Untouchable by Marii Solaria

“Don’t cry over someone who wouldn’t cry over you.” – Lauren Conrad

Neron

I whipped my head around to see my destined Gamma, Kwame, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed over his chest. Wearing his signature white shirt and black pants that brought out the mahogany-brown of his skin, his face contorted into one of annoyance. “Are you saying this just to save it from punishment?”

“I’m saying it because it’s the goddamn truth. I gave her, not it, the food. She hasn’t eaten in four days! If you want her to keep working, you need to feed her when she needs it, not when you feel like it.”

I looked down at the sobbing slave, already curled into a fetal position with its head guarded with its arms. I trusted Kwame for his honesty was his best trait. It didn’t mean I had to like it, though. Sucking in a deep breath, I stuffed my anger back below the dirt, catching a glimpse of my reflection in the window of my eyes return from black to blue.

Finally, I backed away from it. I would never understand why Kwame treated it differently from the rest of the pack. It wasn’t anything special. Growling, I walk towards Kwame, glaring deep into his dark eyes. He was one of the very few who didn’t cower at my authority.

“I’ll feed it whenever I feel like it, Kwam. Don’t interfere.”

“Fine.” He put his hands up in defense. “But if you bitch about your floors not being cleaned, and she keels over, don’t come crying to me.” With that, Kwame left, the pack members parting away from his path. The slave’s pained sobs have quieted down, but each hiccup only irritated my ears and heart. I hated the feelings it gave me. The spectators parted to make way for me, leaving the sorry thing behind.

I hated to admit it, but Kwame was right. If I expect the slave to continue to work, I must feed it. Nourish it, as he liked to put it. Something about feeding someone who brought nothing but pain and suffering just didn’t sit right with me. I hated that thing and wanted it dead, but its parents convinced me to keep it around, that the thing was better off maintaining the pack house in silence than buried underground. Hell, my Omegas didn’t seem to complain. Lead Omega Cassandra hated cleaning up after a bunch of dogs, anyway.

But Cassandra’s cooking never ceased to put a damper on my anger. After my encounter with the slave, she made sure that I was well-fed, courtesy of Odessa. I worked up quite an appetite. However, that appetite diminished by a couple thousand when I walked into the main room to see Valerian, my best friend and destined Beta, already having his breakfast.

Raina sat on his lap as he licked crumbs off her l*ps. I understood they were mates but come on! People eat here! Clearing my throat, the two stopped k/ssing. “Can’t you take that shit to the bedroom? I like to eat in peace.”

“Normally, yes. But we got a lot of work to do for the ceremony tonight.” Valerian chuckled; his arm locked tight around his lover’s hips. His green eyes never left Raina’s brown. “Could I at least have a little sneak preview of the dress you would wear tonight?”

Raina giggled. “No! Why spoil the surprise?”

“But I hate surprises.”

up his plate of food.

“You or the pancakes?”

deep crimson blush rose in

Out!” I did the shooing motion with my hand and the couple left with their plates in a gaggle of high-pitched laughter. I was happy that Valerian and Raina turned out to be mates. Val had been pining for her since he first moved here with his parents. As a bonus, Beta

take Valerian to notice the tiny scent growing in

helped my father to complete the final details for the ceremony. By the mid-afternoon, the Omegas and other pack members had decorated and organized the assembly hall with the help of Beta Female Ashley, standing in place for my mother. The wafting scent of the dinner prep encompassed the pack house, along with the pungent mixture of

made my nose

coming. This was the day I take over the mantle as the Alpha, and the entire pack would witness me become their new leader. Historically, there have been a handful of times that outsiders or rogue attacks disrupted the ceremony, but I pray to the Moon Goddess that tonight goes off without a hitch. My hair laid

ready to claim the crown?

don’t worry. This would be a night both of us would remember for

something. Let

us make Zircon Moon Pack the proudest of them

Halima

too low. The water was too

enough soap. The unscented bar would disappear

dirt all over me.

All I

as their children were. Hell, they considered some to be their children.

icy water fell on me from the garden hose attached to the ceiling, doing nothing to cool the stinging on my face. Neron’s slaps were powerful, like being hit in the face with bricks. Who knew something as small as an empty plate near me would be enough to set him off? I should’ve been more careful. I deserved this. I should’ve taken that plate back

could warm me these days, not even the sun itself. The cold water glided over my wounds and cuts, sizzling underneath its chill. I hissed. The chill was supposed to make the

on the line with his best friend? The way he looked at me in the hall—that look of pity

day couldn’t