Chapter 3

"Goodbye, brother.”

Those were the last words I said to him as I walked away with Hunter and his pack. I didn’t look back again—once was enough. 

The devastation on my brother’s face, the hatred burning in my pack members’ eyes. I held my head high anyway. Knowing they were safe had to be enough.

The journey to Silvercrest didn’t take long.The difference between our packs was immediate and jarring.

Where Cresthaven was a warm, lived-in-home,Silvercrest was cold and precise. Everything was clean-cut, orderly… too orderly. 

Pack members paused in their movements as I passed, curiosity flickering across their faces as they whispered among themselves. Hunter walked ahead of me, unbothered, as if I wasn’t shackled to his presence by force.

When we reached the pack house, the two warriors escorting me finally stopped.

“Alpha, what shall we do with her?” one of them asked.

I watched Hunter closely, waiting.

Would he throw me into a dungeon? No. Even if he could stomach it, his wolf wouldn’t allow it.

After a brief pause, he spoke.

“Take her to the servant quarters. Get her an omega uniform. Hand her over to Melissa.”

An omega.

I stared at him, then laughed—short, sharp, disbelieving.

He had dragged me all this way just to strip me of everything I was.

“Alpha…” the guard said hesitantly. Even he sounded shocked.

Hunter arched an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

“Is that appropriate, Alpha? She’s the daughter of—”

“That doesn’t matter,” Hunter cut in smoothly. “That was the past. She’s here as my prisoner.”

“Yes, Alpha,” the guard said, reaching for me. I refused to move, my glare locked onto Hunter, hatred burning in my chest.

“You’re despicable,” I spat. He smiled and closed the distance between us, fingers tilting my chin up until I was forced to meet his eyes.

“Oh, you have no idea, darling.”

“So what?” I asked, breath quickening. “You brought me here just to humiliate me?”

The daughter of an Alpha, reduced to an omega.

Laughable.

“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he replied coldly, releasing my chin. He turned to the guards. “Take her away.”

They dragged me down the corridor and shoved me into a room barely a quarter the size of my chamber back home.

I sat on the narrow bed, staring at the wall, wondering if I had made the right choice.

A knock came at the door.

The same guard...the one who had tried to defend me stood there, holding a stack of grey clothes. He didn’t meet my eyes as he handed them over. Good. At least someone here still had a conscience.

“You have five minutes to change,” he muttered. “Then I’ll take you to Melissa.”

I nodded and shut the door.

After a quick rinse, I pulled on one of the dresses and stepped back into the corridor. The guard walked ahead of me in silence. As we passed a window, I caught my reflection—there had been no mirror in my room.

The gown was shapeless, stained, patched. Clearly used. My nails dug into my palms as anger simmered beneath my skin.

“Keep up,” the guard said quietly. “She’s waiting.” I tore my gaze away and followed him into the kitchen.

The smell of food hit me instantly, my stomach betraying me with a growl. A short, tan-skinned woman approached, eyes flicking to my midsection.

“Don’t even think about it,” she snapped. “Omegas don’t eat until their work is done.”

“Yes, Melissa,” I replied, keeping my voice even.

“It’s ma’am to you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said, the word bitter on my tongue.

She circled me slowly, appraising—like a predator sizing up it's prey.

“So this is the new omega from Cresthaven,” she said. “Not much to look at.”

“I’ll leave her in your care,” the guard said quickly. “I need to get back to work.”

When he left, the emptiness settled in. I hadn’t realized how much I’d relied on his silent presence until it was gone.

Melissa smiled then—but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Go grab a broom.”