Chapter 1 Trouble Came

“No, no, don't leave me. Please! Please!" The red-haired young woman ignored the little girl's cry, turned, and walked away hastily; She left the little girl standing in front of the big intimidating Packhouse.

The little girl slumped onto the dirt, wailing at the young woman's retreating figure... But, she never turned back.

"Audrey, Audrey, get up!. You're going to be late...again."

Audrey jolted up in her tiny single bed.

"I'm up, I'm up." She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Morning, Ms. Bridget." She greeted in between her yawns.

"Same dream again?" Ms. Bridget asked, stroking Audrey's red hair.

Audrey nodded.

"It's okay child, everything's going to be all right." Ms. Bridget removed the thin blanket from Audrey, pulled her out of bed, and pushed her into the bathroom.

"But we have to survive first, right? Now, wash up and get going before he chops your head off." She heard the old lady giggle before leaving her room.

Audrey did not have time to think about the dream she’d been having for the past sixteen years. She rushed to her shower, well...water in a bucket, and ran out of the bathroom. She checked the old clock hanging on her wall; it was 5: a.m. If she did not hasten up, she would get in trouble with the Alpha… Again.

She didn’t want that, her back still ached from carrying a hundred logs of wood yesterday, so she wouldn’t need any punishment anytime soon. She wore her favorite worn-out baggy joggers and an oversized shirt, put her red hair in a bun, and rushed out of her tiny room.

Audrey stood in front of the Alpha's house, her heart beating rapidly, she never understood the reason why he had asked for her to become his maid on her tenth birthday, and now, she was seventeen and still did not understand it, was it just so he could keep a close eye on her to know when she had merited a punishment?

She took a deep breath and unlocked the doors, hoping he was not still in the house, he normally goes out for a run early in the morning. Luckily, he was not.

Audrey was not allowed in the Alpha's house if he was still present, that’s why she quickly cleaned the house, dressed his bed, made his breakfast, and placed it on his big dining table. She thanked her lucky stars for not leading her into the Alpha's home when he was in there. She feared what Alpha Lake would do to her.

It was 6 O’clock by the time she came out of the Packhouse. The Packhouse was built farther away from the pack members, and it was only the Alpha, beta, and omega that lived there with the servants, including herself, but she believed that other servants’ living conditions were far better than hers.

Audrey paused when she reached behind the Packhouse, she was supposed to follow the track that led to the pack's large Vineyard where she would start her daily duties of plucking grapes, but for some reason, she’d been feeling like the forest had been calling out to her for the past two months now, but she’s never answered to it; she was never allowed to wander beyond the Pack's premises, but, today, she felt so compelled to go into it. And she did.

It was spring, the rays of sunlight were streaming through trees, cascading the multicolored foliage and the beautifully blooming flowers.

The shimmering amber light made the forest look like a fragile tapestry.

“Oh!” She jumped on her feet when she heard a shrub move behind her.

A white baby rabbit hopped away, probably scared by the scared human girl.

“Aww, come here cutie, I won’t eat you, I promise.” She squatted down, talking to the fleeing bunny, what she never expected was for it to halt and return to her.

Her eyes were wide as saucers and her jaw hitting the floor.

She was over the moon with excitement, she knew she was too old to get excited over a little bunny but ever since she was little, she had never had anything she called her own, except the mysterious red pendant that was taken from her by the Alpha, but that was not something she could cuddle. But this little cutie, she could cuddle. The bunny was staring at her with round clear eyes.

“Look at you, I could eat you just now.” She cooed.

The little bunny widened its eyes in fright.

“Ha-ha, I’m kidding cutie. Come on, let’s see what’s hidden behind those thick mossy trees.” She carried the little bunny close to her body and walked toward the trees, she heard the croaking of frogs which indicated that there was a pond nearby.

“Oh,” She felt disheartened as she gently placed the little bunny down.

“I'm sorry but I’ve got to get back to work, bunny. I’ll see you soon, okay?” She looked at the sun, it was fully out now, she knew the workers wouldn’t have even started working, but they were normal people who got paid for working, after all, in their words; ‘She's not worth a penny!’

She longingly stared at the two adjacent trees with interwoven strong vines between them which made it impossible to see through it.

She was sure this was the particular place that was calling to her because as she looked at it, she felt a very strong compelling force pushing her to go see what was hidden behind those thick trees.

The sound of water coming from behind the trees was very distinct but she managed to hear it, and she imagined how beautiful the unexplored area would be. Sighing, she turned around and left, promising herself to come to check it out again when no one would notice she was gone.

