ASTORIA POINT OF VIEW
"You should be the one to go in, Senora," said Kana, an omega with long black hair. "Why don't you go in, Kana?" Senora, the blonde, argued back. They both stood at the entrance of Prince Kieran's chambers, each terrified of being the first to enter. I stood there with a broom in my hands, watching them argue. I had just finished sweeping the entire palace when I caught sight of their disagreement. Pushing the long black hair that danced across my face to the side, I tried to sneak away before they noticed me. But with my luck and clumsiness, I tripped and let out a small scream as I fell to the ground. I could tell their attention was already on me when I overheard one of them muttering, "I can't believe we have to rely on this useless servant," as if they were not servants like me. Gathering myself, I stood up and quickly dusted off the dirt clinging to my dress. I pushed my hair to the side and lifted my head to look them in the eyes. "You, servant girl..." Senora called out, walking toward me with a bottle of wine. Kana followed closely behind, her expression just as arrogant. I took a deep breath, preparing myself for their torment. "Take this to Prince Kieran." "But... I can't," I stammered, struggling to form words. "I am never to step into any royal chamber. The Queen made it very clear." "No one is going to see you if you go in there and drop the wine on the prince's table, Astoria," Kana said with arrogance. "As long as you do it fast, the prince won't even notice you're there. Do it fast before I change my mind." I could see the look of disgust in their eyes as they stared at me, but one couldn't really blame them. I was just an ordinary omega even lower than them, the lowest of the low in our pack, and I shouldn't expect any special treatment. "Come on, servant girl. The prince is in a bad mood, and we don't want to risk stepping into his chambers. Who knows what he might do?" Senora said, a look of worry on her face. "But if I step in, then it might be me he hurts instead," I protested, my head bowed, avoiding eye contact. I had no right to challenge them, but I knew they were growing impatient. "And what could the prince possibly do to you that hasn't been done a hundred times before?" Kana asked, irritation clear in her voice. I couldn't help but agree. I had been subjected to countless abuses, but that didn't mean I wanted to face more at the hands of the prince. "But... I don't want to..." I started, but Senora didn't let me finish. She shoved the bottle of wine roughly into my hands, her nails digging into my skin. "Serve this to the prince, or I will gouge out your eyes before he gets a chance to," she threatened. Without another word, they walked away, leaving me to serve the prince alone. My legs shook as I walked toward the chamber. I lifted my hand to gently knock but realized the door was already slightly open. Taking a deep breath, I softly pushed it open and stepped into the room. I could immediately make out the figure of the prince lying on his bed in the dark. Hesitating and with trembling legs, I took steps towards him. My heart beating so fast . I thought it might just burst out of my chest. Carefully, I placed the wine on his table and for some reason I felt the urge to move closer, see him from a closer view. Unable to resist any longer at that moment, I did what I thought was right. "Elara," he called out, his voice a whisper. He lay on the bed, his eyes shut tight. The room was dull, but I could still see the beads of sweat running from his dark curly hair down to his neck and glistening chest. "Elara," he called out again, a bit of desperation in his tone. I blinked abruptly, panic taking over me as I stammered, "Your Grace, I am not Elara." My heart was beating very fast at this point, and I tried to turn my back to leave his room, but he held my wrist tightly which made me panic even more. My eyes landed on the empty bottle of wine on the table, and it immediately occurred to me that he had had too much to drink. This might just be the fifth night in a row he had drunk himself to stupor since his lover left him just a few days ago. I tried to free my hand from his grip, but it was too strong and powerful showcasing the raw strength of Alpha Jacob Golden, son and heir. He fluttered his eyes open and I could see the sadness in his eyes, even in his drunken state, was both intimidating and heartbreaking. Without warning and with a hard yank, he pulled me until I fell, laying on top of him on the bed. My face flushed red as I stared into his thick brown eyes, framed by long, airy lashes. My heart beat even more rapidly as our faces were merely inches apart. The truth that couldn't be denied is that I have always been in love with him, ever since I was little. And this might just be the first time ever I have had the opportunity to be this close to him. I have only ever stared at him from a distance, admiring his strength and charisma. After all, I was an ordinary omega, the lowest rank in the pack. It was a sin to even breathe the same air as the only heir to the storm fall pack? The bridge between our world was one I could not cross even in a thousand years to come. He was holding me in his strong arms, his eyes soft and full of emotion as he stared at me lovingly, mistaking me for his lover. The scent of wine and his natural smell filled my nose, making my heart race even faster. I could feel every rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. This moment was something I had secretly longed for, despite the danger it brought. The next thing that happened shocked me to my core: his lips found their way to mine. I froze on the spot, unable to move as I tried to process exactly what was happening. His lips were warm against mine, and it felt almost perfect. Out of nowhere, I could feel my wolf