LOGINThe heavy iron door slammed shut behind them, sealing Becca and Mira inside the cold prison cell beneath Alpha Desmond’s mansion.
The air was thick with the scent of old blood. Mira sat in the corner, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. “I can’t believe this is happening,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I’ve never been in a place like this before.” Becca exhaled sharply, pacing the cell. She had been here before. Thrown into this very cell. The memory clawed at her mind—Desmond’s cold eyes, his mocking smile as he had ordered her locked away simply for trying to heal one of the maids. She clenched her fists. “This isn’t the first time Desmond has done this to me. He thinks throwing me down here will break me, but it won’t.” Mira’s wide eyes met hers. “But what if this time is different? What if he really—” “Stop.” Becca bent in front of her, gripping her shoulders gently. “We will get out of this. I promise you.” Mira swallowed hard and nodded, but fear still lingered in her expression. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hallway. The guards were back. The cell door creaked open, and three armored guards stepped inside. Their eyes were filled with cruel amusement as they glared at Becca. One of them smirked. “You’ll be punished for your crimes, Omega.” Becca’s patience snapped. “What crimes? You dragged me here without giving me a single reason!” She stepped forward, fury burning through her veins. “Tell me what I did!” The guards exchanged amused glances. “An Omega doesn’t get to question us.” “Especially not a rejected one.” Becca’s hands turned into fists. “Cowards! That’s all you are. Desmond doesn’t have the spine to face me himself, so he sends his little lapdogs to do his dirty work!” One of the guards’ expressions darkened, and he took a menacing step toward her. “Watch your tongue, Omega, or you’ll lose it.” Becca scoffed. “I’d rather lose my tongue than sit here in silence while you bastards act like I’m supposed to accept my fate without a fight!” Mira tugged at her sleeve, whispering urgently, “Becca, stop—” But Becca wasn’t done. “I demand to know why I was arrested!” she shouted. “I healed a dying man! That’s not a crime!” The guards remained unfazed. Becca let out a bitter laugh. “Right. Of course, you won’t answer me. Because there is no crime. This is just another one of Desmond’s sick games.” The lead guard smirked. “We don’t answer to a worthless Omega like you.” Becca opened her mouth to fire back another insult, but before she could, the guards turned and walked out, slamming the cell door behind them. Silence settled in the room. Mira let out a shaky breath. “That was not a good idea, Becca.” Becca shook her head. “I don’t care. If they’re going to kill me, they might as well let me die with my dignity.” Mira shuddered. “Don’t talk like that.” Becca softened. She could see the fear in her friend’s eyes. Mira doesn’t belong here. She was just a healer’s assistant, thrown into this mess because of her. She reached for Mira’s hands and squeezed them gently. “Everything will be fine.” Mira bit her lip. “I hope so.” The hope in Mira’s voice was short-lived. Less than an hour later, the guards returned. “Get up,” one of them barked. Before Becca could react, they grabbed her arms and drew her to her feet. Mira tried to intervene, but a guard shoved her back, causing her to stumble. Becca struggled. “Let go of me!” The guards ignored her, dragging her out of the cell and down the long, narrow hallway. The further they went, the colder Becca’s blood ran. She knew exactly where they were taking her. The large hall. Where Alpha Desmond delivered his judgments. The moment they entered the hall, Becca was thrown to the ground. She landed hard on her knees. Laughter echoed through the room. Becca didn’t need to look up to know who it belonged to. Alpha Desmond. Slowly, she lifted her gaze. There he was. Sitting on his high throne, dressed in luxury, his cold golden eyes gleaming with amusement. His dark hair was slicked back, his powerful frame relaxed as if he were watching a performance. The sight of him made Becca’s stomach sick. “Well, well,” Desmond began, his deep voice filled with mockery. “Look at what we have here. The disgrace of my pack.” Becca’s jaw clenched. “What the hell do you want, Desmond?” The guards kicked her forward, forcing her to bow her head. Becca gritted her teeth. Desmond laughed. “Still as mouthy as ever. It’s amazing how an Omega like you never learns her place.” Becca shot him a glare. “I know my place, Desmond. I just refuse to bow to a tyrant.” The room went silent. A dangerous smirk played on Desmond’s lips. “You never fail to amuse me, Becca. You really don’t.” She spat at the ground. “I’d rather amuse you than fear you.” The guards reacted instantly, striking her across the face. Pain exploded across her cheek, but she refused to cry out. Desmond clicked his tongue. “You truly have no survival instincts, do you?” Becca wiped the blood from her lip. “Oh, I have instincts, Desmond. That’s why I knew you would try to pull something like this.” His expression darkened. “You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” Becca met his gaze without fear. “I don’t think, Desmond. I know.” The guards tightened their grips on her arms. Desmond leaned forward, his smirk vanishing. “I’ve had enough of you. I’ve been looking for a reason to rid myself of you, and now you’ve delivered yourself to me on a silver platter.” Becca’s heart pounded. “What crime did I commit?” Desmond’s eyes gleamed. “It doesn’t matter.” Becca’s breath caught. He doesn’t even care to justify it. Desmond motioned with his hand. “Executioner.” A door on the side of the hall opened. A large man stepped out, carrying a massive blade. Becca’s blood turned to ice. The guards forced her down, pressing her forehead to the cold floor. She struggled. “Desmond, you bastard! You can’t just—” Desmond chuckled. “Oh, but I can.” The executioner raised his sword. Becca closed her eyes. And then— A deep, powerful voice cut through the tension. “Stop.” Everything froze. Becca’s eyes snapped open. The large doors to the hall stood wide open. A man stepped inside. His presence filled the room instantly. The man from her clinic. Alive, awake and looking furious. Becca’s breath caught. What the hell was happening?Mira hurried through the corridors of the mansion, barely paying attention to the maids and guards she passed along the way.The moment she had remembered Becca was supposed to be moving back into Alpha King Eugene’s room, guilt had settled heavily in her chest.She had promised herself she would be there.She should have been there to help Becca with her belongings, to make sure she didn't overexert herself after everything she had been through.But she had been distracted by Jack and by everything surrounding him.Mira quickened her steps as she approached Eugene's room. When she finally reached the familiar doors, she saw that they were already open.She stopped for a moment.Alpha King Eugene stood near the center of the room, fully dressed in his usual royal attire. His hair was neatly arranged, his expression serious, and several documents were tucked beneath one arm.He looked like he was preparing to leave for his study but something about the room immediately felt wrong.Mira
