02 Maybe Worth It (Book 2)
02 Maybe Worth It (Book 2)
~Amelia~
It was hard being displaced. I was just finding my footing in my pack when our Alpha was arrested and executed for treason against the King.
Neighbouring packs took over our lands in the western region, and we were chased out.
They did not even have the decency to ask us to join their packs; they drove us away to find our way.
I knew our Alpha was an arsehole, but what did it have to do with us? We were equally victims of his wickedness.
The King, Queen and the council did not help us. It was as if we did not matter, and that was when some of us started hating them.
My life was a colossal mess. I grew up in an orphanage. My mother took me there when I was five and never looked back.
No one adopted me because of the colour of my eyes and my breed. The fact that I was a Delta breed did not help matters either. People felt I would be defiant. Only Deltas, gammas, betas and Alphas could adopt someone like me, but I guess they never visited orphanages. I was allowed to stay until I was eighteen.
The matron, Lucy, wanted to send me to a workhouse in Gad when I turned eighteen, but I refused, so I was kicked out of the orphanage.
I roamed the streets, and many painful things happened to me in those years.
Soon I learned the ropes and became fierce.
I was a petty thief for a while before finally stealing enough to start a small food business in a truck.
It was okay. I did not go to bed hungry and had enough to get by.
Things were looking up until Alpha Moses was arrested for treason, and all hell broke loose.
Alpha Sean took over Gad after Moses was beheaded.
We were sent away from our settlement in Gad. I would have taken my truck with me, but it broke down, and the rickety thing could not travel far.
I learned we would be welcomed in the east, so I came here, but the atmosphere was just as hostile as the west, and soon I had to revert to my old ways.
I had been caught stealing severally and locked up many times. Every time I was released, they would ask me to leave the pack. That was how I found myself in Mountain.
I did not want to break into Alpha Albert's home, but I was hungry.
I was looking to steal some money to add to my stash and maybe start a food business in the east as I did in Gad, but I was busted.
I did not know why I did not hide when his scent filled my senses, but it was too sweet to ignore.
There was something earthy about it, and Aurora, my wolf, wanted to remain even in the face of danger.
"Mate, Mate," she said, and I froze.
This was unusual, and I could not believe it was happening. I was hopeful, but looking at myself in the mirror, I knew it would be hard for anyone to accept an ugly, homeless woman as their mate.
I looked unkempt, dirty and malnourished. His heart must be of gold to overlook our appearance. Original content from NôvelDrama.Org.
"Don't get your hopes up, Aurora," I told my wolf, and he walked in.
I fought the scent, and when I realised who it was, I put more effort into it.
Seeing his eyes, I knew he would not accept me.
There was no point even trying.
Other than the mate bond, I also had to deal with the fact that I had been caught stealing, and he was the head alpha of the east.
I have heard stories about how cold and ruthless he had been lately, I knew I might not survive it, but I chose to be brave.
That was all I could do in the face of the danger that stared at me.
I tried to be strong, but I was scared.
As low as my life was, I wanted to live.
I did not know what he would do to me.
When he ignored the bond, chained me and dragged me out of his house, I knew rejection was coming.
I wanted to laugh at myself, but I dared not because he would think I was laughing at him.
It was still okay until he handed me to the bloody kappas again, and I knew I had to swallow my pride and beg.
There was just so much abuse anyone could take, and I did not want to go down that path again.
At that point, I was willing to say anything to stop him from locking me up.
I doubted he would listen, but I was surprised when he did.
He gave me a job and took off the silver cuffs.
I felt a tinge of hope in me.
When Aurora returned to me, she was hopeful, too, because he had shown us kindness, something we had never experienced in our entire life.
I was hopeful.
Then he asked for my name, and I stupidly gave it to him with ease, thinking something great would come out of it.
I should have known what he would do with it.
The moment I gave him the name, it was over. He rejected me with ease, and I found myself writhing with pain on the floor.
I wished I didn't cry, but the pain was so much that I felt like my soul was being ripped apart.
Aurora howled in my head.
I tried to see what he was doing and noticed he was in pain, too, but he quickly gathered himself and walked back into his house.
I kept my eyes on him. Hoping he would look back, but he never did.
