Wolfsfoot (Kingdom of Wolves #1)

Chapter 1

TATIANA

Banging on the door has me waking with a start. It’s dark outside, and I’mstill tired, but there isn’t a chance I’ll be able to stay in bed.

“Get out of bed! You’ve got breakfast to make beforeyou go to school,” Dahlia shouts. I hate the woman. She is the housekeeperof the Blackshadow pack and is supposed to do all the cleaning, laundry, andcooking. She has six of the pack members to help, but makes me do as much asshe can in the time I have between getting up to go to school, coming home, andgoing back to bed. My life is one round of working and exhausted sleep.

Climbing out of bed, I quickly throw on my clothes and openthe door. Dahlia is standing with her hands on her fat hips, scowling at me asusual. She is around 5′ 6″ which is 4″ taller than I am. She has dullbrown hair always tied in a tight bun at her nape, and I don’t think I’ve everseen her smile.

“Come on, get a damn move on. You don’t have all day. Idon’t want to go to Alpha Torrance, but I will, and you know that will mean badthings for you.” Giving me a nasty smirk as she walks away and back towards thestaircase.

I run into the bathroom down the hall, freshen up as fast aspossible, and head to the kitchen. It doesn’t take me more than an hour to getthe large breakfast ready for everyone to descend to the dining room, whereeverything is expected to be ready and waiting on the warmers along the wallnearest the kitchen.

As soon as I have everything in the dining room, I rushupstairs and get ready for school, eating the piece of bread I stole covered inpeanut butter and jelly.

Black pants, a white blouse, and black boots are the uniformI have to wear. It’s cast-off clothing and the rest of the pack wear the newskirts, dresses, and blue blazers.

Grabbing the bag with my books inside, I rush downstairs andout the back entrance. I’m not allowed to use the main door, or be seen aroundthe pack house unless I’m cleaning, then I have to keep my head down and notlook anyone in the eye.

Walking to school, I try to remember my parents, but it’sbeen so long since they died that the images in my mind are blurred. I rememberthey loved me, and I loved them back. My sixteenth birthday is next week, andthat’s seven years since they had the accident that cost them their lives.

I wasn’t with them at the time; I was at a birthday party.But I often wish I had been and then I wouldn’t be on my own now, living with apack that dislikes me, and they dislike me because I have no parents to providefor me so the pack has to do it.

As soon as I have my birthday, I’m going to leave the pack.Even if I meet my mate, I’m not staying. Not one male in this pack has stoppedany of the abuse I’ve suffered, which shows they are not worthy mates.

Quickly making my way to my first lesson, I keep my headdown, passing the few other people that are classed as worthless pack membersin the corridor. Stepping into class, I take my seat, select the books for thelesson and sit waiting for the class members and teacher to arrive.

Connell the Alpha’s son walks in with his entourage behindhim, he looks through me, not at me as he passes and I pick up my books placingthem on my lap, because I know they’ll be thrown onto the floor or worse tornto pieces by one of them. It’s happened more than once before and instead ofthe teacher helping me, they’ve given me detention, which has me late helpingto serve the evening meal, earning me more punishment.

Evangeline grabs my hair and pulls it hard, causing me tosqueal as I fall from my seat. I drop the books from my lap as I lift my handsto get her to let go of my hair.

The teacher walks into the classroom and seeing what’shappening astounds me when she says. “Tatiana, stop that fooling around or I’llhave to give you another detention.”

Evangeline giggles, lets go of my hair, and walks over toConnell, sits next to him, leaning in and running her hands down his arm. Ican’t help the tears that fill my eyes, but I don’t allow anyone to see them asI quickly pick up my books and take my seat once more.

When the teacher stands in front of the class, I keep myhead half down, watching the best I can and listening to all the nonsense she’sspouting about pack laws and the excellent ways that the pack looks after eachother. It’s laughable and if it were not for the fact that I’d get flogged inthe pack square, I would laugh and call every one of the pack out for thehypocrisy they live by.

I’m happy to get out of school by the end of the day, and Irun back to the pack house so I’m not caught by Connell and his followers.

Reaching the back door of the pack house, I run up the backstaircase and to my room, where I take my clothes off and fold them on a chairnext to my bed. Taking the sweatpants and t-shirt I wear most evenings, tie myhair into a high ponytail and make my way to the kitchen.

Dahlia sees me enter the kitchen and points to the sink,which is piled high with large pans that need cleaning. Emptying the sinkfirst, I refill with hot soapy water and start on them, because no one willhelp me do these, and I’ll not be allowed to go to bed until they are done andready for tomorrow.

Scrubbing the burned-on pieces of lasagna, I don’t speak toanyone, well if I did, I’d just get snarled at, and probably a slap around theface. I turn when I hear Dahlia answer her phone, which she keeps in her apronpocket, and calls my name. “Tatiana, the Alpha wants you in his office. Makelively, don’t keep him waiting.”

I’ve never been called to the office before, so this issomething I should be worried about. Drying my hands, I quickly make my way outof the kitchen, through the dining room, and into the hallway where the officeand the reception room are situated.

Taking a deep breath, I tap on the door lightly, and feellike running when I hear the deep voice call ‘come in’.

Stepping inside, I keep my eyes trained on my feet and stopin front of Alpha Torrance’s desk. “Tatiana, you will be sixteen soon andyou’ll be getting your wolf. Once you have your wolf, you’ll be eligible tofind your mate. However, I’ve decided you will wait until your eighteenthbirthday.”

Jittering from one foot to the other, I can feel mybreathing picking up and the panic starting in the pit of my stomach andclimbing quickly. Shit, where is he going with this?

“When your parents died, they left a house and aconsiderable inheritance for you, mainly from your grandparents. We will mateyou to Connell on your eighteenth birthday and at that time you will sign overyour inheritance to him. As soon as you have a pup you will move out of thehouse, leave your pup with Connell and live in the Dorridge Lodge on the edgeof pack territory.”

My breathing is coming so fast that my vision is blurring. Ilook at the Alpha for a second and see Connell standing next to the Alpha, armsfolded and looking at me like I’m a piece of shit he just stood on.

We’ll run as soon as we can! Where did that thoughtcome from? It felt like someone was speaking to me though, rather than I wasthinking it!