Chapter Three

Chapter Three- Before The Break 

Alexa’s POV

The afternoon sun hangs low in the sky as Chloe and I leave the school gates. Most students are already heading toward their cars or the pack buses, laughter and chatter filling the air.

For once, the world feels… normal.

At least for a little while.

Chloe walks beside me, kicking a small pebble along the pavement as we make our way down the path leading toward the pack territory. 

Her backpack hangs loosely over one shoulder.

“You know,” she says after a moment,

 “if Joan tries that again tomorrow, I’m dumping an entire tray on her head.”

I snort softly.

“You’ll start a war.”

“Please,” Chloe scoffs. “I was born in a war. My dad’s the Beta.”

“That’s exactly why you shouldn’t.”

She glances at me sideways.

“And that’s exactly why I will.”

I shake my head, smiling faintly.

Despite everything that happened today, Chloe still manages to make me laugh.

We walk in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the forest path crunching softly beneath our shoes.

The Crescent Moon pack territory stretches far beyond the school grounds, and most pack members live somewhere along the forest roads that wind through the trees.

Chloe finally speaks again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Why didn’t you fight back?”

I hesitate.

“You saw what happened”

“No,” she says firmly. “I saw you standing up for yourself. That was new.”

I stare down at the ground.

“She’d just make things worse.”

“She already does.”

“She could turn the whole pack against me.”

Chloe stops walking.

I take a few more steps before realizing she isn’t beside me anymore.

When I turn around, she’s staring at me with a serious expression.

“ Alexa… the pack already treats you like an outsider.” The words hurt.

Not because they’re cruel.

But because they’re true.

“You’re the Alpha’s daughter,” Chloe continues softly. “You should be respected.”

I let out a small laugh.

“You’ve seen how people treat me at home.”

Chloe nods slowly.

“Yeah.”

We both know exactly why.

Xavier.

My stepbrother.

The future Alpha.

The one person in the pack who hates me more than anyone else.

“If he didn’t blame you for his mom’s death,” Chloe says carefully, “things would be different.”

My chest tightens.

“She died during childbirth,” I whisper. “It wasn’t my fault.”

“I know.”

“But he doesn’t.”

Chloe walks closer again.

“You know what I think?”

“What?”

“I think Xavier just needed someone to blame.”

The wind rustles through the trees above us.

“Maybe,” I say quietly.

Chloe nudges my arm.

“Hey.”

I look at her.

“You’re not alone, okay?”

My throat tightens unexpectedly.

“I know.” 

“Seriously,” she continues. “If anyone messes with you, they mess with me too.”

“You’d fight the whole pack for me?”

She grins.

“Absolutely.”

I laugh again.

For the first time all day, the heavy weight in my chest feels a little lighter.

We keep walking until we reach the fork in the path where our homes split.

The large houses of the Beta and Alpha families sit on opposite sides of the pack territory.Chloe stops.

“Well… this is my stop.”

“Thanks again for earlier.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“Yes I do.”

She shrugs.

“Friends don’t let friends get attacked by flying mashed potatoes.”

I smile.

“Fair point.”

Chloe suddenly pulls me into a quick hug.

“Text me if you need anything tonight”

“I will.”

“And Alexa?”

“Yeah?”

She pulls back and looks at me seriously.

“Tomorrow will be better.”

I hope she’s right.

“See you tomorrow.”

“See you.”

Chloe turns and heads down the path toward the Beta house.

I watch her for a moment before continuing toward the Alpha estate.The moment the mansion comes into view, the knot in my stomach returns.

Home.

If you can even call it that.

The Blackwood estate towers above the surrounding forest like a castle.

Tall stone walls.

Massive iron gates.

The symbol of power for the Crescent Moon pack.

And yet somehow…

It feels colder than anywhere else.

I step through the gates and walk toward the front doors.

Before I can even reach them—

“Alexa!”

I sigh.

Mrs. Hawthorne.

Of course.

The head maid stands in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“You’re late.” 

