*****Tragedy's POV*****
As I continued to sweep the floor, I kept my head low, grateful for the new hood I had knitted for myself the previous night which kept me hidden...
Tonight was a significant event, which unfortunately meant that the mansion was crowded with maids, cooks, and guards - busier than my usual day.
"Ew, I don't want to do the bathrooms!" I heard a female whine, as I tried to keep to myself and focus on brushing the floor.
"Just let Tragedy do it - she loves it!" another voice sniggered, causing me to tense at the sound of my name being mentioned.
I had hoped to go unnoticed, hiding beneath my hood, but it seemed I was overly optimistic.
"TRAGEDY!" one of the girls snap, as I jolt under the sharp tone - realising that they were now standing right in front of me.
"Y-Yes?" I lifted my eyes, meeting the piercing stare of the teenage girl.
"Clean the bathrooms, and I'll finish your sweep!" she demanded, leaving no room for argument and therefore I could only nod in response.
"S-Sure," I faltered, extending my arm to hand her my brush...
In an instant, the girl yanks the brush while it was still in my grasp, pulling me forward with it. I tumble and land hard on my knees on the concrete floor with a thud - sucking air through my teeth at the instant pain I felt.
Laughter and sniggers fill the air as I hurriedly get back on to my feet and rush towards the door, desperate to escape the suffocating room as quickly as possible.
I kept my eyes fixed on my feet, relieved as the laughter faded away with each step I took away from the kitchen.
Deciding to start with the east bathrooms, farthest away from the others working, I hoped that by the time I worked my way back, the other maids would have finished their tasks.
Sighing, I pause at a storage room to gather the necessary supplies for the bathroom cleaning job. Despite the unfairness of having to take on extra work because the others couldn't be bothered, I was grateful for the solitude it provided.
I always felt safer when I was alone...
Tonight was the Alpha's son's match-up, the night he would return from the brutal wars to hopefully find his mate.
I wasn't particularly excited about it since it meant that every member of the pack, including myself - a runt - even had to attend the party.
If it weren't for the pack tradition, I would likely be forced to hide away in my room - out of sight, out of mind, since I disgusted most of the people here.
With a sigh, I pushed open the door to the first bathroom and immediately began cleaning.
Thankfully, this particular one wasn't too bad; it was rarely used unless there was an event happening - like tonight's. However, I couldn't help but think that it would be my responsibility to clean it again tomorrow, after the party.
I focus on my cleaning, scrubbing every nook and cranny, leaving the bathroom smelling fresh and inviting.
After packing up my equipment, I exited the room and headed to the next one on the list... this isn't all bad!
As I walked along the eerie corridors, the only sound accompanying me was the whistling of the wheels on my bucket against the wooden floor. I paused briefly to look out of the window, observing a flurry of activity as cars and warriors unloaded their trucks.
They must have returned already...
I admired the fancy vehicles, some of which were unique car models I had never seen before. The luxury they represented felt like a distant dream, something I could only imagine possessing one day...
"What the fuck?!" I practically jump out of my skin, stumbling backward at the sound of a dominant male voice from beside me.
My heart races, as the adrenaline surged through my veins from the intrusion... but I kept my head low, knowing better than to meet the males eyes...
"You can't be!" He suddenly fumed, slamming a fist against the wall, his voice filled with sheer anger, but I didn't dare to look at him directly.
I wasn't sure what had him so furious or if it was even directed at me, but I maintained my gaze low, refusing to challenge him.
"LOOK AT ME, RUNT!" his voice boomed, suddenly demanding my attention as I gasp...
Reluctantly, I let my eyes dart up to meet his—stone-cold, emotionless, icy.
His breathing grew rapid, and he glared down the hall at me, his features hard and threatening. He was none other than the Alpha's son.
"Al-Alpha..." I stammered, my voice trembling, seeking to display my utmost submission to him. I couldn't comprehend why he looked as if he wanted to destroy me.
There was shuffling next, as he strode across the wood, the sound echoing through the corridor, until his large hand wrapped around my throat.
The instant our skin made contact, it felt as if I were set ablaze, my hands trembling from the unfamiliar sensation dancing across my skin.
My mouth opened and closed, butterflies fluttering in my stomach from the touch of his hand, despite the hollow fact that it did in fact grip my throat...
"WHAT IS YOUR NAME?!" He spat out, his dead eyes inches from my own.
Desperately, I grasped his wrist, silently pleading for him to loosen his grip.
Reluctantly, he released his hold just enough to allow me room to breathe, as I gasped, grateful for the precious air I hadn't realized I had been denied until now. He towered over my small frame, a daunting presence...
"Tra-Tragedy, sir," I mumbled, my voice laced with a tinge of embarrassment.
"Tragedy?" He scoffed, seemingly amused.
The warm sensation across my skin still persisted, refusing to dissipate.
"Last name?" He pressed me further, and I chewed on my lip, pondering the answer.
"I... I don't have... any parents, sir," I whispered, humiliated more by the admission.
With that, he released my throat completely, causing me to collapse onto the floor at his feet. Gasping for breath, I felt my insides twist in sudden pain...
"I, soon-to-be Alpha Derrick Colt of the Moon Lust pack, reject you, Tragedy, runt wolf of the Moon Lust pack, and I choose to sever all ties with you until my death!"
The words pierced through me like shattering glass poking at my skin, as the harsh reality of the situation began to seep in... my chest tightening in agony at his words.
I was his mate...
He just rejected me...
I had been cast aside only minutes after meeting him!
Wracked with pain of the bond being ripped from my soul, I groaned and sobbed on the floor as he continued-
"I, soon-to-be Alpha, also banish you, Tragedy, from the Moon Lust pack! You have one hour to leave our land, or you will be hunted down and executed as a rogue! Get out of my sight - mutt!"
His next words that follow sting like no other, a sharp reminder of my worthlessness in his eyes... in everybodys eyes!
"Moon goddess you have insulted me! I return from war to be presented such a weak creature as my mate? NO WAY!" He continues to seethe, before his boot strikes against my side, sending me across the floor.
I coughed and spluttered, wheezing whilst clutching at my now bruising side...
"GET THE FUCK OFF MY LAND!" He rages, and In that moment, realization crashes down on me - I had officially been banished from my pack!
If I didn't leave immediately, my scent would change completely, and they would hunt me down as a rogue...
With one final glance at the destined Alpha, towering tall before me, his body rigid with anger, his face flushed with fury, I felt the weight of my banishment settle upon my shoulders...
My mouth opened and closed, tears streaming down my face, deciding there was nothing more I could possibly do or say... and so I turned and ran...
I sprinted as fast as my feet would carry me, the wind whipping against my face, the echoes of his harsh words ringing in my ears. The pain in my heart matching the burning ache in my legs, but I couldn't stop.
I had to get out of there and fast!
With each step, I could feel the bonds of pack loyalty unraveling, the ties that had once connected me to the Moon Lust pack disintegrating into fragments of shattered dreams.
I was alone now, a total outcast, stripped of any identity and belonging I had around here... if you could even call it that.
I was now a rogue...
