Chapter 2

"For starters, we're getting the hell out of here. I am not getting with that a**wipe," I said. Sky chuckled, agreeing with me.

"Where do you plan on going? How much stuff are you taking? We should carry light, but we need more than just underwear, a shirt, and a pair of jeans. We need money, too," Sky said.

Um…I did not think about that, but I know that heading to the same pack won't change anything. Emma's mate will still find me, so it's best to run somewhere else, though it would have been nice to meet those people. They were good to Emma; she made friends and finally felt like she belonged. That pack became the home she always wanted. But the Emma right now is me, and I don't think they'd connect with me as well as they did with the real Emma. It's best if I go to a place far enough away where Emma's mate can't find us. Also, Sky is right, we need money. Does Emma have any valuables worth selling at a pawnshop?

I look around the room and even check the floorboards because, in novels like this, the girl always hides her stuff in the floorboards. And lo and behold, I found a jewelry box. It had a few earrings, necklaces, and one ring. They looked expensive too. Did Emma steal these from the Luna? This jewelry box was never mentioned in the novel. Still, maybe she had planned to run away before, and these accessories were her ticket to getting money. But why didn't she take them when she first ran away? I then checked the closet to see what clothes to bring with me. It was full of baggy t-shirts, long-sleeved flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and worn-out sneakers. Oh, I forgot, she's supposed to be the ab*sed and rejected yet strong female character that's not like other girls. She prefers to wear jeans rather than dress pretty. I mean, what's so wrong with wanting to dress pretty? You can be a strong female lead without giving up makeup and pretty dresses.

"I'm guessing you don't like Emma," Sky said. I keep forgetting she can read my mind.

"I don't dislike Emma. I just think she's a walking cliché," I corrected her.

"Yeah, same thing," Sky countered and chuckled. I scoffed.

"Let's get packing." I looked for a backpack because, of course, she'd have one. I packed up all the underwear, 3 shirts, and a pair of jeans. I'll wear the sneakers, and I'll pack up the accessories. Also, put in a toothbrush and toothpaste, an unopened bar of soap, and even managed to squeeze in a hoodie.

Suddenly there was another voice in my head that screamed, "Slave, get the f*ck down here, now!" that voice came so loudly and out of nowhere that it made me cry.

"Jesus, Mary, and Chick Fil A, that scared the sh*t out of me! What the hell was that?!" I asked Sky.

"The Alpha," Sky growled. I sighed in frustration. I was hoping to run off without having any interaction with the other characters. Just wait till nightfall and run away while everyone is sleeping.

I can see it now; the Alpha will probably swing at me, or someone will beat me up. I am so not ready for that. No one has ever hit me, but I'm pretty sure it hurts, and by a werewolf, it's gonna hurt even more.

"Don't worry, although werewolves hit harder, we also have tougher skin," Sky tried to comfort me, but it wasn't helping. It's still going to hurt.

The shirt I was wearing was still covered in barf, not to mention I was still wet from soaking in the shower. I will need comfortable clothes if I'm going to run away, so I put on a black cropped tank top, a pair of black yoga pants, and sneakers. I also pulled my hair up in a ponytail. I looked at myself in the mirror and couldn't help but look at the bruises. I can see now why Emma always wore long-sleeved and baggy clothes. She didn't want to draw attention to the bruises, and she didn't want to look weaker than she already was. And she didn't want to give her tormentors the satisfaction of seeing her like this.

"Okay, Sky, I'm going to need your help here. Can you give me directions to where I have to go?" I asked her. Just because I read the book doesn't mean I remember the whole pack layout.

"You can count on me," Sky said.

"So, where does the Alpha want me to meet him?" I asked her, exiting the room. Surprisingly, rather than a hall, I saw stairs and, farther down, another door. Oh, I forgot that Emma lives in the attic, as far away from other pack members as possible. Very Cinderella.

"Who?" Sky asked.

