Where Flowers Don't Belong

Chapter 1-Everything Perfect

This had officially been the most boring day of my life. 

For the first time since I could remember, I had absolutely nothing to do. No chores, no cooking, no preparations of any kind.

Usually, I was kept busy. Extremely busy. And, contrary to the opinions of the other slaves, I enjoyed the constant work. It was why I made a good slave; I didn't mind having a lot to do or being given order after order. When the other slaves' shoulders dropped after being commanded to do something else, I felt giddy.

But today was different. Today was one of the most important days in my pack's history. Today was the day that the king came to visit. This didn't happen often; in fact, it probably wouldn't happen again during my lifetime. And if this visit didn't go well, it could mean the end of my pack.

I didn't know much about the king, but I did know that he was the most powerful man alive. In addition to that, he was the only hybrid in existence. From what I had heard, he was half werewolf, half vampire, giving him the powers of both creatures. It is said that he was bitten by a vampire at a young age and transitioned soon after. And to top it all off, he comes from a very long line of fire elementalists, meaning he and his family can conjure up flames and manipulate fire with the snap of their fingers.

It was safe to say that I was absolutely terrified of the king. Even just knowing I was in the same house as him made my body fill with adrenaline and fear. It was almost as if I could sense that he was near, feeling his presence in the air.

The king announced earlier this year that he would be visiting each pack in the United States to ensure that they were all well taken care of. As a slave, the other girls and I had been working our butts off for the last month in preparation for this day. However, unlike the other girls, I had enjoyed it. Doing chores kept me busy and my mind occupied. Doing work was the only thing I was good at since I had been a slave my whole life. 

But I didn't have any chores to do today. We were all ordered to stay in our quarters for the day so as not to be seen by the alpha king during his pack tour. It was the first time I had ever spent my day doing anything other than cleaning and cooking.

The slaves' quarter was not large, only big enough to fit fifteen creaky, old beds. How unfortunate it was that there were sixteen girls sleeping here every night. Being the youngest of the slaves at the age of twenty, I was the one ill-fated enough to have to sleep on the floor every night. I didn't mind though. I was happy to take the bullet for the rest of the girls. Everyone besides me lived normal lives before they were forced to become a slave for this pack. All of them were humans who had committed a crime grave enough to be condemned to slavery. I, however, had been here for as long as I could remember. I wasn't even sure how I got here. All I knew was that my first memory was of getting down on my knees and watching my small hands scrub the bathroom tiles. This is why I didn't mind sleeping on the floor. I'd never slept anywhere else and, therefore, I didn't know what I was missing. I had no desire to find out, especially since all the other girls were always so sad when they got here. If it made them feel better to sleep on a bed, then I was happy to give them one.

But, at this moment in time, I found myself wishing I had a bed to sit on. We had been stuck in here all day. I had woken up, gotten dressed in my uniform, and then stood in the corner where I usually slept. I stood there for hours, leaning my head against the wall behind me out of pure boredom. I wished I could sit down, but the floor was dirty and wet and I would be in huge trouble if I got my uniform dirty. And I couldn't put back on my nightgown in case Madame Melinda suddenly called for us to get to work.

The other slaves seemed to be just as bored as I was. They were all laying on their beds, some sleeping, some staring at the ceiling. One was even sticking out her tongue and trying to touch it to her nose.