Margaret's POV
"Look, there's a thief eavesdropping on our class! It seems that your Omega parents didn't teach you how to behave like an Omega," Jack, the son of the Dark Moon Pack's Beta crowed as he snatched my precious notebook from my arms. The notebook was specially requested by my parents from our master, Oscar Miller, the next Alpha heir of the pack.
"I'm sorry, I won't do it again. Please give me back my notebook," I looked at him carefully, with pleading eyes.
His eyes showed undisguised disgust as he tore my notebook apart in front of me and scattered the pieces over my head.
"How can an Omega even dare to think about learning?!" He turned to the boys behind him and said, "Teach her a lesson!"
Before I could even feel sad, I was pushed hard by one of the boys and fell against the wall, scraping my arm. He snatched my pencil, and as I tried to grab it back, another boy kicked me hard in the chest, causing a sharp pain to course through my body.
The pencil was handed to Jack. With barely any effort, he snapped it into two pieces and threw the remains in front of me.
My tears fell on the ground as I picked up the broken pencil and looked at Jack with sadness in my eyes. "I just want to learn! Why is that so wrong?!"
"Omegas are not worthy," he looked down at me and said, "Don't let me see you in school again, Margaret Morton, otherwise I'll make sure that it won't be just a pencil that's broken next time!"
I ran away in fear until I came to a stop by a strange river, the cool water calling out to my parched throat. I drank the clear water from the river and sat down on the bank to rest. It was then that I realized I had already run out of the Dark Moon Pack's territory.
The unfamiliar environment only enhanced my fear and amplified my sadness, and I cried with my head buried in my arms.
I missed my parents terribly at this moment. They are with the Alpha, Beta, and Oscar negotiating with the Berserk Pack.
"Hey girl, are you okay?" A strange voice with concern sounded behind me.
I looked up at the source of the voice and saw a boy who appeared to be a few years older than me. He had high eyebrows and deep-set eyes, with perfect, delicate features that made him look as though he weren't a real person.
Although he was dressed in a simple white shirt and black casual pants, his appearance exuded an elegant Greek temperament. I had never met anyone like him before, which made me stare at him blankly.
"Are you a forest elf?" I couldn't help but speak what was on my mind.
"Haha..." The smile that he gave me radiated a warmth that seemed to heal me as he walked over to me, sitting down next to me naturally. "My name is Jacob. Are you lost?"
Jacob took out a navy blue checkered handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to me, gesturing for me to wipe away my tears.
"I've been exploring this forest lately and I'm quite familiar with it. If you're lost, I can help you find your way home."
"Thank you, but I'm not lost." I took the handkerchief and wiped away my tears. I could find my way home on my own.
His eyes were the color of maple syrup, and just looking at me made me feel warm. "My name is Ma...ry."
In the moment before I was about to say my name, Margaret, I changed my mind and told him a fake name instead. I was afraid that if he found out I was an Omega, he would become disgusted with me like Jack always was. I didn't want my name to be spoken in a derogatory way by such a seemingly gentle person.
He had just mentioned that he had been exploring, so I cautiously asked him, "Can I explore with you?"
"Of course! I would be glad to have a partner in crime."
Over the next few days, we discovered a cave deep in the eastern forest that was filled with crystals of various colors. We also rescued an injured black-headed waxbill in the central forest while picking wild fruits and found wild bees, so we stole some of their honey. In the western valley, we saw squirrels hiding food...
Although Jacob and I had only known each other for a few days, we had become good friends who were so at ease with each other that we could talk about anything. It felt like we had known each other forever. So much so that just now, he told me that he was actually the Alpha heir!
I jumped up from the grass in shock. "You're the Alpha heir!?"
"Why are you so surprised? Is it that unbelievable?" He didn't understand why I had such a big reaction.
"I can't believe that the Alpha heir could be so kind..."
"Why not?" His expression became even more puzzled.
"I thought Alphas didn't care about the lower-level members of the pack..."
"Why do you think that way?"
"Because..." It was difficult for me to talk about this but I mustered up the courage to tell him in the end, "Because I am an Omega, and in my Pack, I'm treated terribly. I didn't even dare to reveal my true identity to you!"
"No, I promise you that it's not like that everywhere! Mary, no matter what your identity is, you are still my best friend! I will never distance myself from you or dislike you just because you are an Omega!"
Thinking about the slave-like treatment of the Omegas in the Dark Moon Pack, I never imagined that someone of Alpha rank, like Jacob, could treat us with equality.
I sat back down next to him and started telling him about the real lives of most Omegas around me, and his expression gradually grew more and more serious.
"Mary, you're so mature for a 7-year-old girl." Jacob said as he stood up and looked at me seriously. "When I become Alpha, I won't let Omegas continue to live like slaves. I will let them do what they want, just like the rest of the werewolves. I want to build a pack where everyone can be happy!"
Hearing his words, I felt an indescribable emotion surging inside me. "I believe in you! I'll wait for the day you make it happen."
"Great! I'll invite you as soon as I take over then. If you want, you can join my pack anytime!"
"Okay! Hahaha..."
We excitedly imagined the peaceful scene of that imaginary pack, and our laughter echoed in the forest. Soon, the sun set. Before parting, we agreed to meet here at 9:00 tomorrow morning and continue exploring the valley.
These few days were the happiest and most free days of my short 7-year life. I ran back to the pack with the wild fruits I had picked in my arms.
Today was the day my parents were coming back. I couldn't wait to see them. The fruits in my arms were my gift for them.
When I returned to the pack, people gathered in a circle. When they saw me, they looked at me with pitiful eyes and made way for me.
"Poor little Margaret..."
What were they saying?
When I saw the two bloody bodies in the center of the circle, the fruits in my arms fell to the ground.
"Dad? Mom?" I walked towards them in disbelief.
Their clothes were torn and tattered, and there were many whip marks on their bodies. The skin and flesh in many places were turned outwards, and in some places, bones could even be seen directly.
Dried blood covered their clothes and skin, making their faces even paler. They looked fierce, with their eyes unwillingly staring and their mouths wide open. From the terrible state of the bodies, I couldn't imagine what kind of torture they had endured before they died.
My mind went blank, and I tried to pull them up from the ground.
"Why are you lying here? Get up!"
Their bodies had become cold and stiff, and I, a small and thin child, couldn't lift them up. And then I noticed that all their fingernails had been pulled out!
My whole body trembled uncontrollably, and tears fell from my eyes.
"No!!! Dad! Mom!"
I threw myself onto their bodies and cried out in pain, the sound echoing throughout the pack...
