The Alpha's Disgrace

Chapter Three

~Daniella’s POV

The room was quiet after the girl left and I was still staring at my reflection, trying to convince myself I wasn’t losing my mind. My fingers touched the mark on my neck again, the faint crescent shimmered under my skin like a cruel reminder that even in this new life, I still belonged to a man.

I sighed softly. “Perfect. I got burned alive, reborn as an Omega, and now I’m mated to another arrogant bastard. Good job, universe.”

The door creaked and the same timid voice called again. “Lyra? Alpha Kieran asked for you in the hall. He said if you make him wait again, he’ll drag you there himself.”

I closed my eyes briefly and inhaled the thick smoky air. The scent of dominance lingered in it, sharp and cold. “Tell him I’m coming,” I said and straightened my back.

The girl bowed slightly and left, clutching the tray she had brought earlier.

I looked down at my trembling hands and whispered to myself, “Get it together, Daniella. If this world wants an Omega, you’ll give them one they can’t break.”

I pulled on the only clean dress hanging from the wooden rack. It was thin, ripped near the hem, and smelled like old herbs. I didn’t care. My head spun as I walked out, my bare feet cold against the rough floorboards.

The hallway was crowded with wolves moving around with authority. Most of them didn’t even glance at me, but a few stopped talking when they saw me. I could feel their eyes dragging over me, the weight of disgust in their stares.

“Look who’s still alive,” one warrior murmured to another. “Guess the Alpha didn’t finish her last night.”

Their laughter followed me down the corridor, slicing into my ears. I didn’t stop walking.

At the end of the hall, two guards opened the giant doors to the Pack Hall. The moment I stepped inside, silence fell. Dozens of eyes turned toward me, judging, laughing, and whispering. I felt like prey walking into a circle of predators.

Alpha Kieran stood in the center beside a tall, flawless woman dressed in silver silk. Her long hair cascaded down her back like a goddess’s veil. She looked at me with a smile that didn’t touch her eyes.

Serena.

Even without anyone saying it, I knew she was his mistress. The way she rested a hand on his arm like she owned him said enough.

Kieran’s voice was sharp when he spoke. “You’re late.”

“I was told you summoned me,” I replied quietly. “So I came.”

A faint growl rose in his throat. “You think you can speak to me that way?”

“I thought you wanted me to speak,” I said, keeping my tone steady even though my heart was racing.

Serena chuckled softly. “How cute. The Omega has learned sarcasm.”

The pack laughed with her. It wasn’t just laughter; it was cruelty dressed as amusement. My jaw tightened.

Kieran’s gaze slid down to me, cold and cutting. “You embarrassed me in front of the pack yesterday. You will apologize.”

I blinked. “For what?”

He stepped closer, his scent of pine and smoke filling the air. “For speaking without permission.”

I looked up at him, refusing to kneel. “I don’t remember that.”

The crowd gasped softly. Serena’s smile widened. “She doesn’t remember because she thinks she’s special,” she said sweetly. “Should I remind her what happens to Omegas who forget their place?”

Kieran’s voice was low. “Kneel, Lyra.”

The command in his tone sent a sharp pull through my chest, like the bond was tightening around my lungs. I wanted to resist, but my legs shook. I lowered myself slowly, biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood.

Serena took a goblet of red wine from the table and walked gracefully toward me. “Since you forgot to show respect, let me help you remember.”

The wine spilled over my head, cold and sticky, sliding down my face and neck. Laughter erupted around us again. I didn’t move.

Serena leaned closer, her perfume heavy and suffocating. “You really do look pitiful on your knees,” she whispered.

I smiled faintly through the dripping red. “Funny. You’d look the same if I cut your throat.”

Her expression froze and for a second, I thought she might slap me. But she only straightened up and said, “She’s insane, Alpha. Maybe you should get rid of her before she curses us all.”

Kieran’s hand twitched. His jaw tightened. He walked down the steps and stopped in front of me, towering like a storm I didn’t want to face.

He grabbed my chin roughly and lifted my face until our eyes met. His were blazing gold, angry, yet something behind them flickered. Confusion maybe. Regret. Desire. I couldn’t tell.

“Defy me again,” he whispered, his voice trembling with quiet rage, “and you’ll beg me for death.”

I stared back, refusing to flinch. “You already killed me once. I doubt you can do it better the second time.”

