Gabriel is now 14 years old

"Come on Gabe you gotta hit me harder!" James yelled at him and encouraged him in the training court.

Gabriel smashed his fist into James's palm and cursed loudly.

"Im trying man, fuck!!!" Gabriel walked away frustrated, pulling on his long blonde hair in anger, frustrated with himself.

"Come on just calm down and hit harder," James tried to calm him down his best friend.

"YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO?!" Gabriel shouted angrily.

Everything was frustrating Gabriel nowadays, the pressure from the pack, school and especially his father. His father was the worst of all. The older Gabriel got, the harsher and more brutal his father became towards him. It was as if he was no longer treating him like his son but a soldier of war who just couldn't seem to get it right. Whenever Gabriel seeked guidance and reassurance he was met with pain and frustration.

"Okay Gabe I'm-" James started to say but was cut off by a still screaming Gabriel.

"James don't tell me what I need to fucking do! Just sit there and take my hits!" Gabriel yelled.

"Stand down Alpha kin!" The instructor came over and scolded Gabriel with a disapproving look.

Gabriel looked over at his best friend and sighed.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to yell at you," Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck.

The combat instrutor shook his head and walked away. Leaving the two boys alone again.

"It's fine I understand. The pressures of being the future Alpha," James shrugged.

"It's just making me so angry all the time and I don't want to be angry, I just want to do better," Gabriel sighed in such a defeated tone.

The older Gabriel got, the more he questioned the things that happened in this pack and if it was even better for the greater good of everyone. He was only 14, so why did life seem so stressful and intimidating? He was supposed to be out having fun with his friends, going to arcades, hanging out at beaches and wrestling each other out of fun. Instead they were all taught to view each other as competition, as if the person before them could increase their chances of being de ranked. No one was safe and every child of age knew this.

"James cover for me please," Gabriel said as he walked away from the training court and quickly disappeared into the forest.

Whenever something was troubling Gabriel he always came down to the lake to clear his mind because to him it was so calm and peaceful and no one ever seemed come down to this part of the lake.

He sat down on a high rock in front of the flowing river and slipped his shirt over his head revealing multiple bruises and scars on his chest and back.

His father stayed true to his promise and began showing Gabriel that he could hurt him more than anyone else ever could. It made him fear his father more than he could ever fathom, this wasn't love, this wasn't tough love. It was abuse and Gabriel was sure of it but it didn't matter to him. All that mattered in his heart and mind was making his family proud, that's all he ever wanted was recognition for his accomplishments and to be seen.

But he didn't want to be seen like this.

He lightly touched a bruise on his ribcage and hissed out in pain.

"Nice of you to show off that hot 14 year old body," He heard a girl giggling behind him.

He quickly turned around in shock and noticed a girl with jet black hair and tanned skin hanging up in the tree behind him. She seemed so familiar but Gabriel couldn't tell where he's seen her before.

"Who are you?" Gabriel's voice slightly cracked.

"An admirer," She smiled as she jumped down from the tree and landed on her feet.

Gabriel looked around for his shirt trying to hurry to put it on and that's when the girl started to laugh.

"Not that type of admirer, I'm not interested in a barely muscular and barely defined 14 year old pubescent boy," She laughed and walked towards him.

"What do you want?" Gabriel asked.

When she got closer Gabriel immediately recognized her as James's older sister from the broken picture. She was much prettier in person. Freckles laid all over her nose as her light brown eyes peered into Gabriel's hazel eyes.

"Just call me a little groupie, you're the Alpha kin but you don't look it," She shrugged as she looked down at Gabriel's bruises.

"Damn apparently you don't act the part either," She mumbled to herself.

"Your James's sister right?" Gabriel asked.

"The one and only Jamie," She smiled and winked.

She didn't seem broken at all, when Gabriel thought of broken girl he thought helpless and she definitely didn't seem helpless in the moment.

"I come here all the time to this lake side and lately you have been too, so I've just been watching you, just curious about you," She said as she lightly placed a hand on his bruise.

He hissed and grabbed her hand to stop her from touching him.

"James said you were broken," Gabriel said.

"Hmm, our parents must have told him that because I never told him that, that stings a little bit but I expect nothing less from those two pricks," She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

She sat him back down on the rock and looked down at him, peering into his eyes.

"Then again I guess it's a good thing they gave me up, I'm not much of a rule follower." She smirked at him.

"You aren't what I expected you to be," Gabriel said.

"What did you expect? Scared, timid and quiet girl, sensitive and slightly deranged? Ouch,"  She laughed and sat down next to Gabriel and tussled his blonde hair messily.

Gabriel couldn't help but stare into her eyes, it was something enchanting about her that he couldn't wrap his mind around.

"What's your name Alpha kin?" She asked.

"Gabriel," He answered.

"Hmm Gabriel," She said to herself.

He shivered slightly at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue.

"You might want to put some ice on those bruises, they look pretty bad," She said.

"It's fine I deserved them," He shrugged.

"Judging by the size of them and how painful they look, it looks like a higher up did them, possibly a certain Alpha?" She asked.

Gabriel shamefully looked away, not wanting to admit that his own father did this to him.

"This pack is full of shit, you don't deserve that," She jumped up from the rock.

"The Alpha only wants me to be a good leader for the pack, this is just the necessary steps he has to take to ensure that," Gabriel said as he slipped his shirt back on and stared off at the water.

"Ugh you can't even call him your own father, how disappointing is that," She shook her head.

"I'm not expecting you to understand my life as the Alpha kin.......omega." He whispered the last part.

He dropped his head into his hands with such a defeated attitude, he couldn't even properly insult someone, how could he ever lead warriors into battles and protect his pack if he couldn't even insult an omega.

"I don't know if that was supposed to be an insult but it was such a poor attempt, besides I'm glad I'm not the in line to be Beta because I would be a terrible Beta." She chuckled.

She sat down next to him again and tossled his hair, enjoying how his hair felt between her fingers.

She didn't seem disturbed, maybe she's changed.

"Why did the Beta's derank their own child?" Gabriel asked.

"Dunno," Was all she said.

But she did know and it was eating her up inside, no matter how many times she told herself she wouldn't be a great Beta anyway or the fact that she didn't follow rules, the reason why they gave her away will forever eat her up inside. But she would repay them for their 'kindness'. She would repay the entire pack.

"You have pretty eyes," Gabriel said, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She looked over at him and smiled.

"Well thank you, I think we should hang out more, I never really talk to anyone else because I'm an omega, I get pretty lonely," She said.

"I don't know, I don't want to anger the Alpha anymore," Gabriel said unsure of that idea.

"I promise you I will never get you in trouble, plus I think I could help you with your Alpha and get you stronger," She smirked.

"How? You're just an omega," Gabriel pointed out.

"I'm still Beta kin, Ive done so much research on our wolves, I think I could help you, whatya say?" She smirked at him.

Gabriel felt as though he could trust her, she seemed kind enough, she didn't really have any friends and he really wanted to please his father so he could prove he would be a suitable Alpha.

"Fine." He smiled.

Something lit up in her eyes, what seemed like happiness to Gabriel was actually happiness for the fact that she had an idea, an idea Gabriel definitely wouldn't like.