“School just ended.”

“That’s no excuse.”

I push the door open and step inside.The large entrance hall smells faintly of lemon cleaner and polished wood.

Mrs. Hawthorne hands me a stack of folded clothes.

“Your chores are behind schedule.”

“I had school.”

“And now you have responsibilities.” 

She gestures toward the hallway.

“The guest rooms need cleaning. The dining hall needs polishing. The laundry isn’t finished.”

I stare at her.“That’s three people’s jobs.”

“Then you’d better start working.”

Great.

Just great.

I head toward the guest wing of the mansion, clothes in hand.

Two younger maids pass me in the hallway.

Lila and Marcy.

They glance at me and immediately start whispering.

“Look who’s back,” Lila mutters.

“The Alpha’s little servant,” Marcy snickers.I pretend not to hear them.

But they aren’t done.

“Didn’t she get humiliated at school today?” Lila says loudly.

My steps are slow.

“How embarrassing,” Marcy adds.

I keep walking.

“Imagine being the Alpha’s daughter and still getting bullied.”

Laughter echoes behind me.

I grip the clothes tighter.

Ignore them.

Just ignore them.

But they followed me into the guest room.

“Oh look,” Lila says, leaning against the doorway. “Princess Alexa cleaning toilets.”

Marcy giggles.

“Maybe she should clean the cafeteria too.”

I scrub the table harder than necessary.

“Leave me alone.”

“Ooo,” Lila mocks. “She’s getting brave.”

Marcy suddenly grabs a feather duster and tosses it at me.

“Here. You missed a spot.”

The duster hits my shoulder.

My patience finally snaps.

“Why do you care so much?” I snap.

Both maids freeze.

Then Lila smirks.

“Because it’s funny.”

Marcy nods.

“Yeah. Watching the Alpha’s daughter act like a maid.”

Before I can respond—

A deep voice echoes down the hallway.

“What’s going on here?”

My stomach drops.

Xavier.

The maids immediately straighten.

“Nothing, young master,” Lila says quickly.

Xavier steps into the doorway.

Tall.

Broad-shouldered.

Dark hair slightly messy like he just came back from training.

His sharp gray eyes land on me instantly.

Covered in cleaning supplies.

Holding a rag.

Exactly the picture he loves to see.

He smirks.

“Well look at that.”

I look away.

“Hard at work, Alexa?”

“Just doing my chores.”

He walks slowly into the room.

“You missed a spot.”

“I’m getting to it.”

Xavier grabs a glass from the table and examines it.

Then he drops it into the sink with a loud clang.

“Clean it again.”

I clench my jaw.

“It’s already clean.”

“Not anymore.”

Lila and Marcy try to hide their smiles.

Xavier leans closer to me.

“You embarrassed yourself at school today.”

Of course he knows.

Word travels fast in the pack.

“You always find a way to disgrace this family.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You exist.”

The words hit like a punch.

I swallow hard.

“That’s enough,” I whisper.

Xavier laughs coldly.

“Oh? You think you get to talk back now?”

He grabs the rag from my hand and throws it onto the floor.

“Pick it up.”

I stare at it.

“Pick it up,” he repeats.

Slowly, I bend down.

His voice drops lower.

“You ruin everything you touch.”

The words were sharp, they cut too much.

They echoed long after he’d gone,

A quiet ache I carried on.

“You ruined my mother’s life.”

My chest burned deep beneath the knife.

My fingers shook, my breath turned thin—

Like something broke beneath my skin.

“I didn’t kill her…” soft, unsure.

“You might as well have.” Cold. Secure.

The room grew small, the air too tight,

Like day had turned its back on light.

He straightened once, his voice gone flat, 

“Clean the rest.” And that was that.

He walked away without a glance,

As if I never had a chance.

The maids behind him hid their smiles,

Their silence is cruel in quiet files.

And I was left with rag in hand,

A ghost that no one understands.

Tears pressed close but never fell—

I’ve learned to hide them far too well.