"Nevermind," I answer. I guess people here don't have fairytales, probably because this whole world is basically a fairytale.

Outside the door, I was met with an empty hallway, "The dining room is 3 floors down. Just walk straight, take a left, and down the stairs." I did as she said.

When I reached the bottom floor, I saw many people talking amongst themselves. No, not people, werewolves. All eyes were instinctively on me when I took my first steps forward, heading towards the dining room. Like they were all expecting me. My heart started to pick up, and my palms felt sweaty. I couldn't even bring myself to make eye contact with others. Did Emma have this uncomfortable feeling whenever she was looked at like this?

Walking through the halls of the packhouse, their stares, rather than hatred, seemed more like shock. Was it because of the bruises? The surprise in their faces confused me. These very bruises were made by their own hands.

"I'm guessing they're mostly shocked because you have A LOT of bruises," Sky said. "Emma did her best not to draw attention to herself. You are doing the exact opposite," Sky said. Shit! I was so focused on running away that I completely ignored why Emma dresses the way she does. The last thing I need is eyes on me. Well, there's nothing I can do about that now.

As I continued walking, I saw from a distance the dining hall. It had many tables, but they were all empty except for one, where three people were sitting in total silence, seemingly waiting to be served. An older man with dark hair and a beard was seated at the foot of the table. He had a scar that ran across his face and a wolf tattoo on his right arm. He was very muscular and wearing a white fur cape, a red shirt, black pants, and boots. A blonde woman was sitting to his left, wearing a blue dress. And then I saw the back of a boy's head. He had dirty blonde hair; I could only presume it was a mixture of his parents. I could see he was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans.

"That's Alpha David, Luna Nicole, and their son, our mate, Damon," Sky said. I cringed at the names; they are so generic and feel super cliché. I can't even count the number of times I've read these names in a werewolf novel. Even my name is generic. Emma.

"Really, you're nitpicking names now?" Sky asked. I rolled my eyes.

"It's a fantasy novel; they should at least get fantasy-like names," I counter.

The three in the dining hall turn their heads to look at me. The only one that seemed slightly surprised by my appearance was Damon. The Alpha and Luna couldn't give two shits about Emma. They're probably chuckling to themselves right now, seeing all my bruises. Damon was, of course, shocked. He couldn't have imagined the actual state of his 'mate.' However, when we made eye contact, he quickly looked away. He definitely felt guilty as he was one of the people who added bruises to this poor body. I'm sure he's thinking that Emma will forgive him because they're mates. Jokes on him, I'm not Emma, and I sure as hell don't forgive.

"Why are you late?" the Alpha asked.

"Do these bruises not speak for themselves?" I asked. The Alpha suddenly growled at me, which made me quickly look down, placing my hand over my mouth. The novels always made it sound so threatening, but I couldn't help but want to laugh right now. Hold it in, Marie! Hold it in!

"We're not scared?" Sky asked me.

"Why should I be scared? This is f**king hilarious," I answered her in my head. I must remind myself that I don't have to speak for her to understand me.

"He used his Alpha aura on us. We're supposed to be cowering, but I don't feel affected by it at all," Sky said. So as not to raise suspicion, Sky told me, "Quick, act scared!" but I don't think I need to. My movement to try and hold in my laughter seemed to make the Alpha think I was cowering.

"We've been waiting on breakfast for the past two hours," he said. I rolled my eyes.

"You could have asked someone else to do it or maybe done it yourselves," I said. The Alpha stood up, and he was in front of me in less than a second. Everything seemed to blur, and when I came to, I realized I was on the ground. He…he had slapped me. He was so fast I didn't have time to process what happened until after I hit the floor. I had to hold myself back from whimpering as the stinging grew more and more painful until only the burning sensation was left. Then there was nothing; maybe that's the werewolf healing taking effect.

