Chapter Two

Serenia thankfully sleeps right through the night and although her clothes are frozen the next morning when a servant comes to fetch the shovel from the shed to shovel the front of the courtyard, or else who knows how long she might've been left in there, she doesn't seem to have suffered much physical damage from the cold.

She is able to silently slip back into her room in the basement and take a lukewarm shower before changing her clothes and joining the kitchen staff to help prepare for morning breakfast. This time she makes sure to stay as far away from head chef Maria and keep her head down to avoid any more mishaps.

Making it through morning breakfast peacefully, she is able to sneak a few leftovers from the kitchen and slip out the back door to quietly enjoy her food. Wandering by the firepit place in the center of the village, she can see the left over presence of the hunting party that arrived last night, noticing there seems to be an abundance more footprints than necessary for the small hunting party that left.

A sudden cry to her left alerts her to the barracks of the guards. Seeing how everyone seems to still be asleep, she wanders over to take a peek at the barred windows on the bottom of the building that look down into the underground prison.

Just a few days it was barren, but is now occupied by a handful of men, one of them the owner of the cry she heard earlier. One of them spots her through the window and cries out to her.

"Hey girl, let us out of here! We did nothing wrong to you filthy demons!"

Not wanting the guards to be alerted, she quickly runs away from the building before the man has a chance to make anymore noise. Judging by the intricate tribal markings they all bare on their skin; they are members of the Wolfmåne pack and were the reason the hunting party was making so much noise last night when they came back.

It seems they came back with more than food and materials like they originally went out for. They must have come across another hunting or scouting party of the Wolfmåne pack and took some of them as hostages with the intentions of turning them into slaves. No doubt they killed off the remaining members and took only the ones who looks capable.

Serenia feels she is one of the few members, if not the only member besides her mother who don't agree with the practices and ventures of the Raseri pack. For years she has wondered if she has accidentally been born into the wrong pack, never feeling like she has quite fit in, even if she was born into a position like Sareena or even Selena.

She has red auburn colored hair and light hazel eyes, with slightly tanned skin. Whereas the other female members of her pack all have light colored hair and eyes, and fair skin much lighter than hers. Even with these factors alone, Serenia has never felt like she has ever truly belonged to the Raseri pack, not even mentioning she is nearing her coming-of-age and still has yet to awaken her wolf.

If it wasn't for the fact that she is the daughter of Brant Hansen, Beta to the Raseri pack, she would have been tossed out to the forest to fend for herself already. A pack member who hasn't awakened their inner wolf by the age of 16 is seen as an outcast and therefore useless to their community and is better off alone.

When she is alone at night, she has tried many different methods to try and awaken or even try and feel the presence of her inner wolf but has grasped nothing after many effortless tries. Every time she feels the desperation to give up, she reminds herself that this is a matter of life and death. She is already barely surviving with shelter and little support provided, she can't imagine how terrible she would do if she were left to fend for herself in the forest, where just about anything can get to her, not just giant wolves.

Even though every pack member is required to join training once they turn the age of 15, Serenia was never given that privilege and therefore has no means of defending herself. She ahs tried to practice a little on her own, but she has no idea where to even start, never having anyone to even practice anything on either.

She can't ask her mother; she will just tell her the same thing she always does.

'Though our situation is unfortunate, we are alive, and we have each other.'

Her mother isn't wrong, but there has to be more to life than just constant survival. Why do people like Sareena and Rune get to live such great lives, while Serenia and her mother are always struggling? They are born in the same world, to the same pack, yet are treated as if they are worlds apart, or have committed some sort of heinous sin in another life and are paying for it in this one.

'Does that mean if I have a next life, it will be a great one while Sareena lives a life of misery?'

One can only dream.

"Serenia! There you are my goodness!" Speaking of her mother, she suddenly comes barreling out of the house once Serenia makes her way up the front steps, her mother gathering her into a hug.

"After I saw you hadn't returned to your room after dinner, I tried asking the servants where you had went but none of them would speak to me, I didn't find out you were locked in the toolshed until your sister Sareena informed me that you were found there this morning. What in the world were you doing in there?" her mother cries.

Serenia gives her a reassuring smile and leads her away from the front of the house, not wanting both of them to get scolded for making a fuss so early in the morning. They walk to the back of the house and she sits her mother down on the bench by the garden, taking off her jacket and throwing it over her shoulders when she realizes her mother is in nothing but her night gown.

