Prologue

Prologue

Keera

" I feel like an outcast sometimes," I complained, licking my ice cream cone.

My mother and I were walking down the dirt path of our garden, surrounded by a huge expanse of trees around us. Flower beds littered the garden since my mother loved planting.

"Why is that Keera?"

"I just do. I hate it."

Mom wrapped her gray cardigan tighter around her from the gust of wind.

"I know you're going to do great, amazing things in life, and everyone will be jealous. Whenever you set your mind to do something, it usually happens. Your stubbornness sets you apart."

I shook my head.

"School isn't the same for an omega. I have to act a certain way and not look alpha teachers in the eyes. It's not fair," I said.

"Life is changing every day on Howl's Edge," Mom said. "One day, omegas will be free to act how they want and do whatever they want. But for now, be patient and let everything sort itself out."

While she was talking, I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise. I looked around the dense trees surrounding our open backyard.

"I think there's someone there," I whispered.

"What is it, honey?" asked my mom, unconcerned, looking around.

Then he appeared.

A tall alpha with scraggly red hair appeared in the tree line, deliberately walking towards us. He had intent and purpose in his eyes, looking directly at me. His beady black eyes looked merciless. There was something wrong with the way he looked at me.

"Is that an alpha?" I asked. His demeanor said it all. Alphas walked with a certain gait and posture of arrogance.

"He seems to be. I wonder what he wants and what he's doing on our property," she hissed.

"Mom, we need to go. He looks creepy," I said, stopping my mom and gently tugging her elbow. It wasn't a good idea to confront him. His eyes were on my face, completely zoned in on me and getting closer. It felt like my feet were glued to the ground.

My pulse raced with fear.

"Get away!" yelled my mom as she stood before me, blocking my view of the creepy red-haired man.

"I want her. The omega," he rasped, trying to get around my mom. "Get outta the way, beta bitch ."

"I'm her mom. Stay the fuck away!" she screamed, punching his chest.

That move aroused his anger.

And everything happened in a split second after that. He picked my mom up, and a scream stuck in my throat. He flung her against the concrete wall. Blood rushed down the wall, and all I could do was scream. Everything moved in slow motion around me.

My father came out of nowhere and began beating the alpha to a pulp on the ground.

"That's my wife!" he screamed at the alpha. When he looked over at Mom, his fists stopped raining down on the alpha.

The alpha took that chance to crawl away and run off into the trees, his face bloody and torn. My dad cradled my mother's head as he knelt next to her. She looked so frail. Her eyes were open, and chills went through my trembling body. He felt for her heartbeat, and then he burst into tears.

She was dead. My mother was dead.

My breathing came in shallow breaths. What the hell just happened?

I walked over to my dad, and he held a hand up, stopping me. He looked up at me with bloodshot eyes filled with pure rage.

"This is all your fault," he growled as I stood there in shock. And this was the day I lost both my parents.