trying to talk to me—a distant echo, a faint whisper. It was as if she was reaching out to me, trying to connect in this moment. I tried to listen, the sound not audible, but I knew it was her. This was the first time in eighteen years I had actually felt a connection with my wolf, even though it was faint and inaudible. It felt incredibly important, like a part of me that had been asleep had awakened, making me feel a connection I hadn't experienced in ages. Could Kieran be my mate? I immediately shook my head at the idea. If he was my mate, I would have known, but then again, this was the first time I had come very close to him. Suddenly, I found myself wanting him more, the desire becoming intense, almost primal. But no, there was no way Kieran was my mate. He was the son of the alpha of the most powerful pack in the universe. Mates of someone like him were supposed to be from the royal family, not someone like me. But how come he couldn't feel it like I was feeling it right now? Was it because he was too drunk and couldn't sense that I was his mate, me, a common omega? I was extremely confused. I feared what queen mageary would do to me when she finds out her son is my mate, she will waste no time in bringing an end to my miserable life. Any other woman in my position would have been happy but for me this was terrible news. At that moment, I broke the kiss, panicking. His eyes were on mine, searching for something I couldn't understand. I knew the appropriate thing to do was to push him away, to resist the desire. But it felt like I couldn't control myself, like I would go crazy if I didn't have him right there and then. Before I could react , he caught my lips in another kiss, as if we were lovers who had known each other for decades, as if we were meant to be together. Then he broke the kiss and whispered in my ear, "You are mine. Never forget that."I sat in the cold, dark dungeon, half naked, my body freezing as my teeth clenched together. I had shed so much tears it was hard to summon another. I had little to no choice but to lay there in silence, curled into a ball. The only sound I could hear was the chattering of my teeth. The next thing I heard was the dungeon door opening behind me, followed by the voice of my nine-year-old boy as he ran in, calling out, "Mother!" I quickly sat up, shivering, and hugged him tightly, and he returned the embrace without hesitation. He came with a blanket, quickly breaking the hug to wrap it around me. I curled into it immediately, seeking warmth. "Are you alright? Are you fine?" my son asked, concern on his face. I nodded weakly, too drained to speak, but relieved to see him again after two days in that cold, foodless, and waterless dungeon. "They didn't allow me to see you." "Shhh," I hushed him, placing a finger over my lips, glancing at the head maid standing beside the guard with a
" Are you going to stay in my arms forever?" He asked. At that very moment, I immediately snapped back to reality as his grip on me loosened. I got out of his arms, immediately looked down and tucked my hair behind my ears. It was a crime for a lowlife servant like me to stare into the eyes of royalty, and I had just been in his arms. It was a relief the queen was not nearby to witness this, or things could have been worse. "Oh my, did you fall from there?" The woman I had just discovered was his wife asked with a concerned look on her face. I felt uncomfortable, realizing that Kieran still had his eyes on me. This was the longest he had ever stared at me, and at that moment, I wanted to move as far away from him as possible, but I couldn't."You shouldn't really worry about what happens to the servant," a voice said, shocking me. I quickly bowed my head as the queen joined us. I didn't want to be around her because I knew she particularly despised me and would do anything to ensure
I struggled to process everything unfolding before my eyes; none of it felt real at that moment. How could I, of all people, be the daughter of the late Alpha Jacob? Where did this connection even come from? And had I really borne a child with my own brother? I forced myself to stop panicking, clinging to the hope that the queen was just trying to prevent me from marrying her son. That was the only explanation that made any sense."What are you talking about, woman?" the councilman's voice boomed through the room, a frown etched on his face. Even he was repulsed by the queen's words—who wouldn't be? She had just uttered something truly revolting. I took a deep breath and looked at Kieran, who met my eyes with surprise before quickly breaking eye contact, turning instead toward his mother. "Can you prove the legitimacy of these claims? The old alpha was many things, but infidelity was never one of them," he added.The queen frantically looked around for something. Her eyes landed on on
TRIGGER WARNING:- VIOLENCE AND ABUSE I made my way over to Kieran's room, walking slowly down the corridor, my mind racing with a series of thoughts. What could Kieran possibly want from me? And how far would the Queen go to make me suffer now that she had exposed such a deep secret and her plans had fallen apart? My heart pounded nervously in my chest as I gulped, determined to face my challenges head-on, no matter how difficult or terrifying it might be.Suddenly, a sharp slap to my face snapped me out of my thoughts. The blow was so powerful that it sent me crashing into the nearby wall. I clutched my stinging cheek, my eyes shimmering with unshed tears. My attacker was none other than the Queen herself, glaring down at me with fury. I knew she was ready to kill me now, to waste no time in making my life a living hell. There would be no mercy—of that, I was certain."You bloody witch!" she sneered, yanking me up by the arm and delivering another brutal slap to my face. I collapsed