The clang of pots and pans echoed through the vast kitchen as I scrubbed another grimy pan. My hands were raw, my fingers pruny from the endless washing. The scent of soap and grease clung to me like a second skin.“Move faster, omega,” Beatrice snapped, her sharp voice cutting through the kitchen’s noise.“Yes, Beatrice,” I murmured, keeping my head down.The other maids snickered, their laughter mixing with the sound of sizzling food and clattering dishes. I kept my mouth shut, focusing on the task before me. I couldn’t afford to draw more attention.“You missed a spot,” one of the younger maids, Clara, said smugly, pointing to a barely visible stain on a pan.I bit my tongue, scrubbing harder.“Pathetic,” she muttered as she walked past, bumping my shoulder.I stumbled slightly but steadied myself, refusing to react.“She’s like a ghost,” Clara said loudly to the others. “Doesn’t talk, doesn’t fight back. Maybe that’s why her mates don’t want her. Weak and useless.”“Even the slits
I stumbled back to the kitchen, my mind racing. The confrontation with Ryker felt surreal, an unexpected clash of emotions swirling together—fear, anger, adrenaline. The taste of defiance lingered on my tongue, but so did the bitter reminder of my punishment.The kitchen was eerily quiet as I entered, the other maids whispering among themselves. Their eyes followed me, wide with curiosity and perhaps a hint of fear. Clara spoke first, her expression somewhere between smug and shocked. “So, how did it go?” I didn’t respond, instead heading straight to the far side of the room, grabbing the nearest sponge and getting lost in the rhythm of washing dishes. My hands moved automatically, though my mind was still at Ryker’s desk, replaying the moments of anger, the proximity that had felt both threatening and intoxicating. “Bet you got a real telling-off,” Clara continued, her voice dripping with faux sweetness. “What did Alpha say? Did he give you a good scare?” The other maids giggled,
The day waned, and the last glimmers of sunlight filtered through the grimy kitchen windows, casting a melancholic glow over the clutter. Each tick of the clock seemed to emphasize the weight of my thoughts as I finished up the last of the dishes. The chatter from the other maids dwindled, replaced by the sound of forks clattering against plates and whispered snippets about the wedding.“Can you believe the Alpha’s actually allowing a pack wedding during Harvest Moon?” Clara was saying, her voice bubbling with disdain. “A real show of leadership, huh? But of course, we’re all just supposed to play our roles like good little servants.”“Better than sitting around twiddling our thumbs at home,” Beatrice snapped back, but even she seemed to struggle with the excitement and dread that loomed over the impending event.As I finished, I wiped my hands on my apron and caught Clara's eye from across the room. There was a challenge lurking behind her gaze, a flicker of rivalry that made my stom
I scrubbed, and I scrubbed, my hands raw and blistered. The stone floors of the east wing seemed endless, stretching out in cruel defiance of my aching limbs. Each stroke of the brush felt like a punishment in itself, a reminder of Ryker’s cold, unyielding glare as he handed down my sentence.My stomach growled angrily, a sharp pain twisting in my gut. Two days without food. Two days of this relentless, back-breaking work. My vision swam, and I had to pause, bracing myself against the floor to keep from collapsing.“Curse him,” I muttered under my breath, my voice hoarse. “Alpha Ryker, may your pillow be forever lumpy, and your soup always cold.”I resumed scrubbing, though my movements were sluggish. “May your boots always squeak, and may you step in every puddle on the way to every council meeting,” I grumbled. The words tasted bitter, but they were my only comfort as I worked through the pain and exhaustion.My fingers slipped on the wet stone, and I nearly fell forward. I caught
It wasn't going to be a beautiful day. I didn't need to understand science to know that the moment I had to deal with other maids that morning. My day would be the worse. The maids' quarters were a hub of whispered conversations and quiet giggles as I entered the kitchen early in the morning. My task list had already been posted on the wall: scrubbing pots, dusting the grand hall, and tending to the laundry.“Good morning, Marcy,” Clara greeted with a saccharine tone, her smirk barely hidden.I didn’t reply. I’d learned that nothing good ever came from responding to her.“Did you sleep well, omega?” she continued, her voice louder now, drawing the attention of the other maids. “Or did your mates keep you up?”The room erupted in stifled laughter. I gritted my teeth and focused on tying my apron.“Don’t ignore me,” Clara snapped, stepping in front of me. “You think you’re better than us because you’ve got two Alphas wrapped around your finger?”“I’m just here to work,” I said quietly
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical of his intentions. “An offer? What kind of ‘offer’ could you possibly have for me?”Evan leaned in slightly, his expression shifting from playful to serious. “I Can help you gain some leverage over Clara and the other maids, but I need something from you in return.”“And what would that be?” I asked, my curiosity piqued despite my better judgment.He straightened up and crossed his arms again, adopting a mockingly casual tone. “You’ll have to let me teach you how to hold your own against them. Let me coach you on how to stand up for yourself, how to not let them walk all over you.”I contemplated his offer. On one hand, I felt exhausted from the constant bullying and was tired of being treated like a doormat. On the other hand, trusting Evan seemed like a risk—he had an air of unpredictability that made me uneasy.“What’s in it for you?” I asked, not ready to commit to anything just yet.He chuckled lightly, the amusement still lingering in his eyes. “Ho
