#4.

ATHENA

I moved quickly, gathering the cups one by one. I poured the coffee carefully, making sure not a single drop spilled. My hands shook slightly, but I couldn’t let it show. Alpha Lucas’s eyes were on me.Sharp and Watching. I felt it press into my back and my shoulders stiffened.

I bowed low, keeping my eyes on the floor, and set the cup in front of him with both hands. My pulse pounded so loud I was sure he could hear it. I straightened slowly, but I didn’t look up. I never did.

He grabbed me by the neck. Hard.

“If you dare delay me again, I’ll rip your head off, mutt,” he growled.

He let go. I stepped back, rubbing my neck, trying to ignore the sting. I turned and kept moving, serving the rest of the breakfast. The pack was already gathered, laughing and talking over each other, casual and loud. I moved among them like I wasn’t there, setting plates down, refilling cups, leaving before anyone could tell me to do anything twice.

Ava’s eyes met mine for a brief second. I looked away before it could settle. Pity hurt as much as cruelty.

I could feel Ryan gaze on me. I didn’t look at him. My steps got quicker without me thinking about it. Every part of me wanted to vanish, to fold into myself until no one could see me.

I turned toward the hall exit, ready to slip back into the kitchen, when the Luna voice cut through the chatter.

“Hey, mutt.”

I froze.

Luna Becca stood up, sharp. She flicked a folded piece of paper at my chest. It landed and fell to the floor.

“Take that,” she said. “Go get everything I listed.”

I bent down, fingers trembling, and picked up the paper. I unfolded it and scanned the items. My throat tightened. I just stood there, waiting, hands clutching the paper.

The silence stretched.

“Are you waiting for me to give you money?” she said, her laugh sharp and humorless.

A few heads turned. Some chuckled.

“You’re ungrateful, aren’t you?” she continued. “We feed you. We clothe you. The least you can do is use your own money to get what I need.”

I opened my mouth, closed it. Heart pounding. But I said nothing. Talking only made it worse.

“Go,” she snapped. “Before I change my mind.”

I bowed again and turned away, face burning, laughter following me out. I kept my steps quick and quiet, refusing to run but moving fast.

In the kitchen, I grabbed a basket and slipped out the back door. The air was cooler outside. I could hear the pack grounds in the distance. I adjusted the basket against my hip and started walking to the market.

I couldn’t afford a cab. My cash was small, precious, saved carefully. Spending extra would mean going hungry later.

I tried to reach inside myself, to call my wolf. “Please,” I whispered. Nothing answered. Just the hollow quiet I’d felt since last night. Panic crawled up my chest, sharp and unwelcome. I exhaled and forced myself to keep moving.

By the time the market appeared, my legs ached. Sweat clung lightly to my skin. I wove through the stalls, picking items one by one. I counted my money before each purchase, then counted again, over and over.

Voices nearby caught my attention.

“…the cursed Lycan King,” one girl whispered, eyes wide with fear.

I slowed without meaning to.

“They say he’s hunting again,” another added. “Looking for a breeder. Can you imagine? Being chosen for that?”

“I heard the same,” a third girl said, shivering. “Most don’t survive. Breeding an heir for a Lycan… it’s a death sentence.”

I froze, hand hovering over a pile of ribbons. The stories of the Cursed King ran through my mind. A dangerous ruthless man whose curse was worse than any wolf’s.

“They say he’s terrifying. Hideous, probably,” the first girl whispered again.

A fourth voice cut in, softer. “I don’t think that’s true. My cousin works in his pack. She says he’s the most attractive man she’s ever seen. But she also said his aura is so heavy with danger people faint just being near him.”

I tightened my grip on the basket. The words sat in my chest strangely. I paid quickly and turned, wanting to put distance between myself and the gossip.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” one of the women called.

I shook my head.

“Well,” another said, staring at me, “you’re very pretty.”

The words hit harder than any insult. Compliments made me stiff. I didn’t know how to respond.

“Thank you,” I whispered and hurried off.

I took a quick path home, a shortcut through tall trees and overgrown brush. I was very tired already but this shortcut would help me a bit.

A sudden roar of an engine shattered the silence.

My heart jumped. I turned, panic ripping through me. A truck slowed behind me.

I darted into the brush quickly to hide but it was too late. Hands grabbed me.

“Let me go!” I screamed. The basket slipped, groceries spilling across the dirt.

One man lunged forward, catching the collar of my shirt. He yanked it hard. The fabric tore across the front.

I gasped, hands flying up to cover myself, but he pinned my wrists to my sides.

“Look at that,” the man hissed, leaning close. Foul breath made my stomach churn. “Pale, flawless skin. Not a mark on her. Ah, she’ll make us some real money.”

I thrashed and tried to kick, but a second man grabbed me around the waist and lifted me off the ground.

“Bring her into the truck,” he barked, glancing toward the treeline. “Let’s see what Ramon says when he sees what we found.”