1: The scorn of the parkhouse

"Do you like this one?"

"No, I prefer this one."

Lena swallowed hard outside the dining hall, bracing herself. Kara's friends were troublemakers. They always had something to say when she was in front of them.

With careful steps, she pushed open the doors and entered, balancing a tray of honeyed figs, spiced almonds, and goblets of dark wine.

Laughter died the moment she stepped inside.

Lena kept her gaze down as she moved toward the long table, the tray steady in her hands. The girls lounged in their cushioned seats, silk gowns pooling around them like liquid luxury. Their eyes followed her every move, sharp with something Lena had long learned to recognize. Jealousy.

"Honestly, it’s ridiculous," Valeria muttered, toying with her goblet. "Why does a mere servant have such a face?"

Lena’s grip on the tray tightened.

"Right?" Selena drawled, a smirk curling her lips. "With a face like that, you’d think she was someone important. Not some pathetic little slave."

"Such a waste," Valeria sighed, pretending to be wistful. "A beauty like hers should be draped in jewels, not rags."

Lena reached the table and began pouring the wine, her movements controlled and precise.

She could feel their gazes crawling over her like insects, picking her apart.

"Maybe we should do something about it," Valeria mused.

Selena laughed. "Like what? Cut that pretty face? Oh, but that would be such a shame."

Lena set the last goblet down and turned to leave. One step. Two. Almost there...

The doors creaked open.

The air in the room shifted instantly.

The voices stopped.

Kara Voss had arrived.

Lena didn’t need to lift her head to feel the shift in power. The tap of Kara’s heels against polished floors echoed through the tense silence.

Her gaze swept over the room, cold and calculating, before landing on Lena.

"What’s going on here?" Kara’s voice was smooth, almost casual, but Lena knew better. There was always venom beneath the silk.

Valeria and Selena exchanged glances and grinned.

Valeria straightened eagerly. "Oh, nothing, Kara. Just your servant, Lena. She’s been so rude to us."

Lena’s stomach twisted tighter.

Kara arched a perfectly shaped brow. "Is that true, Lena?"

Lena’s throat tightened. Words felt useless, trapped between fear and fury.

"Answer me."

Selena’s smirk deepened as she leaned in, voice dripping with false sweetness. "She called you names, Kara. Said you were nothing. That as long as she was more beautiful than you, you weren’t worth the trouble."

The lie struck like a slap.

Lena stiffened, her breath shallow. She wanted to deny it, but speaking would be like digging her own grave.

Kara studied her for an unbearably long moment before exhaling sharply.

"You said you’re prettier?"

"I... I didn’t..."

Kara lifted a hand, and the room obeyed her command.

"You’ve been nothing but a thorn in my side," she said coolly. Her lips curled into something resembling a smile, but there was no warmth. Only cruelty. "Strip her down."

The world tilted.

Rough hands seized Lena’s arms.

"No, wait!" Panic flared in her chest as she struggled, but the guards were stronger.

"You will be punished for your insolence." Kara stepped closer, tilting her head as if considering something amusing. "Six strokes. One for each of your lies."

Lena’s breath hitched.

She was forced to her knees, her body betraying her even as her mind screamed for control. Fabric tore. Cold air bit at her bare skin.

Then, the first stroke landed.

A white-hot pain slashed across her back. Lena’s hands curled into fists. Don’t scream. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

The second came sharper. The third, crueler. The fourth, relentless.

Her vision blurred. Copper flooded her mouth; she’d bitten the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out.

The fifth stroke tore a strangled sound from her throat.

The sixth...

"Wait."

Kara’s voice cut through the air like a whip. The guards halted immediately.

A muscle in Kara’s jaw twitched, the word prettier echoing in her mind. It sickened her.

She walked to them and grabbed a guard's knife.

A smirk curled on her lips. "I know exactly what to do with that face of yours."

"No, Kara. Don’t touch my face, please." Lena sobbed, her voice breaking, but Kara’s friends only snickered, drinking in her fear.

Kara sighed, tilting her head. "I love to see you beg, Lena. You’ve never begged before. But now? To save your face?" Her grip tightened around the blade. "That makes me want to ruin it even more. Hold her down."

"No!"

The guards pinned her in place as Kara took a step forward.

Then...

The door slammed open.

"Enough."

The voice was sharp. Commanding. It sliced through the brutality like a blade through flesh.

The guards froze.

Even Kara’s expression faltered, her smirk fading into something less certain.

Lena’s breath came in ragged gasps as she lifted her head. Her vision swam, but she felt it. Something powerful had entered the room.

A presence that shifted everything.

"It’s the Beta," the girls whispered, bowing in unison.

Lena swallowed hard, keeping her gaze lowered. She didn’t dare look up.

The Beta’s voice was warm, affectionate, as she approached her daughter. "Baby," she cooed, placing a gentle hand on Kara’s shoulder. "Your wedding to the Alpha is tomorrow. Shouldn’t you be taking your friends to the market to pick out your wedding dress?"

Kara’s lips curled into a pleased smile at the reminder, but the moment her gaze flickered back to Lena, the warmth vanished. Her expression darkened.

"She’s ruined my day!" Kara snapped. "How dare a common, stupid human insult me?"

Lena shut her eyes, bracing herself.

The Beta chuckled, amused. "I’ll get rid of her," she said smoothly, her tone dripping with cunning delight. "After today, you won’t have to see her ever again."

Lena’s stomach dropped. Her fingers dug into the fabric of her dress as the weight of those words sank in.

She knew exactly what it meant to be gotten rid of.

Kara huffed, tossing the knife aside before turning on her heel and striding away. Her friends trailed after her, obedient as ever.

Then, silence.

Footsteps. Slow. Measured. Approaching.

Lena kept her eyes down, breath shallow.

The Beta crouched in front of her, tilting Lena’s chin up with a finger. Her gaze flickered with something unreadable.

"Hmm," she murmured, studying Lena’s face. "Good thing your face is still intact, slave. Such a pretty thing... for now."

A slow, cruel smile curved her lips as she straightened.

"Prepare her to meet Alpha Ethan."