جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 10

Esme's POV“Esme! Did you hear me or are you deaf now?”I flinched at the sound of Lydia’s voice. She was standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, glaring at me like I had committed the worst crime in the world.“Yes, I heard you,” I said quietly, picking up the dirty plates from the long dining table. My back ached from scrubbing floors since dawn, and my hands smelled like soap and onions.“Then move faster,” she snapped. “The Alpha will be here soon, and this place looks like a pigsty.”I bit back the words sitting on my tongue. Lydia wasn’t my mother. She wasn’t even blood. But for the last ten years, I had lived in her house, eating scraps from her table, and following every order she barked. She and her husband, Thomas, had taken me in when I was ten, or that’s what they liked to say. “Took me in” sounded nicer than “turned me into a housemaid.”“I’m trying,” I said, stacking another pile of plates and carrying them to the sink.“Trying isn’t enough,” Lydia said. “You’re twen

Esme's POVThe iron gates of the Nightfall Pack stood taller than anything I had ever seen, black steel twisted into shapes that looked like wolves mid-howl. My heart pounded hard against my chest as I walked toward them, every step feeling heavier than the last. The road behind me was quiet now. Shadow Pack was gone and with it, the life I’d known for twenty years.“Are you sure about this?” I whispered to myself.No one answered. Of course they didn’t, it was just me. Esme, the rejected omega, the girl who had been treated like trash her whole life and now I was standing in front of the most powerful pack in the region, about to walk into a future I couldn’t even imagine.The guards at the gate looked at me, their eyes narrowing. “State your name,” one said, his voice sharp.“Esme,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. “I was told… this is where I belong.”The two guards exchanged a glance. One sniffed the air, then stiffened. “Wait here.”He disappeared through the gates bef

Esme's POV I glanced at my bedroom door. It was closed, locked from the inside. No one had come in while I was training with Dorian.At least, no one I saw. But someone had been here. Someone had walked into my room, placed this envelope on my bed, and left without a trace.The thought made my skin prickle. Nightfall Pack was supposed to be safe. Xavier said so. He promised me I was protected here, that no one could hurt me anymore.But if someone could slip past all the guards, all the security, and leave something on my pillow, then how safe was I really?I sat down on the edge of the bed, the envelope still in my hands. My heart was beating too fast, my palms damp with sweat.Part of me wanted to throw it away, to pretend I never saw it. But I couldn't. Curiosity burned in my chest like a flame I couldn't put out.I needed to know what was inside, who sent it and why. So I slid my finger under the wax seal and broke it. The sound seemed too loud in the quiet room, a sharp crack tha

I crept up the stairs, past my brother's rooms. My hands were shaking so hard the locket rattled against my palm. I made it to my room and closed the door behind me, leaning against it and sliding down to the floor. My legs wouldn't hold me up anymore.The locket felt heavy in my hand, It was old, the silver was tarnished and there was some scratches. The chain was delicate, like it might break if I pulled too hard. I turned it over slowly, studying every detail. There was a tiny clasp on the side, so small I almost missed it in the dim light from my window. My hands were still trembling from fear and cold and the terrible things Miriam had told me. The clasp finally gave way with a soft click, and the locket fell open in my palm.Inside was a photograph. Small and faded, the edges worn like someone had touched it a thousand times. It showed a woman with long dark hair and eyes that looked just like mine. She was beautiful, with high cheekbones and a soft smile that made her whole fa

Esme’s PovI didn't leave my room for two days.The note sat on my nightstand like a living thing, its words burning into my brain every time I looked at it. "Your mother asked too many questions." Someone in this house knew what happened to her and the person wanted me gone before I could find out the truth.I kept the door locked. I barely ate the meals Clara brought, I just watched the shadows under my door, waiting for another envelope to slide through, another threat, or warning. But nothing came. On the third morning, someone knocked. Not soft like Clara but it was hard and demanding."Esme." Dorian's voice came through the door. "Open up."I didn't move, I sat on my bed hugging my knees staring at nothing."I know you're in there," Dorian said. "And I know you're scared but hiding won't keep you safe.""How do you know what will keep me safe?" My voice came out scratchy from not using it."Because I've been where you are," Dorian said quietly. "Open the door please."Something