"Scrub it harder!" Old Mrs Amelia, the head housekeeper of our pack snapped at me.
I scrubbed down on the spot so much my fingers bled.
I had been scrubbing the same spot for over five minutes but it still wasn't enough.
When I felt the blood begin to poke from my nails, I weakly reduced my speed.
"You stupid-stupid girl!" Mrs Amelia said as she grabbed my white hair from the single braid and yanked it up.
I cried in pain.
"You think because you were once the princess of this pack everyone is going to kiss your feet? You spoiled girl!" She snapped and then she pushed me down with such force my head gnashed the ground.
"I am leaving this place and by the time I'm back I should have it spick and span!" With that she stormed out of the room and slammed the door shut.
My name is Jackie, today is my eighteenth birthday and I am the daughter of the former Alpha of this pack.
Seven years ago, my parents had ruled our pack as the Alpha and Luna.
My father had been a just and fair Alpha refusing to take bribe and for that reason most of his subordinates grew to hate him.
Eventually, his best friend and second in command Gamma Raymond had accused him of treason and betrayal, staged a coup and eventually had him executed.
My mother who had tried to save my father had been killed in the process.
Any and everyone who was loyal to my father was either executed or threatened into obedience.
My younger sister Amy was just a one year old pup when everything had happened, while I was eleven.
Luckily enough, we were spared but yet made to work as slaves in the pack.
I became a mother, father and sister to Amy who was innocent as I was in everything that had happened to us.
Whenever I had chores, I had Amy with me because there was no one I could leave her with.
So she had grown up to sit on the floor while I scrubbed toilets or hung strapped to my back while I mopped.
Now Amy was eleven, the only family I had.
I made sure that I did most of her work.
If it were left to me, she would do none and I would do it all.
But the rules were strict.
We must both work to pay up the debt our father had left for the pack.
I knew that was a lie, but who was I to challenge them?
Today being my eighteenth birthday was the day my wolf would awake and I would find my mate.
But who would want to be a mate to someone like me?
What chance would I even get to have a mate that would save me from such a fate?
And even if I did what would happen to my sister.
I would never abandon my sister.
I had white hair that struck out from everyone in the pack and I wasn't thin as was the beauty standards.
My breasts and hips were full and Luna Elizabeth had told me only sluts developed such a body to seduce the wolves in the pack.
Those who had once loved us, now hated and saw us as traitors.
I shook my thought away from my misery and managed to continue scrubbing the floors.
Not doing my work well meant getting my sister in trouble.
They had grown to realize that punishing my sister whenever I didn't satisfy them, hurt me the most.
So instead of punishing me when I upset them, they would punish her.
Once I was done cleaning and mopping, I heard the bells ring and I knew it was almost twelve.
I had somewhere else I needed to be.
I rounded up my chores in the pantry and rubbed my hands dry in my maid uniform, the only cloth I owned and rushed up the stairs.
Once I arrived at my destination, I knocked at the door.
"Come in." Came the voice I had known my entire life.
I stepped in and saw Gale, my former childhood best friend and the daughter of Alpha Raymond and Luna Elizabeth.
She was seated by her mirror while her servants styled her hair.
She glared at me.
"What took you so long?!" She spat with venom.
I curtseyed. "I'm sorry princess."
I didn't bother explaining. Explaining only made it worse.
Gale never hesitated to remind me about who I now was and how the mighty had fallen.
It was shocking to know that the very same Gale I had grown up with, shared my clothes and jewelries with, played together and loved was the very same one who now despised and hated me with her entire being.
"You're always sorry." Gale hissed. "Sorry that your mummy and daddy betrayed the pack and had their heads cut off."
I swallowed and said nothing.
"Today is the full moon ceremony. Adrian is going to be there." She said wickedly with a laugh. "He invited me to be his date. It's so sad. You thought one day you were going to end up with Adrian didn't you?"
Adrian was the son of one of the six founding packs and had been my biggest crush growing up.
Gale never failed to remind me he now belonged to her.
She sighed. "Get on with your chores."
I curtseyed and went on cleaning her room.
Once I was sure it was neat, I packed the tray of food she had eaten from.
I felt her eyes heavy on me until I departed.
Once I was down in the kitchen I set aside the plates and cups.
There was a loaf of bread and cheese along with a piece of lamb.
I felt my stomach grumble.
I hadn't eaten all day.
At that moment, Amy came into the Kitchen.
"Jackie!" She said beaming with Joy.
I smiled happy to see my sister.
Amy had almost pale but long blonde hair just like our dad had had.
She still had freckles and a few of her teeth were gone, but Amy was an adorable and happy little pup.
That was what mattered the most to me.
Amy handed me a white rose. "Happy birthday."
I collected it and gave her a hug as I felt the tears in my eyes.
I kissed her cheeks. "Thank you pudding. This is the best birthday gift I've ever gotten."
And then I put it in my hair.
"What do you think?" I asked her waving my hair.
She giggled. "You look like a fairy."
I looked at the leftover.
I knew she had eaten already.
I always gave her my portion of breakfast because she needed the nutrients more.
But I still wanted her to eat more so I picked up the lamb and bread before giving it to her.
"Here." Jackie said. "A little treat for a little naughty girl."
"Do you want some?" Amy asked.
"I've eaten so much my tummy is full." I lied.
Amy seemed skeptical at first but then began to eat.
From nowhere a shriek came.
It was Gale.
Before I could stop her, she grabbed the lamb bone from my sister's mouth.
"You stupid thief!" Gale screamed and slapped my sister.