I looked at Evan, whose face suddenly changed.Then he said, “Your wolf. It’s... rare.”I frowned, confusion prickling at my skin. “I... I don’t understand. It comes and goes. I’m an omega, and it looks the same as everyone else’s.”Evan let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “No, Marcy. It’s not the same. I’ve seen hundreds of wolves shift, and yours? It’s different. Stronger.”I crossed my arms, uneasy under his scrutiny. “If it’s so strong, why can’t I control it? Why does it feel like I’m fighting with a stranger every time it shows up?”Evan’s smirk returned, though there was something more serious beneath it. “Because you don’t know how to listen.”“Listen?” I scoffed. “It’s a wolf, Evan, not a person.”“Shows how much you know,” he said, stepping closer. “Your wolf isn’t just some beast inside you. It’s a part of you. And until you stop treating it like a problem, you’ll never get anywhere.”I opened my mouth to argue, but he held up a hand.“Save it,” he said. “You want to g
The sun hung low in the sky as Martha and I made our way toward the bustling market at the edge of the pack’s territory. The scent of freshly baked bread, ripe fruits, and roasted meat wafted through the air, mingling with the murmur of voices and the occasional bark of a merchant hawking their wares.Martha, walking beside me, nudged my shoulder playfully. “So, what’s the deal with you and Evan?”I blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, come on, Marcy. You’ve been spending all that time training with him, and you’re telling me nothing’s going on?”I felt my cheeks heat up, and I glanced away, trying to hide my smile. “There’s nothing going on. He’s just... helping me with my wolf.”Martha giggled, leaning in closer. “Helping you? Is that what they call it now?”I groaned, but I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re blushing,” she teased.“I am not!”She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, please. You’
Martha leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “Oh, come on. You’ve been spending so much time with him lately. Don’t tell me there’s nothing going on.”“There’s nothing going on,” I insisted, though my voice sounded unconvincing even to me.Martha raised an eyebrow, her grin widening. “You’re blushing, Marcy..”“I am not!” I said, setting the spoon down with a little too much force.“Sure you’re not,” she said, laughing. “So, what did you two do? Talk? Laugh? Stare into each other’s eyes? Kiss? Touch boobs?”I groaned, covering my face with my hands. “We got ice cream, okay? That’s all. You don't exactly have sex in an ice cream parlor or I tell him to oh Evan mark me.”“That isn't so bad.”I cocked my head to the right, “It's just ice cream Martha.”“Okay at where?”“Dream delights ice cream parlor.”Martha gasped, her eyes lighting up. “Oh my goddess! You are so clueless. That’s practically a date! Anyone who goes there knows that's a date.”“It wasn’t a date,” I said firmly
Evan was right when he said I was looking for something.Indeed I was.Martha.How could she? She acted all good and nice to my face, only to stab me in the back.I angrily walked through the hallways of the pack house, heading straight for the maids’ quarters.To the room we shared.It was unbelievable.I was sharing the same room, sleeping next to my enemy.The thought churned in my stomach, twisting like a knife. Her words to Clara echoed in my mind, the way she so easily dismissed me, calling me clueless, plotting something that I didn’t fully understand yet.I pushed open the door, the hinges creaking loudly. Martha was sitting on her cot, folding clothes, a soft hum escaping her lips. She looked up, startled, as I entered.“Marcy! You scared me,” she said, placing the shirt she was folding onto the pile. “What’s wrong?”I shut the door behind me and crossed my arms. “You tell me.”Her smile faltered, her brow furrowing. “What are you talking about?”“I overheard you,” I said, my
Clara let out a low, humorless laugh. “Good. Let her stay clueless. It’ll make things easier when the time comes.”I stepped back, my mind racing. They were talking about me. Whatever they were plotting, I was somehow involved, and it was clear they didn’t think much of me.The door suddenly creaked open, and I barely had time to slip around the corner before Clara and Martha emerged.“You’re sure you’ve got everything handled?” Clara asked, her voice still tinged with doubt.“I said I do,” Martha snapped. “Now stop worrying and act normal.”They parted ways, Clara heading toward the kitchen while Martha turned and walked in my direction.I pressed myself against the wall, holding my breath as she passed by, her expression tense. When she was out of sight, I exhaled slowly, my hands trembling.What in the world are they planning?---Later that afternoon, I found Martha alone in the laundry room, folding linens with an air of forced nonchalance. I needed answers, and I wasn’t about to
