3. A little Freedom

I was sent back to the dungeons after I finished the day's work, after I finished with serving in the halls I was assigned to the cleaning of the kitchen which had been my normal job in the kitchen to begin with.

All the while I was doing my chores Vera had this joyful smile on her drawn across her slightly wrinkled face as she watched me slave away my bones, I was sure there and then that the whole serving fiasco was all her idea, her idea to make herself feel good and to make me feel the worst of myself than I already felt and sadly she had succeeded, watching them in that pack hall taught me a lot of lessons but the one that stuck out the most was that their lives were going perfectly well, all the pack members were living their best life, they were happy while I was living a life of suffering and torment.

After I had finished with the kitchen, I proceeded with cleaning and moping of the pack house all by myself, the pack house was over three storey building with at least ten rooms in the each floors, this pack house provided shelter to newly transformed werewolves as well as the trainees for duty of a pack warrior and a guard and as the luck was never on my side, seventy percent of the wolves in the pack house were males while the remaining thirty percent were females that could care less about me, my own kind treating me like a plague.

Werewolves as in their nature regularly feel the need to feel superior and to dominate it was in our nature, and this newly transformed males were still understanding their wolves and how to control their emotions. Their testosterones was on an increase and the need to dominate heightened like never before.

Females usually feel something similar when we turned eighteen, were more emotional and fierce at the same, normally this was the time we found out mates and when the matebond is formed the wolves heightened feels are controlled.

Every year a mating ceremony or mating dance is observed for those that turned eighteen to find their mates and also for those older that are yet to find their mates. Mates from all over the region journey to the pack where the mate dance would happen, it was a festival really, I had attended a few before when my life was still normal.

Diana and I used to sneak out of the Alpha house where we usually hung out after school and on weekends to watch the event, the dancing, the drinking and the moments when wolves found each other, Diana and I hoped that one day we would both find our mate the same day when we turned eighteen. That was all a pipe dream now, Diana would have gotten her mate by now, I was not too observant at the pack balls but there was a likely chance that she was mated.

The moon goddess was gracious enough not to pair us with mates that would be difficult or far from us to find, most wolves that don't mate at age eighteen is usually because their mates are not old enough or their mates had not attended the mating dance. So therefore after a wolf has attended the dance for more than three years , he or she is granted passage to journey to several packs to find their mates for a period of five years but most wolves don't take so long.

I guess the moon goddess has chosen for me to not have a mate here in this pack or maybe she was also punishing me for my father's sin, well I will never know if I will forever remain down here, that will be a story for another day.

Back to the main story of the present, the newly transformed wolves exerted some of their dominance on me, as humans will liken these characters to bullies of their world.

While I cleaned the floors, the wolves would kick and toss the buckets of water to give me extra work or some of them would purposely trip me over and spit on me , or give extra work though I was older than most of them.

Each day, I slave away and further lose myself into the shadows of depression, hopelessness and helplessness.

As I lay on the cold ground of the completely tired and drained after a hard day's work, tears pooled down by eyes and ran down my cheeks into the cold ground and I whimpered in pain, until sleep over took me.

"Rise and shine princess", Sean barged into my cell walls like the prince of the place.

I immediately gathered myself and stood up abruptly. I held my head down as I awaited what was to come, my heart was racing like the vile business between Sean and I had not become a common experience.

Sean burst out into a fit of laughter. "I can smell your fear, it turns me on. Too bad I would not be able to have my way today"

"You wouldn't ?", I asked in a high tone startled at his declaration.

"Wow!, You are not so innocent after all" Sean smirked.

I lowered my head down regaining myself from my short outburst but my  impatience grew as I await the reason why I would be spared from assault.

"The Alpha needs you!". Sean declared and I felt the blood in my body drain out immediately. What had I done wrong?. Did I upset him in the dinning halls?. Several questions ran through my mind as I was walked through the too familiar hallway leading to the Alpha's office.

