10 YEARS EARLIER

Raine's p.o.v

I had no plan. I had been running for hours in the dark woods, the wind slapping against my face. I was completely drenched by rain and the cold was slowly slipping to my bones. It was dark and quiet I could see my breath and hear my heart beating wildly. The thought of wild animals almost made me turn back but returning home wasn't an option. I knew what would happen the moment I went back home, my dad would punish me and make me stay in the closet without food plus, I was lost.

I slowed into a walk when I got to a meadow. I was audibly crying with snot running down my face. I wasn't brave as I wished to be, I was still a ten-year-old that nobody liked. I had never done anything wrong but the pack hated me since I could remember. Being an omega was said to be a curse. I had asked the Moon Goddess countless times why I turned out the way I was, turns out everybody chose favorites; even her. If I were to choose, I wouldn't have been born, I hated my existence, I hated her and above it all, I hated me.

We often follow our basic animal instincts in dangerous situations, I guess that didn't apply to omegas. Being easy prey and walking around in the woods at night went against all animal instincts. Maybe it was fate or maybe it was luck, all I knew was I was glad I followed the noise. I followed the noise to a frail looking boy. From up close I could tell he was trying but failing to muffle his cries. He was covered in bruises, fresh and old just like me. Maybe he had been punished too but I had never seen him around before. He looked shorter than I was, which was short since omegas were smaller than the rest. I realized he was an omega too. His ginger hair made him look pretty, prettier than any girl I had ever seen. His hair reached the middle of his back and had to braids at the front that fell down his face. He looked like an angel. I wished I looked pretty too, maybe mom and dad would like me more like my siblings.

We stared at each other for nearly a minute, neither one of us making a move to talk or run. Green and grey eyes in a lock. I could tell wheels were turning in his head from the confused look he gave me. It's not every day you get another child in the middle of the night in the woods.

"Hello, what's your name?"

"A-am L-l-Leonardo. Wh-what about yourselves?"

"Am Raine."

"W-what are you doing h-here, isn't it late to be outside?"

"I-I ran away from home." I couldn't control, the tremble in my voice and the unshed tear that ran down my face. Leonardo made space for me to sit on the log he was seated at. I bunched up my white torn up dress that didn't look white anymore and sat next to him. It was quite unfortunate because I liked the dress. "I ran away from home too."

"Won't your parents get mad at you?"

"I only live with my dad. And yeah, he is definitely mad am not home."

"Same to me. It's way past my bedtime."

"Am scared of the dark," Leonardo said while looking around. Something inside me snapped at that moment. I was going to say I was as afraid to but the vulnerable look he had made me stop.

"Don't worry, am not scared. I'll protect you from the dark." I said giggling. That seemed to work. I was proud of myself. It was the first time I had ever felt brave even if I had lied, Leonardo looking up to me was a brave enough move to me.

We spent hours together talking about us. Leonardo had never seen his mom. He had been raised by his dad who didn't like him, he says he is different. Till date I don't quite know how or why we got each other so well. Maybe it was because we were both born into broken families or maybe it's the fact that our pack hated us. Back then I didn't get why he was also hated by everybody like I was but when I got to understand, it was too late. It was unfair that he had to go through all that for simply being different, being called names that he didn't even know what they meant. He was an omega too.

"Everybody calls me a fag or faggot or a sissy sometimes. I don't even know what that means but they say it's so bad and wrong. The moon Goddess cursed me too."

"I don't know what it means either but I like you, that counts right?"

"Yeah, it counts," he said giggling. His laugh sounded nice and made him look prettier. I couldn't tell how or when we feel asleep holding onto each other on the damp forest floor. I had one of the best nights that day even if I was laying on the hard forest floor. I had a Leonardo by my side. That was how the pack warriors found us at dawn. Everything happened so fast, we were brought back to the pack and got whipped by the alpha. Shortly after Leo's dad came barging into the pack house and dragged a scared Leo to their home. He managed a forced smile my way before disappearing behind the back doors. I hoped he would be okay.

I knew the moment mom and dad got here I'd receive a worse punishment than what the alpha had done. That day I got the worst punishment I had ever got, even mom hit me; she had never hit me before. I had a limp in my walk for two weeks and two broken ribs. It was the most pain I had ever endured.

But that was my best day. I had met Leonardo.

I had made a friend.