LAYLA'S POV
Being an outcast was nothing new to me. I had grown up was a servant. I've been treated badly all my life. But here, inside Silverfang Keep, it is worse. So much worse.
The rejection in these walls hurt deeper than anything I've ever endured.
The nobles don't even glance at me when I move past them, even when I balance trays heavy with goblets. They talk over me as if I don't exist. Some spill wine on me and they don't bother to look at me twice.
One noblewoman's hand brushes against mine as I pass, then she shakes it off with exaggerated disgust. Another doesn't bother lowering her voice as she sneers, "Parasite. Cursed bond. Not fit for an Alpha's mate."
My fingers tighten on the tray until my knuckles ache, but I keep walking. I have to.
Even the servants whisper when they think I can't hear. "She bewitched them, didn't she? That's the only way.""Imagine—an omega tied to three Alphas. It's sick. Wrong.""She'll ruin us all. You'll see."
I keep my head down, pretending the words don't bother me, but inside, I am crumbling. The guards barely respond when I speak to them. A simple request for fresh linens is met with silence. They act like I don't exist.
I feel invisible. I feel humiliated.
The only one who still sees me is Janet.
"Don't let them get to you," she tells me with a smile. "Their tongues are sharp because they're afraid. Afraid of you."
"Afraid of me?" I whisper. I laugh bitterly. "Janet, I'm nothing. They all know it."
"That's where you're wrong. They feel threatened, Layla. No one fights this hard against something they think is truly weak."
Her words are kind, but they don't stop the ache that grows inside me. Because when I think of my mates, I can't help but feel longing. The mate bond is strong. My wolf wants nothing more than to be with her mates but they want nothing to do with me. they treat me like I'm worse than trash.
I watch them sometimes, from the sidelines, when they stand united in meetings. The way Kaiden's voice commands, the way Killian's silence weighs heavier than words, the way Kieran's presence commands the room. Together, they are everything an Alpha should be. They are strong. People respect and fear them.
But it's Kieran I miss the most.
I miss how nice Kieran used to be to me. He was the one who would always defend me. Now, he acts like I'm not even there. His eyes used to be warm when they look at me but now, they're cold. The distance between us hurts more than anything else.
One day, I can't take the suffocating walls of the castle any longer. I go to the forest to clear my head and to breathe. Here, I can be alone. Here, nobody will judge me.
That's when I see him.
Kieran stands in the clearing. I notice him carving a block of wood. For a moment, I just watch him. My heart aches with so much longing.
I hide behind the trees, unsure if I should disturb him.
But then he sighs and without looking up he says, "Come out, Layla."
My breath catches. He knew I was here. Of course, he did. Kieran was the type to notice every single thing.
I step forward "Why are you avoiding me?"
He finally looks at me, and the intensity in his eyes nearly buckles my knees. "Because I can't trust you. Not anymore."
His words hurt me. I might not care about what others think of me but I care about how he sees me My chest tightens, my throat burns.
"Kieran…" I whisper, reaching for his hand. "I miss you. Please… don't change towards me. Not you."
For a moment, he doesn't move. His eyes lock with mine. The silence between us is charged, heavy, so thick I can barely breathe. My wolf claws at me, urging me to close the gap, to press myself against him, to remind him of the bond between us.
For a heartbeat, I think he'll give in.
But then he pulls back. His jaw tightens. "I have to go."
And just like that, he turns, leaving me standing there in the clearing. At the sight of him leaving, my heart breaks all over again.
-
As if the bad treatment isn't enough, Allora makes things worse. I know she's spreading rumours about me. I've heard her sometimes.
She's been planting her seeds well. Now they call me a parasite clinging to the triplets. Others say I bewitched them, binding them with dark magic. Some even whisper that my presence will bring ruin to Lunaris itself.
The shift is impossible to ignore. Conversations die the moment I enter a room.. Laughter follows me down the halls.
Janet grips my arm one evening and I see the concern in her eyes. "Be careful, Layla. Allora isn't just spreading gossip. She's making something darker."
Her warning makes me sigh. I don't know what to do.
And then, late one night, I feel restless and unable to sleep. I wander the palace corridors.
That's when I hear it. I notice two nobles talking.
"…We need a petition. It's the only way. The Council must see reason." One of them says.
"They will. It's unnatural. Three Alphas bound to an omega? She doesn't belong here. They must be freed from her presence." The other replies.
My blood turns to ice.
I press myself against the wall. They're planning to strip me from the castle. I stumble back, wanting to escape before they notice me. But then—
I sense it. Another presence.
A figure comes from the shadows. The figure is tall and is wearing a cloak.
"You don't belong here." He says.