NOVA

I sneakily found my way down the vast hallway, keeping my back pressed against the wall. I could hear them in the kitchen and I had a fairly large open doorway ahead, so if I was to get by unnoticed, I would have to time it right.

Peering around the corner, I noticed the group of teenagers facing away from me. So, taking a deep breath, I braced myself before leaping across the two- meter gap. Catching myself from stumbling, I internally cursed when the clothes I wore rustled as I staggered. I held my breath in anticipation and just as I thought I had got away with it, a pair of black shoes came into my eye- line.

Gulping, I looked up to find the snooty grimace of Sophie. She slicked her dark red hair back against her head into a straightened ponytail, grey eyes sneered down at me as she chewed on the gum in her mouth. Her curvaceous hip was poised, arms folded with her phone loosely in her grip. She was stunning, an accurate picture of everything a werewolf woman should be and the future "mate" to the alpha. But she hated me, with every single passion. The two girls and three random guys behind her had the same feelings towards me, too.

"Oh my gosh, it's you." She grunted. "What are you doing? Think you can sneak around, huh?"

Her voice was sultry as her lipstick-encased lips parted in a chuckle. "Well?" I stayed where I was on the floor, looking away from her eyes to stare at the floor. "I-I... I just wanted t-t-to go to my room."

"I-I-I just wanted t-t-t- what? I'm sorry I couldn't hear you through that rubbish." Her current best friend, Lucy, chortled.

Sophie pouted at her, an action that may seem innocent to others, but I knew different.

"Aw, Lucy, don't be like that. It's not Nova's fault that she was never taught proper English after being abandoned."

They all laughed in unison before Sophie grasped me by my hair. I winced as a few hairs snagged in her grip but chewed on my lip, knowing if I made a sound, I would get hell. I stood in time with her, her gum smacking against her tongue as she titled her head at me.

"Now... I just got my makeup and nails done all pretty, so why don't you run

along and go hide in your room for the rest of the day?"

I nodded, my green eyes meeting hers warily. "Oh-okay."

Her hand tightened on my roots before she dropped me. I turned to scamper

off when a well-manicured foot encased in Louis Vuitton darted out beneath

me. I tripped, smacking into the floor with a groan. They all burst out

laughing and I glanced behind me to see Sophie just smirking at me as she

examined her nails, walking away.

"Oh, my gosh, did you see the way she stuttered?" Her other follower, Lou,

giggled.

Tears brimmed as I hurried my way into my room. Slamming the door shut behind me, I collapsed into my bed, crying once more for the people who constantly made my life miserable. Things went smoothly for me today, but who knows what awaits me later?

***

My alarm blaring rose me from my sleep. Rubbing my eyes, I glanced to see the emotional me had set an alarm for six before I passed out so that I could go for a morning walk. Thanks, emotional me!

Not bothering to shower since I did last night, I washed the necessities before pushing my hair into a beanie. I brushed my teeth and changed into some joggers and an extra-large jumper. I always wore baggy clothes as it turned the jokes about my body into jokes about my clothes. Better for my ego, I suppose.

I wore my trainers that hardly squeaked on the wood floor and quietly made my way out of my room and downstairs. The omegas on breakfast duty today would've been up since five, so they had already unlocked the main front doors.

The front door shut softly behind me and I deeply inhaled as the breath- taking sunrise across the horizon met my eyes.

This was the only time I ever had peace for myself. Early in the morning, when all the important pack members were asleep. It was just the lower ranks rushing around cleaning or cooking. Thankfully, I had today off work. Most pack members didn't treat me fairly, but Alpha Damien ensured everyone received fair treatment in terms of work. Little did he know I was constantly the target of everyone's insecurities.

Let me get into this a little.

When I was three years old, my pack, the Rivera pack, found me floating in a river, my body marred with marks and burns. I have no recollection of how I ended up in that river and clinging to a tree branch, but Alpha Damien and his men were out on patrols when I washed into their sand bed.

After hearing that a resistance pack took down a pack in the mountains, he immediately took me in. I never did, and still never, know the full extent of the situation. I was told that there was no longer a pack there, otherwise I would've gone exploring a long time ago.

