Lily was an adorable baby; Mum would have loved her. I named her Lily since David didn’t even bother to do the paperwork. Lily was Mum’s middle name. She was so excited when she found out she was expecting, and so was David, but when my mother died that excitement turned to hate. The Pack suffered for 6 years since. Petrified of him, they would never go against him. He was Alpha for a reason. So here I was, a high school dropout raising my baby sister. Luckily, Mum had everything ready for her arrival before she passed because the Alpha didn’t help me with anything. I had to get formula off Pack members. Luckily, even after Mum’s death, they didn’t hate her or me. They felt sorry for Lily so they would sneak me tins of formula and nappies.
When Lily turned five and was old enough for school, I enrolled her and started looking for a job so I could try and provide for her. It wasn’t much, but it was better than having to ask or beg Pack members for anything she needed. I still remember the beating I got when I asked David for some money to buy her school uniform. He split my lip open before dragging me to the basement, where he beat me until I passed out. I shook my head at the memory before looking down at Lily, who was playing with my father’s necklace that hung from my neck.
The necklace had a wolf on one side and a man with fangs on the other side. My father died when I was two, I don’t remember him. My mother used to tell me how loving he was, but after the Alpha took us in when I was seven, she didn’t really speak about him. Alpha David didn’t want to hear about her past life. She was his mate, he always thought it was a betrayal that she had a child with someone who wasn’t her mate sent by the Moon Goddess.
What made it worse is my father wasn’t a wolf. He was a Vampire and my mother was a wolf, therefore making me a Hybrid, which isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’m an abomination. I can’t completely shift like other wolves. I can grow claws when needed, which is quite painful, and I can also mind link. From my vamp side, I get their speed and sense of smell. I also can’t heal like a wolf or a Vampire unless I drink human blood. Being raised in a wolf Pack means I don’t get blood, which is okay. I can live without it simply fine, but it means I’m always weaker and I can’t heal. Alpha David forbids me from drinking blood, and besides him, the only other people who know what I am are my mother and Lily. I hoped one day, Lily and I would be free of this hellhole so I no longer must hide what I am, but that will never happen.
The bus pulled up out the front of the diner I worked at. I quickly pushed Lily towards the exit, stepping onto the footpath.
“Come on, Lily. If we hurry, I will get Marcus to make you some pancakes before school.”
Lily took off into the diner to her usual spot, which was close to the kitchen. I watched as she slid along the booth seat, placing her bag down on the red leather seat beside her. Lily loved the diner; she came with me every morning before school and after school, because my shift didn’t finish until 6. I would use my lunch break to pick her up from school, but the biggest bonus of working here was Zoe.
The owner was a human woman who owned “Joe’s Diner”. Her husband was Joe. He died years ago, and she took over her husband’s business. Zoe was in her late sixties. She has long white hair that’s always pulled into a bun with green eyes and rosy cheeks. She is a bigger woman but one of my most favourite people I know. She always smiled and loved Lily, and since she didn’t have children of her own, she kind of took me and Lily in. Zoe always made sure Lily had lunch for school and breakfast and dinner. After Lily got seated in the booth, I greeted Zoe with a hug before walking out to the kitchen. Marcus was standing at the stove with his hippy tie-dyed shirt and jeans, already making Lily pancakes.
Marcus was probably my only real friend; he was a good-looking bloke with his blonde hair and blue eyes, but unfortunately for me, he was also gay. I waved to him as I walked past to find my apron. Lily has pancakes every morning before school. I grabbed my apron and wrapped it around my waist before walking back out to grab the coffee. I started refilling a few customers’ cups. Joe’s Diner was always busy no matter the time of the day. When I finished refilling cups, I walked back into the kitchen to grab Lily her pancakes.
By the time Lily finished her breakfast, it was 8 AM. I cleaned up the booth Lily was at and ducked back into the kitchen to grab Lily’s school bag, which I kept in the duffle bag. As I was walking back through the kitchen, Zoe was already waiting with a paper bag.
