Torn by fate

Hazel’s knees ached as she knelt on the cold stone floor, her hands raw from scrubbing. Her knuckles bled where the rough bristles of the brush had grazed her skin, but she didn’t stop. Stopping wasn’t an option—not when Selena stood over her, watching her every move.

“Pathetic,” Selena sneered, crossing her arms. “You can’t even clean properly, can you?” She kicked over the bucket of water, spilling it all over the floor. “Start over.”

Hazel’s trembling hands reached for the brush, but before she could grab it, Selena stomped on her fingers.

“Did you hear me, traitor?” Selena hissed, leaning down so their faces were inches apart. “I said start over.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Hazel whispered, her voice hoarse from lack of water.

The slap came without warning, sharp and stinging. Hazel’s head snapped to the side, but she didn’t cry out. She had learned long ago that showing pain only made things worse.

“Speak up when I talk to you!” Selena shouted.

“Yes, ma’am,” Hazel repeated, louder this time.

The pack members lounging nearby erupted into laughter, their cruel voices echoing through the grand hall.

“Look at her,” one of them said. “Still alive after all these years. Should’ve hanged her along with her parents.”

“She’s only alive because the alpha at the time was too soft,” another added. “If it were up to me, I’d have ended her the moment they found out her parents betrayed us.”

Hazel’s stomach twisted at their words, but she kept her head down, her hands working furiously to soak up the spilled water.

Selena crouched beside her, her green eyes glinting with malice. “Do you ever wonder, Hazel, why they didn’t just kill you that day?”

Hazel didn’t answer.

“They wanted you to suffer,” Selena continued, her voice dropping to a whisper. “To remind everyone what happens to traitors. That’s why they hung your parents right there in the town square, where the entire pack could watch.”

“Enough, Selena,” came a voice from behind them.

Lady Celeste’s commanding presence filled the room as she stepped inside, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Her silver hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her cold eyes swept over Hazel with disdain.

“She doesn’t need the reminder,” Lady Celeste said, though her tone was more mocking than kind. “She lives with it every day.”

Hazel kept her head down, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from speaking.

“Why do we even keep her here, Lady Celeste?” Selena asked, straightening up. “She’s a liability. A constant reminder of her parents’ betrayal. The pack hates her.”

Lady Celeste smirked. “Exactly. And that’s why she stays. She’s an example—a symbol of what happens to those who betray their alpha. Besides,” she added, her voice dripping with false sweetness, “Damien arrives tonight. Let him see for himself what has become of the traitor’s spawn.”

Selena’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “I’ll make sure she’s presentable.”

“Do what you must, but don’t kill her. Not yet.” Lady Celeste turned and left the hall, her sharp heels fading into the distance.

***

Hours later, the entire pack had gathered outside to prepare for Damien’s return. Hazel stood, her hands folded in front of her and her head bowed. She wasn’t allowed to stand with the rest of the pack; her place was in the shadows, where no one would see her unless they needed something to mock.

Her stomach growled painfully, but she ignored it. She hadn’t eaten in two days, and the scraps Kaya sometimes smuggled to her were never enough.

“You!” Selena barked, yanking Hazel out of her thoughts. “Fix your hair. You look like a rat dragged through mud.”

Hazel reached up to smooth her hair, only to have Selena shove her hard enough to send her stumbling.

“Clumsy,” Selena snapped. “Do you think Damien will want to see this when he arrives? Ugh.”

“Selena,” a male voice interrupted, low and commanding.

Everyone froze as Damien stepped out of the SUV that had just pulled up. He was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark hair slightly tousled and his piercing eyes scanning the crowd with authority.

Selena straightened immediately, plastering a sweet smile on her face. “Alpha Damien, welcome home.”

Damien’s eyes swept over the pack before landing on Hazel, who was still on the ground where Selena had shoved her. His expression darkened.

“Who is she?” he asked, his voice sharp.

Selena faltered. “She’s… she’s no one, Alpha. Just the omega.”

“The omega?” Damien’s gaze didn’t waver. “She has a name.”

Selena’s face flushed with embarrassment. “Hazel,” she muttered.

Damien stepped closer, his eyes narrowing. “Stand up, Hazel.”

Hazel hesitated, her hands trembling as she pushed herself to her feet. She kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.

“Look at me,” Damien said, his tone softer now.

Slowly, Hazel raised her eyes to his, and the moment their gazes locked, a strange sensation washed over her. Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

Damien’s jaw tightened, his eyes blazing with an emotion she couldn’t decipher.

“She’s my mate,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Gasps rippled through the crowd, and Hazel’s legs nearly gave out beneath her.

“No,” Selena said, her voice trembling. “That can’t be—”

“I said she’s my mate,” Damien repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Hazel’s world spun as the weight of his words sank in. The alpha—the man who held power over the entire pack—was her mate.

But before she could process it, a sharp howl cut through the air, sending shivers down her spine.

“Alpha!” a warrior shouted, running toward them. “The high ranked pack members are around”

Damien’s expression hardened instantly. He turned to Hazel, his eyes locking onto hers.

“Stay here,” he ordered, before going over

Hazel stood frozen in place, her mind racing. Her mate. The alpha was her mate.

But as she watched him disappear into the dis

tance, one thought consumed her.

Would this change anything—or was it just another cruel twist of fate?