Chapter 3

Cara

“Look, look! The little orphan decided to come today,” yelled Jace, the future Alpha of the pack, from across the schoolyard.

I kept my head down and quietly walked across the yard toward the school. I just needed to ignore his comments. Jenna and Vivian quickly left my side as soon as they got close to the yard.

It was one thing to be seen working with me in the kitchen, but another to be seen socializing with me outside of it.

It seemed like the pack members didn’t mind being seen with me in a working environment, but in a social setting, it was taboo. Being an orphan felt like a curse, and they were afraid that if they socialized with me, they too would be cursed.

The only person who didn’t care about any of that was Mauve. The old cook was the closest thing to a mother figure I could have. Even though Mauve was the only friend I had in the pack, sometimes it just wasn’t enough.

I wished pack members my own age would be friends with me. Sure, I loved Mauve, but she was more like a mother than a friend. It hurt that I was all alone.

Maybe my situation was why I wanted to be a teacher. I loved helping others, and teaching was a way to do that. Plus, it gave me the chance to be loved and accepted by others.

As I entered the school, Jace came in behind me and threw a shirt at my head.

“Hey! Omega, I need that cleaned for tonight’s game. Get to it!” he yelled.

“Alpha, we are at school; I can’t…” I started to say.

“Are you disobeying me? I gave you an order to clean my game shirt, and you’re saying you can’t? My mom would love to know this,” Jace threatened me.

“No, Alpha, I wasn’t disobeying you. What about school?” I said nervously.

“What about school? You’re just an omega—an orphan omega at that. No one cares if you get an education. Just get the job done like you’re supposed to,” Jace snickered as he walked away.

I quickly thought that if I ran back to the pack house now, I could be back within an hour and only miss one or two classes. So I did just that; I ran back to the pack house as quickly as I could.

When I got inside, I saw no one was around. I exhaled a breath I had been holding and went toward the laundry area to wash Jace’s shirt.

While the shirt was in the washer, I thought maybe I could bake something. Baking was always a stress relief for me. I felt stressed because I had to be good and do everything for the Alpha and his family so I could go to the teaching program.

I looked in the pantry and saw everything was restocked. Mauve had done the shopping.

I grabbed what I needed to make chocolate peanut butter cupcakes. I whipped up the chocolate cupcake batter and was filling the cupcake liners in muffin pans when Mauve walked into the kitchen.

“Child, are you not supposed to be in school?” she asked.

“Yes, but Alpha Jace…” I started to explain.

“What did the spoiled Alpha do now?” Mauve said, raising her voice.

Mauve was the only person I knew in the pack who could call Jace spoiled. Part of the reason she got away with it was that she had been Jace’s caretaker when he was born, up until he did his first shift at ten years old.

Most wolves shift for the first time at thirteen, but Alpha wolves can shift at ten because they grow much larger and stronger than average wolves.

I got my wolf at thirteen, like others, but my wolf was shy and timid. Star, my wolf, was smaller than the average wolf, and that was one of the reasons behind her shyness. I still loved my wolf despite this.

“He needed his game shirt cleaned. The game is tonight,” I told Mauve.

“And he decided now is the perfect time to have it washed? Child, you should stand up to him. You have just as much right to an education as he does. You’re missing school because he didn’t do what he was supposed to do yesterday?” Mauve said.

“Mauve, you know I can’t do that. I’m not like you; I’m at the mercy of the Alpha family. I’m lucky they let me live in the pack house. No one wants an orphan,” I told Mauve.

“Cara, sweetie, you have more power than you know. You need to believe in yourself,” Mauve sighed. “What are you baking while the shirt is being washed?” she asked, changing the subject, knowing how I was.

“Chocolate peanut butter cupcakes,” I said quietly, still thinking about what Mauve had said.

“Well, let’s get these trays into the oven. They will make for a nice treat for the warriors today after training,” Mauve told me with a smile.

“Mauve, what did you mean when you said I have more power than I know?” I asked.

“Nothing, child, just an expression. But you do need to learn to stand up for yourself,” Mauve said as she started loading the trays into the oven.

I decided not to press her on the saying. I knew Mauve; there was something behind those words. I could feel it in my gut.

The shirt was done in the washer and put into the dryer, just in time for the cupcakes to cool. “Do you think if I drizzle a little chocolate sauce on top of the peanut butter buttercream, it would taste okay?” I asked Mauve.

“Child, I think that would taste wonderful. I know you want to be a teacher, but I believe your true calling is as a baker,” Mauve told me.

“I really like the idea of being a teacher. Yes, I love to bake, but it’s just a hobby,” I replied.

“Well, your hobby is very good and delicious!” Mauve smiled at me.

We piped the peanut butter buttercream onto the chocolate cupcakes as the timer on the dryer went off. “Get the shirt and go back to school. I will finish these up and drizzle on the chocolate sauce you wanted,” Mauve told me.

“Thanks, Mauve.”

“Go, get back to school so you don’t miss any more of it today!” she urged.

I grabbed the shirt and a cupcake before running out the door and to the school. When I got there, the hallways were quiet since everyone was in their classrooms.

I went over to Jace’s locker. I knew the combination because he had me do things for him all the time, so I needed to know it. I folded the shirt and put it inside the locker. Then, on the top shelf, I left him the cupcake. I figured if I left him the cupcake as a treat, he might not bother me for the rest of the day.

I walked toward the library and waited there until the next period started, so I could finally go to class.

----

Jace

The bell rang, and I went to my locker to find the shirt and cupcake. I smiled when I saw that Cara had done her job and brought me a treat.

Secretly, I liked Cara. I thought she was cute. Lately, I had been thinking this for some reason.

I knew I could never be with her. I had a reputation to protect as the future Alpha, plus my parents would never approve of an orphan omega for me at all.

Bryan came up to me and said, “Where did you get a cupcake from?”

“I have my ways,” I replied, taking a bite of it. “Mmm, this is really good. It’s chocolate peanut butter.”

“Let me try some,” Bryan said.

“No, get your own,” I smacked his hand away.

“I would, but you didn’t say where you hid it,” he teased.

I shoved the rest of the cupcake into my mouth and smiled at him.

“You’re a big jerk, you know that?” Bryan said.

“That’s what the girls say, and I haven’t heard any complaints,” I laughed.