“I made her ham and salad sandwiches, and Marcus threw in some quiches from yesterday for her,,” she said, smiling, placing the bag in my hand. Lily came running into the kitchen, wrapping her arms around Zoe, her little arms barely making it halfway around Zoe’s hips. Zoe smiled down at her before placing a kiss on top of her head.
“Have fun at school and learn new things,” Zoe told her. I thanked Zoe before chucking the bag over my shoulder and grabbing Lily’s hand to walk her to school. The school was only one block away, so Lily and I walked hand in hand the whole way. The streets were busy with everyone getting ready for work, and I quickly pulled to the side as a rush of people came out of the subway, just in time for us not to be trampled. We quickly made it to the school, stopping just out the front of the gates, and I gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll see you at 3 o’clock, okay? Have fun,” I said before giving her a quick hug.
I watched her run off towards her friends before turning and walking back to the diner. Once I got back to the diner, I quickly went to retrieve mine and Lily’s clothes from the duffle bag, but when I opened the bag, it was empty. Before I even got a chance to close it, Marcus walked in.
“Zoe already put them in the wash for you,” he said before walking back to the kitchen. I quickly retrieved my apron and went to start taking orders and refilling everyone’s mugs. The day went by quickly, and before I knew it, Zoe came out of the kitchen, signalling for me to come over.
“It’s quarter to 3, you have to get Lily, dear. Here, eat this on the way. I noticed you haven’t eaten since yesterday morning,” she said, placing a roast lamb sandwich in my hand with a napkin.
“No, I’m fine, really Zoe, you do enough for us already.” She refused to take it back.
“You girls are like children to me, don’t be ridiculous,” she replied before quickly turning around and walking into the kitchen.
I ate the sandwich while walking to the school. As I did, I looked up at all the high-rise buildings. I loved the city; everything was so fast-paced and alive, constantly on the go. I loved watching people rushing around going about their lives. When I made it to the school, I waited out the front for the school bell to ring. I wasn’t waiting long before Lily came bursting through the doors with a huge grin on her face. She ran straight towards me wrapping her little arms around me in a hug. I bent down, picking her up and placing her on my hip as we walked back to the diner. She told me all about her day and what she did in class. Once back at the diner, Lily grabbed her books out of her bag and went to sit with Zoe, who was already sitting in a booth waiting for Lily’s arrival. Every afternoon after school, Zoe would help Lily with her homework and listen about her day. I waited tables getting ready for the afternoon rush when I suddenly felt eyes on me. I looked up from refilling Lily’s cup with water, but no one was there. Shaking off the feeling, I walked back into the kitchen to get the next order ready.
Reid’s POV
Having just finished one meeting, my Beta Zane texted to tell me the next meeting I had has been moved to Joe’s diner. Apparently, it was on neutral territory; the Black Moon Alpha didn’t want to meet on my territory.
Pussy, I thought, shoving my phone back in my pocket before adjusting my tie while walking to the elevator. I stepped in the elevator, hitting the button to the bottom floor when the elevator doors closed. I watched the buttons, watching the floors go down. When it got halfway down, it stopped, the doors opening. I growled, annoyed. Two women, one with red hair and the other a blonde both were quite attractive. One of them I recognised, the redhead. Michelle was a Pack member. The other was a human I didn’t know, and a short stumpy man from the tech floor walked in after them. They quickly stepped back, realising who I was. They dropped their heads looking at the floor. “Sorry Boss,” said the man. I’m fairly sure his name was Peter. I remember him coming up to my office to update the computers. I pushed the button for the doors to close. Listening, I heard them let out a breath just before the doors shut completely. I stared down at my Rolex watch, 2:30 PM. Shit! I was going to be late.
Once down at the foyer, my Beta was waiting with my keys in his hand. He tossed them to me. Catching them, I quickly threw them back at him. “You drive, I don’t know where this place is.” I walked out to my black Bentley getting into the passenger side and opening the window. We were driving to the south of my Pack’s territory, and just as we left the border, I felt my wolf stir, trying to come forward.
“What’s gotten into you, Ryder?” I asked. He didn’t reply. I could feel that he was anxious.
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