"Mother, you're going to catch a death of a cold dressed like this. Why did you come running out so suddenly?" Serenia asks, frowning at her mother as if she is the child in this situation, and not her.

"Oh, don't you look at me like that. What about you? How bad is the frostbite you received after getting locked in the storage shed all night?" Her mother reaches out to grasp her hands and examine them, seeing the dried up and peeling skin on the tips of her purple fingers.

Serenia snatches her hands back. "They will heal within the week, don't worry about it. I know better than to try and defend myself against anyone in this house, it was my punishment to pay for always hoping otherwise."

Her mother lets out a soft sigh and takes a light hold of her hands, squeezing them with a pitiful smile. "I'm sorry, my child, you've been born into such a horrid life and there is no one else to blame for that except me. As much as I am thankful every day the Gods have given you to me, I'd be lying to myself if I wish I had the choice at first to not bring you into such a life, knowing you and I would both suffer such misery."

Serenia knows her mother has been blaming herself since the day she has been born for everything that Serenia has suffered while under this roof, and nothing she has tried to say has convinced her mother otherwise. A part of Serenia wishes her mother had decided not to have her, giving her the chance to maybe be born into a better family and life, rather than the one she has now.

The other part of her is also thankful that her mother was forced into bearing a child for her horrid husband, a man much like Rune who took her mother by force despite the face that she was clearly not interested in him. She is thankful she is here to stand by her mother's side so she doesn't have to suffer this life alone, giving her mother at least one person in this life who will always care and support her, no matter what.

Her mother says that since she was forced to marry Brant Hansen, she was never given the chance to find her fated mate, someone who is granted to you by the Gods to be your eternal companion in life. You are only ever given one in your lifetime, and if you are or they are to die at some point, you aren't granted another one and often times suffer the never ending feeling of despair and emptiness for losing such a large part of yourself.

Many say it is worse once two mates find each other and perform the bonding ritual and physically accept each other as mates for the rest of their lives. For the modern world, it would be equivalent to a marriage ritual where two people swear themselves to each other and exchange physical bonding materials, also known as marriage rings.

Serenia's mother has sacrificed so much for her, the chance to find her mate and the opportunity to escape the clutches of Brant Hansen, but with Serenia she can't do any of that.

"Mom, have you ever thought of leaving the Beta house? If you never had me, would you try and find the opportunity to leave?" Serenia suddenly asks.

Her mother seems caught off guard by her question but gives it serious thought.

"Where would I even go? The only other pack is the Wolfmåne pack, and I doubt they would take a traitor like me, knowing I am from the Raseri pack, they would never let me within ten feet of their border."

"Why not try and live among the humans? Live a normal life like them, there are plenty of forests there as well where you can shift and run free, get a paying day job, and have a life of opportunity and freedom," Serenia says, having dreamt of the same life many times herself.

Her mother laughs lightly. "As wonderful as that might sound, I really don't think I could survive on my own. Besides, now that I've lived a life with you, I don't want to live one without you."

Serenia fights the urge to roll her eyes.

"Don't you regret not finding your mate? What if he is still alive and out there somewhere, just belongs to a different pack?"

Her mother pats her hand and looks off into the distance, smiling to herself.

"I have dreamt of what it would be like if I were to have ever met him, but I know that is only asking to give myself feelings of despair and false hope. There is no point in tormenting myself over something that could've been, when I was still blessed with a loving companion in life anyway," she says and looks to Serenia again, indicating that she is said companion.

Although her mother doesn't have a mate by her side to love and care for her, she has given birth to a dedicated and kind daughter, and that is more than enough for her. Although her life is less than great, she is growing up into a strong and healthy woman like her mother has always hoped.

"Enough about me, you my dear are still young and have a long life ahead of you. Just because I have no ambition of leaving this place one day, that doesn't mean you should be discouraged too. I can't ever guarantee we will ever be able to leave the Raseri pack, but if the opportunity ever comes, I want you to take it without hesitating about me," her mother suddenly says, shocking Serenia slightly.

"Mom, you can't be serious? If I ever get the opportunity to leave this place, then I'm making sure I can take you with me, or I'm not leaving at all."

Her mother clicks her tongue in disappointment.

