Chapter 7 : Winter POV

As soon as we got downstairs, an elderly woman appeared. I quickly learned that Mrs. Hicks, the head omega, assigns everyone their duties. Being assigned by Mrs. Hicks to clean the Alpha office and conference room left me somewhat dissatisfied. It saddened me that Emmily and I wouldn't collaborate. After receiving my assignments from Mrs. Hicks, I gathered the cleaning supplies and headed to the third floor. The conference room was my first stop, and thankfully, it was empty. I immediately began cleaning and left once I was done. Opening it, I stumbled back, eyes wide with shock as Alpha stood before me, smirking maliciously. His stare was the worst part; it was repulsive, triggering memories of Alpha Monte's unsettling looks. My queasy stomach was impossible to ignore.

Trying to get around Alpha, I politely said “I needed to complete my chores” yet he remained in my way.

“There are unresolved issues that we still need to deal with, my servant. Remember, you haven't fully given yourself over to me.”

I was forcibly pulled back into the room by Alpha when I tried to walk past him. Seeing my disobedience, his growl intensified his rage.

“You think you can disrespect me, you pathetic thing? Submit now or face the consequences”

"Never!" I shouted, rejecting the idea completely.

The slap to my face caused a mild sting.

"You think you can take me on, mutt?" he yelled.

"Your hits are weak, so this won't be very challenging."

Alpha's growls intensified, making the whole house tremble. The situation became so heated that Luna was forced to intervene and physically restrain him. Having regained his composure, they both turned to me.

"What have you done to my friend, you awful woman?" Luna shouts.

"Nothing," was my response.

Luna slaps me and yells "liar!"

I rubbed my face in exasperation as she circled, deeming me worthless. A toss of her blond hair preceded a deadly stare in my direction.

"Leave us alone, you insignificant mutt." I gather my supplies and left.

Three months in this pack has led to significant growth and development for me. Emmily and I are now best friends, in other words, trust nobody, and Luna has made it her mission to make me suffer after encountering Alpha. Every time she walked by, I'd either get knocked over or drenched in whatever she could grab. She's under the impression that I'm distraught by her trivial actions, however, I'm not. Her anger grows when she sees me walking confidently.

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted Emmily and me mid-conversation while we were cleaning the kitchen. We looked around to see Mrs. Hicks standing behind us.

"Girls, I'm so glad to see you. Emmily, there's an urgent request from Alpha to see you.”

“Mrs. Hicks, I have to complete the cleaning.”

"Don't stress, Emmily, I'll get it done."

"I'll be back shortly," Emmily stated before departing.

As I put away the last dish, I heard footsteps—it was Roxanne and her group. Emmily shared with me about her love for bullying others, including herself. Following Roxanne's departure, Emmily confided in me about her subsequent actions and how I became her next target. I'm unfazed by her because I've dealt with her kind before, and my strong personality makes me immune to her tactics.

“What do you want Roxanne?”

"Who do you think you are to question me, bitch?” Roxanne yells out.

Attempting to walk away from her, I was cornered by her group who pushed and insulted me as Roxanne stood before me. I was getting angry as Marceline approached. I was on the verge of speaking when I realized I could only hold her back for a short time.

The voice called, "Roxanne," and we found Mrs. Hicks standing arms folded, where the sound had come from.

“What's happening?” Mrs. Hicks inquires.

"No big deal, just a misunderstanding, we cleared it up, agreed, Winter?" Roxanne shot me a deadly look, she mentioned.

“Yeah sure”

Don't you all remember that the elders are coming today, girls? Shouldn't the chili be ready by now?” Mrs. Hicks says.

"Not to worry, Mrs. Hicks, we'll take care of it immediately," Roxanne said.

“Be sure to do it,” Mrs. Hicks responded, leaving.

Once Mrs. Hicks was out of sight, Roxanne said, "Consider yourself lucky this time, because you won't be so fortunate next time. Girls, it's time to focus on real work while this slave does what she's best at - being on her knees," Roxanne stated before pouring water on the floor, throwing the cup in the sink, and leaving with her friends.

After wiping up the spilled water with a rag, Emmily entered, clearly angry.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

“The Alpha jerk wants me to go to the forest and chop wood.”

"For what purpose?"

“He mentioned they require it in the winter.”

“It’s summer; why so early?”

“I know, right, just Alpha being a jackass as usual. I need to get going.

“Will anyone accompany you?” I asks.

“It’s only me.”

“I’ll accompany you.”

“I’m worried about you, Winter; don’t get into trouble because of me.”

"Emily, do you think I'm crazy for allowing you to go into the forest alone when there are dangerous enemies who want to harm you? I'm going with you that final, regardless of the punishment.”

Emmily said, "OK, be at the front in five minutes."

I nodded, Emmily walked away, and suddenly my head began throbbing. I fetched a cup from the cabin, filled it with water, and then rummaged through another cabin for aspirin. To my surprise, I found a big bottle of milk of magnesia. A plan materialized; I retrieved the bottle and, leaving the kitchen, noticed a big pot of chili on the stove. Finding myself alone, I poured a whole bottle of milk of magnesia into the chili and replaced the lid. Discarding the bottle, I rushed out of the kitchen to meet Emmily outside.

"Winter, I have everything we need-"

"Okay, let's go," I said, moving her arm away from the door as Emmily guided me towards the shed. We took two wagons; I raced into the forest, with Emmily close behind. Once I felt we'd reached sufficient depth, I stopped holding my breath.

"Winter, what was the reason for us running? Emmily inquires.

Turning to Emmily, I confessed, "I had to leave quickly to avoid getting caught after doing something."

“So, what happened?”

“You might not believe this, but I put milk of magnesia in the chili.”

"Wait, you did that?" Emmily question.

“Emmily, I already told you, and the best part is that everyone, including the elders, will get chili; you know how that will go.”

Emmily didn't understand at first, but then she laughed so hard that "shocked" doesn't even begin to describe it.

"I would be thrilled to witness the result of that," Emmily said.

"Let's just hope there's enough tissue," I said as we walked.

Emmily and I spent three hours in the forest chopping wood before relaxing by the lake. We chatted until Emmily received a mind link; afterward, her expression told me everything.

"What's the matter?" I want to know

"It was Mrs. Hicks; we must return at once."

“What was her explanation?”

“Let’s hurry,” she wouldn’t say, sighed Emmily.

Nodding, we sprinted back and arrived quickly. However, upon doing so, we heard growling emanating from within the pack house. We rushed inside, but immediately regretted it; the overwhelming stench of feces nearly made us vomit. Proceeding to the dining hall, the scene before us defied belief. Nearly every pack member was surrounded by their own feces on the floor. The smell caused some to vomit. Alpha, Luna, and a few elders were sitting on buckets with their pants down, letting out gas. After witnessing this, Emmily and I decided to leave.

As we turned around, we noticed Mrs. Hicks approaching us after calling out, "Wait, girls."

“I need your help, girls—it's absolute mayhem in the house!”

“What took place here?” I ask.

“Everyone at the table started eating, and then suddenly, they all came down with a severe case of diarrhea. Mrs. Hicks shook her head, saying, "I have a feeling the girls tampered with the chili."

Emmily said, "We wish we could assist, but hours of chopping wood have left us exhausted."

"Poor girls, you need rest; I understand."

Ascending the stairs, laughter erupted in our room, our faces flushed with mirth.

"Winter, you really pulled off the best prank ever," Emmily says.

“Hopefully, they've learned their lesson about messing with us.”

Emmily replied, "I can only say that karma is a total bitch."

"I couldn't agree more."