Chapter 28: Anna POV

During the day, the pack would congregate in the busy courtyard to train, converse, or just take a respite from their duties. It was a haven for most. It was a minefield for me.

My hands were raw from the cold water after I had just finished cleaning the Alpha's house steps. I pulled the hefty stone bucket over to the water barrels to fill it up. My shoulders hurt, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Lucas.

Why did I feel this way? It was disturbing how my heart beat every time I thought of him, and how strangely warm I felt within. Even though I knew deep down that I should avoid him, I couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking.

The chatter from the courtyard became more noticeable as I filled the bucket with water. I chose to ignore it and focus on the water’s ripples instead. I was grounded by the chilly splash against my hands, which served as a reminder to keep my head down, finish my tasks, and live to see another day.

Then, like a blade, her voice cut through the din.

“This is a sight, isn’t it? A tiny charity case, putting forth a lot of effort.”

Amelia.

I tensed but didn’t turn around. My grasp on the bucket tightened, my fingers growing white.

“Don’t you have anything better to do?” I whispered under my breath, hoping she’d take the hint and leave.

But Amelia never walked away from a chance to establish her power.

“Did you say something?” she questioned, her voice sweet and filled with hate.

I turned slowly, meeting her eyes. Her flawless hair and immaculate attire stood in sharp contrast to my perspiration-soaked clothing and grimy face.

“I’m just doing my job,” I said in a steady voice.

With a sly smile, Amelia moved closer until she was just a foot away. “Your job? Taking care of those of us who are truly important? Never assume that cleaning floors will get you a spot here.”

Even though her words hurt, I made myself stay composed. She liked making others angry, and I wouldn’t give her the gratification she craved.

“Why don’t you simply go?” she went on, moving around me like a predator pursuing its prey. “Nobody seems to want you here. No goal, no status, no family. You’re just a stray Leo who was brought in out of pity. And see what happened with him.”

The mention of Leo was like a punch to the gut. Unshed tears clouded my view, but I resisted letting them go.

I gritted my teeth and said, “Leave him out of this.”

Amelia’s laugh was hollow and icy. “Why should I? Everyone knows he was a traitor. You’ll probably end up just like him—alone and disgraced.”

My nails dug into my hands, the pain a welcome distraction from the rage building inside me.

“Repeat that,” I said in a tremulous, low voice.

Amelia’s eyes glistened with success. “Oh, did I irritate someone? Alone in the big, dangerous pack, poor Anna. Perhaps you ought to leave on your own advice. Save us all the trouble.”

Her words were a knife, each one cutting deeper than the last.

Then, she made the mistake of coming closer and pushing my shoulder.

The snap was quick.

I grabbed her wrist in a vice-like grip before I even noticed what I was doing. We were both taken aback by its strength, and Amelia’s arrogant face momentarily wavered.

I growled, my voice harsh and gruff. “Don’t touch me.”

She wrenched her arm free, her disbelief quickly replaced by wrath. “How dare you...”

I wasn’t finished, though. Years of shame and sadness raged to the surface, bringing the tempest inside me to a climax.

I used a force I wasn’t aware I had to push her back. Her perfectly polished sneakers scraped the cobblestones as she stumbled.

Pack members stopped their activities to watch, and gasps echoed through the courtyard. Amelia regained her balance and lunged at me, but I was faster.

My inner wolf, an uncontrolled and fierce force that gave me strength, awoke within me. I sidestepped her blow, turning around behind her and pushing hard enough to knock her to the ground.

Amelia lay there, her eyes wide with shock, her hair untidy. When I understood what I had done, my hands shook and my chest heaved.

The courtyard was deathly quiet.

Amelia slowly pushed herself up, glaring at me with a mix of rage and shame. “You’ll pay for this,” she spat, her voice dripping with hate.

I opened my mouth to respond, but the sight of someone close froze the words on my tongue.

Mina, another omega, stood at the courtyard’s edge, looking both scared and astonished. Her wide eyes glanced between me and Amelia, her lips slightly opened as if she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

I knew in that moment what would happen next.

Like wildfire, the stories would spread. By the end of the day, everyone would know about the fight. And they wouldn’t side with me.

I was filled with fear. With Amelia’s threats still ringing in my ears, I turned and ran without saying another word. My pulse hammered as I darted into the pack’s area, my vision blurred with tears.

I didn’t stop running until I reached the edge of the forest, the cool shade offering a small semblance of relief. My legs gave up, and I slumped to the ground, hiding my face in my hands.

What had I done?

I kept thinking about Amelia on the ground, every part coming back to me more clearly. I was frightened by the raw power I had experienced at that exact instant and by the way my wolf had charged forward.

Leo had always warned me to control my emotions and to never show my strength to the pack. The one thing he had feared the most, I had now done.

I was jolted out of my reverie by the sound of footsteps. My breath caught when I looked up and saw that someone was coming.

Was that Amelia? Oliver? Lucas?

As I waited to see who it was, I felt dread build up in my gut and my pulse increase.