"Serenia, I have accepted my fate here and I am more than willing to live the rest of my days out here. There is nothing left for me on the outside of the Beta house, I am unsure of where my family is or where I am even from, if our rightful place is within the Raseri pack. The fact remains that I have been branded, I won't be accepted anywhere else."

Serenia often forgets how since her mother has become one of the wives of the Beta, she has been branded so all other men and pack members know that she belongs to someone of authority or high status in the Raseri pack. They are the only pack to perform this, with the Omega, Beta and Alpha all branding their wives and mates to ensure that no others ever touch them.

If a wife of a superior is ever defiled by another man or woman, they will be seen as sullied or tainted and tossed out of the main house. The pack outside the main house usual than turns on them, bullying and harassing them further for having fallen so far from grace and allowing themselves to be soiled by another, creating a cuckhold out of their superior.

If the wife of the Alpha were to perform such heinous acts, even if they are unwilling during, they are instantly put to death along with the man or woman they committed the act with, their bodies left in the middle of the village for a couple days as a warning to any others who dare think to do the same thing.

Her mother rarely leaves the house, let alone socializes with any other man other than the servants and other officials that visit the Beta house while she is there. Yet Serenia is more than certain she is covering for the fact that the second wife of Beta Brant has already committed her own treason acts with one of the servants from the Alpha house, but refuses to reveal this fact to Beta Brant, knowing she doesn't have the trust needed for her words to be believed.

"Where the hell is Serenia? She disappeared this morning and didn't clean an inch of this kitchen!" Serenia and her mother hear head chef Maria cry out from inside the house, alerting them that their peaceful time has come to an end.

"Well, duty calls. You should get back inside, mom, before you freeze to death," Serenia says and helps her off the bench. Her mother, much like Serenia, is underfed and malnourished, often the last at the table to be served, being left with mostly scraps to pick from but never uttering a word in protest.

Once she ensures her mother is back inside, she rushes over to the kitchen, preparing herself for the beating she might receive for having kept Maria waiting, and for not cleaning the kitchen after breakfast this morning before disappearing. She rarely gets to spend time with her mother, always being instructed to do chores around the house every waking hour, she lost track of time.

"Well, well, it looks like her highness has finally graced us with her presence. You would think you were a damn princess with the way you just strutted out of here this morning, without lifting a single dish from the counters. I guess that night spent in the shed wasn't enough to teach you anything, you're even starting to rebel now, eh?" Maria accuses her, attacking her the moment she steps into the kitchen.

"I was speaking with my mother, I lost track of time. She may be the third wife, but even you don't have more authority over her, you can go and speak to her yourself if you wish," Serenia says, regretting her words the instant they leave her mouth.

Maria turns red in the face and Serenia braces herself for the explosion, but they are interrupted by the kitchen doors opening and the second daughter of the house, Selena walks through.

"Is this why lunch is taking so long?" she asks, taking a look around the kitchen and scrunches her nose up in disgust. She flips her long, silky blonde hair over her shoulder and narrows her eyes at Serenia.

"Is father aware of the conditions this kitchen is being kept in? I mean, this is where our food is prepared, and you've been allowing it to be made in this filth?" she asks, poking a finger into Serenia's chest.

"This isn't my kitchen, Maria is the head chef here," she says, once again making a futile attempt to defend herself.

Maria scoffs. "She is always trying to put the blame on me, Lady Selena. I told you she has started being rebellious lately, she just walked out the door this morning without tending to any of her chores, and now she has the audacity to stand here and blame me for it."

Serenia clenches her hands and bites the inside of her cheek to keep her from saying anything else that might get her in trouble, knowing no matter what she says against Maria, her words will never be greater.

"You have 10 minutes to have this kitchen cleaned before I report to father that you've been slacking on your chores and are acting defiant towards me, I can imagine what kind of beating you will receive once he learns of that," Selena threatens. She gives Serenia one last sneer before leaving the kitchen.

Maria smacks Serenia over the back of the head. "Well, you heard her, get to it!"

Serenia bows her head and gets to quick work on clearing the kitchen. She prioritizes the dishes the knows will be needed first for washing and runs them over to the kitchen staff in as many bundles as she can, with head chef Maria reprimanding her the entire time, she does her best to ignore it.

