Rejecting Red

«Chapter 1»

Samantha

My chest heaves painfully as the alpha kicks me again, forcing my frail body to convulse against the cold concrete. His eyes, filled with anger, search mine: "Why haven't you made breakfast yet, you bitch?"

I want to tell him it's his fault, his beatings leave me weak and exhausted for hours, but I can't. God, he already hates me so much, I can't imagine how much worse it'd be if I were to speak up against him.

My circumstances anger me everyday, I'm his gamma's sister, yet he treats me like the dirt on the bottom of his shoe. Why? Because I'm a disgrace to the pack. When a werewolf doesn't shift, they're treated as omegas. No, worse than omegas, they're treated like slaves.

What he doesn't know, is that I have shifted. It happened when I was only thirteen, younger than most wolves. I remember it clear as day.

I'd just come back home after a stroll in the woods, when I'd felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. I'd shrugged it off, perhaps my muscles had been tired. But it got worse, and before I knew it I was on the floor, writhing in agony.

My screams burned in my throat like fire: "Theo! Theo, help!"

I was crying, and through my blurred vision I saw my brother's panicked form descend the stairs. His arms wrapped around me and then he was running, my head bobbing helplessly against his chest as my sobs rang through the air.

"Hold on Samantha, it'll be alright, hold on," He bellowed, his hands tightening around me.

He set me down and I vaguely registered his voice, but I couldn't decipher what he was saying. Black dots were invading my sight. There were hundreds of them, no, thousands. Maybe billions. All too soon all I could see was the hollow darkness I seemed to be drowning in.

I'd open my eyes and pushed myself up onto my two legs. At least, so I'd thought. My limbs had felt weird, and it hadn't been until I looked down that I'd realised I had four legs. I didn't understand at first, confusion lacing my thoughts, but then it hit me. I'd shifted. My eyes turned to my brother.

He was staring at me in awe. But his eyes flashed with uncertainty then, and fear filled them only a second late, "You're the last crystal wolf, Samantha."

I furrowed my eyebrows at him - do wolves have eyebrows? - and slowly trotted towards a stream of water, beaming at how much easier it was to walk on four legs than two.

My reflection startled me. My fur was a deep black, but the tips of my ears had been painted blood red and my belly was a fiery crimson. A beautiful necklace is hidden in my fur.

"Oh my god," I gasped at the unnatural colour. "Theo, what am I?"

He shook his head in disappointment, and looked down as he spoke: "You can't tell anybody about this, understood? Once you turn sixteen, they'll think you never shifted and you'll be an omega. I know it's not ideal, but you have to do it Samantha. We lost our parents, now I can't lose you too!"

"Get up and make me breakfast, will you?" Alpha Greg's bitter voice pierced my brain and I'm abruptly pulled out of my memories.

I watch his retreating figure before I pull myself up, groaning in pain as my body protests the action. But I don't have a choice, out of all days, today is the most important. Greg turns eighteen in one hour and 29 minutes.

•••••••••

I slide the cake batter into the oven, the sweet smell of it torturing my famished stomach. Yet the cake also makes me oh so nervous. In an hour, Greg will find his mate, the Luna of the pack. And then I'll be tortured forever by two people.

I turn to the eggs by my side and crack them against the counter, letting the yolk slide into a bowl.

That's when Greg walks into the kitchen, his eyes flashing at the sight.

"I'm about to find my mate and breakfast isn't finished yet? I want only the best for her!" He growls.

His calloused hand wraps around my arm and before I can protest he's pushed it onto the hot pan. The searing pain courses through my veins, and a painful scream is ripped from my throat.

"She won't be able to cook if you burn her hand," a voice cuts through my cries.

It's Theo.

"Fine," the Alpha growls before letting me go and stomping away.

Theo approaches me, inspecting my hand: "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I whisper, despite the stinging of my hand and the pit in my stomach.

Why did I have to have a wolf with a stupid mark and a invisible necklace that I can't take off? I hate my life, i hate it so damn much.

Theo strokes his hand over my hair: "Oh Samantha, how I wish I could help you, but I'm only his third in command, Only his gamma," He starts "Today he'll find his mate, and I hope she'll talk sense into him. But remember Samantha, i love you more than anything."

He leaves with with a look of disappointment painted across his face, and I pour whatever feeble emotions I have left into decorating Greg's cake, which turns into out better than I thought it would.

I carefully pick it up and walk over to the dining table, placing it in the middle. I hear some gasps as people stare at it. I look up to the clock, there's 23 minutes to go before the Alpha's 18th birthday.

Greg walks in then, and looks at the cake: "That's pretty" he whispers, loud enough for me to hear. Wow he must be in a good mood.

Everyone finishes their breakfast quickly, eager to meet their new Luna and then I realise it's time. Greg puts his nose in the air and sniffs. He looks around and as he passes some she wolves, they frown, some look on the verge of tears.

Then his electric blue eyes fix themselves on me. He ruffles his brown hair and sniffs again. He abruptly stands up and walks over to me. His eyes fart over me before he utters the harshest words I've ever heard: "I, Greg Wilson, alpha of the Red Moon pack, reject you, Samantha Nightwing, as my mate and future Luna." he whispers so only I can hear it.

I feel my inside crumbling apart, every piece of my heart breaks inside me. Then I pick up the pieces and lock them together, making sure they won't fall again: "I, Samantha Nightwing, sister of the gamma and an omega to the Red Moon pack, accept your rejection and step aside of the responsibilities of a mate and Luna."

Something inside of me snaps, some kind of connection that I hadn't realised was there.

Greg looks at me, shocked. For once he hadn't been able to make me cry. Then his hand comes down hard on my cheek and I cry out in absolute agony.