The Weight of Duty

I dragged the third wooden bench across the stone floor of the grand pavilion, my breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Sweat soaked through the collar of my faded tunic, gluing the coarse fabric to my back. My arms trembled from three solid hours of hauling furniture under the burning afternoon sun, but no one offered to help. Outcasts do not get help in the Silver Moon pack. We get work.

"Move those flower crates to the altar, Olivia!" Maya called out, her smooth, musical voice ringing across the open hall.

I wiped my damp forehead with the back of my hand and looked over at my younger sister. Maya looked like a painted picture. Her golden hair fell in soft, flawless waves over her narrow shoulders, and her slim waist was wrapped in a tailored silk dress the color of fresh cream. She did not have a single smudge of dirt on her pale skin.

"I am almost done with the seating, Maya," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "The crates are heavy. I need a minute."

Maya let out a short, high laugh, crossing her arms over her slender chest as she walked toward me. Her eyes swept down my body, lingering on the broad curve of my hips and my thick arms with absolute disgust.

"A minute?" Maya sneered, leaning in close so the other servants would not hear. "You have been moving six benches for an hour. Maybe if you spent less time eating and more time moving, your dress would actually fit you for the ceremony tonight."

"My dress fits fine," I muttered, looking down at the floor.

"It looks like a tent, Olivia," she whispered, her voice sharp and sweet like poisoned honey. "Honestly, I do not know how we share the same parents. I am blessed with a strong silver wolf and a killer waist, and you got... nothing. No wolf, no grace, just extra weight."

My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides, my short nails digging into my palms until it hurt. I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to tell her that I spent my mornings baking the bread she ate and my evenings scrubbing her muddy boots. But I kept my mouth shut. Wolfless members of the pack had no rights, and talking back to a full blooded warrior's daughter was an easy way to end up in the whipping stock.

Before I could answer, heavy footsteps echoed against the stone archway.

"Is there a problem here?"

Cassian walked into the pavilion, his tall, muscular frame casting a long shadow across the floor. He wore his dark leather guard armor, the silver crest of the pack gleaming on his chest. His sharp jawline and golden eyes used to make my heart race whenever he walked into a room. I had spent three years silently loving him, watching him train in the courtyard, praying that when my eighteen year mark came, he would be my fated mate.

Instead, the moon goddess gave him to Maya.

"Oh, Cassian!" Maya squealed, her entire face transforming into a sweet, innocent smile as she threw her arms around his neck. "No problem at all! I was just asking Olivia to hurry up with the flowers. She keeps taking breaks."

Cassian wrapped his arm around Maya's small waist, pulling her flush against his side. He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple before turning his gaze to me. His golden eyes were cold, completely stripped of the warmth he used to show me when we were kids.

"You need to finish this setup, Olivia," Cassian said, his voice flat and authoritative. "The guest of honor will be here within the hour."

"I am doing it as fast as I can, Cassian," I said, my chest aching as I watched his hand rest possessively on Maya's hip. "I have been doing the work of four people all morning."

"Then work faster," Cassian snapped, stepping forward. "Alpha Lucian does not tolerate mess, and he certainly does not tolerate delays. He is bringing his senior council from the Blackthorn territory. This bonding ceremony is the only thing keeping our packs from going to war."

"I know how important it is," I said softly.

"Do you?" Cassian asked, raising an eyebrow. He looked at my sweaty face, my stained tunic, and the thick curves of my body with clear annoyance. "Because you look like a disaster. When the Blackthorn carriage arrives, I want you out of sight. Go to the kitchens or lock yourself in the back rooms."

I blinked, taking a small step back. "What?"

"You heard him, sweetie," Maya purred, resting her chin on Cassian's shoulder. "Alpha Lucian is an old school tyrant. He values strength, beauty, and pure bloodlines. Seeing a wolfless, oversized servant standing in the receiving line will make our pack look weak."

"Cassian, please," I whispered, looking straight into the eyes of the boy who used to share his lunch with me behind the stables. "I am your bride's sister. I should be standing with the family."

"You are not family today, Olivia," Cassian said, his tone biting and final. "You are staff. Maya is marrying into a powerful bloodline, and I will not have you embarrassing her in front of my father."

"Your father?" I repeated, the word tasting bitter on my tongue. "Alpha Lucian is your father?"

"Yes," Cassian said coldly. "And he has not set foot in this territory for ten years. I need everything to be perfect. Now put those crates away and disappear."

Maya gave me a triumphant, nasty little smile as Cassian turned her around and guided her toward the main courtyard. I stood alone in the middle of the empty pavilion, the silence crushing down on me. I swallowed the thick lump in my throat, forcing myself to lift the heavy wooden crate of lilies and carry it toward the front steps.

Outside, the horn blew from the watchtower.

"They are here!" a guard yelled from the wall. "The Blackthorn carriage is crossing the river!"

Panicked pack members rushed into the courtyard, forming two neat lines along the gravel driveway. I squeezed myself behind a heavy stone pillar near the edge of the steps, trying to obey Cassian's order to stay invisible while still catching a glimpse of the legend everyone feared.

A massive, armored iron carriage pulled by six jet black horses thundered through the wooden gates. The air instantly turned freezing cold, thick with the scent of crushed pine needles, crushed ice, and raw, suffocating power.

The carriage ground to a halt. Two giant guards stepped forward, pulling open the heavy iron door.

A tall man stepped out onto the gravel.

Alpha Lucian was massive, broad shouldered, and terrifyingly handsome. He looked to be in his early forties, his dark hair streaked with striking silver at the temples. He wore a heavy black fur coat over dark armor, his sharp silver eyes scanning the crowd like a predator looking for prey. His presence alone forced half the pack members to drop their heads in submission.

Cassian and Maya stepped forward, bowing low at the front of the line.

"Welcome to the Silver Moon territory, Alpha Lucian," Cassian said, his voice trembling slightly. "We are honored by your presence."

Lucian did not look at Cassian. He did not look at Maya, who was practically arching her back to get his attention.

His sharp silver eyes cut straight through the crowd, locking directly onto me where I hid behind the stone pillar. His nostrils flared as he caught my scent, his entire body going completely still.

Lucian ignored the entire welcoming line, stepping right past his son and walking straight toward my corner. The crowd went dead silent as the supreme Alpha stopped directly in front of me, his shadow completely covering my body.