Once the kitchen staff is hard at work preparing for lunch of the day, Serenia gets to work on the rest of the dishes to make sure there isn't any reason to give her anymore work later tonight, taking any discarded dishes as they are used and washing them instantly.

After the entire kitchen looks spick and span and lunch has been served without her stepping foot into the prep area to be framed again like last time, she decides to head down to her room to get a bit more sleep before the rush of dinner later.

"Stop right there!" Maria calls out, halting Serenia in the doorway. "Lady Selena isn't letting you off that easily for disrespecting her this morning. As punishment, you are to wash the laundry down by the stream after dinner tonight, and you are not to return to the main house until every garment is washed."

It's going to be below freezing tonight, and they want me washing laundry in the stream? The only reason it hasn't frozen over is due to the nearby waterfall, allowing it to flow in a constant rush and never freeze, but that doesn't stop the water from feeling ice cold in the dead of winter.

Selena is deliberately pushing her towards a situation that could potentially kill her, and make it look like an accident. She has ordered Maria to carry out this punishment for her, making a scapegoat out of her if Serenia is to die from hypothermia or freeze to death tonight, Selena will be said as the one to have quarreled with Serenia last, but she will put the blame on Maria for giving her such a harsh treatment that led to Serenia's death.

The worst that will happen is Maria might be executed, a swift and small justice for Serenia, but not nearly enough for everything she has suffered to this point. Every single member of this house besides her mother, must pay with their lives to make up for the torment she and her mother have gone through, and even then, it won't feel like enough.

Serenia will forever suffer permanent scars on her legs and arms, fractured bones, and the inability to full shift into her true form and be one step closer to her Goddess Freki. If the day is to ever come where she meets her fated mate, she knows without a doubt she will quickly become a rejected mate.

No man, fated or not, would ever take one look at her and think her worthy enough. She is malnourished and completely useless when it comes to fighting and defending, offering nothing as a pack member when she comes of age. Even if her mate were to be someone of insignificant status in the pack, they would feel ashamed to have her stand beside them as their fated mate.

If she isn't rejected by them, chances are she will live another life of abuse and neglect as an unwanted mate. Would that really be better than the life she lives now? To be in love with someone who despises you, and have little control over it? It is said that a woman feels the bond more intensely than the man, and therefore whenever anything affects the bond like a rejection or severance, women in the pack often die soon after their mate, not being able to bare the pain forced upon them, their bodies too weak or their minds not powerful enough.

Serenia has yet to even awaken her wolf. What are the chances she won't recognize her mate if she sees them, and vice versa? She will miss her one opportunity.

Wandering down to her room, she focuses her time not on sleeping like she planned, but instead on altering her clothing once more, to make sure she is as prepared as she can be for tonight just in case Selena and her runts have anymore tricks up their sleeves.

She just barely finishes lining the inside of her jacket with some hay she was able to gather, the entire inside of her boots done the same, when she is called to prepare dinner. Paired with the fur she has stitched into her the cuffs of her sleeves and fringe of her boots, she should be able to chase away the cold once again long enough tonight to not suffer any permanent damage.

Once dinner is served, Maria escorts her to the laundry room, where she reveals a pile ten times the size of their normal weekly laundry loads.

"W-why is there so much?!" Serenia cries. "You're doing this on purpose, there is no way all of this laundry was used by this house in a single week."

Maria gives her a curt slap across the face.

"Nonsense, you're just in luck, this week we have received a new batch of prisoners and some of them will be made into servants in the Beta and Alpha's houses. You are to wash the uniforms in preparation for them tomorrow morning, so make sure every single garment is pristine before you even think of retiring for the night."

Serenia begins to tremble with both anguish and anger.

"For the night? It will be mid-day tomorrow by the time I am through with all of this, especially if you expect me to do it alone."

Maria scoffs. "Of course. Who else do you expect to help you? This is your punishment for disrespecting Lady Selena this morning, you should be grateful she didn't decide to cut off your tongue for being so disobedient and gave you a lighter punishment," Maria laughs at her, before stalking out of the room, holding her head like the fake noble she thinks herself to be.

Serenia collapses to the floor, a flood of hot, angry tears pouring down her cheeks. There is nothing she can do to get out of this situation. She prepared her clothing to help her get through the few hours she was prepared to spend outside.

With all of this, she will surely freeze to death tonight, or she will die for disobeying orders. Either way, she is doomed.