Chapter 1: The Cruel Smile

Bailey's Pov:

"Wait. Please wait," Bailey yelled. Her lungs burned as the yellow school bus pulled away from the curb.

Exhaust fumes hit her face. She stopped and rested her hands on her knees, gasping for air. The morning air was freezing. A light drizzle had just started to fall, soaking through her thin cotton jacket.

A sleek black Porsche slowed down next to her. The tinted passenger window rolled down smoothly.

Hudson leaned over from the driver's seat. His dark hair was perfectly styled. His eyes were cold blue ice. He wore a designer leather jacket that cost more than Bailey would make in a year.

"Run faster, Omega," Hudson smirked. "Or did you forget how to use your legs?"

Zayn laughed from the passenger seat. "Let her walk, Hud. It builds character."

"You could give me a ride," Bailey said. Her voice shook from the cold.

"We live in the same house."

Hudson's eyes darkened instantly. All traces of amusement vanished.

"We sleep under the same roof," Hudson said. His voice was dangerously low.

"That does not make us family. My father's cars are for pack royalty.”

He hit the gas. The tires spun in the muddy puddle right next to the curb. Dirty, freezing water splashed all over Bailey's jeans and worn-out sneakers.

She wiped the gritty water from her cheek. She watched the red taillights disappear down the road.

Bailey walked three miles to Blackwood High. The doors slammed shut behind her as she entered the main hallway. She was shivering. Her clothes clung to her skin.

Rhea was waiting by her locker. She took one look at Bailey and sighed.

"They did it again," Rhea said.

"Hudson splashed me," Bailey whispered. She opened her locker and grabbed a spare grey hoodie.

"He made sure to hit the biggest puddle on the street."

"They are monsters, Bailey. Pure Alpha blood or not. They have no right to treat you like dirt."

"They are the Alpha's sons. They can do whatever they want." Bailey pulled the oversized hoodie over her wet shirt. "And my mother is gone. I have no one to speak for me in this pack."

Rhea closed her locker. "Your eighteenth birthday is next week. You will shift. You will find your mate. Then you can leave this hellhole."

"Who would want an Omega with no dowry and a target on her back?" Bailey asked bitterly.

"The Moon Goddess does not make mistakes," Rhea said softly. "Come on. We have History."

They walked into the classroom. The room went dead silent.

Hudson sat at the very back. His heavy combat boots rested on the desk in front of him. Beckett sat to his left. Zayn was on his right. The golden triplet princes of the Blood Moon pack.

Hudson stared at Bailey. The air in the room grew heavy with Alpha command. The hairs on the back of Bailey's neck stood up.

"You smell like wet dog," Hudson said loud enough for the whole class to hear.

A few students in the front row snickered.

Bailey kept her eyes on the floor. She walked toward an empty desk near the window.

"I am talking to you," Hudson said. His voice dropped an octave.

Bailey stopped. She turned around slowly. "I walked in the rain, Hudson."

"That is Alpha Hudson to you," Beckett corrected her with a lazy, arrogant smile.

"Alpha Hudson," Bailey repeated. Her nails dug into her palms until they bled.

Hudson stood up. He walked down the aisle slowly. He was six foot three and built like an underground fighter. The sleeves of his black shirt were pushed up, revealing the dark ink of his pack tattoos wrapping around his muscular forearms.

He stopped inches from her. The scent of pine and mint flooded her senses. It was a suffocating, intoxicating smell that always made her wolf pace restlessly.

He leaned down. His lips brushed against her ear.

"You are a disgrace to our house," Hudson whispered. "My father is throwing a banquet this weekend for the neighboring Alphas. You will not attend. You will stay in the kitchen where you belong."

"I am part of the family," Bailey breathed out. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

Hudson grabbed her chin. His grip was bruising and punishing. He forced her to look into his eyes.

"You are nothing," he said. His eyes burned into hers. "You are a stray my father took pity on. And when you turn eighteen next week, I am personally kicking you out of the pack."

Bailey's breath hitched. To be made a rogue was a death sentence for a wolf with no protection.

"He would not let you do that," she said.

Hudson smiled. It was a cruel, heartless curve of his lips.

"He already signed the banishment papers," Hudson whispered.

Tears prickled the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

Hudson leaned closer. His nose brushed her jawline. He took a slow, deep breath. His body suddenly went rigid. His eyes widened for a fraction of a second before hardening into pure, unadulterated hatred.

"Your scent is changing," Hudson muttered. His voice was thick with a sudden, violent disgust. He stared at her lips, then back up to her terrified eyes. "And if the Moon Goddess is playing the sick joke i think she is playing... I will kill you myself before I ever claim you.”