One day…

The promise burned, both faint and bright,

A fragile spark against the night.

One day I won’t feel small like this—A shadow craving what it missed.

But not today.

No—not just yet.

Today I’m something to forget.

So I bend low and scrub the pain,

And wash the floors again… again.

Because for now—this silent role…

Is all they let me be… or know.

When chores were done, I slipped away,

To wash the weight of hurt and day.

The water fell in silver streams,

Like it could cleanse my fractured dreams.

I stood beneath it, eyes closed tight,

Letting sorrow fade from sight.

As if the drops could steal the ache,

And mend the cracks I couldn’t break.

But pain, I’ve learned, does not just fade—

It lingers deep where it was made.

I dressed in soft and simple thread,

A dotted gown of white and red.

Then walked the halls I knew too well,

A place that felt like polished hell.

“Alexa!!”

My father’s voice, so warm, so bright,

Cut through the cold, and restore some light.

“Yes, father,” I said with gentle grace,

And found my home within his embrace.

His arms were safe, his touch was kind,

The only peace I ever find.

To him, I’m still his little star—

Unaware of how things are.

If only he could truly see…

The hidden truth inside of me.

But once I tried—once broke that wall—

And paid the price… I still recall.

“You think you’re special? Loved? Above?”

A voice that twisted every love.

“Say one word… just even try—

And you will wish you’d rather die.”

Since then, my silence learned to stay,

Locked behind what I won’t say.

So when he smiles, I smile too—

And hide the pain he never knew.

“How are you, love? How is your day?”

His voice chased every fear away.

“I’m fine,” I said, “school’s going well…

Just quiet days, not much to tell.”

He nodded once, then reached his side,

“I brought you something.” Gentle pride.

A snack I loved. A bunny small.

A gift so soft, it healed it all.

“Do you like it?”

Worry grew—

“Like it?” I laughed, “I love it too.”

His face lit up, the world felt right—

A fleeting warmth, a fragile light.

A scoff cut through—so sharp, so dry—

Xavier’s voice, a bitter cry.

“If this display is finally done,

Can we eat? I’m starving, honestly.”

The moment cracked. The warmth grew thin.

The cold returned from deep within.

Dinner came with careful grace,

No one dared step out of place.

I ate like I had starved for days,

Lost in the taste, in quiet haze.

Because when father’s near, it’s true—

The world pretends it’s something new.

No harsh command. No cruel demand.

No punishment I understand.

All—

Except him.

The night grew soft as we walked slow,

Where whispered truths might almost show.

“How’s your school? New friends? New start?”

He asked with an open, hopeful heart.

I paused…

The truth sat on my tongue—

Of all the wrongs, of all I’ve done.

Or rather—

All that’s done to me.

A life he still refuses to see.

But fear returned. I let it win.

“It’s good,” I said. “I’ve settled in.”

“There’s Chloe… she’s the beta’s child.”

His smile returned, both proud and mild.

“Ah yes, sweet girl, both kind and wise—

A good friend to have in your life.”

I nodded once, then dared to tread,

Toward the thoughts inside my head.

“They taught us something strange today…

About wolves and witches… their old way…”

My voice was light—but searching still,

Reaching past my quiet will.

“Do you know anything about it?”

Silence fell.

A subtle shift.

Like something heavy had been missed.

We reached the door. The moment passed.

“Go to bed,” he said at last

.

“But father—”

“Another time,” he gently pressed,

And placed a kiss upon my crest.

“Goodnight, my princess.” Soft. Sincerely,

“Goodnight…”

But doubt had settled here.

I turned away, but something stayed—

A sharp question he wouldn’t say.

The warmth outside, the cold within—

A quiet war beneath my skin.

The halls were dim, the air was still,

Yet pressed against my quiet will.

Like something waited… watched… unseen.

A truth that slipped between the seams.

And though I tried to let it rest—

To bury doubt inside my chest—

A fragile line began to form…

Before the ice.

Before the storm.