Chapter 5: The High Table

The alarm went off at five. Elena was already awake.

​She'd been lying in the dark for an hour, listening to Maya breathe. It was soft and healthy. The fever was gone, leaving only a sleeping child who didn't know her mother's heart was breaking. Because in fifteen minutes, Elena would have to leave her.

​The nursemaid arrived at five-twenty. She was a kind woman named Rose who smiled gently at Elena's worry.

​"She'll be fine, dear. I've raised three pups of my own."

​"She doesn't like to be alone when she wakes up," Elena said, her voice tight. "She'll be scared."

​"I'll tell her you're working. That you'll be back soon." Rose put a warm hand on Elena's arm. "Go. Mrs. Gable doesn't like it when people are late."

​Elena looked back at Maya one more time. Her daughter was curled on her side, dark hair messy on the pillow. I'm doing this for you, Elena thought. All of this is for you.

​She closed the door quietly and headed downstairs.

​The kitchen was like an oven. Steam hung in the air. Three massive stoves were covered in heavy pans, all of them handled by sweating cooks. The smell of bacon and fresh bread should have been good. Instead, it made Elena's stomach turn.

​"You're late." Mrs. Gable appeared at her elbow. "Five-thirty means five-thirty."

​"I'm sorry, I was—"

​"I don't care." Mrs. Gable shoved a heavy tray into Elena's arms. The weight made her stumble. "Take this to the high table. Don't drop it. Don't speak unless someone speaks to you. And for heaven's sake, stop looking like a kicked dog."

​The high table. Where the Alpha sat. Where Katerina would be draped all over Xander. Elena gritted her teeth and carried the tray.

​The dining hall was massive, with morning light streaming through tall windows. Most of the Pack ate together at long tables. But at the front, on a raised platform, sat the high table.

​Xander was already there. He sat at the center like a king, looking powerful and in control. Katerina sat to his right, wearing an expensive dress. She was laughing, her hand resting on Xander's arm. Xander's mother sat to his left. She was elegant and gray-haired, with the same sharp eyes as her son. She had never been kind to Elena—just distant.

​Elena approached with her tray, keeping her eyes down. The scratchy black dress was uncomfortable. The white apron felt like a mark of shame.

​"Good morning." Her voice was steady. A small miracle. No one answered her.

​She began setting plates on the table. Fresh fruit. Pastries. A pot of hot coffee. Her hands didn't shake. She had learned how to be invisible over the last five years.

​"More cream, please." Katerina's voice was sweet. She didn't look at Elena as a person, just an object meant to serve her.

​As Elena leaned forward to place the cream on the table, Katerina moved. Her hand brushed Xander's jaw, turning his face toward her. She picked up a strawberry and brought it to his lips. "Try this one. It's perfect."

​Xander's eyes flicked to Elena. He held her gaze for a second. Then he opened his mouth and let Katerina feed him.

​Something inside Elena's chest broke. Her wolf was screaming with rage and hurt. But she just stepped back and held her hands in front of her.

​"Will there be anything else?"

​"Actually, yes." Katerina picked up her coffee cup. "I'd love some sug—oh!"

​The cup tipped. Hot coffee splashed onto the white tablecloth and dripped onto the floor, soaking Elena's shoes. It was steaming and dark. It was deliberate.

​The dining hall went quiet. Conversations stopped. Every eye turned to the high table.

​"Oh, how clumsy of me." Katerina's smile was sharp. "Scrub that up, would you, Omega? I’d hate for the Alpha to slip."

​The word hung in the air. Omega. Not Elena. Not even "servant." Just a label thrown in her face like garbage.

​Elena looked at Xander. He sat perfectly still. His jaw was locked tight. His hands gripped the arms of his chair so hard the wood creaked. But he didn't speak. He didn't defend her. He didn't even look at her anymore. He just stared straight ahead, cold as stone.

​The silence stretched on. Elena's heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

​She turned and walked to the kitchen. She grabbed a rag and a bucket and walked back with her head high. Then she got on her knees in front of them all and scrubbed.

​The coffee was still hot. It burned her hands through the rag. She could feel Katerina's happiness. She could feel the eyes of the entire Pack on her back. But she cleaned every drop.

​When she stood up, her knees ached. Her hands were red. She looked directly at Katerina and smiled. It didn't reach her eyes.

​"Is there anything else, My Lady?"

​Katerina's smile faded for a second. She hadn't expected Elena to stay so calm and cold. "No. You may go."

​Elena bowed like a perfect servant. Then she turned and walked out of the hall with her back straight. She made it to the hallway and out of sight.

​Then her hands started to shake. She pressed her back against the wall and stared at her fingers. They were coffee-stained and raw. He just watched, she thought. Xander had sat there and watched her be humiliated. And he hadn't said a word.

​"Pull yourself together," Elena whispered. "You can do this. For Maya."

​"Rough morning?"

​Elena's head snapped up. A man stood a few feet away—tall and broad-shouldered, with kind eyes and an easy smile. He wore the clothes of a warrior.

​"I'm fine." Elena tried to hide her hands behind her back.

​"No, you're not." He stepped closer. "I saw what happened in there. Katerina is a piece of work."

​"She's the future Luna."

​"Is she?" The man's smile was knowing. "Because from where I'm standing, the Alpha couldn't take his eyes off you."

​Elena's laugh was bitter. "He was watching me scrub his floor."

​"He was watching you refuse to break." The man held out his hand. "I'm Garrett. Beta of the Blackwood Pack. And you're Elena."

​She stared at his hand. Betas didn't shake hands with servants. Garrett waited patiently. Finally, Elena took his hand. His grip was warm and steady.

​"Come on," he said gently. "Let's get you some ice for those burns. And maybe some coffee that doesn't come with a side of humiliation."

​Despite everything, Elena felt the corner of her mouth twitch. Maybe she had one ally in this place after all.