I frowned slightly as I put the stain remover on a familiar and overly stubborn stain on one of Ellie's dresses. I had been fighting with it for several days now and Ellie hadn't been able to tell me what it was she had gotten on it. I was fairly certain it was a type of oil like Vaseline or lip chap or something waxy. Either way the stain wasn't coming out and it remained as a slightly darker shade from the rest of the dress.

"He kicked Mellie out." At the words I did my best to tune the conversation out. It was always hard. The laundry building was small and it was nearly impossible not to eavesdrop on the Omegas who were doing laundry along side me. "She lasted two hours." I tilted my head and leaned closer to the stain as I rubbed the remover into the fabric a touch harder. I wanted it to be gone. Ellie said it was fine but I knew it wasn't. There was no reason for father or Lisa to come at me because I hadn't done the laundry properly.

"Why does the Alpha continue? That's five Omegas in the last week, clearly the old Master-At-Arms doesn't want anyone around him." At the words I pursed my lips. I was trying really hard not to eavesdrop but they weren't exactly quiet and I was getting marginally bored fighting with the stain. However their topic of conversation tickled in the back of my head. The last I heard of the Master-At-Arms was his mate had died on her birthing bed. Which was an awful tragedy. Too many babies had died in the past few months and to learn that a female had died as well was tragic.

Not that I really talked about it with anyone. Simon was the main one who told me what was going on in the pack and Ellie occasionally told me things but Lisa did her best to keep us separate. I frowned again and lifted up the dress to look closer at the stain. I had a feeling the stubborn thing was getting bigger. I didn't like that at all. I set the dress back down and headed for the cupboards to grab some dawn dish soap.

"I would feel sorry for the male but he's a drunken asshole. He made Lennie cry you know. It took ages to get her to calm down after he yelled at her." The words were tsked out and I grabbed the half empty bottle of dawn and headed back to my counter.

"I know. The Alpha keeps sending us over there but thank the goddess we have some use outside of cleaning duties because I would hate to see what he would start resorting to in order to keep us there." The female omega's voice dropped a fraction and I glanced at them. They were busy folding clothes and I turned back to the dress. I used the dawn to soak the stain, rubbing both sides of the fabric to make sure it was completely coated.

I didn't know where to place the old Master-At-Arms but I knew he had been removed from the position and that was only because Simon had told me during one of our hair days. I was glad Simon at least told me that much, it was hard being othered from the pack. I understood I was more mundane than shifter, that I didn't have a wolf but I still felt really isolated. I always had.

It was bad enough that Lisa was tightening her grip and not letting me out as much after the incident with the Delta. Father had refused to bring the matter to the Alpha and there was no punishment for it so Lisa had barely allowed me to leave the house. What was worse was Simon had agreed with her, although I had noticed he and father had been fighting more. Simon thought father's unwillingness to protect me like he should was bullshit.

I let out a small sigh and set the dress down, letting the dawn sit for a few minutes as I moved over to the washing machine and dryer I had been using and switching the loads over. "I just pity whoever is going to be tossed to him next." The other omega said it low and try as I might I couldn't help but listen to the conversation. Laundry day was boring on the best of days and with me not being allowed to head over to the craft hall to continue quilting, it meant I was forced to sit and watch the laundry spin around and around.

"I thank Mene that I am needed in the kitchens most of the time so it won't be me." At the reply I grabbed the basket and carried it over to the folding table. I started to pull out clothes, quickly and precisely folding the clothes as I pulled them out.

"If he wasn't such a bastard, you would honestly feel sorry for him. Losing his female like that must have been brutal." The words had me pinching my lips together slightly. Losing a loved one was always hard. I had lost my mother when I was eight and I still carried it with me. Some days I was fine but others I would remember her more and it would ache, like a bone that had healed wrong.

I wondered how someone could potentially get over a loss like that? I lost my mother and it still hurt but losing a mate? I didn't know how someone could recover from that. I would never have a mate, I wasn't designed for it and if I listened to my father, I didn't deserve one because of my mundane half. But I knew mates were two souls tightly bound together so losing half of one's soul was worse than losing a parent.

The poor male. I didn't blame him for being upset and angry after that.

"Where the hell is my white Ermenegildo Zegna button down? I set it out specifically to get refreshed so I could wear it at the meeting later. I had specific instructions as to when it was to be returned!" The Alpha's voice and dominance surged through the building and I felt my muscles tighten. I rolled my shoulders forward and focused on folding the clothes in perfect lines. "Seriously. I don't ask for much and I don't treat you poorly. Is it too hard to ask that you listen?" There was a sneer to his voice and one of the omega's responded to him but I was too busy focussing on not drawing attention to myself.

I couldn't handle dominance. I really couldn't. Simon said I turtled and turned timid but there was a part of me that wanted to bolt, to run hard and fast to escape. I had simply learned that was a very poor option. Wolves were predators. They liked to chase.