I couldn't believe that the force of a slap could actually make someone fall to the floor. Whenever the female lead was slapped, I always thought she could have easily avoided it and that falling was just the author being overdramatic, but nope. That slap was faster than the speed of light.

My eyes scanned the people in the room; they were enjoying my pain. Damon, who just a moment ago looked slightly guilty, now seemed to enjoy looking at Emma on the floor, humiliated like this. Did Emma never notice that smile on his face whenever he tortured her? He obviously got off on her pain. What did Emma see in him, and how the hell could she forgive him so easily?

I was pissed. The way they treat Emma like she's garbage. She might take it, but it doesn't mean I have to. I'm leaving this sh*thole anyway, so I might as well say whatever I want. Once I managed to get up, I said, "It was just a question, and I even mentioned other alternatives for food preparations. You should work on that pent-up aggression of yours."

The three people in the room looked shocked. It appears my smiling pissed them off. Am I getting hit again?

"How dare you speak to your Alpha that way?!" The Luna yelled at me as she threw her palms against the table. I rolled my eyes. Making sure the Luna noticed. I didn't know she could look angrier than she already was. It was almost funny.

"Did I say something wrong? The first thing the Alpha does when he hears something he doesn't like is swing his fists at the nearest target," I answered her.

The Alpha swung at me again, hitting my other cheek with the back of his hand. The moment I hit the floor, I started feeling dizzy. Is this what getting a concussion feels like? Although the healing is taking effect, I can feel the pain taking longer to go away.

"Father!" Damon yelled as he stood up. What the f*ck is this? Is he trying to protect me right now? After, he was obviously enjoying seeing me on the floor in pain. I rolled my eyes. Is this supposed to be the cliché scene of a werewolf novel where the female lead sees that the mate that 'rejected' her tries to defend her, so her wolf then tries to convince her that he loves her and that she should pursue him?

"Excuse me, but what makes you think I want you to be with this a-hole?" Sky asked, which made me let out a chuckle. Suddenly, everyone was looking at me. Shit, I should've held it in.

"Is there something funny about this, slave?" the Alpha asked me as he approached me. Although I was acting tough, having a huge and buff person approach you with their face as red as a tomato and their nostrils flaring is scary. Is he going to hit me again? The pain hasn't gone away yet.

"Father!" Damon yelled again. The Alpha turned around and hit Damon square in the jaw, but unlike me, he remained standing. Guess that's the difference in strength between an omega and an alpha.

"Seriously, that's how you measure a werewolf's strength? By how well they can take a slap to the face?" Sky asked, bewildered by my train of thought. I just shushed her. I can't pay attention to the drama with someone else speaking to me.

"You do not raise your voice at me!" the Alpha yelled twice as loud. Damon seemed to cower at his father's gaze.

The Luna stood up from her seat, "Darling, he's just a boy. I'm sure he's just taking pity on a worthless slave since he'll be Alpha soon, and she'll be under his command," she said. Her voice was shaking.

What the hell is with this family dynamic? They were all bashing me a moment ago, and now the atmosphere suddenly became heavy. The novel never mentions Damon having a bad relationship with his father.

"Your disrespect will not go unpunished," the Alpha told Damon. Damon nodded. The Alpha then pointed at me, "And you... After you make breakfast, go to my office and wait, like a good slave, for your punishment. You better be on your knees when I arrive," he said. For some reason, my heartbeat quickened, and I felt almost out of breath. A shiver ran down my spine, and I developed a cold sweat. What the hell is going on with me?

"What are you waiting for? Go!" the Alpha commanded, and I hurried away. Sky gave me directions to the kitchen. As I got farther away, my heartbeat was slowly returning to normal.

"Their breakfast is eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, parfait and orange juice," Sky said. I nodded. At least breakfast is something even a novice can do. As I worked on making breakfast, I couldn't help but feel that the atmosphere Sky seemed to carry around her had shifted. She wasn't being as talkative as when we first met. It almost felt like she was scared.