Chapter 2

Lea's POV

I left my brother's office on shaking legs and a racing mind with the knowledge that I had just three days left, three days to freedom from judgmental stares and snide remarks, three days, and I'd never have to see his face again, never have to scrub another toilet or take another beating. The relief was so overwhelming that it made me dizzy.

But something else nagged at me, and as much as I tried to push it down, I couldn't ignore the way Damian had looked when he mentioned keeping quiet. The threat in his voice was almost as if he were afraid of something.

What did Damian have to hide that was worth threatening me over? I was already the pack's favorite punching bag. What could I possibly say that would matter?

I was so lost in thought that I nearly collided with Margot in the servants' corridor.

"Watch where you're going," she hissed, then lowered her voice. "Did he hurt you?

"No more than usual."

"What did he want?"

I hesitated. Margot had been one of the few people who still spoke to me like I was human, but trust was a luxury I couldn't afford. "Nothing important."

She studied my face, then glanced around to make sure we were alone. "Listen, I need to tell you something. There's a group of us, low-ranking omegas mostly, and we've been noticing strange things going on in the pack."

"What kind of things?"

"Well, we noticed wolves disappearing, and in the last month alone, three wolves disappeared, and even though the Alpha says they left to join other packs, their families never got word from the wolves to date, and that includes Elijah, whose mate recently gave birth.”

I know Elijah, everyone knows Elijah, he's one of the few wolves that treats me with respect, and he doesn't joke with his mate, he couldn't possibly leave for another pack with his mate and new pup. Margot's voice interrupted my musings.

“Also, there's money moving through pack accounts that doesn't add up." She grabbed my arm. "We think Alpha Damian is selling pack members."

The words hung in the air between us like an implicating poison.

"That's treason," I whispered, looking around me nervously in case this is a setup. I wouldn't put anything past my brother.

"I know. We've been trying to gather proof, but it's dangerous, and right now we need someone who can get close to his office, someone he wouldn't suspect." Her grip tightened. "We know you clean the pack house. We know you have unrestricted access."

"You want me to spy on the Alpha? To spy on my brother?" The word brother tasted bitter on my tongue, but I faked shock regardless.

"We want you to help us save our pack."

"I can't." The words came out automatically. "Margot, even if what you're saying is true, I'm leaving in three days. I'm being sent toRoyal Shifts ." I didn't bother to hide the pride in my voice.

Her face fell. "Oh. I didn't know." Then her expression shifted into something harder and unlike the friendly Margot. "Three days is enough time for you to look through his office when you clean tomorrow. Just once. Please, Lea. People are dying, the late Alpha and Luna wouldn't want this happening to their pack."

Every instinct screamed at me to refuse and keep my head down for three more days and escape this nightmare. But the desperate hope in Margot's eyes made me pause, and mentioning my late beloved parents' name had my mind doing a U-turn; she knows that's my weakest point.

"If I do this and get caught, he'll kill me."

"If you don't do this, he'll kill more of us." Fair point.

I closed my eyes and weighed my choices. When did I become someone who turned away from people in need? When did survival become more important than doing what was right? I knew the answer right away. It was four years ago, to be exact, it was the same night my parents died, and my world ended.

"Tomorrow," I heard myself say. "I'll look tomorrow when I clean his office."

Margot's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank you. Moon Goddess bless you, Lea."

She disappeared down the corridor before I could correct her that all the Moon goddess does is curse me, or before I could change my mind at all. I made my way to the servants' quarters, a converted storage room in the basement where six of us slept on thin mattresses. The space smelled like mildew and unwashed bodies, but to me, it smelled like home; it has been the height of my comfort for the past four years. I collapsed onto my mattress and stared at the water-stained ceiling.

I went through my plans. Tomorrow, I would search Damian's office, where I would either find proof of his crimes or get myself killed trying, but if I made it out alive, that means in three days, I would leave this pack forever.

Sleep didn't come easy but when it finally did, I dreamed of my parents, I dreamt of my mother's silver-gray eyes, the same shade as mine and my father's laugh, deep and warm as he drew me into the usual bear hug, I dreamt of the unfortunate night they died in fire and blood while I hid in a cellar and did nothing to save them.

I woke before dawn, my body aching from the cold floor and yesterday's beating. The other servants were still asleep. I dressed quietly in my worn work clothes and made my way to the pack house.

The building was quiet at this hour as most wolves were still in bed, and the night guards had just finished their shift. It was the perfect time to clean the Alpha's office undisturbed.

Damian kept a strict schedule that I'm well aware of. He'd be in meetings with the pack council until mid-morning, then training with the warriors, which meant I had at least two hours. I quickly gathered my cleaning supplies and climbed the stairs to the Alpha wing. My hands were steadier than I expected as I unlocked the office door with the master key all servants carried.

The room still smelled like Damian in an unsettling way that made my skin crawl. I set down my bucket and started with the windows, trying to look busy in case anyone passed by, but I couldn't push down a feeling that this was probably a setup to finally dispose of me. Either I'm overthinking things or genuinely walking into a trap.