The grand hall of the pack house glowed with the warm flicker of torches, shadows dancing across stone walls adorned with family crests. The pack had gathered for the monthly assembly, a time for announcements, feasting, and the subtle reinforcement of rank. Long tables overflowed with roasted meats, golden bread, and bowls of fruit. Laughter echoed, conversations blended into a steady hum, and wolves of every rank mingled under the watchful eyes of their Alpha's family.
Abigail lingered near the back, clutching a tray of water jugs as though her life depended on balancing them. The scent of food made her stomach growl, but she swallowed hard, forcing herself to look away. Her task was clear serve the higher ranks, stay silent, and vanish into the shadows before anyone noticed her.
But someone always noticed.
"Look who crawled out of the kitchens," Selene's sharp voice rang out, cutting through the chatter like glass. Heads turned toward her as she stood, dressed in a flowing red gown that shimmered in the torchlight. Her three loyal friends Mara, Eliza, and Cora flanked her, their smirks already fixed on Abigail.
Abigail froze mid-step. She tried to lower her gaze and keep walking, but Selene was never the type to let prey escape.
"Careful with those jugs, omega," Selene sneered, her tone mocking. "Wouldn't want you to trip and spill water on someone important. Oh, wait no one important would ever notice you."
Snickers rippled through the crowd. Abigail's ears burned. She bit her lip, refusing to give Selene the satisfaction of a reaction, but her hands trembled as she poured water into the goblets at the Beta's table.
Selene's voice rose louder. "Do you know what I heard?" she said dramatically, as if sharing a secret meant for everyone. "Apparently, little Abigail thinks she'll find a mate someday. Isn't that just precious?"
Her friends burst into laughter. Mara covered her mouth as though scandalized. "A mate? For her?"
"She's an omega with no family," Eliza added. "No wolf in his right mind would claim her."
"And if by some miracle one did," Cora chimed in, "he'd probably reject her before the first sunrise."
The laughter grew, spilling through the hall. Abigail's chest tightened. Her wolf whimpered inside, but she pressed her lips together, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall.
She set the water jug down too quickly, and it clinked against the table. Several wolves glanced at her, some pitying, others amused. No one intervened. No one ever did.
Selene wasn't finished. She rose gracefully from her seat and glided toward Abigail, her friends trailing behind like shadows. "Tell us, Abigail," Selene purred, circling her like a predator with prey. "Do you really believe someone as powerful as Alpha Steve would ever look at you? Do you imagine yourself standing beside him as Luna?"
The crowd chuckled at the absurdity, but Abigail's heart lurched painfully at the mention of Steve's name. She dared not look in his direction, though she could feel the weight of his presence at the head table.
Selene leaned in, her voice dripping with venom. "You're nothing more than scraps. Scraps don't become queens."
Abigail's throat tightened. She wanted to speak, to defend herself, but her voice felt trapped under the weight of humiliation. Instead, she lowered her head, staring at the floor, as laughter crashed around her like waves.
It should have ended there. But Selene, hungry for spectacle, reached for the jug on the table. With a casual flick, she tipped it, sending water cascading down Abigail's simple dress. Gasps echoed, followed by another round of cruel laughter.
Abigail staggered back, soaked and shivering under dozens of eyes. The sting of mockery burned hotter than the chill of the water. She clutched the fabric at her chest, wishing she could disappear, wishing the floor would open and swallow her whole.
"See?" Selene said, feigning innocence. "Even water rejects her."
Abigail's wolf whimpered again, a soft cry in the back of her mind. But beneath the ache, a spark flickered small, fragile, but real. She would not cry. Not here. Not in front of them.
Her hands clenched into fists at her sides. She forced herself to meet Selene's eyes, if only for a heartbeat. The she-wolf's triumphant smirk faltered ever so slightly under the intensity of Abigail's gaze.
But before anything more could happen, a deep, commanding voice broke through the hall.
"That's enough."
The laughter stilled. The air thickened with tension. Abigail dared to glance toward the head table. Alpha Steve sat tall in his chair, his sharp eyes fixed on Selene. His jaw was set, his expression unreadable, but power radiated from him like heat from fire.
Selene's smirk slipped into a sweet, practiced smile. She dipped her head respectfully. "Of course, Alpha. Just having a little fun."
Steve's gaze lingered on Abigail for a fraction of a second before shifting away, cold and distant. Abigail's heart squeezed painfully. Was that pity in his eyes or something else?
The hall buzzed again as the gathering resumed, though whispers still darted through the air like daggers. Abigail stood frozen for a moment, water dripping from her dress, before retreating to the shadows, her dignity in tatters.
Alone at the back of the hall, she pressed her hands against her trembling body. The sting of their words cut deep, but she whispered to herself in silence:
One day… one day they won't laugh anymore.