I woke up early, gasping for breath as my body shook from the dream I just had. It was getting worse, and sometimes I woke up multiple times in the night and after going back to sleep the dream would start over again. I lay in bed for a moment, listening to the wind hitting the walls of the cabin.

Not wanting to be late, I got out of bed and began my morning routine, washing my face and brushing my teeth before hurriedly dressing up to head to the pack house to begin my chores for the day. It was early, earlier than I usually left but I had started leaving early to avoid running into Emma and her group of friends.

The past few weeks were a blur of pain and fear. Emma and her friends made my life a living hell, bullying me at every turn, calling me names, pushing me around, and beating me up when no one was looking. And I was tired of going back to my cabin with new bruises every day.

As I made my way to the kitchen, the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air, making my stomach growl with hunger. I had been tasked with helping to prepare breakfast for the pack, and I was looking forward to a quiet morning in the kitchen.

When I arrived, I was greeted by the warm smile of the pack's cook, a kind-hearted woman named Maria. "Good morning, Jade," she said, as she handed me an apron. "Today we're making pancakes and scrambled eggs. Can you start cracking the eggs for me?"

I nodded, and got to work. The kitchen was warm and cozy, filled with the comforting sounds of sizzling meat and happy chatter coming from Maria. For a brief moment, I forgot about being rejected by Paul and the bullies and the hardships of my life as a pack slave.

As I worked, Maria chatted with me about her family and her plans for the upcoming full moon celebration. She was one of the few people in the pack who treated me with kindness and respect, and I appreciated her friendship.

As the morning wore on, the kitchen grew busier, with more and more pack members arriving to have their breakfast.

“You can go now,” Maria whispered to me, seeing the look of panic on my face. She knew I was trying to avoid Emma, and she had been letting me go earlier than usual.

A sigh of relief left my lips as I nodded at her and took off my apron, but as I turned around to hang it up, I locked eyes with the very person I was trying to run away from. Emma stood at the door, with Paul standing beside her. They looked like the perfect couple, the next leaders of the pack, and I knew that after a long morning of kitchen duties, I looked worse than I normally did.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Emma said, her voice dripping with malice as she stared at me. "The little slave girl, hard at work in the kitchen.”

The kitchen immediately fell silent, everybody looking up to watch the inevitable showdown.

I felt my face growing hot with shame, my eyes stinging with tears. I knew I had to get out of there, to escape the humiliation and the pain, but with Emma and Paul blocking the doorway, I had no choice but to stand there and take whatever they threw at me.

Emma walked up to me, her eyes gleaming with amusement as she stared at my defeated posture. “You know Jade, I don't think I feel comfortable eating whatever you made. Not after you tried to trap my boyfriend, the next Alpha of this pack, into mating with you, a mere half wolf and pack slave. Who knows what you've done to our meal?” The kitchen erupted in murmurs as everyone stared at me, and I had to clench my teeth, forcing myself not to cry in front of everyone.

“As the one in charge of this kitchen, I can tell you that nothing here was tampered with.” I heard Maria's voice beside me. I wanted to look up at her, to thank her for being by my side, but I couldn't talk, I just stood there staring at my feet rooted to the ground.

Emma turned on Maria, her eyes flashing with anger. "Mind your own business," she spat. "This doesn't concern you."

Maria stood her ground, her eyes locked on Emma's. "I'm making it my business as you're questioning the quality of food I painstakingly prepared for the pack. I've been doing this for longer than you've been alive and no one has ever had a reason to question me," she said.

Emma's face was twisted with rage, but Maria just stood there, calm and firm. Finally, Emma backed down, storming out of the kitchen with a loud slam of the door. The other pack members began to murmur, their voices low and concerned.

Maria turned to me, her eyes warm with kindness. "Are you okay, Jade?" she asked.

I nodded, still feeling shaken. "Yeah, I'm fine," I said.

She smiled at me, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she patted me on the back. "You did a great job today, Jade, You have a real talent for cooking. If you need anything, just let me know.”

I smiled back, feeling warm at the compliment. For a brief moment, I forgot about the hardships of my life and all the bullying I've endured. But as I left the kitchen and made my way back to my cabin, I couldn't shake the feeling that this moment of peace was fleeting. Emma would make me pay for the embarrassment she just suffered at Maria's hands, and I wouldn't have someone to save me then.