"I don't care that the omega responsible for my luxury shirts was called to the kitchens! I set it out to be taken care of. I expect it to be taken care of." There was a low growl to his voice and I was more than aware I was tucking my shoulders more, trying to make myself look small and invisible. "You would expect I would get respect around here but I guess-" He cut off and there was a small silence that had the hairs on the back of my neck prickling upwards.

"Who are you?" The question was asked sharply and I slowly moved the folded t-shirt to the folded basket and grabbed another one to fold. "Don't ignore me!" The words were barked out and I jumped and glanced over a fraction before I realized the Alpha was talking to me. "Who are you?" His eyes were narrowed and his dominance was a heavy push down on my shoulders that made me want to hit the floor and curl up into a little ball on the floor.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times. My eyes wide as I clutched the shirt I had grabbed to my chest. "M-Menza, sir." It came out tiny and croaked and I felt myself shaking. I didn't ever really deal with the Alpha and I didn't like it. I didn't want him to notice me, not if it felt like this.

"Who the fuck is that?" There was a sneer to his voice and I swallowed hard, trying to quell the shaking in my body as I tried to gather the strength to respond to him.

"Minnie, sir. She's called Minnie." One of the omegas said it low and I hunched further under his predatory gaze.

"Oh. William's little half-breed?" There was an edge of something to his voice, interest or something else that I knew wouldn't end well for me.

"Yes, sir." The omega responded quickly and I tucked the shirt closer to my chest, staring at the folding table. I wanted to continue with the work but I couldn't, not with him staring at me like that. It was like all my limbs and joints had locked into place. The hope of a prey animal that the predator hadn't seen them and wouldn't see them.

"Why the fuck are you here?" There was a snort to his voice and I swallowed hard, feeling a touch pale.

"It-it's Wednesday, sir. Laun-laundry day fo-for the family." I stammered it out, my tongue not working properly. I wanted to curse at it but the tongue tied feeling was coming from his dominance, I couldn't control it and my eyes burned slightly. It was just too much for me. I wanted him to look away. I didn't want to be under that much scrutiny.

"Why the fuck are you doing it and not an omega?" He gave another scoff and I was aware he had moved closer.

I swallowed hard and tried to stop my teeth from chattering because I could feel the muscles in my jaw twitching to do just that. "Fa-ther and ma'am say it-it helps me bu-build char-acter to do cho-res li-like an Om-omega, sir." My stomach twisted into knots and I became hyper aware that he was moving closer.

"William's female is overstepping her bounds on who can be what and it isn't worth the character building to spoil the damn omegas." He muttered it out before he stopped nearly right next to me. He grabbed my chin and I fought back the urge to cringe, it reminded me of how the Delta had grabbed me. "You're pretty enough. Not something I would touch but I can see the appeal. Are you breeding age? Fertile?" His words were crass and I blinked rapidly, unable to meet his gaze as my cheeks flushed hotly and I swallowed, my mouth making dry clicking sounds as I panicked about how to respond.

"Enza!" Simon's cheerful voice cut through some of the tension as he swung the door open. "Mum needs your help in the kitchen for cooking sides for the barbeque so I have come to-oh. Hello, sir." He stopped short and I glanced at him, begging him with my eyes for him to get me away from the Alpha. I felt like I was going to throw up and my legs were going to give out while I shook my body to pieces. "Can I help you with anything, Alpha?" Simon came over and he placed a comforting hand on the middle of my back.

"Menza has been requested to come home to help preparation for the barbecue your female has planned for this afternoon. Could I help answer your questions?" His voice was strained but so polite it sounded like he had starched it.

"Nothing you can help me with, pup. Was just looking her over. William doesn't let her out so I... let's say forgot she was even on the territory and was just checking." He let my chin go and Simon stepped in closer to me by a fraction. "She's of age, is she not?" He asked it lightly and Simon's hand went stiff on my back before he nodded. "Ah. Well I shall let you escort the little half-breed beasty back home." The Alpha flashed a smile that was a warning filled with teeth more than it was friendly as he backed away. "Do make sure your father attends the barbecue, pup." His eyes flashed with an animalistic gleam as he glanced at me and I repressed the urge to shiver.

"Yes, sir." Simon bowed his head and the Alpha left the building and I swayed on my feet in relief. I hadn't liked that, at all. "You okay? Are you alright?" Simon's voice was pitched upwards slightly and I nodded, inhaling huge gulps of air, my teeth chattering. "What the fuck was that?" He said it low as he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and lead me to the door.

"I-I don't know." I honestly didn't. I didn't understand any of it.

"I didn't like that. I didn't like that at all. That is not good." Simon muttered it out and I leaned again him heavily. I had to agree. I didn't like it either. I felt like I was light headed and wanted to be sick.

Simon had been right. That situation hadn't been good. Not at all.