He shut the door behind him, and the Kappas that I did not want to touch carried me from the floor.
By then, my vision was very dizzy, and I passed out.
I woke up on a soft bed.
Sitting up, I realised I was in the servant's quarters. The place had several wooden bunk beds but was neat and well-kept.
There was air conditioning, and the place looked like pure luxury. The Alpha really took care of his workers.
Thinking of him, I felt an emptiness in my heart.
I never really accepted the rejection. He did not give me a chance to do so. He was a higher breed, so it did not matter. I sat up and looked around me. Realising no one was there, I wept and buried my face in my palms.
Fate had dealt me a harsh card, and I did not know how much I could take.
Although I got a place to stay and a job, I lost something dear: A bond. Something precious and rare. Something I never had in my life. I never bonded with anyone, be it family or friends. I never had any, so it was painful.
I dragged myself up and saw a note on the tiny dresser at the side of my bed.
I was placed in the lower bunk.
The dresser had my name plastered on it, and I knew it had been allocated to me to store items.
I opened the letter, and it was instructions from the head of the omega.
"Dear Amelia. Alpha has drafted you to work in his house. There is a storage drawer under your bed where we have put your clothes. Once you wake up, Please head to Alpha's house to start your day. You are to prepare his meals and eat there before you return. You are welcome to our pack. Macy," It read, and I knew that the head Omega was a nice person.
Even though the note was gentle and kind, I could not smile because joy had been ripped out last night. I still had a longing, one I knew I was to ignore.
I got off the bed and looked at the top bunk. I noticed it had a drawer on the side, so I looked at the side of my bed and saw a drawer the width of my bed. I pulled it out, and there were clothes in there.
They weren't work clothes but casual clothes and some toiletries with a towel.
I took out what I needed and decided to check what was in the drawer of the side dresser.
There was a dairy and pen on the top level. On the lower level were aprons. I guess I was to wear the aprons before I left.
I walked about the place until I found the bathroom.
I had not been in one for almost a month, so it was like heaven.
They even had hot water, and the lemon shower gel felt fresh.
I washed my skin and hair thoroughly.
I even got conditioner to use on my hair. It was amazing.
I could not believe how well they treated their workers. This was way better than the Omega workers in Gad.
I had seen them a couple of times, and every time I saw them, they looked like they had seen better days. The people in the east were enjoying themselves.
I finished cleaning and looked at myself in the mirror of my bathroom. I was skinny but looked clean for the first time in a long time.
My eyes looked hollow, and I knew the emptiness of the rejection was a part of it.
I got dressed in the A-line skirt and fitted blouse made available. I wore my apron and headed out to work.
The Alpha's house was pretty close, so I walked there.
I stood at the entrance and knocked on the door.
I did not know if he was home or not. I wanted to avoid barging in unannounced. Now that what I was doing wasn't illegal, I could be bold about it. I did not want to face him because he had just rejected me, but I had no choice. It was either this or the streets, and I was done with streets.
"It's open," I heard his voice, and my heart beat fast; there was pain too. The pain of rejection.
I did not know if I could face him after he had rejected me last night. I took a deep breath to compose myself and look strong as if his rejection did not affect me.
I knew I had no choice, so I opened the door and boldly walked in.
He was standing by his bedroom door and looking at some papers in his hand. He looked up when I greeted him. Then he frowned at me. He probably could not recognise me.
"Oh, you," He said, realising it was me because of my eye colour.
"Yes, Alpha, I am here to start my chores," I said, and he pointed to the Kitchen.
"Eat something. Macy has already cleaned the house," he said, pointing at the Kitchen, and I nodded.
I was still hurt about the rejection, but I dared not speak.
"We can't let him go, Amelia. He isn't a bad man," Aurora said, and I tried to shut her out. Wolf could be impulsive, and I always kept mine in check.
"He has rejected us, and we should move on," I warned her.
"No, we never fight for anything. We should fight for this one. We have to try, so at least if we fail, we know we tried," she said, and I went to the Kitchen.
I made a sandwich and ate, then went to the living room to see if I could do anything. He was on the couch reviewing some documents and seemed simple and relaxed. I doubted we would ever get his attention, but there was no harm in trying. This could be worth fighting for.