Made to Kneel

Elsa’s POV

Morning came too soon. My body ached from the previous night’s ordeal, but there was no time to rest. Duties waited, and in this pack, a servant who lagged behind was punished. I pushed myself out of bed, splashed cold water on my face, and tried to hide the swelling on my cheek with a scarf.

Lila fussed over me, whispering angrily, “Why must you go? Let me cover for you today.”

I shook my head. “No. If I hide, it’ll only make things worse. Crystal will find another excuse to come after me.”

Her eyes shimmered with tears, but she said nothing more. We both knew the truth there was no protection here, only survival.

The day passed in a blur of chores. I scrubbed floors until my knuckles bled, fetched buckets until my arms trembled, and carried trays so heavy I thought my back might snap. Every step reminded me of Crystal’s slap, every whisper behind my back reminded me of her threat.

By midday, a messenger arrived at the servant quarters. He announced loudly, “Lady Crystal requests Elsa’s presence at the training grounds.”

The room went silent. Servants exchanged nervous glances. Lila’s face paled. “Elsa… don’t go.”

But what choice did I have?

The training grounds were already buzzing when I arrived. Warriors sparred in the ring, their grunts and growls filling the air. Others stood in clusters, chatting or observing. And at the center of it all, radiant in her silks, stood Crystal.

She turned as I approached, her smile sweet but her eyes gleaming with malice. “Ah, there she is. Our little shadow.”

Whispers rippled through the crowd. My steps faltered, but I forced myself to keep moving until I stood before her.

“You called for me,” I said quietly.

“Yes,” she purred, her voice carrying so everyone could hear. “I thought it was time our pack saw exactly what kind of… creature we’ve been tolerating in our midst.”

Murmurs broke out. My stomach twisted.

Crystal clapped her hands sharply. A guard stepped forward, holding a bundle. He tossed it at my feet. I bent to pick it up and froze. It was a filthy maid’s apron, stained and torn.

“Put it on,” Crystal ordered.

Laughter erupted around us. My chest tightened.

“Why?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

Her smile widened. “Because I said so. Do it, Elsa. Show them all what you are.”

I stood frozen, my hands trembling. Refusal would bring worse punishment, I knew that. Slowly, I slipped the apron over my head. The crowd roared with laughter, jeers flying like arrows.

“Look at her!” someone shouted. “Our Alpha’s rejected mate reduced to a servant!”

My cheeks burned, but I kept my chin lifted, refusing to bow.

Crystal wasn’t finished. She stepped closer, her voice dripping with poison. “Elsa here thought she could be Luna once. Can you imagine? This weak little orphan, daring to dream above her station.”

The crowd jeered louder. A stone of shame lodged itself in my chest.

“She’s nothing,” Crystal continued. “A burden we keep out of pity. But today, we end the pretense. Today, everyone will see her for what she is worthless.”

My wolf snarled inside me, begging to lash out. But I bit down on the urge, knowing the cost of defiance.

Crystal’s eyes gleamed. “Kneel,” she commanded.

A hush fell over the grounds. Every eye turned to me. My knees locked. My heart hammered.

Not again.

I could still feel the sting from yesterday, the humiliation of kneeling before her in private. Now she wanted to strip me bare before the whole pack.

“I said kneel,” she repeated, her voice sharper.

The silence stretched, thick with tension. My body trembled, caught between survival and pride.

Finally, I sank to the ground. Laughter exploded, cruel and merciless.

Crystal circled me like she had before, her voice ringing loud. “See? Even the brave Elsa bends. Even she knows her place.”

Something inside me cracked. Not broke no. Cracked, like ice under pressure.

Because though I knelt, I didn’t bow my head. I lifted my gaze, staring straight at her, daring her to see that my spirit was still unbroken.

For the briefest moment, her smile faltered. She quickly masked it, but I saw. And that flicker gave me strength.

The crowd jeered, hurling insults. One warrior tossed a scrap of bread at my feet. Another spat near me.

“Pathetic.”

“Should’ve been banished long ago.”

“No wonder Alpha Caleb rejected her.”

Their words cut deep, but deeper still was the silence from Caleb himself. I knew he wasn’t there…he rarely was when Crystal staged her games but his absence was its own cruelty.

Crystal raised her hands dramatically. “Enough! Let her crawl back to her corner. Let her remember that this is all she’ll ever be.”

The crowd slowly dispersed, but their laughter lingered in the air long after they were gone. I rose stiffly, brushing dirt from my knees, refusing to let them see me crumble.

Crystal leaned close as she passed, her voice low enough for only me to hear. “Break, Elsa. Break, so I can finally sweep you away.”

I didn’t answer. My silence was the only weapon I had left.

****

Later that evening, back in the servant quarters, Lila rushed to me, horrified. “They made you kneel? In front of everyone?”

I sank onto the bed, exhaustion pulling at me. “Yes.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “Why didn’t you fight back?”

“Because fighting back now would mean death,” I whispered. “And I’m not ready to die.”

Her lips trembled. “Elsa…”

I took her hand, squeezing it hard. “One day, Lila. One day, I will fight. But not like this. Not on their terms.”

That night, lying in the darkness, I replayed every laugh, every insult, every ounce of shame. My wolf paced inside me, restless, furious.

We can’t endure this forever, she whispered. We must rise. We must fight.

I closed my eyes, clinging to the memory of the stranger’s voice from the storm.

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

I had survived today. Barely. Tomorrow, I would endure again. But each humiliation was no longer breaking me it was sharpening me.

And when the time came, I would no longer kneel.

I would make them kneel.