Raine hissed and shot her etiquette teacher a glare. The top heavy woman carried a ruler that she had no problem using to 'correct' Raine as necessary.
"You are not only an Omega, but a lady." Teacher Inez began her speech as she paced around Raine. "And a lady must carry herself a certain way. No slouching, no stomping, no grousing, no grumping. Where men are complete buffoons, ladies are fair and proper."
Her teacher stopped before her and tapped the ruler beneath her chin.
"A lady's head always remains up, her neck long and straight."
A tap to her shoulder.
"Shoulders relaxed and pulled back, breast level."
Her stomach.
"Core pulled towards the spine to straighten the back and flatten the stomach."
Her knees.
"Legs straight and steady, feet close together."
Raine resisted the urge to clench her hands into fists. If her teacher was even the slightest displeased with her form she would receive this lecture. As it was, she heard it nearly every morning.
Today she was learning ballroom dancing. Without a partner of course; why not make these lessons as hard as possible for her?
"You are the young Lady of this pack, Raine. Eyes are on you at all times." Teacher Inez's eyes narrowed on her. "No less but perfection is always demanded of you. It is your duty to remain strong, but pliant. Firm, but kind. Your resilience is your greatest strength. Do not let it be your downfall as well."
Raine blinked but didn't dare break her form. She had never heard her teacher say that before.
But she hardly had a moment to process what Teacher Inez said before the voice she despised the most spoke up behind her.
"That is enough for today, Inez. It is time for breakfast. Come, Raine."
"Yes, my lady...but I usually watch over Raine's dining etiquette during breakfast." Teacher Inez quickly bowed her head to Raine's stepmother.
"She will be fine for one day, Inez, thank you."
"Y-yes, my lady."
Teacher Inez curtsied then quickly left the room. Raine refused to turn around and acknowledge her stepmother. She hated the woman with every fiber in her being and knew the feeling was mutual.
"Your father will be at breakfast this morning." Evelyn Lane's voice became frosty the moment the teacher left the room. "So I suggest you get yourself together and behave."
Raine's eyes narrowed but she still didn't turn around. Not until she heard Evelyn's footsteps receding. Just even looking at the woman made her sick to her stomach.
She was eight years old when her father returned from the yearly Alpha's summit with his new bride on his arm.
Her father took the time to sit her down and explain to her that he had little other choice but to marry the woman, that if he wanted to maintain good relations with their brother pack Blood Claw pack then he had to marry the woman who was his age and hadn't yet found her mate, leaving her own father desperate to marry her off to an eligible man.
Blood Claw was a more conservative pack. It was their belief that a woman's place was only at the side of a man. Otherwise, they brought shame to their family.
Nevertheless, an eight year old could hardly understand the reasons behind her father marrying another woman after her mother. People married the ones they loved.
To her, it meant that her father loved this woman. She might have never known her mother, but it still hurt her to know her father had brought in a new woman.
Even more so when a year later the news of Evelyn's pregnancy spread through the pack. It was obvious the pack was hoping for a boy; their joy unhidden when Evelyn did in fact birth one.
A dominant Alpha.
The pack had already expressed their discontent with their Alpha having an Omega as his heir. It didn't take long for them to start demanding the newborn son to be made the Alpha Lord heir.
But more than the marriage, more than the existence of her younger brother, Raine's hatred for her stepmother appeared the moment Evelyn disrespected her mother.
"Your mother was a weak woman, but I am not. I am here now. You will treat me with the same respect you would if she were alive. You will do as you're told. One day, I will birth your father a son, and when that time comes you will remember your place, little Omega girl."
It was that moment when Raine realized her stepmother was a coldhearted woman. She only cared about one thing: her place at the Alpha's side.
She was the new Luna, the mother of an Alpha son. That was where all her pride laid and she treated Raine like a smudge on her favorite white dress that just refused to wash out.
But Evelyn was wrong.
Raine's mother was not a weak woman. She knew this because her father told her so. Her father said she took much after her mother's personality: fierce, competitive, spirited.
Raine was not weak, her father was not weak, and so she knew her mother was not weak.
She washed up and changed her clothes for breakfast, then quickly made her way to the dining hall. Her stepmother and younger brother were already there; her father nowhere to be seen.
"Good morning, Raine!" The ten year old brightened upon seeing her.
"Good morning, Caleb." She replied steadily.
There was no ill will between her and Caleb. The child was innocent in all this. It wasn't his fault how he nor she were born, nor who their mother or father was.
She was nice to him, but that was the extent of it. His mother did not allow much of a relationship between them, no matter how much Caleb whined about it.
"Evelyn." She clipped out as she sat down, smoothing her dress over her knees.
"Raine." Was the cool reply. "Your dress is very pretty."
"Thank you."
An awkward silence settled as they waited for her father to arrive. She glanced at Caleb, who was quietly drawing on a sheet of paper.
Like her, he shared their father's wild dark red hair and dark tawny skin. But while Caleb's eyes were the same sharp gold as their fathers, Raine's was a deep olive green that she apparently inherited from her mother.
Otherwise the two had very similar features. If one didn't know any better they would easily assume they shared the same mother.
"Excuse my tardiness," Dagger Kane announced his presence, striding to his seat. "I've just received an urgent message from the royal family."
"The royal family?" Evelyn startled. "Whatever could they want with us?"
The Alpha sighed. "The Prince celebrated his 20th birthday a few months ago, but did not find his mate amongst the people within the Blood Fang pack. The King has decided to send the Prince throughout the packs under his territory in hopes that his son's mate is found. He is due here in a few months, granted he has not found his mate already."
Raine frowned. "We are the farthest pack in Blood Pack territory. Do you think he will really come out this far, father?"
"The only thing we can do is prepare for his arrival, my dear. Just be glad it is only the Prince, and not his father. The King is...a proud man."
"But we will still hold a welcoming ball for the Prince, right darling?" Evelyn asked, hope coloring her tone.
"Well yes of course. We will prepare several days worth of festivities. I'm sure the Prince's visits are more than just a search for his mate. As the farthest pack from the King's sphere, it would do us well to show extra care towards the Prince to reaffirm our loyalty to his name. I quite enjoy the freedoms we have here and I don't want that ruined. We will all do our parts to make the Prince comfortable, understood?"
"Yes father." Raine murmured, wondering just what kind of man was the Prince.