"Pick it up," she said sweetly, pointing her brightly painted yellow toes at the napkin she had dropped onto the floor. I eyed the crumpled brown trash on the ground and bent down to pick it up. As my hands brushed the napkin, I felt cold liquid seeping between my shoulder blades, racing toward my face. I grimaced and quickly stood up.

Charlotte was smiling, holding a (now) empty cup of what I presume was milk.

"Oops." The heat of embarrassment and anger coursed through me as I quickly pulled my sleeves down over my hands and wiped the milk off my face. "Chelsea, what is below an omega?"

Chelsea smirked. "This thing?"

"You got it!" Charlotte exclaimed. Her voice wavered between cloyingly sweet and sickeningly honeyed. Her perfectly wavy blonde hair whipped around as she turned to me, amused by my attempts to clean myself off. "Be a doll and throw away my tray, won't you?"

Without a word, I grabbed her tray out of her outstretched hand. Each finger was decked out metal rings. The more rings, the higher the rank. Chelsea peeked out from behind her and tossed her tray on top. I grabbed it quickly to avoid them both crashing to the floor. Charlotte and Chelsea had barely eaten their breakfasts; their plates were stacked high with fruit, yogurt, sausages, and eggs. I closed my eyes and turned to the trash bin.

I considered taking a bite off one of their plates before throwing it away, but I thought better of it. I had tried that before only to find that they had brought their own food to breakfast, mixing eggs with another yellow substance—one more human. Pack members who had shifted could smell it, but I couldn't.

I could taste it, though.

I swallowed to keep from gagging at the memory and scraped the food into the trash can. So much waste. The milk—I pray it was milk—was running down my back. On a hot day, I wouldn't have minded the cold. But an early, chilly morning was dreadful. I glanced down at my watch. At least my shift was almost over.

I took a deep breath and stared out the windows. The view was breathtaking. Our pack was situated on the side of the mountain in a dense evergreen forest. The cantina was perched on the highest point of our territory, and floor-to-ceiling windows covered two walls in the seating area. Only raw lumber framed the view to the camp just below. The mountain peaks stood immovable in the distance, covered by low clouds today. The sun rose directly between the twin peaks, cutting through the clouds and bathing the cantina in golden, soft light.

There were many members who missed the sunrise. Most of them did, in fact. I smiled to the mountain and forest outside before turning and wiping tables with a bright yellow rag. The sanitizing bucket was full of warm sanitizer, so I enjoyed the warmth. Unsurprisingly, I saw one table near the back with untouched scrambled eggs dumped unceremoniously in a mound. Charlotte.

Only ten more minutes before my shift was over. Once my shift was over, I could quickly say hello to Berry in the clinic and go for a hike. In began to mentally pack. I had a book on Gen Z that I was looking forward to reading. I could fill up my water bottle on the way to see Berry. There was  a clearing maybe a half hour walk up the mountain that I loved to read in. The air would be crisp and clear. Sometimes, a flutter or sparrows would dance across the sky, morphing and changing into different shapes. Beyond that, I figured the more I was outside, the more likely I would sh—

Suddenly, I felt a hard hand firmly grasp my neck, and I immediately knew to freeze in submission. Wolves had something about necks.

"Why are you wet?" Jody grit out. "I get that you're a kitchen wretch, but I expect you to look...decent," she snarled. She shoved me forward. "Kitchen. Now."

Panic and indignation flooded my bones. My hands began to shake as I hurriedly put the rag back in the sanitizing bucket and followed her (all four feet, ten inches of her) into the back kitchen. She whirled once she got to the stove, and I inwardly winced. She twisted a knob and set a knife down on the open flame. Don't show emotion, I breathed.

Just stay there, I reminded myself. It will be over quickly. Jody grabbed my wrist and yanked it forward, hard. She was petite, but she was still a werewolf. I took a deep breath. 

