The Ruthless Alpha King by pinkbeller

The Scars She Hid From The World

REGINA MCBRIDE

The heavy iron gates of the Wilderness Correction Camp groaned as they released me after three years of state-sponsored hell. I stood on the dirt road, clutching a plastic bag that held my entire life, waiting for the family that claimed they sent me there for "rehab." My brother, Brady, picked me up in a luxury SUV only to throw me out onto a deserted highway in the middle of a brewing storm. He told me I was a "public relations nightmare" and that the rain might finally wash the "stink" of the camp off me. He drove away, leaving me to limp miles through the mud on a snapped ankle. When I finally dragged myself to our family estate, my mother didn't offer a hug; she gasped in horror because my muddy clothes were ruining her Italian marble. They didn't give me my old room back. Instead, they banished me to a moldy gardener’s shack and hired a "babysitter" to make sure I didn't embarrass them further. My sister, Kaleigh, stood there in white cashmere, pretending to cry while clinging to her fiancé, Ambrose—the man who had once been mine. They all treated me like a volatile junkie, refusing to acknowledge that Kaleigh was the one who planted the drugs in my bag three years ago. They wanted to believe I was broken so they wouldn't have to feel guilty about the "wellness retreat" that was actually a torture chamber. I sat in the dark of that shed, feeling the cooling gel on the cigarette burns that covered my arms, and realized they had made a fatal mistake. They thought they had erased me, but I had returned with a roadmap of scars and a hidden satellite phone. At dinner, I didn't beg for their love. I simply rolled up my sleeves and showed them the price of their silence. As the wine spilled and the lies crumbled, I sent a single text to the only person I trusted: "I'm in. Let them simmer." The hunt was finally on.

Modern Revenge Scheming

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Lisa's POV

Being an omega, the weakest wolf rank in the pack, meant that I was treated like an outcast. Not just by other wolves my age, but by everyone-even my own family. There was no respect, no acknowledgment of my worth, nothing. I was a burden, a punching bag for the pack's frustrations and jokes. No one expected anything of me, and it seemed no one ever would.

"Lisa!" A sharp voice called from behind, snapping me from my thoughts.

I flinched at the sound recognizing the harsh tone instantly. My stepsister, Brenda emerged from the trees, her brows furrowed in irritation.

"What are you doing here?"

"I-I was just sitting," I replied quickly, standing up and brushing the dirt off my dress. I spoke quietly as I often did when speaking to anyone, especially her. "I needed a moment to think."

Brenda crossed her arms and scowled. "To think? About what? How useless you are?" Her words were biting, filled with the same disdain that the rest of the pack showed me. "The mating ceremony is about to start. What do you think you're doing hiding out here? Aren't you supposed to fix my hair and makeup or should I do them myself?"

I dropped my gaze to the ground and whispered. "I'm going to the mating ceremony this year. You should do your own hair and makeup yourself."

"Excuse me. I didn't ask for a dog's opinion," Brenda scoffed. Then she pinched her eyelids. "You want to go to the ceremony? For what? You never attend any of them."

"I–I'm going." I stuttered terribly.

Though I wasn't sure if that was entirely true. The mating ceremony was something I dreaded and longed for. It was the moment when the Moon Goddess would reveal everyone's destined mates, the one person they were meant to spend the rest of their lives with. I never had the opportunity to attend any mating ceremony. I'd always hide in the kitchen with the maids or my room in the attic. But this time, I was going to attend. For an omega like me, hope was a fragile thing, but it was one thing I clinged onto.

Brenda burst out in a mocking laugh. "You should be thankful if anyone even looks at you, Lisa. I doubt the Moon Goddess will waste her time pairing you with anyone decent. You'll probably end up with some other omega, or worse, alone."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, trying to keep my emotions in check. This was nothing new. I had been hearing those same insults for as long as I can remember.

Brenda chuckled. "Oh, I know. She'll pair you with a loser. Isn't that match made in heaven?"

"I won't be paired with a loser." I clenched both my fists at my side.

"Are you talking to me like that?" Brenda threw me glare that sent a shiver down my spine.

She went on. "Ah... I see...she's finally growing some wings. Who taught you to talk like that? Your dead mother?"

I threw my gaze to the ground, tongue-tied. I knew Brenda's piercing gaze was fixed on me, enjoying me drowning in the misery she put me in.

"Aww, cat got your tongue," she mocked, stepping close to tower over me. When I couldn't respond, she grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her. "Next time, you want to talk back, remember who put the clothes on your back and a roof over your head, you ungrateful little bitch. If it weren't for my mother, you'd be nothing."

She chuckled. "Face it, Lisa. No one wants a weakling like you. The only thing you're good for is making me look better and you know it."

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, fighting the wave of tears threatening to spill. I told myself I wouldn't cry, not here, and definitely not in front of her.

"Don't waste your time daydreaming," she continued, her tone as cold as ever. "If I were you, I wouldn't even bother showing up to the ceremony as a candidate. Save yourself the embarrassment and join the maids in doing the dishes. That's a more fitting role for you."

Brenda shoved me backwards and I slipped on the mud. "Yeah. The mud. That's where things like you belong. Don't stay in the mud for too long. I know you like it. Hurry up and join the maids before the ceremony starts. I'll do my hair and makeup. Don't wanna get your dirty paws on it."

She turned on her heels and walked away.

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