****

The Alpha's office is just like I remember from the last time I set my foot into the four corners of the office.

Diana and I spent a lot of times in this office playing around the entire place when we were younger until we get caught and each time we found a way to avoid punishment from both our fathers.

A lone tear ran down my left cheek and before I could bring myself to wipe my cheeks the Alpha finally spoke saying

"Anna, I hope you are doing well?" He said and immediately a shiver ran down my spine, my eyes almost popped out from my eyes socket, I did not know what frightened me more, the fact that he addressed me by a name he had called me when I was still someone of importance to him or him asking me if I was doing well.

I almost burst out into tears but I had to hold myself back. I had to be strong, I might not have any position, dignity or standing but I had my will, I would not give him the satisfaction of breaking down just because he asked a question as if he truly cared about me "I am okay Alpha" the lies rolled out easily from my lips, he was the one that sentenced me to a life of agony, how did he really think I was doing.

"My daughter has requested for your services" He said calmly.

"My services?" I asked confused,

"You are to become Diana's maid" He declared.

"Ok Alpha" I responded bowing my head in submission. It is not like I would have a choice to object in the first place. But why would Diana request for me did she feel pity for me  when she saw me at the dinning halls.

Had my obvious misery made her realize my existence after three years she had shunned me and refused to set her eyes upon me.

"You will have a room in her apartment and you are to see to her every need" Alpha Samuel instructed.

"Thank you sir" I bowed

"You have been given a little grace, a little freedom thanks to my daughter generosity , I hope you will not defile this privilege and act out of line. Remember your place" Alpha Samuel warned and I nodding in acknowledgement.

****

The softness of the bed brought serenity to my soul, I let my fingers run across the linens and the bed frames . Three years since I had the comfort of a bed. Three years since I have been able to touch a soft fabrics. The bed was not grand or queen like, it was small but it was a bed, a privilege, I have not had in a long time. I laid softly on the bed wrapping myself in a fetal position. My body quivered and I did not realize that I was crying until, I felt the wetness of the fabrics against my cheeks and that was my breaking point, I let the water run down uncontrollably as I groaned in pain and frustration.

After few minutes of crying, I gathered myself from the bed , the tears stain painted on the bed spread. I finally had the opportunity to look round the room, it was a portable room , there was a small wardrobe opposite the bed and a small drawer besides the bed where a lamp was placed. The room was painted in mustard color and it held no design whatever. It was just a simple room but I was grateful to have finally been able to leave the dungeons maybe I do have Diana to thank for that, maybe she came too late but she was the reason why I was now able to enjoy a little comfort.

A few floral dresses laid in the wardrobe along with some under garments , I ran my hand through the fabrics for few seconds before finally closing the wardrobe.

I optioned for a bathe before I would be called for my duties and I peeled myself out of my clothes and into the bathroom. I let the water from the shower run down my hair to my entire body, as if washing away my pain and suffering. The Alpha was right, I have been given a little freedom, little, my thoughts wondered , I wished I had also been awarded the privilege to transform, though I barely felt my wolf because of the wolfsbane but a transformation would make me regain the connection, though the transformation would be excruciating, I was willing to go through with it to be able to feel like my complete self. But I knew that it was just wishful thinking, Diana had only managed to pull me out of my cage but I sure Alpha Samuel would not oblige her if she requested that I be allowed to transform like every other wolves in the pack.

I was a Beta's daughter, the blood of a beta ran through my vein and it made me a stronger wolves like regular wolves. The risk would be high. I would be able to take down up to five regular wolves before I would be captured and this time, I would surely be sentenced to death and as cruel as my pack members has been to me , I would not harm them, I will not rip mates apart like my father did, I was not insane like he had been. I would not allow my family name die out so miserably and we would be forgotten like we never existed not that there was anything good to remember my family name for at the mean time, I know someday, I might be able to clear the stain and free my family from it's curse. I will live for my mother, I will live for my father and I will push on for myself.