Lillian's POV:

I stood at the far end corner of the hall that was lavishly decorated. Everyone was busy chatting while some were eating and drinking happily.

I was the only one who stood alone and looked out of place. I couldn't keep my gaze up for more than a few minutes because I didn't want to be accused of something or threatened by another pack member.

Although whenever I looked up, I stole a few glances at the Alpha who stood in front of us whispering sweet words into Leah's ear while she blushed.

The party had begun, at least that's what I thought, yet they weren't saying anything and half an hour had gone by of us witnessing their flirting.

Leah wore a beautiful blue strapless short dress that matched her heels. Her hair was straightened like silk that fell perfectly to her back.

Her face was covered in beautiful makeup and red lipstick.Whenever she laughed, she raised her hand to cover her mouth, showing off a diamond ring that the Alpha had gifted her not so long ago on her twentieth birthday.

Although she looked good, the Alpha stole the attention of everyone.

His medium curly brunette hair was kind of shining, even from afar, and whenever he smiled, showing off his beautiful white teeth and dimples, my heart fluttered.

His ear and lip piercings only added to how sexy he was. He wore a dark blue shirt to match Leah's dress, leaving the first three buttons undone. His black trousers only showed off his amazing long legs and great build.

All the she-wolves' eyes were on him, and I was positive he was aware of it.

I lowered my eyes and looked at myself sadly.

For years, I felt insecure about my body, even now. My back had skin folds, and my stomach was like that of a pregnant woman.

I also had stretch marks on my stomach, breasts, and thighs. One would think that it was impossible for a she-wolf to have, yet here I was.

Although I had taken a bath, I still didn't look good, that I knew, and the baggy pink dress I was putting on didn't match my white hair or my light brown eyes.

"Ugly," I muttered to myself and then looked up and met the Gamma's gaze.

He stood with a few warriors and the Beta, looking my way. He smirked and then muttered something into one of the warriors' ears.

The warrior chuckled softly before he gave a bow and went to where the Alpha was standing.

"Excuse me, Alpha, I apologize for interrupting your conversation," he said with a bow.

The Alpha looked at him in annoyance, then sighed softly.

"What is it?" He asked coldly.

"I and the other warriors want to praise you for all your achievements and how amazing you are with Miss Leah," he said in a respectful tone and continued.

"I do understand that you have an important announcement coming up, but the Gamma and a few other warriors were wondering if you could allow us to make one of the weak Omegas our fun bait for our entertainment," he said as my heart picked up.

For a second, the Alpha looked bored, but when Leah tip-toed and whispered something in his ear, his face lit up.

"Fine, but I'll expect you to be back in an hour. Now if you will excuse me, I have something to do," he answered and then wrapped his arm around Leah's back and walked away with her, leaving everyone laughing at how horny he was.

My heart was hurting at their words, yet I forced myself to smile even when my wolf was whimpering.

I looked down and sniffed, trying so hard to push back the tears.

When I felt the atmosphere around me change, I quickly looked up and noticed how the warriors were approaching me. I desperately wanted to run away, yet their aura scared me enough to freeze in one place.

"What do we have here?" The warrior who had spoken to the Alpha asked.

I was able to ask them what they wanted when I was grabbed on each side of my arms and dragged.

I was about to scream when a loud, threatening growl silenced me. It was the Beta's and a warning to keep quiet. If I was to go against him, my punishment would be severe. I didn't want to be put in the dark room for nearly a month like they did one time in the past.

Not only was I starving to death and only allowed half a glass of water every two days, I was only taken to the toilet every three days with a blindfold.

It was so bad that I vowed to be on my best behavior since then because I nearly died from starvation.

"Please, I apologize for whatever I did," I pleaded.

"Shut up," came the Gamma's orders.

My wolf instantly submitted, but I couldn't shut up.

"Please," I sobbed.

A few minutes had gone by, yet they were still dragging me into the forest. I knew that even if I were to scream at the top of my voice, no one could come and save me.

They all hated me. The only thing I could think of was to prepare myself for anything.

"Is this far enough, Beta?" The warrior on my left side asked.

"Yup," came his reluctant response.

The warrior instantly let me go and pushed me forward with laughter.

