The Fae Serenade

What the hell happened here? I can't help but wonder as I stare at the chaos before me.

The Luna's kitchen smells so awful. It makes me want to vomit. Piles of unwashed dishes clutter the kitchen sink; I can hear rats squeaking in the cupboards, and I see tons of cockroaches scurrying across the floor. There are even maggots crawling over some rotten pork left on the counter. The entire scene makes me curse my fate-why did I have to end up on kitchen duty this morning?

"What are you waiting for, Olivia?" Eliana, the Luna's eldest daughter, shoots me a sharp look, thrusting a broom into my hands. I take it without a word. Complaining wouldn't get me anywhere. I'm just a servant. "Time's ticking. I need this place spotless before my mum and dad get back from the Pegasus. They can't know I threw a party yesterday evening while they were gone."

I look at the huge kitchen once again and I can't help but recoil in disgust, resisting the urge to gag. I don't know anything about the party since I don't stay in the main house; I live in the pack house built for Omegas. "Can I at least get some gloves?" I ask hopefully.

Eliana gives me that same look I've seen too many times. She laughs, running her fingers through her wavy auburn hair. "A broom is all you need. Why would dirt need gloves to clean dirt? You should be grateful. As Omegas, you and your mute brother haven't been cast out of the pack yet. You should feel honored to even clean the Luna's kitchen."

Sighing in resignation, I tie my hair with a band on my wrist and begin to work, Eliana's eyes burning into my back.

My twin brother and I aren't really Omegas-we're Fae. But that's a secret we must guard with our lives. Fae are feared, hunted, seen as evil. We were born in the Kingdom of Eris, a land destroyed nine years ago during the great war of the fall of Eris' wall. The war wiped out more than a million Fae, including our parents. The few survivors, like us, are scattered, forced to hide their true nature. My brother and I now live among the Shadow Moon Pack located in the Kingdom of Māui, pretending to be Omegas.

There are nine Omegas in the pack, including us. In werewolf hierarchy, Omegas are at the very bottom - wolfless. It made it easy for us to blend in. As tradition dictates, any Omega without a wolf by the age of thirteen is taken in as a servant by the Alpha, Coleman Katz. Since then, we've lived here, in the Shadow Moon Pack house for six years, keeping our secret safe.

"Hurry up, Olivia. You still need to make breakfast," Eliana orders from behind me.

I stay silent, focusing on cleaning up the grime caked up on the floor, though I can still feel her gaze drilling into my back.

"And make an extra plate for my darling Adrian and two of his friends. They'll be having breakfast at the house this morning," she adds before leaving the kitchen.

Adrian? I groan inwardly. He's Eliana's mate. I hate him, and I know the feeling is mutual. Ever since I started at the werewolf academy last year, he's made it his mission to torment me. He's my personal nightmare, constantly reminding me of how out of place I am here in the Shadow moon pack.

I finish scrubbing the kitchen as fast as I can and begin prepping breakfast.

This morning's menu is simple: roasted duck with mashed potatoes for the entire pack. I work alone, and when I'm done, I carry the dishes out to the dining room. I spot my twin brother, Kyle, cleaning the area with Katniss, another Omega whose parents sold her to the Alpha. I'm about to drop off the last plate when I decide to call out to him.

"Kyle," I call as I approach, setting down the plate. He turns to me, dropping the brush in his hand. His smile widens, though his honey brown eyes carry the same weariness I've come to recognize in my own reflection. His sandy hair, just like mine, is tousled from working, and there's a streak of dirt on his cheek.

"Busy morning, huh?" he signs with his hands, his movements quick and practiced.

My brother has been mute since birth, and although my parents tried everything to help him speak - even consulting some of the most powerful witches in the now fallen Kingdom of Eris - it was all to no avail.

"You have no idea," I whisper, glancing at Katniss, who is hunched over, scrubbing a bronze statue in silence. She looks exhausted, her pencil-thin frame trembling slightly from fatigue.

Kyle's eyes follow my gaze, and his smile fades. Even though he can't speak, his expression says more than words ever could. "Eliana again?" he signs.

I nod. "She threw a party last night, and I was stuck cleaning up the aftermath."

Kyle shakes his head, his frustration evident. "Sorry you had to clean that mess. I saw it earlier."

Before I can respond, the sound of approaching footsteps makes me turn. I see Adrian swaggering into the dining room with two others I recognize from the academy-his friends, no doubt. Seeing the expression on Adrian's face immediately makes my stomach twist. He has the tall, broad-shoulder build typical of male werewolves, his blonde hair slicked back, and a permanent scowl plastered on his face.

"Ah, Olivia. I see you've been busy," he says, his voice dripping with mockery. He eyes the breakfast spread with a smirk, then shifts his gaze to me. "You know, Eliana mentioned you've been rather slow lately. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll fasten up eventually. Some people just take longer to find their place or should I say, wolf?" He smirks.

I'm not even a wolf, I think to myself, but I don't say anything. Instead, I make a show of clenching my fists, pretending to be furious by what he said. Kyle doesn't seem to know I'm pretending because he immediately steps closer to me, his protective instincts kicking in.

"Oh, the mute is making himself known. Is our little Omega mute growing some werewolf balls now?" One of Adrian's friends asks in a mocking tone, laughing with his friends.

"Do you guys ever get tired of hearing yourself talk?" I mutter under my breath. But of course, they all hear me.

"What was that?" Adrian's eyes flash with glee while his two friends stand beside him like guard dogs, which they might as well be. "Careful, Olivia. You wouldn't want to bite off more than you can chew." His grin widens, showing off his sharp protruding canines, a subtle reminder that he has a wolf, and I do not.

I don't respond to him, biting the inside of my cheeks as I look away. There's no point in arguing with someone like Adrian-he thrives on getting under people's skin.

"Good Omega," he says smugly. The 'Omega' is meant to be derogatory, but I really don't mind it. Then he shifts his gaze to Kyle. "Still as useless as ever, I see."

Kyle's face remains stoic, but I can feel his anger bubbling just beneath the surface. I place a hand on his, silently urging him to stay calm before an outburst. We can't afford to draw attention-not when we've worked so hard for nine years to blend in with the wolves.