T H A L I A
Rhea forced me to open my eyes. It was so quiet that I wondered whether I had been locked up.
Now this is my life. After being rejected by my first mate and losing both of my parents, Rhea took control out of fear, and we fled to the Shadow Hunters pack. I did not want to be a rogue, so I joined them.
First, I was mistaken for a spy. They were about to behead me, but Darly saw me and felt the bond. Of course, he instantly rejected me, serving me two rejections in a row. But he saved me.
He asked his father not to kill me, but rather to make me a slave. It's been like this ever since. I worked as a maid while also advising the Alpha (Darly's father), as my father had taught me how to lead from an early age.
I was the only daughter, and my dad expected me to become an alpha female. My parents stayed to themselves, so no one recognized me. Their pack was secluded, and they rarely attended pack meetings or gatherings. Until tragedy hit.
I have been nothing ever since.
Vanessa, Jax, Darly, and even the Luna made my life a nightmare. The Alpha was a little kinder, even though he ordered most of my punishments. But that was because they were continuously falsely accusing me.
I quickly sat up when I realized I wasn't in a dark room, but rather a luxury one with two servants standing in front of me.
"You are awake. The King will be delighted to hear this," one of them murmured, and I grasped my chest, terrified of what she meant—he preferred to torture me?
"Hungry?" Another inquired, and I shook my head.
"Luna, Alpha Darly... I... I must leave." I attempted to stand up, but one of them kindly stopped me. "Please, I must go, or my Luna will be upset." I wasn't thinking clearly; why would they let me go after hearing about my past?
"Take a moment to catch your breath. The king asked us to let you leave only if you ate. And yes, your Luna is waiting for you," the servant confirmed.
The other brought out a platter laden with various foods, some of which I hadn't had before. My human side was salivating just gazing at it, but deep down I was frightened of what would come next.
Well, she said I could leave after eating, so I asked again and after she confirmed, I started eating everything I could—first the meat, then the pasta, and lastly the fruits.
My stomach growled as the food sunk in. Probably because I hadn't had breakfast today.
After that, I rose up and was gently lifted to my feet. I didn't understand why they were so nice to me, but I didn't ask any questions. We soon found ourselves in the living room, where my Luna, Freya, and Darly were. The First Queen was with them.
Goddess, I couldn't face her now. I'm sure everyone knew what happened earlier. The King was loud. I was worried the queen would banish me.
But it did not happen. Instead, the queen said goodbye, and we strolled outside and into our car. We were heading back to the Shadow Hunters.
'What is happening?' Rhea inquired as everyone remained silent. I did not respond, I did not know either. 'Our mate did not reject us.' Okay, there she went again, sounding hopeful. I did not like that.
'He's waiting for the right moment. He isn't like the others. He will have to make his rejection clear.' I didn't want Rhea to be hopeful. I mean, what could happen? I am merely a weak servant. I can't be the queen. That would lead to war. It would divide the packs. Other tribes may go astray.
I already knew how it would end.
The goddess was simply taunting me.
'I wonder how many more mates she has for us—those who'll reject us too.' I sighed, remembering that the third rejection would mean the end of me. 'Better still, I'm wondering what they'll use to end us. A silver sword? Or perhaps a dagger?'
'You are being negative. I don't know but I felt something as he looked at us those few seconds, his eyes—I could feel his longing for us.' Rhea sounded determined, which only made me feel worse.
When we arrived, I quickly got out and reached for Luna's purse, as I always did, but when she stepped out, she ordered the two maids who had come to welcome her to take it from me. I was confused. The sun hadn't set yet. I was still very much on duty.
"What's your name again?" She questioned. Luna never said anything about my name before. She typically just addressed me as 'maid.'
"T-Thalia," I said hesitantly.
"Thalia, I'm not sure what's going on with the King, but he seems to care about you. And I want my son to be Alpha, so I'll do whatever to make sure it happens. Now I want you to go and rest. I will have someone bring you food and medicine."
"I'm completely fine, Luna. I can still — "
"Believe me, I detest when the weak are treated correctly. But this is all about influence. I am willing to go as low as shaking your hand. Now, child, don't argue with me. Go."
She pointed to the maid's quarters. I shared a room with one of the maids, and she was not friendly. I couldn't contest with the Luna, so I bowed and began walking to the maid quarters.
Everyone was gone—probably still working in the pack home, others doing their regular tasks.
Yes, they had a building for the slaves. We were primarily rogues or rejected Omegas. Even regular Omegas were above us, with their own accommodation. But we, the ones thought too weak to matter, lived here.
I covered my nose as I entered the quarters. The air reeked of wet fabric, old food, and rusted metal. I went straight to the bedroom. But, when I reached for the door, I stopped.
There was a faint, bitter aroma that seemed curiously familiar.
Before I could figure it out, the door shot open, a force pushed me inside so forcefully that I crashed into the wall, and the door slammed shut behind me with a harsh thud.
My heart sprang into my throat. Darly stood beside the window, bathed in a strip of dusty light. I knew it was him as our bond wasn't broken, I still felt his presence.
He did not speak right away.
His back was to me, and his hands were gripped tightly at his sides. Then he gently turned around, and the expression in his eyes made my spine stiff. There was something cold there. Controlled. But behind the surface... anger.
His jaw was frozen, and his chest rose and fell with each slow breath. He made a single step forward, and I retreated instinctively. However, there was nowhere to go.
"You are going to listen," he added, his voice low but harsh, "and listen good."
My stomach twisted. My skin prickled, like it knew what was coming.
The way he moved—the stiffness in his muscles, the deliberate pace—was all too familiar. This was not a conversation. This was not sentencing.
"Fucking kneel!" he yelled, breaking the silence like a whip. My kneecaps buckled.
I dropped to the floor, hands outstretched in the air—just as he wanted. Just as I had been forced to do a hundred times before. I did not speak. I did not breathe too loudly. I simply stared at the hard floor, waiting for whatever was to come next.
My chest ached, but not from dread; this wasn't even fear anymore. This was fatigue, resignation, the insidious numbness that sets in when you realize your pain is endless.
I just never get a break. Not like I was born to catch one.