The pack marketplace was alive with noise and movement, as it always was on weekends. Stalls lined the dirt pathways, selling everything from fresh fruit to hand-stitched clothes. Omegas bustled about, balancing baskets of food for higher-ranked wolves. The scent of roasted meat lingered in the air, mixed with the earthy smell of damp soil after the morning drizzle.
Abigail hugged her thin shawl closer as she carried a basket of vegetables, her head bowed to avoid drawing attention. She hated this place not because of the market itself, but because it was a stage where her humiliation played out for everyone to see.
"Look who crawled out of her hole," Lyra's shrill voice rang across the stalls. She and Kira stepped in front of Abigail, blocking her path. Lyra's arms folded smugly across her chest while Kira leaned on the fruit stand beside her, smirking.
Abigail tried to sidestep them, but Lyra shoved her shoulder roughly, making her stumble and nearly drop the basket. "Careful there, little mouse. Wouldn't want you to lose your scraps."
A few nearby shoppers paused, whispering, some laughing under their breaths. Abigail swallowed hard, forcing her hands not to tremble.
"I.....I need to deliver these," she muttered, trying to move past them.
Kira stepped in front of her, eyes glinting with cruelty. "What's the hurry? Oh, wait.....I know. You're pretending to be useful so the Alpha might notice you." Her voice dripped with mockery. "As if anyone would."
The laughter around them grew louder. Abigail's face burned, shame sinking into her bones. Normally, she would have lowered her head and endured it in silence. But something inside her snapped this time. Maybe it was the endless days of torment, or maybe it was the quiet fire Elenora's kindness had sparked in her heart.
She lifted her chin slightly. "At least I don't waste my time humiliating people to feel important," she whispered. Her voice shook, but the words were clear enough.
Gasps rippled through the small crowd. Lyra blinked in surprise, her smug expression faltering for just a second. Then her eyes narrowed. "What did you say to me?"
Abigail's pulse hammered in her ears, but she stood her ground. "You heard me."
Kira's hand shot out and slapped the basket from Abigail's grip. Carrots and potatoes rolled across the dirt path, some trampled instantly under careless feet. Abigail dropped to her knees to gather them, her fingers shaking, but before she could pick them all up, Lyra seized her hair and yanked her head back.
"You dare talk back to me?" Lyra hissed, her face twisted in rage. "You filthy little rat....."
"Enough."
The sharp command froze everyone. Abigail's wide eyes darted up, and there stood Adrian, the Alpha's younger brother, towering over the scene with his jaw tight and his eyes burning with fury.
He strode forward, grabbing Lyra's wrist and forcing her hand away from Abigail's hair. "Touch her again, and you'll answer to me." His voice carried through the marketplace, and the whispers grew louder.
Lyra paled slightly but quickly masked it with a sneer. "Why do you care so much about this omega? She's nothing."
Adrian crouched beside Abigail, helping her gather the scattered vegetables. His voice softened. "Because even an omega deserves respect. Something you clearly lack."
Abigail's throat tightened as she stared at him. She wanted to say thank you, but the words stuck in her chest.
Lyra's face flushed red as the crowd began murmuring. She snapped at Kira, "Come on, we're wasting time." With a final glare at Abigail, the two stormed off, leaving a trail of venom in their wake.
When they were gone, Adrian turned to Abigail, placing the basket gently in her hands. "Don't let them break you," he said quietly, his eyes sincere. "You're stronger than you think."
Abigail's lips parted, but all she could manage was a trembling nod.
---
From a distance, hidden near one of the market stalls, Steve watched everything unfold. His fists clenched at his sides, his wolf growling inside him at the sight of his brother kneeling in front of Abigail. The bond pulsed painfully in his chest, and jealousy twisted his insides like a knife.
Adrian helping her. Adrian defending her. Adrian making her smile, even if it was faint.
Steve's jaw tightened. She was his mate whether he wanted her or not. And yet, here she was, looking at Adrian with wide, grateful eyes.
He turned on his heel and stalked away, his heart pounding with fury he refused to name.
---
Abigail left the marketplace quietly after Adrian's help, her basket once again full but her thoughts heavier than ever. She'd spoken back. Just once. And it had nearly cost her another beating. Yet for a fleeting moment, she felt… proud.
Her lip curled into the faintest ghost of a smile as she whispered to herself, "Maybe I'm not as weak as they think."