Alpha Rhys

Chapter 2

I flip the pancakes in the pan with scratched hands. I was up all night working on some shirts for the girls and ended up hurting myself on accident. I place all the food on its proper place on the table with step mother staring me down. She seems on edge this morning, but I don't really care. I take a few steps to the door when I glance over to see something in her purse. It has the same emblem that I saw on an envelope years ago.

"What is that?" I ask her. I'm not afraid to speak up anymore. Four years has passed since the ball, and a lot of torment, occurred. I learned to stand up for myself once I turned eighteen, and now have earned a little more respect. Step mother turns her head and tells me that it is none of my business. I shake my head and walk up to her sitting form. "I am well above age to leave the house and stop obeying you. Anything addressed to this family is also addressed to me. Without me here, you'd all be nothing."

My father walks in and defends his wife. "And without us, you'd be nothing." He glares at me, "Remember that you are invisible to the outside world. You have nowhere or no one to go to. Know your place!" I shake my head and storm into my room. I'm too old to have temper tantrums, but I am old enough to have respect. Something that these people clearly lack.

I feel like I will take a long break from my work and nap. I was working on clothes longer than I needed to last night, so I deserve more sleep to make up for lost time. When I wake up, I hear a family meeting being called. They never say I'm part of the family until they need me for something. I roll out of bed and head into the living room. Step mother has made everyone bring in their gowns and suits from four years ago to try on.

I'm guessing that another ball is being held if they are wearing their gowns again. They all look like they don't fit into it, so step mother tells them to give their clothes to me to fix. I am the family tailor now ever since I ruined the girls' clothes last time. I had to pick up sewing rather quickly and became good at it. Even so, now I have to make their clothes from scratch since their money is running low. They give me fabric by the bulk to come up with something, so after years of training I have learned quite a few tricks. Still, I never get to use any of the fabric for myself.

"Airia will make sure you fit into your gowns as perfectly as you did years back. Hop to it." Step mother motions toward me. Before I know it, clothes were being thrown at my direction. I wouldn't have to be tailoring these if they just exercised or did anything really. All they do is sleep and eat when they are here. I do everything! Obviously, people naturally grow as they age, but the way they packed on some pounds really can't qualify as mother nature's doing.

"Another ball? What is it for this time, Momma?" Alie asks with her hands intertwined together. Her mother smiles down at her and says, "The Alpha, as you know, did not find his mate. He is requesting every eligible woman in all five regions to come." She whispers, "People said that he'd even consider a rouge since he's so lonely. Isn't that pathetic?"

"Why would you all go if he already met you?" I speak up. "There is no point in going if you already know he isn't interested." He wants his mate, not some stuck up girl who can't even lift her own finger to flip me off.

"Because," Step mother walks toward me, "if he cannot find his mate by the end of the ball, he would have to choose some other woman as his bride. Alpha law." She smiles at her girls again and tells them to start prepping their beauty routine. I roll my eyes. Even if he couldn't find his mate and has to choose a random girl to spend the rest of his life with, he wouldn't dare look in their direction.

"Of course, you are not to join us on this occasion. If you plan to escape like last time, you will have it worse." Step mother glares at me. I nod my head and leave the room. I'm not worried about her punishments anymore. There is nothing she can do that would scare me now that I'm twenty. If she dares try to hurt me again, I am strong enough to fight back. Though if I hurt her, I will be kicked out and have nowhere to go. One thing is still the same: I'm trapped.