Chapter 2

By morning, the tears on my cheeks had long dried. I sat in the empty room, hollowed out like a discarded shell.

A faint sound came from the doorway—Cora walked in, carrying a familiar bowl of contraceptive brew, the dark liquid steaming cold.

“Here, drink up,” she said with a sneer.

Her gaze swept over my disheveled state, a flicker of amusement dancing in her eyes.

“Heard the news yet? Alpha Jake is getting engaged to the Goldteeth Pack’s Beta heiress. The whole Silverclaw Pack’s buzzing.” She covered her mouth and giggled. “Won’t be long before we have a new Luna.”

“What a shame. Some people thought crawling into Alpha’s bed every night would earn them a title.” Her voice dripped with mockery. “And yet? Not even a footnote in his life. Ha!”

She leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper only I could hear. “If the new Luna finds out you’ve been warming Alpha’s bed every night, she might just sell you off to the rogue wolves as entertainment. Unlike Alpha, they don’t play nice. They only know how to destroy.”

Her laughter rang sharp in my ears, a dagger laced with cruelty.

I grabbed the bowl and downed the bitter brew in one go. It scorched my throat like acid.

“Still acting like you’re someone special?” Cora scoffed. “Just a worn-out Omega playing hard to get?”

“Shut up,” I said coldly, cutting her off.

She blinked, stunned—I had never raised my voice before.

Swallowing my pain, I forced myself to stand tall. “I may come from humble roots, but I’m still an Alpha’s first-class attendant. You don’t have the right to humiliate me.”

Cora’s face twisted, ready to retort—when the courtyard gate swung open.

Alpha Jake’s voice drifted in lazily, “What’s the commotion?”

Cora’s demeanor shifted instantly. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she rushed to play the victim.

“Alpha, please listen! Clarissa Santiago is abusing your favor! I only mentioned your fiancée, and she attacked me like a madwoman!”

She rubbed at her face, trying to redden her cheek. “Look, I’m all swollen!”

I said nothing. I simply looked at Alpha Jake.

He stood in the sunlight, face expressionless. His eyes swept past me without a trace of warmth.

“So unruly.”

“Kneel in the courtyard. Twenty slaps. On your own.”

I froze. But I didn’t argue.

Wordlessly, I rose. Under Cora’s smug, triumphant gaze, I walked into the courtyard, sank to my knees, and struck myself across the cheek with a sharp smack.

Pain bloomed across my face like fire.

Second slap.

Third.

The sun beat down harshly. My skin grew hot, swelling, the sting digging deeper until it throbbed in my chest.

Alpha Jake reclined in a rattan chair, casually sipping coffee, flipping through papers. He didn’t spare me a glance.

Then a gust of perfume passed through the air.

A bright, pretty Beta girl skipped into his arms like a fawn.

“Jake!”

My hand froze mid-air.

It was Anna—the Luna-to-be—dressed in white, her golden hair gleaming, her smile radiant.

I bowed my head, shame crawling up my spine. In that moment, I understood—royal blood meant nothing. I could never shine the way she did.

“Why’d you stop?” Alpha Jake looked up, his brow furrowing with irritation.

Anna finally noticed me kneeling there and gasped. “Oh! You’re Clarissa? They said you were pretty—what a shame if that face gets ruined.”

She turned to Alpha Jake, lips pouting in a girlish plea. “Jake, for me? Can you let her off just this once?”

I looked up at him.

He said blandly, “Ignore her. She deserves it.”

“Anna, you’re too kind,” Cora chimed in sweetly. “When you’re Luna, you can’t go easy on the staff like this.”

Anna blushed and nestled into his chest. She didn’t plead again.

I smiled bitterly and continued slapping myself.

Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen...

“Jake,” Anna giggled, “didn’t you promise to take me to Moonlight Jewels today? You said we’d pick out a new design.”

He gazed at her, eyes softening with affection. “Let’s not keep them waiting.”

All I wanted was for them to leave. Last night had drained me, and now my face throbbed painfully. I just wanted to collapse and sleep.

“I want her to come with us,” Anna suddenly said, turning to me, something unreadable in her gaze.

I flinched—but nodded without question.

When we arrived, Alpha Jake gallantly offered his hand to Anna.

She looked around, then shook her head.

They weren’t married yet; she wanted to preserve her image before the Pack.

Alpha Jake turned to me, his voice like ice. “Get down. Be a step.”

My heart seized, but I dropped to the ground, palms bracing against the stone, jaw clenched to keep from crying.

Anna stepped on my back—too light, too unsure. She slipped.

“Ah!”

Alpha Jake caught her in a flash, arms wrapping around her small frame.

“It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

Then his foot slammed into my side.

I toppled over, scraping my cheek against the stone. Blood welled up, the metallic taste already in my mouth.

“You trying to kill her?”

I knelt, breathing hard, the scent of my blood sharp in the air.

Anna clutched her chest. “It’s not her fault. I lost my balance…”

Wolves passing by stopped, murmuring.

Alpha Jake snorted, his fury restrained. “Get inside.”

He guided Anna into the jewelry shop while I stumbled upright, limbs shaking.

Blood dripped past my lip. It tasted like rust.

I licked the wound and felt nothing but numbness.

Once, I had believed—even if I was just a nobody, even if I was only an Omega—if I was loyal enough, attentive enough, obedient enough, I would be seen. Needed.

Now I knew the truth.

To Alpha Jake, I wasn’t even allowed a single mistake.