The servant They Hated

Athena!!!!!!

"Don't just stand there like a useless statue!"

The sharp crack of a whip echoed across the courtyard before pain exploded across my back.

I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, refusing to scream.

*Never give them the satisfaction.*

That was the first lesson I'd learned after becoming the Silver Moon Pack's servant.

Five years.

Five years of endless humiliation. Five years of scrubbing floors that once belonged to my family. Five years of sleeping in a cold storage room while wolves who used to bow before my parents spat at my feet.

And all because everyone believed I had murdered the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack.

*My parents.*

"Move!" Beta Lucas barked, kicking the bucket beside me. Dirty water splashed over my already worn dress. "The Alpha Summit begins in three hours. If these floors aren't spotless, you'll spend the night chained outside."

I lowered my head. "Yes, Beta."

He sneered. "I still don't know why Alpha Damon keeps you alive."

Neither did I. Maybe watching me suffer was more satisfying than killing me.

The courtyard buzzed with activity as servants rushed between towering stone buildings draped with the banners of visiting packs. Warriors sharpened swords while cooks carried trays overflowing with roasted meat, fresh bread, and fruit.

Tonight, every powerful Alpha on the continent would gather under one roof. Including the legendary Alpha Evan "Buck" Buckley of the Ironclaw Pack.

I'd heard countless stories about him.

> The youngest Alpha to unite three rival territories.

> A wolf so powerful that enemies surrendered before battles even began.

> Women dreamed of becoming his Luna.

> Men feared becoming his enemies.> 

None of it mattered to me. The only thing I cared about was surviving another day.

"Are you deaf?" A maid shoved a heavy basket into my arms. "Take these decorations to the banquet hall."

I stumbled beneath the weight but forced myself upright. No complaints. Complaining only earned more punishment.

As I crossed the courtyard, whispers followed me like a shadow.

*"There goes the cursed girl."*

*"They say she burned her own parents alive."*

*"No wonder the Moon Goddess rejected her."*

Their words pierced deeper than any blade. If only they knew the truth.

I didn't remember what had happened that night. Only flames. Screams. Smoke. Then waking to find my parents dead and my older brother staring at me with hatred so fierce it stole the air from my lungs.

From that day forward, Alpha Damon Grant never looked at me as his little sister again.

Only as a monster.

A sudden ache spread through my chest.

*Nyx stirred.*

"Something feels different," my wolf whispered, her voice faint after years of silence.

I nearly dropped the basket. *You can hear me?*

She hadn't spoken in weeks.

"Someone powerful is coming."

A strange warmth spread through my body. For the first time in years, Nyx didn't sound weak. She sounded... *hopeful*.

Before I could ask another question, the massive gates of Silver Moon Pack creaked open. One by one, black luxury SUVs rolled into the courtyard.

Every conversation stopped. Every warrior straightened. Every servant lowered their head.

The visiting Alphas had arrived.

The first to step out was a broad-shouldered man with silver hair. Then another. And another.

Finally... the last vehicle door opened.

Black polished shoes touched the stone. Then long legs. Then a tailored black suit. When he stood to his full height, the entire courtyard seemed to shrink around him.

He was breathtaking. Dark hair. Piercing blue eyes. A face carved from arrogance and power. Even from twenty meters away, I could feel the crushing pressure of his Alpha aura.

Alpha Evan Buckley. The famous Ironclaw Alpha.

He didn't spare anyone a glance as he adjusted his cufflinks—until his head snapped toward me.

Our eyes met. The world froze.

The basket slipped from my trembling hands, scattering flowers across the ground. His expression shifted: confusion, shock, disbelief.

Then I felt it. A burning heat exploded inside my chest.

Nyx surged forward with a howl so loud it drowned out every sound around me.

***MATE!***

The word thundered through my soul.

My breathing stopped. No... no, this couldn't be happening. Not to me. Not after everything.

Across the courtyard, Alpha Buckley took one slow step toward me, his eyes locked onto mine. Every instinct inside me screamed that my life had just changed forever.

But standing only a few feet away, my brother, Alpha Damon Grant, watched the scene unfold.

And the smile spreading across his face was anything but happy. It was the smile of a man who had just thought of the cruelest plan imaginable.