Chapter 3

Samantha’s scream pierced through the room, and every wolf in the hall cocked their heads toward us.

“Ava?” Marcus was the first to come over. “Where is Ava?”

“That’s her right there!” Samantha exclaimed out loud in excitement, her voice loud enough for the entire room to hear. “She’s the Omega cleaner from three years ago. That’s Ava who ran away after Lucas rejected her.”

Clamor broke out.

“What? She’s the infamous simp?”

“Oh, my Moon Goddess. She has some nerves to come back.”

A crowd gathered and stared at me as if I were some circus animal.

Laura put down her glass of champagne with grace and strutted closer. “Sweetheart, is she the Omega you’ve told me about before?”

She looked me up and down as if I were some kind of filth.

Lucas came over as well.

He was overwhelmed with a complex of emotions—shock, anger, and something else I could not read.

“You’re back.” His voice was husky when he made the statement.

Lucas stood before me, his sharp gaze running over my features to seek confirmation.

“Three years,” he said. “You have gone missing for three whole years.”

Samantha added, “I know, right? She disappeared without a word, only to be back now. Talk about having no shame.”

“Shut up.” Lucas cut her off sharply.

Though taken aback, Samantha kept her mouth shut.

Laura clung to Lucas’ arm. “Sweetheart, is she the Omega?”

Instead of responding to her question, Lucas kept his eyes on me. “Why are you back?”

I kept my silence.

“I guess you couldn’t make it out there on your own,” he sneered while checking for my response.

“Look at her clothes.” Samantha approached me and reached to feel my sleeve. “Oh, Moon Goddess. What fabric is this? Polyester?”

She took a step back in exaggeration. “I bet you got a steal, probably three of these for twenty bucks.”

“How did she get in?” One werewolf raised a question. “The entrance fee is five thousand dollars.”

“Surely, she must have stolen a pass.”

“Maybe she snuck her way in?”

Samantha let out a knowing smile. “She probably got in through unsavory means. We all know Omegas have their ways of getting by.”

Laura was amused. “Unsavory means? Are you saying…”

“I’m not saying anything.” Samantha played innocent. “I just think that given her circumstances, I don’t see how else she could’ve gained entry.”

Laura unzipped her Hermes crocodile bag and pulled out a diamond-encrusted Cartier purse.

“Poor thing.” She whipped out a stack of hundred-dollar bills. “I feel so bad that you’re down on your luck.”

She hurled the money to the floor, and the bills scattered everywhere.

“Pick them up. The money should be enough to feed you for a quarter.”

“Come on. Get the money.” Samantha nudged the pile of cash with her red-soled heel. “What are you waiting for? This is more than you make in a month, right?

“Wait. Do you even have a job?” Samantha pretended as if she had come to a realization.

“By the looks of you, I doubt you have a respectable one.

“Maybe you’re still knee-deep into cleaning.

“How much does a cleaner make a month? A thousand bucks?”

“In New York? No way. Maybe six hundred at best.”

I sat there, keeping still.

“Oh, I get it.” Laura pulled out more money and threw down one bill at a time as if she were feeding strays. “You want more, right? How about now? This should be enough to cover your rent for six months.”

“Rent?” Samantha laughed out loud to the point of tears. “She can’t afford rent. Just look at her. She’s probably living in some basement in the Bronx.”

“A basement sounds like a dream for her. She might just be living under a bridge.”

“Maybe a homeless shelter? She must be waiting in line for handouts every day.”

The insults just piled in.

Lucas furrowed his brows.

“That’s enough, Samantha.”

“But Alpha—”

“I said, enough.” His tone was irrefutable.

Lucas turned to me. “What do you do now?”

Before I could give an answer, Lucas said, “The Silver Moon Pack is hiring. If you need a job—”

“Lucas! What are you doing?” Laura pulled him back in displeasure.

Lucas glanced at Laura and smirked. “Since she’s worked for the pack before, I don’t mind giving her a job now that she’s fallen on hard times.

“The cleaning crew can use an extra pair of hands. Three thousand dollars a month is fair. It’s better than whatever you’re doing now,” Lucas said with a mix of emotions.

I quietly met his gaze, a smile playing along my lips. “I appreciate the gesture, but it’s unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?” Lucas raised a brow, surprised that I would turn down the offer.

“That’s right. It’s unnecessary.” My tone was flat.

Laura saw her chance to mock me. “Oh, don’t act high and mighty. Do you think you’re still the poor little thing that Lucas spoiled five years ago?”

“I know, right? You should thank your lucky stars that you are given a job,” Samantha chimed in.

Ignoring them, I faced Lucas head-on. “I’m doing well for myself. I don’t need your charity.”

“Charity?” Lucas grimaced. “Get your facts right, Ava. I’m offering you a chance.”

“I don’t need it.”

Murmurs ripped through the room. Despite being down and out, the Omega had some nerve to turn down a job from the Alpha.