People did not accept my type well. I was an outsider who took up Alpha Damien's time, so he left me in the trust of an omega family. My adoptive parents were lovely, but even they did not realise the extent of the torments I awaited just for existing. It didn't help that I was twenty years old and still haven't shifted.

Most female wolves shift when they turn fourteen, usually after they have gone through human puberty. Male wolves turned at sixteen years old since they went through puberty later than us. It was always a celebration when a normal wolf shifted; a hunt usually followed by a barbecue and a night of partying.

When I turned eighteen, no one seemed to care other than my parents. We weren't exactly sure of my age, so we went with my "GOTCHA" day for my birthday celebrations. They estimated me to be shy of three when they took me in, so we just went with it. Along with being an outsider, I had not shifted, hence the bullying. In a pack's eyes, I was not normal and most did not want me here.

Alpha Damien has two children, a daughter called Rosie, and a son called Steven who had yet to take over since he had not found his mate; soul mate, that is.

Every single wolf had a soul mate, another half made just for them. We find our soul mates at eighteen years old and a wolf born into alpha status like Steven cannot take the position until they have a mate or the old alpha dies. They can challenge the position, but that is to the death. That is why Sophie is his to-be mate. If he does not find his true mate by twenty-five, he gets betrothed to a female worthy of the position. Pack politics.

The elders always said that a wolf's 'true potential' is achieved through mating. That's why he cannot take over his father's leadership. He was twenty-four now, still mateless. His sister Rosie was turning eighteen this week, hence why the wolves were running about cooking and cleaning. It's not every day your alpha pup turns eighteen.

I walked through the woods, following the stream that I had lost myself in so

many years ago. If I had just kept drifting, maybe I would've found a better

pack that accepted me more. One that didn't harm me both mentally and

physically.

I rubbed the faded white marks that adorned my skin. The burns I had

received as a child were so severe that even enhanced wolf medication could

not shift the scarring. I was thankful that the pack doctor could skin graft and

save what he could, but most of the scars were on my forearms and legs. I

must've been crawling through the fire or something; nothing about my

childhood makes sense. But I remember the pain and the needles, and I have

hated hospitals ever since.

I longed for my history and my heritage, but it was all burnt to the ground and destroyed. From what I was told, no pack inhabited that land anymore; they left it for nature to take over.

Glancing at my worn watch, I was astounded to find it was six-thirty already, so I made my way back to the packhouse in my constant daydream. Most wolves were up at eight for breakfast and training, so I hurried to confine myself away from their hate-filled glares.

***

Someone was pounding on my door.

Taking off my headphones, I was unaware of who it was since I did not have the heightened wolf's senses or mind link yet. Merely human, with just the hint of wolf DNA waiting to come to life.

"Who is it?" I asked politely.

"It's moi." The deep voice chuckled.

I surprised a smile and spun around from my desk. "Come in, Dad."

He entered with a cheerful smile. His warm chocolate eyes glanced around until he found me sitting at my desk in the corner.

"Working hard?" He wondered, stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

I chuckled. "D-Dad, even you know I'm not d-d-doing anything."

He sat on the edge of my bed, fluffing my pillow. "Yeah, I know, Dad. This is my only day off in the week!"

I gaped at his imitation. "I do-do n-no...not sound like that!"

He hummed. "Okay Ember, sure you don't."

I grumbled at the use of my nickname but turned back around and continued with my drawing. My parents had named me Nova Hope, which translated to new hope, rather corny, if you ask me. But Dad insisted on calling me Ember because of how my skin was a multitude of burns and flames when they found me. And the fact it spelt November when put together.

Dad jokes.

"Reginald," I grumbled.

"That is father to you, Ember." He chuckled, not bothered by the use of his name. "Ah well, best be off. I just wanted to see if you wanted to go for the pack run."

I shook my head. "Dad, you know I can't sh-shift, and they'll just b-b-bully me about it."

My father knew of the torments to a certain extent; thought it was just name-

calling. But he persisted in me joining in on the pack fun even though he

knew I never would.

"Okay Ember, if you change your mind, I'll be the most handsome wolf

there." He chortles before leaving the room.