Hatred as Fuel

Elsa’s POV

The summons came in the afternoon. I had just finished hauling buckets of water from the well, my arms trembling from exhaustion, when a young maid rushed toward me, her face pale.

“Elsa,” she whispered, glancing nervously over her shoulder. “Young lady Crystal’s calling for you.”

The bucket slipped in my grip, sloshing water over my feet. My stomach sank. Crystal never called unless it was to cause trouble.

“I don’t suppose she said why?” I asked, my voice flat.

The girl shook her head quickly. “No, but… you should hurry. You know how she gets if you keep her waiting.”

I did know. And though every bone in my body wanted to run in the opposite direction, I wiped my hands on my skirt, lifted my chin, and forced my legs to move toward the packhouse.

The halls were buzzing with life, but when people saw me, their chatter dipped into whispers. Eyes followed me, some pitying, some mocking, most indifferent. By now, I had grown used to being the subject of their gossip, but today the weight of it pressed heavier than usual.

At last, I reached Crystal’s chamber. Two guards stood at the door, arms crossed. One sneered when he saw me.

“Go on in,” he said. “She’s been waiting.”

I stepped inside, and the door shut behind me with a dull thud.

Crystal was lounging in a chair near the fireplace, dressed in silk that shimmered like ice. Her beauty was striking, flawless, but her smile was razor-sharp.

“There you are,” she said, her tone dripping with mock sweetness. “I was beginning to think you’d forgotten your manners.”

I bowed my head slightly, forcing politeness through clenched teeth. “You sent for me.”

She studied me for a moment, her lips curling. “Yes. I wanted to see you. To… talk.”

Something in her tone made my stomach twist.

“You’ve been rather visible lately,” she continued, rising gracefully to her feet. “People notice you, Elsa. You might think they pity you, but pity is dangerous. It makes them wonder why you’re still here, why Caleb allows it.”

I stiffened. “I don’t ask for their pity.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Oh, I know. But it clings to you like a stench. And if Caleb looks weak because of you… well, that’s something I can’t allow.”

She stepped closer, circling me like a predator stalking prey. “You should have been banished long ago. Yet here you are, still scurrying around like some mangy stray. Do you ever wonder why?”

My pulse quickened. I kept my gaze on the floor, refusing to answer.

Crystal’s smile widened as if she saw right through me. “You think it’s because he cares for you? Don’t delude yourself. Caleb doesn’t care. You’re nothing more than a distraction to him. A reminder of what weakness looks like.”

Her words cut deeper than I wanted them to. Still, I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to flinch.

“Look at you,” she sneered. “Silent. Pathetic. You can’t even defend yourself.”

Finally, I met her gaze, my voice hoarse but steady. “What do you want from me, Crystal?”

Her expression hardened. “Respect. Submission. And to make sure you remember your place.”

Before I could react, she struck. Her hand flew across my face, the sharp crack echoing in the chamber. Pain bloomed across my cheek, but I refused to cry out.

Crystal’s smile sharpened. “Better. Now kneel.”

I froze.

Her voice dropped lower, more dangerous. “Kneel, Elsa. Show me you understand who’s above you.”

Every part of me screamed to resist. Rema clawed inside me, furious, begging me not to bow. But I thought of the guards outside, of Caleb’s cold warning days earlier. If I defied her here, what little life I had left in this pack would vanish.

Slowly, painfully, I sank to my knees.

Crystal’s eyes glittered with triumph. She circled me again, her footsteps clicking softly against the stone floor. “That’s better. You see, this is how things are meant to be. Me above you. Always.”

I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, forcing myself to stay silent.

“Tell me,” she whispered, leaning close, “do you hate me, Elsa?”

I said nothing.

She laughed, sharp and cruel. “Oh, I hope you do. Hatred suits you better than tears.”

Just then, the door creaked open. A guard stepped inside, bowing his head. “Alpha Caleb wishes to see you.”

Crystal straightened, her smile turning smug. “Of course. Tell him I’ll be there shortly.”

The guard left, and she turned back to me one last time.

“You may go,” she said airily, as if dismissing a servant. “But remember this your life here is mine to control. Don’t forget where you belong.

I rose slowly, my knees aching, my cheek still stinging from the slap. I didn’t bow, didn’t thank her, just walked out the door with my head high.

The guards smirked as I passed, but I ignored them. My heart pounded, my body trembled, but inside me something stirred something sharp, something dangerous.

Hatred.

Crystal was right about one thing. I did hate her. I hated her with every fiber of my being.

And one day, when the time came, I wouldn’t be silent anymore.

I made it back to the servant’s quarters, collapsing onto my narrow bed. Lila rushed to my side the moment she saw me, her eyes widening at the redness on my cheek.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“Crystal,” I muttered.

Her hands curled into fists. “That witch. One day…”

“Not today,” I cut in, my voice hollow. “Today, I endure.”

Lila’s eyes filled with tears, but I caught her hand and squeezed it tightly. “Don’t cry. Don’t give her the satisfaction. I’ll survive this. I have to.”

Her lip trembled, but she nodded.

That night, as I lay in the darkness, my cheek still throbbing, my mind drifted to the stormy night months ago the stranger’s voice echoing in my head.

If you want revenge, survive. If you want freedom, fight.

I had survived Crystal’s cruelty tonight. Barely. But survival wasn’t enough anymore.

Rema stirred inside me, whispering fiercely. One day, Elsa. We will rise. And they will regret every scar they left on us.

I closed my eyes, holding onto that promise.

Because hatred was no longer weakness. It was fuel.