Alpha Maximus The Last Lycan novel Chapter 1

In the cold of winter, my breath fogs up the attic. My body shivers and my hands feel numb. I slowly sit up, trying not to make my wounds worse. I stand up and stare at the broken mirror in front of me.

I look pitiful. My white dress, not so white anymore, is now covered with grime, dust and dirt. The edges are tattered with the odd rip, and the material has become thinner over time, fraying.

My eyes are an unusual bright silver and blue. My hair used to be a white, platinum blonde, but it has been years since I had the luxury of using soap in my hair, so it now looks more like an ash blonde.

Freezing, I grab the other piece of clothing I own and wear it over the top. It's a worn old cardigan with no buttons, holding the front closed with my hands shaking from the cold. The sound of birds outside my window captures my attention. I turn my head to look out the window at the birds hopping around in the fresh snow. It's beautiful and calming to watch.

How I wish I could be like these birds. Flying free on the outside, not caring what to eat for the abundance of food for them, are everywhere. They can go far and discover the world. I envy them. I'm jealous of every wild animal I could see lingering in the forest. But, unfortunately, my life is the exact opposite of theirs.

I am a prisoner. I can't run away from the pack and will always be their servant. I was abandoned as a baby, and they took me in as a slave. I try to survive by eating leftover food and sleeping in the old run-down attic. I'm not sure why I was abandoned. I stare at my wounds. I've suffered physical and emotional abuse for many years. I sometimes wish I couldn't feel any pain, but even though the years of abuse have passed, my body still suffers the same.

Last night was the first time I had spoken in years. I was in the dining room of the pack. The room was filled with people, and I had approached Alpha Tate asking for a blanket or at least some warmer clothes. The whole pack froze in shock at my words, as most of them had never heard me speak. I lived like a ghost or one of the objects in this pack's house, trying to make myself invisible. However, the stormy and bitterly cold winter made me courageous enough to ask for my necessities to live.

While Alpha Tate was eating, I stood next to him and knelt. His face filled with confusion, knowing I might ask something.

"Please, Alpha Tate, I might freeze to death one of these nights. Just one blanket or warmer clothes is all I ask of you," I begged, swallowing my pride and not being afraid to go against the status quo.

Alpha Tate is twenty-two without a mate. He was handsome and very good-looking. He has light brown hair and penetrating brown eyes. His body is physically strong, with enormous muscles around his body that can make every girl drool. He is a powerful, 6-foot-tall man. But even with a bright-looking face, in reality, he was a monster. He was handsome outside but rotten inside.

He stood up, stomped over to me, and held me up with one hand wrapped around my neck.

He stared deep into my bright silver and blue eyes. My hands clutched his hand while trying to loosen his grip. I couldn't breathe as he yelled in my face. His hot breath smelled like rotten cheese.

"Now get out of my sight!" Alpha Tate snapped. I stood up and raced out of the room and down the hallway.

Rather than running back to my room, I ran through the forest and to my favourite spot. Somewhere I liked to go.

Although it was half frozen, I stepped into the lake, washing all the food and sauce from my hair and body as quickly as possible. The lake pierced my body with an intense chill. My hands trembled as I washed my hair. The oil from my hair quickly solidified and floated to the surface. The lake was filled with dirt, clouded with sauce as it mixed with the water. I couldn't take the cold anymore.

As soon as I was clean, I ran back to the pack house completely drenched and snuck upstairs to the attic.

Since I had no spare clothes to wear, I removed my wet cardigan and dress. I squeezed the water out and then hung them over a broken chair to dry. Again, the cold breeze touched my skin. Finally, I curled up naked on the old mattress in the corner of the room. I fell asleep despite the cold, thinking I might not wake up tomorrow. I may freeze to death. At least by then, my suffering will end.

Not long after, I was woken to the door being kicked open. Sitting up, I was startled to see Beta Sam glaring at me. His expression quickly changed to a smirk as he stared at my naked body. He was like a beast seeing a flesh of meat ready to devour.