With mankind close to extinction due to the vampires putting them on their food chain, divinity made the werewolves the protectors of humans.
People cohabitated with the wolves, and some had divine abilities that assisted in forging a stronger bond with the wolves.
After centuries of feuding, werewolves and vampires eventually settled on peace by establishing their own empires. Nevertheless, the monarchy was only a way of sustaining the caste system. The omegas were treated worse than any other existing being.
Ocecia, the imperial city of the wolf kingdom, was the homeland of the alpha emperor. The six noble families from the most influential packs that protected the wolf kingdom also resided in the royal capital of Ocecia.
Noble families maintained the purity of their royal bloodline by not crossing the social barrier and marrying outside their class. They often rejected their chosen mates if they were betas or omegas.
Even with such precautions in place, Lilith Hazlewood was born an omega in the baron household. Lilith's mother was a lower-class omega maid and paired with the head of the Hazlewood household, William Hazlewood. Despite rejecting Lilith's mother and becoming the father of four alphas with his new mate, William lost to his temptations once.
Lilith's mother died while giving birth. However, William conceded his wrongdoing, resulting in the emperor ordering the baron household to raise Lilith just like her alpha step-siblings.
Regardless, the household of Baron thought of Lilith as a bad omen for being an omega in a family full of alphas. Though Lilith was the youngest, Lilith's step-siblings had a strong sense of dislike for her. Despite owning an aristocratic background, Lilith was only a maid in the alpha palace, just like her mother.
The successors from the six noble families were in the line for the throne of the alpha emperor. Vivian Pendragon, the successor of the viscount household, captured the attention of all the noble families, including the emperor himself, only at the age of sixteen. Hence, he ventured away from his homeland to get training from renowned teachers from different species, including the witches and the elves.
Though the wolves would discover their pairs after coming of age, Lilith remained mateless until Vivian returned when both turned twenty-four. However, Vivian rejected Lilith without even meeting her.
Regardless of the barrier to marrying outside alphas, Vivian had set his eyes on Ileana. Ileana was a human, blessed by divine spirits, and belonged to the house of Marquis, the only noble human household in the wolf realm.
The silver mountain was said to contain the Venus stone, a rare crystal that could revive an ancient source of power; the spirits. They possessed sovereignty over all three realms: heaven, earth, and the underworld.
Awakening the spirits with the Venus stone would provide immortality and give reign to the species that would awaken them. However, the prophecy revealed that only a person blessed with divine blessings could awaken the Venus stone. Vivian chose Ileana as his mate, as the nobles presumed she could rouse the spirits.
Conversely, an enigmatic vampire rose as the emperor in the vampire realm after the startling death of their previous vampire lord. Ares Reuven was a mystery to the world as he never revealed himself after inheriting the throne.
Uncanny tales about Ares being the weakest Vampire Lord in centuries spread like wildfire as the man restricted the vampires from consuming human blood.
Nevertheless, the old dispute between vampires and wolves began as soon as the new vampire lord fixed his gaze on the Venus stone, making Ileana the target of the vampires.
Lilith was like a minor character in the background, and her life bore no significance to anyone. Yet, she was an ace up her sleeve that no one could predict. Lilith's struggles were rarely recognized for their worth. It was a society where beauty and caste would take precedence regardless of effort.
What twists and turns will the future take once Lilith discovers her self-worth and cherishes it?
*******
"Help!" Lilith shouted.
There was no sign coming from the top of the trap. Lilith helplessly stared at the two omega maids stuck with her in the pitfall.
Dread crept into Lilith's stomach as the hours seemed to crawl by. Lilith observed the two unconscious women. She had tried to wake them up several times. But it went in vain as they were taking an unknown voyage to the realm of dreams.
Lilith crawled into the corner of the pitfall and cradled her head in her lap, sobbing. Lilith had requested Lady Ileana a few times to return before nightfall, as the chamomile mountain was past the wolf realm.
At the edge of the mountain was the forest of the vampire realm. When Lady Ileana decided to return, the tangerine tinge of twilight had flushed the sky. They fell into the pitfalls set by either the rogues or, to make things worse, the vampires.
The knights had come to rescue Lady Ileana. Vivian Pendragon, the fledgling alpha from the viscount household, who rose as a contender for the throne of the alpha emperor alongside Duke Edward Cyfrin, had led the knights to save the divine human. Ileana was the most precious asset of the entire wolf realm at that moment.
However, as they rescued Lady Ileana and the beta maids, the knights didn't bother to look for the other pitfall where Lilith and the omega maids got captured. Lilith discerned that the lives of a few omega maids meant nothing to the wolves.
After Vivian got occupied with protecting Ileana, he asked the other knights to rescue the rest. But the knights left them as they thought it was a waste to save the omega maids.
Lilith recalled the rejection she had experienced earlier that day. Vivian Pendragon had rejected her in the homecoming ceremony of the emperor.
As if rejecting Lilith was not enough. They ordered Lilith and a few other maids to accompany Ileana to the Chamomile mountain.
Lilith couldn't comprehend how Vivian abandoned her in a blink, not bothering to see her face. Though he knew his mate was stuck inside the trap, Vivian ignored his wolf and left Lilith at the bottom of the pit, yearning to get rescued.
The cloak of darkness engulfed the entire pit as Lilith got up, attempting to escape the pitfall. If they remained in the trap till morning, who knew which species would have a feast with wolf meat?
Lilith tried to measure if she could climb the muddy wall in wolf form. Once getting out of it, she could call for help to rescue the unconscious maids.
Suddenly, the dried leaves creaked on the ground over the trap. Lilith shrieked and stumbled backward, clinging to the damp wall. Dirt scattered as a creature crouched on four and peered over the wide opening of the pitfall. Bloodshot eyes peeked through filthy bangs as its finger grooved into the ground.