"Listen up, you little worthless omega bitch. Right now, we are bored as well as pissed over the news we heard from Leah. So we will make this clear to you. In order for you to entertain us, we are going to give you a five-minute head start to run, and then we will take off after you," the Gamma said.

"If you manage to stay away from us and cross the river in time using a boat which is there, then we promise to leave you alone. But if you don't make it, then we will get to do anything we want to you. Now the time starts ticking," he said, and that was enough to send me off running.

If there was one thing we all knew in the pack, it was that the Gamma was very mischievous, and he never meant what he said because he enjoyed making pack members suffer.

Whenever he gave orders and someone failed to follow them, he literally found a way of killing them or making them disappear from the pack.

Me standing still would have only angered him enough to hurt me like I had witnessed before. I needed to cross that river as soon as possible.

My breath was labored, and my throat was dry. I felt weak due to overworking, and I was terrified for my life.

My wolf had a problem as well; she was so weak that she couldn't fully take over or allow us to shift. Even at a crucial time when we were being hit, all she could do was growl.

I couldn't understand what was wrong with her. But because she was still a great part of me, I embraced her very being.

"Little fat pig, here we come," I heard the Gamma say in our pack's mind link.

"Stay away from the open field," my wolf ordered as I instantly made a turn running towards a lot of trees. In my life, there was never a day I went to the border or river despite hearing about them.

I felt so confused as everything was new to me, and I had no idea where I was running to.

"River ahead," my wolf yelped, and I could smell it too.

I picked up my pace and rushed there. When the river came into view, I began looking around and slowed down.

I stood still, breathing heavily for a few minutes to catch a breath. After feeling much better, I began searching for the boat the Gamma had talked about.

"Move," my wolf ordered in a loud growl.

"Stop growling at me! You know how scared we are of the river!" I yelled back, then looked at the river.

"You know that we don't know how to swim. If we dive in, something might make us its food or worse, we could drown," I whispered huskily, then quickly turned when the growls sounded near.

The warriors, Gamma and Beta, appeared in their wolf form.

The more they moved closer, the more I moved backwards, shaking my head and pleading to them in fear.

The Beta growled louder, making the place slightly shake. I quickly moved backwards and lost my balance, falling into the river.

The first thing I felt was my nose and throat hurt as I tried to swim. I was swallowing water and trying to scream at the same time; my eyes were hurting, and my heart was hurting as the warriors' laughter filled my ears.

My throat felt like it was burning as the force felt like I was choking. I was terrified, yet I was losing my strength to swim up.

Harvey's POV

We stood laughing so hard after shifting into our human form.

We all watched with interest as she faked her inability to swim.

"She sure knows how to fake it, she is a drama queen," Paul said then sighed heavily.

"Anyway, it was all for fun, Paul, but the Alpha gave us only an hour. I'm sure by now he must have already gone back to the hall. Let's leave the Omega; she will soon join us," I said seriously.

"You are right, Beta. Warriors, you go ahead and prepare some clothes for us; we will be right there," Paul instructed.

"Yes, Gamma," they answered together and then shifted into their wolf form and dashed away.

"Was it worth torturing the poor Omega?" I asked playfully.

"You know that you love it, Harvey, after all, she was a pain to look at," he answered as I laughed softly.

He knew me a little too well.

We both couldn't stand the fat Omega bitch. Not because she was fat and weak, but because someone as unworthy as her was mated to our Alpha, who was the very definition of perfection.

If there was a way to get rid of her without him noticing, we could have done that a long time ago. Sadly, he called for her every week, even if it was just to hit or yell at her. It was more of a habit to him.

"Should we go back now?" I asked simply.

"Yep," the Gamma responded and then shifted back into his wolf. Soon after, I did the same and rushed to the pack hall with him.

Immediately, the hall came into view, and the warriors approached us in their human form with a pair of clothes in their hands.

We quickly shifted, dressed up, and then walked into the hall where the Alpha stood with a frown on his face. Leah was saying something to him, but he looked uninterested; he was actually ignoring her.

He moved his hand and placed it on his chest, rubbing there.

I quickly rushed to his side and looked at Leah seriously.

"What did you do?" I asked in a whisper.

"Nothing, we went into his bedroom to have some fun, but out of nowhere he..."

