Chapter 0005

EMBER

"Our guests will arrive soon, and I refuse to subject them to your awful stench!" She ordered, flicking her finger to one of the other omegas and beckoning them over to pour the pot into the dispenser. "Go clean up!"

I nodded, unable to say anything more as the stinging in my hands worsened.

The second she turned her back to me, I raced to the infirmary.

The pack doctor didn't bother to clean my hands, nor did he touch them. He simply took one look before setting down a salve to promote faster healing and wraps before me.

I had used it before... after I had been tied to the post, my back had been ripped open, and I had blacked out, only to wake up here a few hours later.

The salve worked quickly, having been made with a few drops of witch's blood, and I felt instant relief as I smeared it on my hands.

The sigh of relief I released was so long and deep that it left my lungs feeling light and almost tingly as I stood there momentarily, enjoying the numbing sensation on my burnt flesh.

After several minutes, I applied more and wrapped my hands, knowing Nani wouldn't let me work while wearing them, and I would need as much of the magical salve as possible while I could if I wanted to heal quickly.

Hearing a commotion from the front of the pack house, I tensed, knowing our guests had arrived.

A dark prickling sensation washed over me, and the hair on the back of my neck rose.

I ran down the hall, hurrying to the kitchen, but was stopped short by the chef smacking the back of my hand as I reached for the faucet, prepared to start washing the dishes from their cooking.

"You're serving today," He scolded, and my eyes widened.

I would definitely have to unwrap my hands for that. Never before had I been allowed to serve our guests, but I knew what was expected of me from private parties that I had been forced to work for people in my pack.

"Lose the bandages and bring out a bottle of white," He ordered, gesturing to the large counter where they had already set out several bottles of white and red wines in a tub of ice for tonight.

My eyes narrowed as one side of his mouth twitched, as if he were trying to hold back a laugh but brushed it off, knowing he was probably just as gleeful as Nani had been about me getting injured.

"Which pack is it?" I wondered aloud, wincing when I pulled the wraps off over the trash and saw my hands were still red and raw, but the blisters had already started to heal.

I could only pray for the numbing quality of the salve to stay active until tonight was over. After dinner, I could fish my bandages from the trash and rewrap them.

I moved to the sink and quickly washed my hands with cold water before rushing to grab the bottle of wine and a towel to hang over my forearm.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that the chef had chosen to ignore my question and was back to facing the stove.

Several other Omegas were already walking through the door to greet our guests with bottles of wine and hor devours. I rushed over to join them, wincing from the pain of holding the bottle in my injured hands.

The darkness in the air grew thicker as I approached the dining hall, and a shiver went down my spine as I walked through the swinging door and took my place around the large tables. I hadn't expected to see so many of my pack members here for this visit, but it seemed over half the pack was standing around, dressed to the nines.

Ignoring the tables, they were all standing around talking, gossiping, and laughing with one another.

I heard my name several times and tried to block it out. The hardest part was pretending Tristan wasn't standing at the head of the table next to his father, with Nia glued to his side.

He smiled down at her, and I felt the little piece left of my heart shatter as he leaned in and kissed her temple. It was such a loving gesture, one that I had been craving to receive from my mate one day, that it made my empty stomach roll violently, and I was sure I would have to throw up whatever acid was in there soon.

Shamelessly, I watched them break away from their parents and make rounds around the hall to greet the pack. It was like I was punishing myself by watching them, but I couldn't help it.

Everyone greeted them like royalty, and it drove the knife further into my back as I overheard them being congratulated on their relationship and asked when they would be marking one another.

I knew it would just get worse once the guests showed their faces, and I did my best to mentally prepare myself to hear them gushing over our future Alpha and Luna.

"Um, hello!" The blonde devil called, waving her empty glass in my direction. "Goddess, she is so useless."

I ground my teeth together before lifting my chin and walking toward Nia, ignoring the pack's harsh whispers about me as I passed them.

"Right away," I said softly before lifting the bottle and pouring the white wine into her glass.

"UGH!" Nia released a high-pitched shriek, and even with my dulled human hearing, I cringed at the sound. Her arm swung up, shooing me away and knocking the bottle of wine from my hands as she spun and pulled her glass away from me. "I was drinking red!"

The glass bottle shattered as it hit the floor. Several people laughed but most continued their conversations, ignoring what just happened. It wasn’t unusual. I was an Omega and not worth their time or attention.

"Look at what you did!" Nia snarled, stepping forward until she was only inches from my face. "Clean it up. Now. We wouldn't want any of our guests stepping on glass."

"I apologize. I'll go grab a broom and mop right away." I said, keeping my gaze on her chin to avoid challenging her.

"I said now. On your knees, Omega." Nia's harsh chuckle made me feel sick, and I knew this wouldn't end well. Still, I reluctantly showed her the respect of her title and dropped to my knees, reaching my hand out to grab a piece of glass.

I had several pieces in my fist and was reaching for another when Nia lifted her foot, stomping it down on the top of my hand and holding me in place. Between the burn there and the glass cutting into my skin, I couldn't help but release a small cry of pain.

"Remember your place, Mutt." She bent down and whispered, and while I knew most of the wolves around us could see and hear what she was doing and saying to me, I was on my own. None of them would ever step in to stop her.

They hated me, too.

"You think you're so special walking around, bragging about how you tried to trap my mate." Nia snarled and stepped down harder, forcing another groan of pain from me. "You deserve this and so much more for the trouble you have caused and the stunts you have pulled. You deserve to be hanged."

I shook my head back and forth, yanking at my hand, but the glass only cut it further.

Hanged? I hadn't even done anything wrong! She was the one spreading false rumors and stealing my mate from me!

I had to get out of here. I couldn't stay another hour, let alone another night.

The hairs on my arms rose, and the same intense chill from before moved through my bones just before a deep and husky voice silenced the room.

"Is this how you welcome guests?" The man called, and I felt my breathing catch at the sound of his voice.

Nia quickly stepped back, and I looked up just in time to see her dipping her head into a bow submissively. I cradled my bloody hand to my chest but did not dare to stand just yet.

The power radiating from the man was almost suffocating, a sign of his strength, and I was tempted to turn and bow to him, too.

I turned my head, following the muscular denim-clad legs up to his muscular torso and shoulders. The man was intimidatingly large, bigger than any of the men in our pack, and had I been smarter, I would have cowered from him in fear...submitted to him at the very least.

Instead, I stared up at him in awe, stunned by the man before me. His green eyes locked with mine, and I felt my breathing hitch.

I knew it was wrong since my soulmate was standing only a few feet away, but I was stunned by how attractive the man before me was. I had never seen a man as handsome as him, and I was mesmerized.

He had an air of danger around him that should have scared me away. Instead, as he moved to squat before me, tilting his head and staring at me with curiosity, I had to resist the urge to lean in a little closer to see if he smelled as good as he looked.

The mysterious man lifted my hands from the glass and wine-covered ground, forcing his eyes away from mine to look down at the destroyed skin before pressing his lips together. He moved to grab my elbows, helping me to stand, and I blushed deeply at how close we were.

"Alpha Emerson!" Tristan's voice called out in greeting, and my body tensed, frozen with fear.