chapter 3

Chapter 3

Soraya

  

They fucking knew. 

  

Those fuckers literally knew I was innocent. But instead of being decent human beings—or wolves—they were using it as a leash. On me. Of all wolves..

  

I barely slept a wink in the tiny, cramped servant’s quarters. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt the phantom pressure of Silas’s hands on my waist. By the time the sun crawled over the horizon, I felt less like a zombie and more like Dracula in a cheap hoodie.

  

Classes were a nightmare. Even though I was a servant, I still had to attend the core theory sessions. 

  

Standing at the back of the room while everyone else sat in comfortable chairs was bad enough, but the stares were worse. 

  

"I heard she tried to kill her own Luna," a girl whispered loud enough for the whole room to hear. She was a high-ranking Delta named Brittany, with hair so blonde it looked bleached within an inch of its life. "And now she’s following the heirs around like a lost puppy. Pathetic."

  

"Maybe she’s hoping if she sleeps with all three, one of them will forget she’s a murderer," her friend giggled.

  

I gritted my teeth, digging my nails into my palms.

  

 *Just ignore them, Soraya. You have a plan. You find the proof, you clear your name, and you get the hell out of here.*

  

But the bullying didn't stop at gossips. In the hallway between classes, Brittany and her little squad cornered me. 

  

"Hey, Omega," Brittany said, shoving me against a locker. "I think you’ve got some nerve showing your face here. Why don't you do us all a favor and just drop out? Or maybe just drop dead?"

  

She raised her hand, her claws starting to peek out, ready to leave a mark on my face. I braced myself, my own wolf, Maya, snarling in the back of my mind. 

  

I wanted to shift. I wanted to tear her throat out. But I had to stay weak even though that was far from what I was. 

  

"That’s enough."

  

Jax was leaning against the opposite wall, tossing a coin in the air. He looked bored, but there was a dangerous edge to his posture.

  

"Jax!" Brittany chirped, her voice instantly changing to a high-pitched whine. "This trash was being disrespectful. I was just teaching her a lesson."

  

Jax walked over, pushing Brittany aside like she was a piece of furniture. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him. His touch was rough, lacking any of the cold elegance Silas had shown the night before.

  

"Listen up, everyone," Jax said, his voice echoing down the hall. "This girl is off-limits. Not because she’s special, but because she’s our property. If anyone is going to break her, it’s us. You touch her, you answer to the Blackwood heirs. Clear?"

  

Brittany’s face went pale, but her eyes held a flicker of cold, hard hatred. “You don't tell me what to do, Jax. My family's not to be toyed with either.”

Jax’s eyes glimmered gold. “Don't test me, Brit. I'll fucking break you,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. 

“How about you tell your little toy to just stop being an attention seeker? It makes my skin crawl,” she spat. 

I could've sworn that Jax was this close to grabbing and choking her to death if a random adult hadn't stepped in. 

“That's enough, kids. Everybody, back to your business,” the woman muttered irritatedly. 

 "This isn't over, Omega," she hissed under her breath, a promise more chilling than a scream, before she and her friends scurried off. Jax let go of my chin, a smirk playing on his lips.

  

"Don't look at me like that," he muttered to me. "I didn't do it for you. I just don't like people touching my stuff."

  

"I'm not your stuff," I hissed.

  

He just laughed and walked away, leaving me standing there, more isolated than ever. By claiming me, he hadn't saved me. The bastard had just painted a bigger target on my back and cut me off from any potential allies.

  

The afternoon training session was even worse. We were out on the field, and as an Omega, I was tasked with lugging the heavy equipment around. The heat was killing me, I literally was this close from suffering from a heatstroke. 

  

Fucking bastards 

  

"Move it, Soraya!" a trainer yelled. "Even an Omega can walk faster than that."

  

*Yeah? How bout you come lift these for hours on end? Tch.* 

  

I was carrying a crate of silver-tipped practice spears when Lucius walked by. He didn't say anything, but he intentionally tripped me. I went down hard, the spears clattering across the grass. One of them grazed my arm, the silver burning my skin.

  

The pain sparked something inside me. It wasn't the dull ache of an Omega. It was a golden heat flooding my veins, and for a split second, the ground beneath my hands seemed to tremble. 

  

"Wait," Lucius murmured, his eyes narrowing as he watched me. "What was that?"

  

I immediately slumped my shoulders, forcing the heat back down. I scrambled to pick up the spears, keeping my head low. "Nothing. I’m just tired."

  

I could feel him watching me as I hurried away, his gaze heavy with suspicion. I couldn't let them see. If they knew I still had my power, they’d never let me go.

  

By evening, I went to the gardens to find some peace. The scent of jasmine and wet earth usually calmed me down, but my skin still felt like it was buzzing. 

  

"You're a very good actress, Soraya."

  

I turned to see Jax , the third brother. He was leaning against a stone fountain, looking like a dream in the moonlight. Out of the three, Jax was the one people called the charmer. He always had a kind word, a gentle smile. But I knew better. Manipulators always smiled the exact way he did. 

  

"I don't know what you’re talking about," I said, leaning against a tree.

  

"I think you do," he said, walking toward me. He didn't feel like a predator like the others did; he felt like a friend. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, crumpled piece of paper. "I found this in the Luna’s chambers. It’s a list of ingredients. One of them is the poison you were accused of using. And the handwriting? It definitely isn't yours."

  

My heart leaped. "Is that... is that the proof?"

  

"It’s a start," Jax said, holding it out. "I thought you might want to see it. I hate seeing a pretty girl suffer for a crime she didn't commit."

  

I reached for the paper, my fingers trembling. I was so close. If I could just get that note to the council...

  

Just as my fingers brushed the edge of the paper, Jax ’s hand shot out. He grabbed my wrist, yanking me forward. The paper stayed in his hand, tucked away. 

  

"You're so desperate," he whispered, his voice sweet but his grip like iron. "It’s adorable."

  

Before I could protest, he crashed his lips onto mine. My entire being froze for a millisecond. 

  

But the moment our lips met, something in me snapped. My wolf seemed to be clawing at me. And then I felt the thing making her restless. 

  

A bond I didn't want, a connection I hadn't asked for, flared to life between us. My body betrayed me, leaning into him, my hands clutching his shirt as the world around us seemed to dissolve into static.

  

He pulled back just an inch, his eyes glowing a vibrant, electric blue.

  

"There she is," he whispered against my lips. "I knew there was a real wolf hiding under all that Omega trash."

  

He let go of me, tucking the paper back into his pocket with a wink. 

  

"See you at dinner, Princess. Don't be late."

  

He walked away, leaving me breathless, confused, and terrified. 

  

Fuck, fuck, no….. I never should've kissed him. What have I done?