"Silence," the Alpha commanded with emphasis when he met my eyes. I quickly bared my neck.

Although he was still in control, his wolf was beginning to show his presence.

"Alpha," Leah called in concern.

"I am not feeling well. I'll go and get some rest, please do continue," he said when he dropped his hand and forced a smile on his face.

"Alpha, should I walk with you?" I asked in concern.

"No, you stay," he answered as his smile faded.

"Something isn't right," he whispered, then walked away leaving me glaring at Leah.

"Honestly what the hell did you do?" I asked again, this time raising my voice a little.

She sighed and then folded her arms.

"I told you a few minutes ago, didn't I? I did nothing wrong. I whispered to him how I wanted to show him a very good time, and he agreed because he was feeling happy over us announcing our plans to be together," she answered.

"When we went upstairs to his room, we wasted no time in making out. We were so close to taking off our clothes when he pulled back out of nowhere and groaned in pain, dropping to his knees," she said then continued after a short sigh.

"At first, I thought he was just messing around, but when he began sweating and growling in pain, that's when I realized that it was serious," she said as I raised a brow .

"We both know how the Alpha hates looking vulnerable in front of anyone, that's why when he ordered me to go out, I quickly did. I immediately came here to announce to everyone how he wanted us to continue having a good time, but he soon joined me," she said, annoying me.

"Then what happened next?" I asked seriously.

"As I said, the Alpha came back to join me after a few minutes. He looked fine and very much okay. That's why I went on to enjoy my time with him. I wasn't going to upset him by asking what was going on with him," she answered.

I rubbed my hand against my forehead and then dropped it.

"First of all, your character is that of a loose bitch, we all know that. But because your act is usually perfect, on point, and you have a sense of taking care of this pack well with the Alpha's rule, that's why we tolerate you," I said harshly.

"Also, you are gorgeous and your body is like a bottle of fine wine, that's why most males fall for you. But that doesn't work on me, so listen closely to what I'm going to say," I said with emphasis.

"Next time the Alpha gets sick, angry, or even shows signs of pain in any way, you should mind-link me or Paul, and you must make sure your ass stays there attending to him. If you want to be our Luna, then act like one," I warned, then took a step forward, closing the space between us, and leaned in to talk in her ear.

"Also, I don't get why you even whispered when everyone here has damn good hearing!" I yelled angrily as she quickly took a step back, covering her ear.

I turned and faced everyone seriously.

"I'm sure you have heard everything by now. I won't ask you to act like you didn't, but I will ask you to hold your damn tongues or mouths. The Alpha shouldn't hear a damn thing about your gossip, and tomorrow you shouldn't even dare slack off," I said oudly.

"If I do find out that you did talk shit and the Alpha found out, Paul and I will take turns making you cry. Now get the hell out of my sight and go to your respective houses and rooms. Tomorrow, be on your best behavior," I ordered.

They all gave a low bow and began leaving the hall.

"And as for you, I expect you not to bother the Alpha in any way today. I'm sure you noticed how his other self was close to taking over. If our other Alpha does take over, things will turn cold and deadly quickly," I said and then walked out of the hall, ignoring Paul and the warriors.

Something was definitely wrong with him, yet I couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. For now, I was going to sleep and rest, then tomorrow morning I was going to check up on him.

Jace's POV

"What is it? Talk to me, please," I pleaded with my wolf while trying so hard to breathe.

Hours had gone by, and he couldn't stop howling in pain. I, too, was in pain physically; I felt like my heart was being slightly squeezed, and my body was trembling.

Whiskey mixed with a dose of wolfsbane couldn't work, no matter how I overdosed, because I threw up instantly before I could even swallow the content. My eyes were hurting from the tears that were running down, and my head was aching.

I could hear the sound of birds chirping and a few voices outside. It was already morning, and in just a few hours, my Beta was going to come here to check up on me.

I needed to force myself on my feet because I never wanted to show anyone my weak side.

I groaned in pain as I got to my feet from the ground and moved to the bathroom naked, stumbling a bit. I approached the shower and quickly turned it on. As water began pouring on me, I moved my hand to my aching head.

"Ridge, please talk to me," I whispered to my wolf, whose whimpers had now died down, then fell to my knees to throw up.

