my body felt as if it was on fire. A fire that I knew would not only burn me, but also captivate me in ways that I would not be able to forget.

"Easy," he said, his voice coming out as a melody to my ears as he spoke. "You're going to fall and hurt yourself, wolf…"