Chimera

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Contains some swearing and bullying.

Emry's eyes stung with tears as she moved the knife back and forth as quickly as her clumsy hands would allow.

Stupid, stupid, freaking onions. A male voice hissed in her head. She had to agree, cutting onions was awful.

It was impossible to imagine why so many pack members liked them with breakfast: in omelets, breakfast potatoes, and scrambles. It was as if they knew it was pure torture to prepare them. Emry hated onions. Their pungent smell burned her retinas no matter how far away she leaned from the cutting board.

But the job had to be done; it was the way in the Lambent Pack. Everyone was expected to pull their weight. A pack member's Rank and Job were assigned by the elders after they shifted for the first time, between the ages of six and ten. A wolf was re-evaluated on their eighteenth birthday by the Alpha in case any mistakes were made.

It was a good system, giving pack wolves a value based on their strength and usefulness to the pack. Family bloodlines didn't matter for assignment, although only Alpha and Beta ranked families tended to keep those positions. Any other position could be achieved through talent and effort if one tried hard enough.

Not that it mattered for Emry. Nearly eighteen and she still hadn't shifted, an unheard of phenomenon in the shifter world. Her unranked status also left her weak and defenseless. Yet still the Lambent pack provided her a room of her own and food to fill her stomach.

She had the Lambent pack's Alpha to thank for that. He took her under his wing and spoiled her rotten when he could spare the time.

Without the Alpha's support, she would have been kicked off the pack lands long ago. If the Alpha had his way, Emry wouldn't be doing anything. But the pack pushed back. It was tradition, and for the pack to remain strong, everyone had to do a job. Especially a freeloading orphan who's only redeeming quality was that she had the Alpha's favor.

At his request she was only assigned the most menial grunt work, not that she was capable of much more. Nothing too strenuous or dangerous, Alpha's orders.

Emry emptied the last of the onions into the metal prep bowl with an angry clang. She hated being helpless and coddled, though she relied on it to stay alive. Her place in Lambent pack was a simple compromise between the Alphas and the elders.

As long as she did enough to earn her keep.

"That's enough for now, child." Said another one of the other omegas. "Why don't you change out of those ugly pajamas before breakfast?"

Emry was skilled at reading in between the lines. The young woman didn't release her out of kindness, but out of a desire to please her Alpha. Every wolf in the pack knew that spoiling Emry was a sure way to curry the Alpha's favor.

Due to their heightened werewolf senses, the pack always knew the Alpha was near before Emry did. He had to be close if they were playing nice. It was naive to pretend otherwise.

Today is the day you should bear your fangs. Let them know you see past their fake compassion. Emry ignored the suggestion. She had tried to fight for respect, but she would never be good enough. The pack only cared about strength, and Emry's meager offerings as prep cook and maid weren't enough to impress anyone.

Someday you will have the power to cow them all. You just need to survive long enough to do so.

She ignored the whispers in her head. They had been getting worse lately.

If she hurried, she could postpone her first encounter with the Alpha for the day. Prep work started so early, she rarely changed or did a morning routine until it was finished. Emry currently looked like a homeless vagabond who smelled like she ate onions every day while always looked handsome and put together.