Rules of the pack house

CHAPTER TWO: Rules of the Pack House Kiara’s POV The pack house was not a place I can call home. It was a place where I learned to stay quiet, keep my head down, and disappear whenever possible. I learnt to be invisible . On my first morning there, I woke up before dawn to the sound of bells ringing through the halls. Wolves were already moving in a hurry , their footsteps echoed as they moved in a rushed manner . I sat up in bed, my heart racing. I was still trying to process what was going on before A maid burst into my room without knocking. “Get up you lazy girl ” she snapped. “ It's not time for breakfast, “ I replied letting her know . “Servants eat after training.” She yelled . Her voice is unpleasant and loud enough to make my head hurt . “I’m not a servant,” I said softly. I am Luna's daughter. Everyone knows that . Why is she addressing me as a maid ? I was puzzled, maybe she mistook me for someone. She laughed in a mockery type of laughter . Making me feel bad. “In this house, you are. Get dressed and follow me . This is Alpha Liam’s orders ”she said Hearing the alphas name . I decided to do as I was told . I don’t wish to be on his bad side already . I dressed quickly and followed her outside. The training grounds were filled with young wolves stretching and laughing. When they saw me, the laughter stopped. Whispers followed instead. “That’s her.” “That is the new Luna's useless daughter.” “She’s human, right?” “She doesn’t even have a wolf.” “ She’s is just as useless as her mother “ I stood at the edge of the field in a corner , my arms wrapped around myself. None of the pack members wanted to stand close to me . Alpha Liam arrived moments later. The atmosphere changed instantly. Everyone straightened and stood straight . I did the same . No one spoke a word . His eyes swept the field, then landed on me. “You,” he said, pointing at me . “Why are you standing there?”he asked “I was told to come,” I quickly answered .“You were told wrong,” he said. “You don’t train with them.” A wave of relief rushed through me.Then he added, “You clean. You are not fit to train with them. You are too weak and have no wolf ” A burst of laughter spread through the group. “Yes, Alpha,” I said. He turned away like the matter was settled. By noon , my hands were raw from scrubbing the floors. Two girls passed me in the hall and deliberately kicked over the bucket of water I was carrying. “Oops,” one said, smiling without feeling remorseful . “Watch where you’re going.” I knelt to clean the mess. No one helped me . My mother didn’t even look for me . At dinner, the rules were announced. One of the elders read them aloud. “No speaking at the table unless spoken to.” “No leaving the pack house without permission.” “No attending gatherings or ceremonies.” “No using the Alpha corridors.” “No calling the Alpha anything other than Alpha.” “And lastly,” the elder said, glancing at me, “the girl will not shame this pack.” I felt every eye on me. I lowered my head and stared at my feet . The humiliation was too much to handle . Tears filled my eyes but I forced a small smile . That night, I accidentally stepped into the Alpha corridor while carrying laundry. Alpha Liam appeared like a shadow. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. “I didn’t know,” I said quickly. “I was just—” “You don’t belong here,” he said. “You don’t belong anywhere in this house.” “I’m trying to follow the rules.” “You breathe and break them,” he replied. I flinched. “Tomorrow,” he continued coldly, “you will wake before everyone and clean the whole pack hall . You will also water the new plants in the garden and clean the pack’s soldiers' boots . That’s your punishment for breaking the pack rules. You will do it without a single mistake . And most importantly you will stay invisible.” “Yes, Alpha.” I answered. He stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tight. “Your birthday is tomorrow,” he said suddenly. My heart jumped. “Yes.” “You turn eighteen,” he added. “Yes Alpha ” “Good,” he said. “Then fate can take you away from my sight.” He said, He walked past me without saying another word. quickly completed my task and went back to my room . That night,as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but think about what tomorrow will be . Tomorrow will change my life forever.Tomorrow is the day I will turn eighteen and I will meet my mate. Tomorrow, fate will finally pull me away from this house. It will be the day when I finally escape from this hell . I will escape from the Alpha who hated me. Away from the pack that bullied me.Tomorrow meant freedom. I smiled for the first time since the wedding. A ray of hope in my heart. But I had no idea how wrong I was.