Isla's POV
"On your knees, Isla."
Logan's voice cracked across the training ground like a whip, sharp and merciless. His gaze burned into me, cold as ice, cruel as always. The pack warriors circled us, some leaning against posts, while others lounged on benches, all with mocking smiles spreading across their smug faces.
The fading sunlight cast their shadows long and jagged, turning the dirt floor into a stage where I was the unwilling entertainment.
My heart stuttered in my chest as my knees were already raw from scrubbing stone floors all morning, but that wasn't what made me hesitate. No, what froze me in place was the way his Alpha dominance pressed against my skin like iron shackles.
He is my brother, my tormentor and my Alpha-to-be.
"Did you not hear me?" Logan's lip curled, his voice dripping disdain. "I said... on your fucking knees."
A few warriors chuckled immediately, their voices cruel.
"She's too slow."
"Omega scum."
"Can't even follow simple orders."
The words stung more than fists, each one cutting deeper into the cracks already splitting my heart.
I clenched my fists, then slowly lowered myself, the rough dirt biting into my skin. Pain radiated up my legs as my knees struck the ground. I bit my tongue so hard that I tasted blood while forcing myself not to cry.
"Good girl," Logan sneered. "Stay there. That's where you belong. The ground suits you."
Laughter broke out among the circle. Just the one warrior spat close enough that droplets hit my cheek. Another kicked dust at me until my eyes watered.
I kept my head down, shame burning through me. I hated myself for obeying... Like, I hated how easily I folded under his command. But what choice did I have? Logan wasn't just my older brother; he was the Alpha heir of the Ivory Moon Pack, and to defy him was to invite death.
"Clean it," he snapped.
I blinked, lifting my head cautiously. "Clean… what?"
The sharp nudge of his boot jolted my shoulder. He gestured toward the muddy trail the warriors had stomped across the training ground after sparring.
"With your hands or with your mouth. I don't fucking care." His smirk was cruel. "Make yourself useful for once in your pathetic life."
A roar of laughter echoed around me. Heat rushed to my face as I bent forward, scraping at the dirt with my bare palms. Grit sliced my broken nails, while blood streaked across my fingers, but I kept moving. I prayed to the Goddess for the humiliation to end quickly.
"Look at her," one of the men jeered. "Like a little mutt, licking the dirt."
"She should be grateful that at least we let her eat."
"Maybe we should leash her."
My stomach churned, bile rising in my throat. Tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back. They would never see me cry. Never.
"Pathetic," Logan muttered loudly enough for all to hear.
The word echoed in my skull: pathetic... always pathetic. I pushed the dirt into a small pile, my hair falling loose from its braid, sticking to my sweaty cheeks. My chest ached, but I forced my hands to keep moving.
Suddenly, cold liquid splashed down my back. I gasped at the shock. Scarlet wine soaked through my thin dress, clinging to my skin.
The warriors howled with laughter.
"Oh, look! She's bleeding already."
"Wine suits her. Makes her look less disgusting."
My hands shook as the sticky liquid seeped lower. The scent of sour grapes stung my nose.
Logan tipped his empty goblet in mock salute. His smirk widened. "Take it off," he uttered.
My head snapped up. "What?"
"You heard me." His eyes gleamed with vicious amusement. "Strip. Right here. Show them all what an Omega really is. A curse made flesh."
The laughter died down into stunned silence. Even the cruelest warriors shifted uneasily. Humiliation was one thing, but stripping me bare in front of the entire pack? My blood ran cold.
I shook my head, my voice trembling. "No." The word cut through the silence like thunder. Gasps erupted. My refusal rang louder than any scream.
"No?" Logan repeated slowly, his voice dripping venom. He stepped closer, towering over me, his dominance pressing like a crushing weight. "Did you just defy me, little sister?"
My lips cracked as I whispered, "I won't do it." The circle of warriors exploded in whispers.
"She refused him!"
"An Omega, saying no?"
"She's signing for her death."
Logan's expression twisted into something feral. His hand shot out, striking my face with such force that stars exploded across my vision. Pain lanced through my cheek as I toppled sideways into the dirt.
Gasps and jeers filled the air, the crowd's bloodlust thickening. I curled instinctively, bracing for another blow, but something inside me snapped.
A sound tore from my throat, raw and fierce. That was a growl and not from me, but from my wolf.
It rumbled through the training ground, low and sharp, silencing the laughter in an instant. My body trembled with the force of it, my chest heaving as if a storm had been caged inside me all along.
The warriors staggered back and a fear flickered in their eyes.
"Her wolf…"
"That was strong."
"Impossible. She hasn't shifted yet."
Logan froze, shock flashing across his face as his hand hovered in the air, fingers trembling. For the first time, doubt glimmered in his gaze.
Then his lips curled into a slow, cruel smile. "So, the little Omega has teeth."
He crouched, grabbing my chin roughly, while jerking my face upward. His grip bruised, his nails biting into my skin. His eyes burned with rage and something darker, something dangerously close to fear.
"You think that changes anything?" he hissed. His voice dropped lower, meant only for me. "You're still nothing. You're still mine to break."
His breath fanned hot against my cheek. "Defy me again, Isla, and I'll make you beg for death."
My chest rose in ragged breaths. My throat ached with unshed screams, but I said nothing. I only stared back at him, silent, trembling, my wolf snarling inside me.
Never again. I will never crawl again.
Because if the Goddess gave me a wolf… then why did He hate me so much? What happens when the Omega everyone despises finally bares her fangs?