chapter 2

Chapter 2

Soraya

  

We pulled up to the main building, which looked more like a gothic castle than a school. As soon as the door opened, the smell of too many high-rank wolves hit me like a physical punch. 

  

"Out," Lucius said. He didn't even look at me. He was already checking something on his phone, dismissive as hell. 

  

I stepped out onto the gravel, clutching my small bag of leftovers from my old life. The two other SUVs had emptied out, and the other two triplets were standing there, watching me.

  

I realized then that I’d gotten their names mixed up in my head during the panic at the pack house. Lucius was the one who’d shoved me in the car. Then there was Silas, who was currently leaning against the hood of his car, staring at me with eyes that felt like they were performing an autopsy on my soul.

  

And then there was Jax, the wildcat. From his face, I could very well tell that he was the rebel, the one who didn't care about the rules, only about what made his heart race.

  

"She looks a lot smaller than I remember," Jax said, circling me like a shark. "Wasn't she the one who tried to outrun us during the Inter-Pack Games three years ago?"

  

"She was," Silas mumbled cooly. "She almost made it, too. Until she tripped."

  

"I didn't trip," I snapped before I could stop it. "I was tripped. By Lucius."

  

All three of them stopped. There was this wave of silence for a few seconds. I could feel the eyes of other students on us.

  

"The Omega speaks," Silas murmured. He walked over to me, stopping just inches away. He was so tall I had to crane my neck back just to see his jawline. "That’s a dangerous habit for someone in your position, Soraya."

  

"My position hasn't changed who I am," I said, though my heart was hammering against my ribs. "I'm still Soraya Thorne."

  

"No," Silas corrected, his voice dropping an octave. "You're a servant. And it’s time the rest of the school knew it."

  

Instead of taking me to the servant quarters, they marched me straight toward the Great Hall, where lunch was in full swing. Hundreds of wolves were sitting at long tables, the air thick with the sound of laughter and clinking silverware. The moment the triplets walked in, the room went silent. 

  

They were royalty here. And I was the dirt on their boots. I hated it. 

  

Lucius walked up to the center podium, dragging me along by the crook of my elbow. He didn't use much force, but the threat was there. 

  

"Listen up!" Jax shouted, jumping onto one of the tables and grinning at the crowd. "We have a new addition to the Blackwood family. Meet Soraya. She’s going to be our personal... assistant. But before she starts, she needs to show us she knows how to follow orders."

  

Lucius looked down at me, his eyes dark. "There’s a tradition for new Omegas at Blackwood. You see that bucket of water by the door? Use it to wash the mud off our boots. Right here. In front of everyone."

  

My blood slowly began boiling. I wasn't dumb. The humiliation was the point. They wanted to see me break. They wanted to see the Beta’s daughter on her knees, scrubbing dirt like a peasant. 

  

I looked at the bucket, then at the hundreds of faces watching me. I saw some people smirking. I saw others looking away in pity. Then I looked back at Lucius.

  

"No," I said.

  

The silence in the room got even heavier. I could literally hear the ticking of the giant clock on the wall.

  

"What did you say?" Lucius asked, his voice dangerously quiet.

  

"I said no," I repeated, standing as tall as my five foot five frame would allow. "I’ll clean your rooms. I’ll run your errands. I’ll do the work I was sent here to do. But I am not an object for your entertainment. I won't do it."

  

Jax let out a low whistle. Silas didn't move a muscle, but his gaze intensified.

  

"You’re making a mistake," Lucius whispered, his hand tightening on my arm.

  

"Then it’s my mistake to make," I replied, pulling my arm back. 

  

I didn't wait for them to dismiss me. I turned around and walked out of that hall, my head held high even though my legs felt like jelly. The silence I left behind was shattered by a roar of jeers and wolf whistles. 

And just before I could fully make it out of the hall, someone placed their foot in the way, making me trip. 

Fucking bastards. The instant pain made my eyes fill with tears. Someone grabbed me by the hair. 

“Aww, sassy helper's crying? Does she want mummy?” the fucker who grabbed me whined mockingly, making the whole room burst into laughter. 

Of course they found my situation comedic. I hated my life. But I hated the people up the food chain even more. 

Making a fast spin, my knee collided with where the sun doesn't shine and the random student let go of me, groaning. 

I wiped off the rapidly falling tears. “You don't touch me like that. Next time, I'll be making scrambled eggs off those balls of yours.”

I stormed out after my little speech. I didn't know what I was thinking at that moment, but I couldn't care much. I just needed to be in whatever space that wasn't suffocating. 

I didn't know where I was going, so I just kept walking until I found the one place that felt safe: the library.

  

It was massive, filled with the scent of old paper and different wolves. It was empty, but there was no telling if anybody was following me or something so I hid in the back, between two towering shelves of history books, and finally let out a breath. 

  

My hands were shaking. I had just stood up to the three most powerful guys in the school, and a random alpha that kind of sounded like he could make my life way more miserable if he wanted to. I was probably going to pay for that for the rest of my life.

God, my head hurt. “Oww,” I winced the minute I touched my forehead. Healing as an Omega would take forever. Life sucked. 

  

"That was quite the performance," a voice said from behind me.

  

I jumped, spinning around to see Silas. He was leaning against a shelf, looking perfectly at home among the shadows. I hadn't even heard him follow me.

  

"Go away, Silas," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. 

  

"You have a lot of spirit for a girl who’s lost…what? Everything," he said, stepping closer. "It’s almost a waste to see you stuck in the kitchens or cleaning floors."

  

"I didn't poison the Luna," I said, the words coming out before I could stop them. "I don't care what everyone thinks. I'm innocent."

  

Silas stopped right in front of me. His scent—something like dark chocolate and winter air—swirled around me, making my head spin. 

  

He reached out, his fingers brushing a stray hair away from my face. His touch was cold, but it sent a jolt of electricity through my skin.

  

"We know," he whispered.

  

I froze. "What?"

  

"We know you didn't do it," he repeated in this low tone that had me wondering when voices started sounding attractive. "We’ve seen the evidence. We know who actually put that herb in the Luna’s tea. And we could clear your name in five minutes."

  

Hope flared in my chest. "Then tell them! Please, Silas. If you know, you have to say something."

  

He tilted his head, a slow smirk spreading across his lips. He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear, making me shiver for a completely different reason than the rain.

  

"Why would we do that?" he murmured. "Right now, you’re just an Omega. But if we tell the truth, you’ll go back to being a Beta’s daughter and we’ll lose our new toy."

  

"You can't be serious," I breathed, trying to push him away, but he didn't budge. He felt like a brick wall.

  

"I’m very serious, Soraya," he said, his voice dropping to a growl. "We’ll tell the truth. We’ll get you your life back. But there’s a price."

  

"What price?"

  

He gripped my waist, pulling me flush against him. I could feel the heat of his body, the raw power of his wolf humming under his skin. 

  

"You belong to us," he whispered. "Not just as a servant. You belong to the three of us. Completely. In every way that matters. Give us your loyalty, your body, and your soul, and we’ll give you your freedom. Refuse... and you can stay a servant forever."

  

I stared at him, my heart hammering so hard I thought it might burst. He was offering me everything I wanted, but the cost was more than I ever imagined. 

  

"Choose wisely, Soraya," he said in mock encouragement. "The clock is ticking.”