Abigail moved quickly through the dim corridor of the pack house, her arms aching from the heavy basket of supplies she'd just delivered to the kitchens. Her heart was still unsettled from the incident at the marketplace.
She had dared to speak back. Just once. And though Adrian had stepped in, she knew Lyra and Kira wouldn't let her words go unpunished.
She didn't have to wait long.
As soon as she slipped past the laundry room, two shadows peeled away from the wall. Lyra and Kira stood there, blocking her path with smiles that made her stomach twist.
"Well, well," Lyra purred, arms folded. "The little mouse found her squeak today."
Abigail swallowed hard and stepped back, but Kira was already behind her, shoving her forward. The basket tumbled from her arms, apples rolling across the wooden floor.
"I didn't mean...." Abigail started, but Lyra's hand cracked across her face, sending her sprawling against the wall.
"You didn't mean?" Lyra hissed, towering over her. "You humiliated me in front of the entire park! You made me look weak."
Abigail's cheek stung, but she bit her tongue, refusing to beg.
Kira leaned down, her voice a cruel whisper. "You're nothing, Abigail. You'll always be nothing." Then she kicked her sharply in the ribs.
Pain shot through Abigail's side, and she curled instinctively, trying to shield herself. But Lyra grabbed her hair, yanking her head up so she had to look into those mocking eyes.
"No one cares if you live or die," Lyra spat. "Not the Alpha, not the pack, not anyone. Remember that before you ever open your filthy mouth again."
Another blow landed against her side, this time from Kira's boot. Abigail gasped, but no scream left her lips. She refused to give them the satisfaction.
At last, the two women grew bored. Lyra shoved her one final time, sending her crumpling to the floor. "Pathetic," she sneered before striding away with Kira at her side. Their laughter echoed down the corridor.
---
For a long moment, Abigail lay there, her body throbbing with pain. Her ribs ached with every breath, her cheek burned, and her knees were raw from hitting the floor.
She wanted to cry. Spirits above, she wanted to sob until the pain eased. But the tears stayed trapped inside her, frozen by years of knowing they changed nothing.
With trembling hands, she pushed herself upright and pressed her back against the cold wall. Her breath came shallow, but her gaze was steady.
"They won't break me," she whispered to herself. Her voice shook, but she clung to the words. "They won't."
---
Later that evening, Abigail sat at the farthest corner of the omega quarters. The other omegas chattered in groups, eating their evening rations, but she stayed alone, carefully hiding her bruises under her sleeves. Every movement sent fire shooting through her ribs, but she forced herself to stay upright.
A few omegas cast glances at her. Some smirked. Others looked away, pretending not to notice. No one offered to help.
When the room finally emptied, Abigail exhaled slowly, pressing a hand to her side. She lifted her tunic just enough to see the swelling bruises blooming across her skin. Purple and blue already spread in ugly patterns.
Her eyes blurred, but she blinked back the tears. If anyone found her crying, they'd mock her for being weak.
Instead, she whispered again into the silence, as if the words themselves could become armor. "They won't break me."
---
From outside the small window, golden eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. Steve stood hidden beneath the shadows of the courtyard, his wolf restless and angry.
He had felt it earlier the surge of pain in his chest that wasn't his own. The bond had whispered of Abigail's suffering. And now, looking at the faint outline of her curled body through the glass, fury raged inside him.
His fists clenched until his knuckles cracked. He wanted to storm inside, tear Lyra and Kira apart for what they had done. But he didn't move.
Because claiming her, protecting her… would mean admitting she was his mate. And he wasn't ready for that truth.
So he turned away, his chest heavy with a fury he couldn't release, leaving Abigail alone with her bruises and her whispered vow.