Chapter One (Carson)
Virginia Woolf, one of the greatest writers in my book, once said, “I am in the mood to dissolve into the sky.”
Well, Virginia, I feel the same kind of way. Even more so when I’m an omega werewolf who’s currently locked in the basement while everyone else in the Four Aces Pack- the strongest werewolf pack of Denver- is getting everything set up for the welcome-home/birthday party for Alpha Harvey and Luna Delia Zallenda’s son Regan, who is set to come home later this evening.
Oh, yeah. Where are my manners? The name’s Carson. Carson Derek Hadley, the only male omega of the Four Aces Pack and the only one who can’t leave the basement since I’m the “runt of the pack” that needed to be thrown to the rogues or just simply killed off. I have no parents (they were killed by rogues shortly after yours truly was born) and the only people who treated me with any kindness are Alpha Harvey and Luna Delia- them, and a few elderly omega females, and the alpha’s teenage daughter Ciara.
I’m only allowed a slice of bread and water once a day and one shower twice a week. Other than that, I couldn’t go anywhere or do much of anything- meaning no education (they said that I wasn’t worthy of going to school, but the joke’s on them since Luna taught me to read and write) and no chance of living a good life. The only thing I was good for was being a punching bag for some of the pack warriors and the Betas and other wolves included.
Speak of the devil, the door to the basement swung open with a bang as footsteps come down hard. One of the lead Betas, a rude and arrogant redhead named Keith, was suddenly glaring down at me. “Listen up, fag! Our future alpha is coming tonight, and he HATES Omegas like you. My advice? Kill yourself now before he does,” he spat angrily as other Betas soon join him. “And as a way to heed our warning, we’re beating the living shit out of you.”
He cracks his knuckles as they all surround me. Oh, goody. The fun begins, note the sarcasm.
And just like that, the fists and legs are flying and landing on my already-emaciated body as I struggle to put up a fight but was soon restrained by a couple of pack warriors, and a few minutes later, I’m beaten to a pulp as a lone knife is by my bedside.
“Kill yourself by midnight tonight,” Keith growled, his eyes glowing gold. “If you’re still alive by tomorrow, our new Alpha will kill you himself.” He lands one flying kick to my side, making me groan in pain before he and his buddies cheer on and leave me groaning in pain.
As soon as they leave, my three main saints come down with bandages and food on hand. “Carson,” Ciara gasped, her eyes glowing in sadness as her mother began to bandage me up and her father looks on with pity and anger in his eyes. “Let me guess, Keith’s asking you to die by tonight?”
I nodded weakly.
“Son, you’ll need to get out of here tonight,” Alpha Harvey said. “I promised your dying parents that I’d look after you and make sure that you are loved. But other than the elderly and a few compassionate wolves- the young pups included, this pack has no love for you. My wife and I are sorry that you had to be treated like this.”
“Alpha,” I wheezed, my lungs slightly aching from the kicks. “I just want to be happy. Why won’t they let me be happy?”
“I can’t answer that myself,” Luna Delia replied, her red hair caressing and tickling my ebony skin. “Anyone would be lucky to have you as a mate. They all think it’s because you’re the only male omega that’s considered bad luck in their eyes. In the other packs, omegas of both genders are treated like treasures. Here, you’re seen as garbage. Ciara, Harvey, and I know that you’re loved by us. And I hope that Regan sees the same thing.”
“Not...allowed...to..go...to...party...” I stammered out.
Ciara frowned. “Oh yeah,” she said, handing me a bowl of party food ranging from wings and sandwiches to mini-quesadillas and pizza. “I’ll have Regan come to see you before the night is out so you two can talk. If he does treat you like the others do or even lays a hand on you... I’ll gladly kill him myself.”
“Ciara,” her father warned, but there was a smile on his face as he was proud of how his daughter treated me like a friend. To me, “Son, I’ll check on you later. You just rest.”
“Thank you,” I said just as my eyelids grew heavy with sleep. “Thank you all.”
And just as I let sleep take me over, I knew that this would be my final night in the Red Aces pack. And if I do get kicked out... I had a backup plan to make sure that I would never be hurt again. While I would miss Alpha, Luna, and Ciara, I knew that my plan of freedom would ensure me that I would be living a great life for as long as I can.
As for Regan, the one family that I haven’t seen? Well, I can only hope for the best. All the same, I was going to be leaving the Four Aces pack...dead or alive.