Never in my life had I ever gone through so much pain and discomfort, not even when my parents had died.

I stood up with a bitter taste in my mouth and got out of the running shower, walking to the sink where I wasted no time in cleaning my teeth.

I moved back to the bedroom and grabbed some clothes. Although I was feeling a little better, I was still in pain.

I walked out of my room after dressing up and went downstairs into the dining room expecting to find everything set.

When I noticed that the table wasn't set, I looked at the few she-wolves who looked annoyed and were going back and forth.

"Why isn't the table set?" I asked an elderly omega who was quietly observing them.

She gave a low bow and then glanced at another she-wolf who stood a bit further away from her.

"Forgive us, Alpha. Today was Lillian's duty to serve you, but since the party yesterday, no one has seen her," the she-wolf answered as I felt my headache increase.

I was pissed off at her response, more to learn that my so-called mate had chosen not to do her pack's duty.

Was she sick again?

Not only was she weak, she was fragile as a human being. Despite never meeting her wolf, I could sense that she had one. Sadly, it too was weak. Through her aura and pheromones, I could tell.

"How annoying, is Lillian sick again?" I asked, then frowned when all the she-wolves in the room looked at me surprised.

My words came off as me being concerned about her, and I hated it.

It was surprising to them, but I knew her name perfectly well. I mean, why wouldn't I when my wolf was so hung up on forcing me to call her by name, when I had never used it openly before.

"No, Alpha, she wasn't even in her room when I checked," she answered.

I rubbed my forehead to ease my pain, then cleared my throat. I felt like my knees would give up any minute, so I needed to get the hell out of the dining hall.

"Make it quick, I don't give a fuck whose duty it is or was," I ordered, then slowly walked out of the room and went outside the pack house where Harvey's voice was coming from.

I felt powerless just thinking of her spending a night with another male.

"No, it can't be, I'm just overthinking," I said silently to myself as I moved closer.

"Harvey," I called loudly, immediately getting his attention.

He turned and faced me, together with Paul, then they gave a low bow to show their respect.

"Alpha, I'm glad to see you. Yesterday you were..."

"Have you seen the pack's runt?" I asked seriously.

"Who?" Paul asked.

"That dumb, fat omega," I answered.

"You mean the one we usually pick on?" he asked as I clenched my hands into fists.

I usually pretended not to see, despite feeling angry whenever they picked on her. In my mind, I had slaughtered my Beta, Gamma, warriors, and other she-wolves countless times because of how they were treating Lillian.

I hated them deep down to my core yet tried so hard to bury those negative emotions.

"Yes, her," I answered, then faked a smile.

"No, Alpha," Paul answered.

"I was thinking, perhaps she has finally found a fool to entertain her body," I muttered, then chuckled when I noticed how my Beta was looking at me in astonishment.

"Alpha, we did not see her today. The last time we saw her was at the party," Harvey answered.

I didn't want to ask them the question that was going through my mind, but I had to; I just couldn't stop myself.

"She wouldn't have run away, right?" I asked.

"No, Alpha, if she did, we would have known by now, mostly you," he answered seriously.

He was right about that. There was no way I couldn't have felt it if someone had crossed my pack's border. That thought alone made me feel a little bit at ease.

But then, if she wasn't sick or with another male, then where would she be? Was she alone, crying because of how I treated Leah in front of her? Perhaps she was hiding herself because she was in heat?

No, most she-wolves went into heat on the night of the full moon, but she was different. Never had there been a day when I had seen or heard from anyone that she had experienced her first heat. Something about her was quite different and mysterious.

I refused to pay attention to her because she was weak. But every time I tried, I found myself being drawn to her. Her chubby body was adorable and looked very comfortable to touch.

Her hair was a unique white, which I had never seen before in my life, and her beautiful brown eyes reminded me of a princess I had read about in my books when I was young.

I hated to admit it, but her very being was my type. I liked everything about her and I wanted her to change nothing about herself, not even her soft, meek voice.

"You are right, I guess I'll go to my office and look at the files," I said, then took a few steps forward when he called me.

"What?" I asked once I had stopped walking.

"Are you okay? You look a little pale," he asked.

"I am more than fine," I lied, then walked away.