Chapter 2 2
Tiara’s POV
The pack house was alive tonight in ways I had never seen before. Every wall glowed with torches, every corridor hummed with hurried footsteps, and the air itself seemed to vibrate with anticipation. The feast was no ordinary gathering, it was the full moon celebration, crowned by the coronation of our new Alpha.
Whispers had long circled around him, a figure as mysterious as the moon we would soon howl beneath. Some said he was a recluse, preferring silence to the chatter of the pack, his strength cloaked rather than flaunted. Others swore he was dangerous, a storm hidden behind a calm mask. No one seemed to know the truth, and yet, tonight, the truth would stand before us.
For the rest of us, the omegas, the slaves, the ones born into servitude,tonight meant endless labor. The taskmaster had worked us to the bone all day, barking orders sharp enough to cut skin. My hands were raw, my legs trembling, but still, I obeyed. I always obeyed.
“Hey! You,over there. Carry the statue” he snapped, pointing at me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and joined the line of omegas hauling the heavy, veiled statue of the Alpha-to-be into the center of the hall. Its weight dug into my shoulders, forcing me to bite back a hiss of pain. When we finally set it down, I could barely unclench my fingers.
The taskmaster didn’t care. He simply ordered us to start scrubbing floors next. The grandeur of the decorations mocked us, golden drapes, carved tables, endless food like this was a royal wedding rather than a pack gathering.
All around me, chatter buzzed like bees. Sarai and her little court of self-proclaimed princesses strutted past, their silken dresses brushing the polished floor.
“I’ll be his mate,” Sarai declared boldly, her nose tilted toward the ceiling.
Her friend giggled. “Then I’ll be Luna’s best friend. Imagine the power.”
Asher, another wolf, scoffed. “I’m far more beautiful than you, Sarai. Clearly, the Alpha will see that.”
A different voice cut in, Asher’s sister, quiet but sharp. “Rumor says he doesn’t want a mate from our pack at all.”
“That’s impossible,” Sarai retorted, her voice ringing like a bell. “I’ve seen him. Handsome, powerful. A wolf like that wouldn’t resist me.”
Their laughter faded as they passed, leaving their words behind like claws in my chest. To them, the Alpha was a prize to be claimed. To me, he was a storm I wanted no part of.
But I kept my head down and scrubbed harder. That was my place. Always my place.
By nightfall, the feast had begun. The empty hall transformed into a sea of color and music. Wolves twirled in fine silks, laughter echoed, and the scent of roasted meat and spiced wine filled the air.
And me? I was shoved into service once more. The taskmaster had pressed a tray of cocktails into my hands and ordered me to weave through the glittering crowd like I belonged there. My arms already ached, but disobedience was never an option. Not for an omega. Not for me.
I passed by groups of laughing wolves, each too busy in their gossip to notice the tray shaking in my hands. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless, growling at the humiliation. But I forced it down. A slip here meant punishment later.
Then Sarai’s voice cut through the air like a blade. “Waitress!”
I froze. Turning, I met her smug smile, her companions circling like vultures.
“Yes,” I said flatly, my voice weighed down with exhaustion.
“Where are your manners?” Asher sneered.
“Look at her,” another girl chimed in. “She doesn’t even carry herself like a wolf.”
Sarai’s laughter was cruel, deliberate. “Ungrateful, low-born omega. You should thank us for letting you serve.”
Her words stung, carving deeper than I wanted to admit. My wolf howled in my chest, demanding I fight back, but the taskmaster’s shadow loomed in my mind. His punishments were worse than any insult. So I bowed my head.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“You’d better be,” Sarai hissed, her eyes glittering. She and her friends circled me, firing questions meant to humiliate.
“What’s in the green cocktail?” Asher mocked.
My throat tightened. “It’s… it’s… grenade.”
Laughter exploded around me. My cheeks burned. I turned quickly to retreat, but in my haste, the tray slipped and crashed into a figure I hadn’t seen standing before me.
The drinks splattered across a crisp white shirt. Gasps rippled through the hall, and the music died. The circle widened as if the very crowd feared to stand too close.
I lifted my gaze and my blood ran cold.
Alpha Killian.
The first son of our Alpha King. Ruthless. Feared. Known for his merciless temper and the scars he’d left on those who dared defy him. His eyes locked on me, sharp and merciless.
I dropped to my knees, trembling. “Forgive me, Alpha. I… I deserve punishment. Punish me, but spare me.”
Sarai’s voice sliced through the silence. “She deserves the dungeons.”
Killian didn’t speak at first. His silence was heavier than thunder. Then, slowly, he knelt, his hand snapping to my jaw, gripping tight until pain screamed through my bones.
“You’ll suffer,” he murmured, low enough that only I could hear. “I’ll make you beg for death… and deny you even that.”
My vision blurred, the pressure on my jaw unbearable, my wolf thrashing inside me. I gasped, choking out, “I… I’m sorry…”
The world tilted. The crowd whispered.
And then
“Let her go.”
The voice cut clean, commanding, pulling the air itself into stillness.
Every head turned. My heart slammed against my ribs as I dared to hope someone, anyone might stand between me and Killian’
s wrath.
But when I lifted my eyes to see who had spoken… the breath caught in my throat.
