Chapter 1 Slave

Sylvia''s POV:

"Sylvia, you lazy slave! Do you know what time it is? Why are you still sleeping?"

I struggled to get up from the wooden bed and checked the time. It wasn''t even five in the morning yet. I rubbed my throbbing temples, then hurriedly threw on my thin coat and opened the door.

A fat she-wolf was blocking the doorway.

With a ferocious look on her face, she pointed at my nose and snapped, "Today is the Alpha Ceremony. Why are you still asleep? Have you finished all your work?"

I didn''t say anything, just kept my head down.

I''d only slept for less than an hour since I''d spent the entire night cleaning the conference room. My mind was still foggy.

"Why are you just standing there? Go finish all your work!" she roared again. Then she glared at me, turned around, and stomped away.

I sighed and walked to the closet, where clothes that needed ironing were piled on the rack. Shawn Gibson was turning eighteen today, and he was going to take over during the Alpha Ceremony. I had to prepare the clothes he''d be wearing.

The sun was already rising by the time I finished ironing.

The Black Moon Pack territory was covered by dark clouds year-round, always damp and cold. I wrapped my tattered coat tightly around myself and carried a bucket to the banquet hall.

All kinds of fancy tableware had already been set up in the hall. After the Alpha Ceremony, all the guests would gather here to celebrate the new Alpha''s promotion.

I was wiping down the steps with a rag when a stiletto stepped on it.

I looked up to see who it was. Cherry, the Gamma''s daughter. She was wearing a black mermaid dress, her red hair curled perfectly. She looked stunning.

"Step aside," I said coldly.

"Excuse me? Do you know what kind of place this is? You don''t deserve to be here at all." Cherry kicked my bucket arrogantly.

"Cherry! You''re going too far."

"What? A mere slave is mad at me? How interesting! But actually, I can make you even angrier." Cherry flipped her long curly hair and sneered. She glared at me with mean eyes, clapped her hands, and ordered, "Bring it here."

A she-wolf came over carrying a bucket of slop and poured it on the stairs in front of me. The stench instantly filled the air.

I watched this scene with cold eyes, hatred filling my heart. With a vicious smile on her face, Cherry crossed her arms over her chest. Obviously, she was waiting for a good show.

She just wanted to see me break down.

But of course, I wouldn''t give her that satisfaction.

"Is that all?" I glanced at her expressionlessly and immediately picked up the rag to clean up her mess.

Maybe my indifferent reaction irritated her. The corners of Cherry''s mouth twitched. She was clearly disappointed.

"You''re a natural bitch," she snorted contemptuously and walked away, her high heels clicking on the floor.

She was finally gone. Only then did I let the tears I''d been holding back fall free. In times like this, I missed my mother even more.

I wasn''t born a slave. My mother was the Beta of this pack. It was rare for a pack to have a female Beta, even in history. She was capable and well-loved by everyone. She was known to be gentle but tough. But I never had a father, as far back as I could remember. To make up for my lack of fatherly love, my mother loved me with all her heart. She spoiled me and treated me like a princess. When I was young, I tried asking her about my father. However, she was extremely quiet when it came to him. As time went by, I stopped asking. After all, having her was enough for me.

But fate always loves playing jokes on people. My kind and powerful mother was framed for killing the Alpha and Luna.

She was executed.

I became an orphan. The pack labeled me as the traitor''s daughter. They were furious with me, blaming me for the loss of their Alpha and Luna. As a result, they made me the lowest slave in the pack and gave me endless work every day. On top of that, I''d constantly suffer humiliation and beatings.

Thinking about this, I wiped my tears and continued working with my head down.

I had to finish cleaning this place before the guests arrived. Otherwise, I''d suffer more than just beatings and starvation.

"Oh, my dear Sylvia, don''t be sad. I''ll always be by your side." My wolf Yana comforted me in my head.

"Don''t worry, Yana. I''m fine. I''m lucky you''re here. I''m not alone anymore."

"You''ll never be alone. Besides me, you''ll also meet your mate in the future."

"But I''m already eighteen, and I still haven''t met him yet," I said, sounding a little disappointed.

My mother was independent and strong.

But I knew how hard it was for her to raise me alone. Sometimes I couldn''t help thinking that if she''d had a mate to be with her, she might have lived a much happier life. That''s why I always had this secret hope for my future mate.

"My dear, this pack is too small. Your mate might be somewhere else," Yana comforted me softly. Then she added, "Maybe we should run away."

"No, it''s not the right time. I still haven''t proven my mother''s innocence yet."