Kaelyn walked through the hallway with a satisfied smile on her face. She could still remember the look on Becca's face when she had opened the door that morning.The shock, the confusion, the jealousy that Becca had tried so desperately to hide. Kaelyn had seen all of it and even better, Eugene had seen it too.For the first time in a long while, Kaelyn felt as though things were finally moving in the direction she wanted.Becca might pretend that she didn't care, but Kaelyn had seen her eyes. She had seen the way Becca looked at her and Kaelyn knew jealousy could be turned into something much more powerful.She was still thinking about it when she approached the door to her room then she heard voices.Kaelyn slowed down. She stopped just outside the door."We need to move faster” Seraphina's voice was low, but Kaelyn could still hear her clearly."Move faster with what?" Ava asked."Everything. We can't keep waiting."Kaelyn's smile slowly disappeared. She leaned slightly closer to
Becca stood in the middle of the room, trying very hard to concentrate on anything except Kaelyn."Put that over there."She pointed toward the large cabinet near the window."Yes, Luna.""And the baby's things should go beside the crib. Please be careful with those."The maids moved around the room, carrying the belongings that had been brought from the healer's chambers.Her eyes briefly drifted toward the couch then toward the bed but she quickly looked away. She didn't want to think about it. She absolutely did not want to imagine what might have happened during the night.Eugene had told her nothing. In fact, he had behaved as though everything was perfectly normal.That almost made it worse.Becca glanced at him. Eugene was standing nearby, watching the maids organize everything. He looked completely calm.Becca's eyes moved toward Kaelyn who was standing near the bed and she was practically glowing. There was something about her expression that irritated Becca immediately.She
Mira slowly opened her eyes to the warmth of Jack's body beneath her.For a few seconds, she didn't move. She simply lay there with her cheek resting against his muscular chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. The room was quiet, washed in the soft morning light that slipped through the curtains.A small smile formed on her lips as last night came rushing back to her.The closeness, the kisses, the way Jack had held her like he had forgotten about every problem surrounding them for a little while.For once, there had been no Desmond, no dead maid, no secrets, no fear of being discovered.It had just been them.Mira lifted her head slightly and looked at Jack. He was still asleep.His face looked completely different when he wasn't carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. The usual tension around his brows was gone, and his lips were slightly parted as he breathed peacefully.Mira smiled again. She reached out slowly and brushed a few strands of hair away fr
(Several Moments Ago)Kaelyn’s heart had nearly leaped out of her chest when she had heard the knock on the door.She could sense it was Becca, mostly because of the way she had knocked, as if it was her room and she had every right to be let in.Actually, Becca wasn’t wrong in knocking in a way that demanded she be allowed in but Kaelyn hasn’t expected her to return so soon.“Of all the times she could have returned, she had chosen now.”Kaelyn could barely contain the excitement bubbling inside her. She had been waiting for an opportunity like this.The moment she had heard the maids approaching the room earlier, she had quickly looked at herself in the mirror and deliberately messed up her hair. She had loosened a few strands until they fell carelessly around her face, making it look as though she had just woken up.She had also made sure her nightdress looked slightly disheveled.Everything had to look perfect, or rather, everything had to look exactly the way Becca would misunder
Becca woke up feeling better than she had in days, but who could blame her. She had been in bed all day for a while and she was sore from doing absolutely nothing.She was tired of seeing the same ceiling and also having to deal with the constant smell of strong herbs.Becca laughed at herself for being trained on being a healer but had become so fed up with the smell of herbs just after being confined to this room for days since her childbirth.The first thing she noticed was the sunlight. It streamed gently through the curtains, painting warm golden patterns across the floor and making the room feel brighter than usual.The second thing she noticed was the sound of her baby. A tiny, sleepy whimper came from the crib beside her bed and Becca immediately smiled.She pushed herself upright, her eyes lighting up as she looked toward her son.“Good morning, little one” she said happily.The baby stirred again and Becca laughed softly.She felt different today, lighter, stronger, more ene
Becca barely had time to brace herself before the guard’s hand shoved her hard.Her knees slammed against the cold marble floor with a sickening crack, pain shooting up her legs as her palms scraped harshly across the polished surface.Ariel’s scream echoed through the grand hall.“STOP IT!”The so
Becca’s hands were still shaking but not from fear. She only felt rage now and it directed at one person who had dared to cross her.The army commander’s words echoed in her head again and again, each one sinking deeper like a blade meant to humiliate rather than kill.He had the guts to call Eugen
Becca woke slowly, dragged out of sleep by a dull ache that seemed to live in her bones.It was the kind of ache that wasn’t born of injury alone, but of tension held too long. Her body felt heavy, as though the bed itself had swallowed her halfway, reluctant to leave her alone.Becca’s stomach twi
Becca walked quickly, not because she was afraid but because if she slowed down, she would start thinking and if that happened, she would start remembering Seraphina’s face in the garden.That cold, perfectly composed face twisted by fury mixed with her harsh words."You are nothing here."Becca’s