Audrey went into the vineyard, and as expected, no one was there yet. She wore the rubber boots that were provided for every worker, picked up her scissors, took a barrow, and pushed it into the farm.

As she plucked the grapes into the barrow, she wondered why that monster of an Alpha, with all the wealth he possessed, could not afford to make his servants' quarters comfortable enough for resting, it was more like a prison.

She did not hope for a fancy lifestyle, she knew it was never for her. But she just hoped she could have a comfortable bed to lie on every night after the hard labor she does every day. Twenty-first century but Alpha Lake still ruled like the medieval times.

“Hi, early bird,”

She looked up to find her friend pushing her barrow toward her, smiling, like she always does. Audrey wished she could also find reasons to put a smile on her face every day too, but she knew it was never going to be possible. Nothing was worth smiling for in her miserable life.

“Hi, Sandy. You look so happy early in the morning... As always.” She teased, already knowing the reply that was coming.

“Happiness is free, Rey.” She winked and continued toward the opposite vine to pluck grapes.

Soon, workers trooped in and filled up the thirty acres of land, all plucking grapefruits as fast as they could.

“Alpha! Please! I beg you!”

A hoarse voice filled with pain cried out in the dimly lit room.

A young man in a black suit was lying on the floor, his face was bloodied and one of his shoulders was stabbed, with the knife still rooted comfortably inside it; blood freely oozed out from the stabbed shoulder, tracing the floor to the front of the black stool the Alpha was sitting on. Alpha Lake lazily looked down at the blood and then slowly looked back at the culprit; no emotion could be detected on his devilishly handsome face.

Men in the all-black outfit roughly brought the man up and dropped him on a chair; they tied his hands behind the chair, not minding his struggles, and tied his legs on each side of the chair.

Alpha Lake quietly sat there, his calm presence emanating fear from the culprit. His white shirt was spotless and unbuttoned at the chest, and it was neatly tucked into his black trousers. His handsome face looked upon the bloodied man in an unfeeling manner.

“Now, speak.”

His voice was low and dangerous; he was like a predator; his cold gaze was fixed on his prey, waiting for any mistakes to pounce on him.

“I-I-I…” The man paused what he was about to say and started coughing profusely, sputtering blood cloths from his mouth all over the place.

“How dare you!?” One of the men in black raised the back of a gun to hit his head but Alpha Lake just raised his hand, stopping him.

“Talk, or I’ll blow your brains out!” One of the men in black threatened.

The bloodied man felt so helpless and weak, but he knew he had to say something, he did not want to die, and he didn't want his family to die either.

“I'm sorry, Alpha. I failed you. It was me, I was the one who informed Mr. Russell about your secret warehouse, please, do not kill me, I can do whatever you ask me to do, please don’t kill me, I beg you! He threatened to kill my wife, my mate! Please!” The man pleaded.

Alpha Lake was so calm, it was frightening, even his guards were scared of his silence, they never knew what was going on in his mind whenever he became like this, but they were sure it was always something lethal.

He stood from the stool and elegantly walked toward the door, he paused at the door and nodded his head to his men before silently walking out of the room.

“Yes, boss!” They answered in chorus.

“No! No! No! Please! Please! Please!!!”

BAM!

A gunshot was fired inside the room.

‘Stupid, stupid, stupid Alpha!’

Audrey cursed the Alpha in her head as she dropped the last bunch of grapefruit into the basket.

Her stomach rumbled terribly from hunger, she had not eaten anything since morning, and now, the sun was about to set. When other workers had launch brakes, she used hers to rush over to the Alpha's house to prepare his launch. Her stomach rumbled so loud that she placed her palms over her tummy in embarrassment, hoping no one heard it.

“I heard that.”

A voice whispered into her left ear from behind,

"Me. Too.” Another followed.

She closed her eyes in embarrassment, wishing for the earth to open and swallow her.

“He-he-he!” Sandra giggled beside her.

“Alex, I think you should take her out to dinner now.” She slung her hand over Audrey's shoulders.

Alex was her and Sandra's friend, the two people she could call friends. She had known, for a long time, about Alex's feelings toward her, even though he tried so hard to hide them.

“I don’t think Audrey has time for me,” Alex said dejectedly,

“Aww, come on now, puppy. Don’t sulk, as her best friend, I’ll put in some good words for you. Okay?" Sandra cooed at Alex, patting his back.

Audrey wished she had the luxury of time to chat with her friends but evenings were the most critical time for her.

It was a probability period of whether or not the Alpha would be at home or still at the office.

“That’s her! Thief!”