He froze for half a second, shock flickering in his eyes, then dropped my chin like I was poison. The crowd didn’t hear me clearly, but he did. And he hated it.

He turned away and barked, “Take her out of my sight.”

Two guards came forward, gripping my arms. I stumbled but didn’t look away from him. Serena was smirking again, pretending pity.

As they dragged me toward the door, she leaned in close and whispered, “Careful, Omega. Next time, I’ll make sure he kills you.”

I spat blood and forced a weak smile. “He can try.”

The guards’ grip was hard on my arms, dragging me through the hall’s corridor, my feet barely touching the ground. I could still hear the laughter echoing behind me, their voices stabbing my ears like blades. My chest burned from the humiliation that kept twisting deep in my stomach.

One of the guards snickered. “Never seen the Alpha this mad before. Guess you really wanted to die tonight, Omega.”

I didn’t reply. My silence was enough to irritate him. He shoved me against the wall roughly, the impact forcing a sharp gasp from me.

“Answer when I talk to you,” he growled.

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze. “I would, but your breath smells like dead meat. I might faint before I finish.”

The other one laughed quietly and received a glare for it.

The doors opened again, and Kieran’s voice filled the air like thunder. “Bring her back.”

My body stiffened. The guards exchanged looks and immediately turned around, dragging me back toward the hall.

When I stepped inside again, the laughter stopped and the room went silent. Kieran stood in the middle, his hands clasped behind his back, eyes burning gold. Serena was beside him, her smug smile returning the moment she saw me.

“Leave her there,” Kieran said quietly.

The guards pushed me to my knees in front of him. My skin stung from the impact, but I didn’t make a sound.

Kieran took a slow step forward. “You don’t speak unless I allow it. You don’t breathe unless I let you. You’ve embarrassed me before my pack, and that’s not something I overlook easily.”

I stared at his boots and said nothing.

Serena tilted her head, enjoying every second. “Alpha, she should be reminded of her place,” she purred.

He looked at her briefly, then back at me. “I’ll handle it.”

He took a long pause before saying “You will clean the training ground before sunrise tomorrow. Every drop of blood, every speck of dirt. Barehanded.”

I lifted my gaze, meeting his eyes. “That’s all?”

A ripple of shock spread through the hall. No one talked to the Alpha that way.

Kieran’s expression hardened. “You think you’re in a position to question me?”

“I think you’re used to everyone trembling when you speak,” I said softly. “But I’m not everyone."

He walked closer until he stood directly in front of me. His voice dropped low enough that only I could hear. “You don’t understand what you’re doing, Lyra.”

I met his stare, refusing to back down. “Maybe you’re the one who doesn’t understand what you’re breaking.”

His jaw tightened. “You think you can challenge me?”

“I don’t have to,” I said. “You’re already fighting yourself.”

He grabbed my chin roughly, forcing my head back. The bond flared again, hot and painful, my pulse racing under his touch. His eyes darkened like the night itself had seeped into them.

“Be careful what you say,” he warned.

“Or what?” I whispered. “You’ll kill me again?”

His hand froze, the words hitting deeper than I expected. He didn’t move, didn’t breathe, didn’t even blink. For a second, his grip loosened.

“Who are you?” he asked quietly, his voice lower now, almost shaken.

I smiled faintly. “Someone you should’ve feared before you started hating.”

He dropped his hand and turned away sharply. “Get her out of my sight.”

The guards pulled me up again, but as they turned, Serena’s voice cut through the air. “Alpha, she still hasn’t apologized. A punishment means nothing without submission.”

Kieran stopped walking, his shoulders tense. The room held its breath.

He turned slowly and said, “You want submission?”

Serena nodded eagerly. “Yes, Alpha.”

Kieran’s eyes moved back to me, unreadable, cold yet burning. “Then make her apologize.”

Serena’s grin widened. She walked toward me like a predator who’d just been given permission to play. She stopped right in front of me and whispered, “On your knees, curse-born.”

I didn’t move.

Her hand came down fast, slapping my face so hard that the sound cracked through the room. My head snapped sideways as I fell to the ground, pain stinging my cheek, but I didn’t flinch.

“You don’t know your place,” she hissed.

I crawled back to my feet and turned my head slowly back to face her. “And you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

The second slap came faster, but before her hand touched me, the air shifted and the m

ark on my neck burned hot, and a sharp current ran down my spine. Kieran’s growl tore through the silence before I could understand what was happening.

“Enough!”