Alyse Pov
The iron bars of the dungeon didn't just hold me in; they reminded me that I was a ghost.
After Alaeric walked away, the silence in the cell felt like a lead weight. His words looped in my head like a curse. A mistake I cannot afford. I do not accept you as my Luna. First Kayden. Now him. I leaned my head against the cold stone and closed my eyes, refusing to let a single tear fall. I was done crying for men who didn't want me.
The cell door creaked open an hour later. It wasn't the prince. It was a woman with sharp, beautiful features and hair as black as a raven's wing. She was wearing a dress of deep crimson silk that looked like spilled blood.
"So, this is the little stray," she said, her voice dripping with fake pity.
I looked up. She didn't look like a monster; she looked like a Queen. But her eyes were as hard and cold as diamonds.
"Get up," she commanded. "The prince has decided you aren't worth the dungeon space. If you're going to eat our food, you're going to work for it."
Two guards grabbed my arms and hauled me to my feet. My legs were like jelly, but they didn't care. They dragged me up the winding stone stairs and out into the gray morning light of the Blackthorn courtyard.
The pack was beautifully polished; everything here was built for war. The warriors were massive; their skin covered in scars. They didn't laugh; they moved with a deadly, quiet purpose.
"Listen to me, " She said, stopping in the middle of the courtyard so the passing soldiers could see my shame. "You are here on a whim. The prince is being kind, but my kindness has limits. You will scrub the floors, you will carry the water, and you will stay out of my sight."
She stepped closer, the scent of jasmine clashing with the iron smell of the pack. "If I catch you anywhere close to the prince, or if you think for one second that your 'bond' means anything... I will make sure you never leave these mountains alive. Do you understand?"
I didn't answer. I just stared at her expensive shoes.
"Answer me!" she snapped, her hand flying out to strike my cheek.
The blow sent me sprawling into the dirt. My face burned, but as I hit the ground, that strange, golden heat flickered deep in my chest. It was small, but it was there, humming with a protective rage.
"Leave her alone, Selene."
The voice was calm but firm. I looked up to see Beta Kael walking toward us. He didn't look at me with disgust. He looked at me the way a man looks at a puzzle he can't solve.
"She's an intruder, Kael," Selene hissed, straightening her dress. "She needs to know her place."
"She's an Omega in a strange pack. I think she knows exactly where she is," Kael replied, his voice level. He reached down, offering me a hand to help me up.
I stared at his hand for a heartbeat before taking it. His grip was steady and strong. He pulled me up, and for a second, his eyes lingered on mine.
"Take her to the Great Hall," Kael told the head housekeeper. "She can start by scrubbing the stairs. It's a long job. It'll keep her busy."
Selene huffed and walked away, satisfied that I was being given the most demeaning job in the palace. For the rest of the day, I was a ghost. I was given a bucket of lye and a heavy brush. I was told to scrub the massive stone steps of the Great Hall, the very place where Alaeric spent his time.
My back ached. My fingers were raw from the freezing water. Every time a warrior walked past, they laughed at me and called me a spy. I ignored them all, focusing on the stone.
Suddenly, the massive oak doors at the top of the stairs swung open.
Alaeric walked out. He was dressed in black leather, his fur cloak billowing behind him like a shadow. He looked powerful, dangerous, and absolutely beautiful.
The bond hit me like a physical wave. My heart leaped, and for a second, I forgot the pain in my knees. I looked up, my eyes searching for his.
He stopped. His body went stiff, his head turning toward me. I saw his nostrils flare as he caught my scent, his grey eyes softened,
Then, his face turned to stone.
He didn't say a word. He didn't even acknowledge that I was a human being. He looked right through me as if I were part of the floor and walked down the steps. His heavy boots clicked right past my bleeding fingers, splashing dirty water onto my dress.
He was ignoring me. He was trying to starve the bond by pretending I didn't exist.
I gripped the scrub brush until my knuckles turned white. I watched his broad back as he walked away toward the training grounds, surrounded by his men.