The following days passed in a haze of paranoia and determination. The journal and the pendant never left my side, tucked safely in my satchel. I spent every free moment deciphering my mother’s words and studying the map, though its symbols and annotations still eluded me. Each step forward felt like peeling back another layer of the lies that had shrouded my life for so long.Clara and Martha, meanwhile, were becoming more vigilant. Their whispered conversations were shorter, their movements sharper. It was as though they sensed I was onto them. I avoided them as best I could, but I knew it was only a matter of time before they made their move—or I made mine.One evening, I found myself back in the library, poring over old texts in the hopes of matching the symbols on the map to anything in the archives. The room was silent, the faint scent of aging paper filling the air. I’d nearly given up when a faint scuff of boots on the wooden floor made me freeze.I looked up to find Ryker sta
Their words sent a jolt through me. Playing the victim? What was right under my nose? My pulse quickened as I pressed harder against the door, trying to catch every word. The conversation was laced with a tension that hinted at something deeper than petty gossip.“We need to move quickly,” Clara said after a moment of silence. “If the Elder keeps poking around, it’s only a matter of time before he puts the pieces together.”Elder? Were they talking about Solas? My heart sank. What could they possibly be involved in that connected to him—and, by extension, to me?Martha sighed. “I know. But if we rush, we’ll make mistakes, and mistakes mean exposure. We’ve waited this long; a few more days won’t hurt.”Clara wasn’t convinced. “We’re running out of time. If she remembers anything—if she finds out what really happened—”“We’ll handle it,” Martha interrupted, her voice sharp with finality. “Just stick to the plan.”I stepped back from the door, my mind racing. What were they talking about
I was giggling to myself as I rushed to get some drinks. The festival had done something strange to me, lifted a weight I hadn’t realized I’d been carrying. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt light. Even the lingering tension between Ryker and Evan had faded from my thoughts as I wove through the bustling crowd.Grabbing two mugs of cider from a nearby stall, I turned to head back when I nearly collided with someone.“Oh, I’m sorry—” I began, stopping short as I looked up.The man before me was older, his face lined with deep wrinkles that spoke of years of wisdom and hardship. His sharp, amber eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, and a long, silver beard framed his weathered face.“Marcelline,” he said softly, his voice gravelly yet calm.I blinked, the sound of my name from his lips catching me off guard. “Do I know you?”He gave a small, knowing smile. “Not directly. But I knew your parents.”The world around me seemed to slow, the sounds of the festival fadi
The pack festival was a grand affair, transforming the normally quiet grounds into a bustling scene of celebration. Lanterns hung from trees, casting a warm golden glow over the crowd. The scent of roasted meat and spiced cider filled the air, and laughter echoed from every corner.I walked cautiously through the festival, Martha at my side, her excitement palpable.“Isn’t this amazing?” she said, her eyes sparkling as she took in the sights. “It’s like the whole pack has forgotten their troubles for one night.”“Not everyone,” I murmured, noticing the occasional scowl or whispered comment directed my way.Martha looped her arm through mine. “Ignore them, Marcy. Tonight, you’re here to have fun.”Easier said than done. I tried to focus on the lively music and the colorful stalls, but the weight of the pack’s disapproval clung to me like a shadow.As we passed a group of warriors gathered around a large bonfire, I spotted Ryker and Evan standing off to the side, deep in conversation. R
I chuckled, the sound bubbling up through the heaviness of my earlier emotions. “I’ll do my best,” I replied, feeling a surge of warmth at his words.“Good.” Evan flashed me a grin before continuing on his way. I watched him go, feeling a strange combination of gratitude and confusion swirling within me. Despite the chaos in my mind, something about our conversation had kindled a flickering flame of resolve deep inside.I took a deep breath and glanced down the staircase, feeling the enormous weight of the Alpha house pressing in on me. But if I could just learn to stand tall—like Evan suggested—maybe I could become a little stronger, a little more confident.With renewed determination, I made my way back down the steps and into the kitchen. The maids were still busy with their chores, casting occasional glances in my direction. This time, however, I held my head high, refusing to let their whispers pierce through the wall I was slowly building around myself.I began to sort through t
The sun hung low in the sky as Martha and I made our way toward the bustling market at the edge of the pack’s territory. The scent of freshly baked bread, ripe fruits, and roasted meat wafted through the air, mingling with the murmur of voices and the occasional bark of a merchant hawking their wares.Martha, walking beside me, nudged my shoulder playfully. “So, what’s the deal with you and Evan?”I blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Oh, come on, Marcy. You’ve been spending all that time training with him, and you’re telling me nothing’s going on?”I felt my cheeks heat up, and I glanced away, trying to hide my smile. “There’s nothing going on. He’s just... helping me with my wolf.”Martha giggled, leaning in closer. “Helping you? Is that what they call it now?”I groaned, but I couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up. “You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re blushing,” she teased.“I am not!”She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, please. You’