She paused, glaring at me. "Anything to say for yourself, wretch?" I shook my head slightly, although she knew it was a redundant question. She smirked. "Good. I hate excuses."

What about valid excuses? Like, someone poured milk on me?

She turned off the stove and the flame disappeared. The knife smoked as some unseen residue was burned off. She grabbed the handle of the knife carefully, keeping her iron grip on my arm. I turned away from her, looking out the tiny kitchen window to the dining area. Through the small, smeared window, I could see a small patch of trees, swaying in the brisk morning breeze. Be with the trees.

I felt Jody yank the sleeve of my shirt up. "Oh, I see a spot. This is for making a mess, wretch."

Be with the trees. Be with the trees. Be with the trees.

I heard the sizzle and smelled burning flesh before I felt it. I locked my gaze outside and clenched my jaw in pain, trying to stay above it. Be with the trees.

Mercifully, I felt Jody yank my sleeve back down a few second later, covering the fresh wound. I knew the burning sensation would fade in time. I broke my gaze from the small patch of trees and look down at Jody.

"Change and get back here. You'll work another shift," she decided. "Line duty." I nodded and scurried off through the back door. "Five minutes!" I heard her screech as the door slid shut.

I turned and was greeted by a worn path and heavy evergreen branches. The golden light of the sun had faded, but the air smelled sweet of morning. I began to jog down the hill toward the cabins. The signs of life were just emerging; I saw a few lights on in the main apartment complex. 

My early shift only ran from 3am to 7am. Preparing the food and cleaning up afterward wasn't the worst job in the pack. There was a simple rhythm to wiping tables and cooking eggs. It wasn't the most glorious, but it was a job.

I ran past the first set of cabins, which were communal buildings. The general store was the oldest building in the camp, with low ceilings and cracked log paneling. The lodge was huge, housing both the recreation center and meeting room. The alpha's house was across the road.

Unlike the rest of our pack, which was essentially a transformed summer camp, the alpha's house was a modern masterpiece. The whole design had sharp edges; the glass and metal were clearly not from around here. I picked up my pace. I only had three minutes left.

Further down the road was the main housing unit. It was composed of three buildings and held classrooms for studying, housing, and the clinic. I veered left off the road just after the lodge and ran down the familiar dirt path. I saw my cabin shortly up ahead. Decrepit? Check. Unsafe? Check. Literally the only place I could not worry fear for my life? Check.

I yanked open the door and frantically pulled another shirt from my closet, ripping off my milky one. Thankfully, the closet wasn't far. The layout was cramped, but effective. The closet was right beside the door and the bathroom across from it. I was grateful for it, even if I didn't get hot water; most of the families in the main housing unit had communal shower stalls. Literally a foot further back was a small room. If I stretched, I could touch both walls at the same time. My cot was pushed into the corner with my blankets cast haphazardly across it. There was only an inch or two of space at the end of the cot. It was a perfect fit.

I swiftly inspected my new mark on my arm. It had been done right over an old scar. Jody had run out of room on my arms years ago. Usually, once a section of my arm had fully healed, it was already time for another punishment. I looked like a zebra. The newest burn didn't appear that deep.

Frustration burned within me at the injustice of it in the first place. I had done nothing wrong. Yet, Charlotte and her sidekick never had to fear corporal punishment.

Don't compare yourself to others. You don't live that life. Not yet. Once you shift, you'll show them that you are just as powerful as they are. Then, they will realize how wrong they were.

I quickly slid another shirt on and slammed the door shut behind me, sprinting up the hill. I would shift. I would shift and everyone would finally see that I wasn't totally pathetic. After work, I would still have time to go watch the sparrows. Then, I would shift. I glanced down at my watch.

Shift.

Five minutes really wasn't that much time.

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Friends, thank you for reaching chapter 1 of The Alpha's Claim! I hope you enjoy this project; it is a immeasurable joy to write and I hope you enjoy immersing yourself in the story.

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