The car stops in front of the house, and the Omega gives me an encouraging smile, telling me to be brave while handing me an empty duffle bag as I step out of the vehicle and head inside. The house feels cold and empty, a forbidden place for me now. Heading past the living room and up the stairs, I make my way to my bedroom and stop in the doorway when I see everything is gone—five duffle bags sitting on the bare mattress of what used to be my bed.

"Thank the Goddess you're okay, Maddie." Finn's voice sounds from behind me, and I turn to see him holding a bundle in his arms and pushing past me to fill another duffle bag.

"I heard them talking last night, Mom and Dad. They already planned to make you an Omega, and when they left me here after the funeral, I asked an omega to bring me a few bags to fill for you. I have everything, including your blankets and toys," he states, pulling me into a hug.

"Do you think I could become a Beta again?" I ask in a whisper, tears threatening to fall.

"I don't know, Maddie, but you have to be strong when they come back." I nod, giving my brother a reassuring smile and hand him the empty duffle bag I held. I helped him pack a few more items, taking some food from the kitchen and pantry. A car pulls into the driveway, and my heart skips a beat, thinking it's the Beta couple, but it's the Omega who dropped me off.

"Liam here said he would drive me to the pack house. They are on their way home now, and I texted them the excuse of checking up on Cosmo, and they bought it. Liam is going to help me take the bags we packed to your new room. Just pretend to finish packing up the last one I leave for you, okay?" I only nod at Finn, letting Liam into the house as he and Finn carry six of the seven bags down and into the car. I wave to them before rushing upstairs and double-checking to see if we left anything before doing my best to carry the bag downstairs just in time for Beta Caspian and Mrs. Piper burst through the door.

"You should have been gone by now," Beta Caspian growls out. I keep my head down, looking to the floor, but I hide my fear.

"I was just leaving, sir," I answer quietly, staying in my spot and waiting for the two wolves to walk past me. Instead, a hand grabs my hair, and I cry out from the pain, Beta Caspian's face inches from mine.

"Well, get the fuck out, you stupid pup," he screams at me, dragging me to the door and throwing me off of the front porch and into the mud-soaked lawn. Mrs. Piper just smirks at this, her arms crossed over her chest.

"You know the way to the pack house, you bitch, so make your way there." With that, Beta Caspian growls again, turning and slamming the door, leaving me all alone. As the rain cascaded down in a symphony of silver droplets, I stood alone, drenched and vulnerable in the midst of the storm. The world around me seemed to mirror the turmoil within my heart, the uncertainty of what lay ahead as I approached the pack house.

And then, as if in response to my inner turmoil, a magical transformation began to unfold in the skies above. The rain, which had fallen relentlessly, suddenly ceased its assault, leaving a hushed stillness in its wake. The heavy clouds that had obscured the heavens started to part, revealing a canvas of deep, inky blue velvet sprinkled with stars that blinked like distant lanterns.

I groan as I go through the laundry, nearly gagging at the smell left on the sheets from a particular room, while the heat of the dryer in the brightly lit basement room intensifies the odors emanating from this particular basket I'm stuck with. Visitors from Forest Paw had just left, and their Alpha, Alpha Leo, being the biggest sleaze I have ever met, left a mess in the guest room that I had the unfortunate task to clean. He came for an alliance with our pack, and I watched as Cosmo and Beta Caspian accepted this man openly while cleaning the foyer of the pack house. Finn managed to keep me as far away from the visiting Alpha as possible after the first night when I was forced to serve dinner. I could feel his eyes on me throughout the night, knowing that if he spoke one word to the Beta, he could have his way with me - a fourteen-year-old child. It wouldn't be the first time the Beta tried to use my body for his own advantage, but thankfully, Finn has a friend in the medical wing that handed him a highly potent sleep drug. Before anything could be done, the wolf in question would be safely passed out in his room.

My hope of becoming a Beta Female again in this pack has been dashed by the many bruises that paint my skin and the scars that linger from punishments that were unnecessary, in my opinion. But at least I was not offered as a plaything to the visiting pack like some Omegas were for the last seven days.

"Someone got the raunchy sheets left by Alpha Leo," Lilly fake gags as I throw the soiled sheets into the soaking tub. I would rather incinerate them, but if Beta Caspian finds one sheet missing by the end of the day, then I would become the scapegoat, as usual.

"Honestly, I am just glad Finn kept me in the cleaning rotations and not the serving rotations," I groan out with relief, throwing the rubber gloves into the trash bin and washing my hands with scalding water and the strongest soap I could find. I feel dirty just touching anything of that nature and can feel the panic attack rising inside me.

Mumbling to Misbah that I am going to get air, I rush up the Omega staircase and burst into the garden, the cold winter wind a refreshing welcome to my lungs. I find a corner free of snow and take deep breaths, hugging my knees to my chest and doing my best to keep the tears at bay. I found this spot thanks to Finn, a place to be weak between the walls of the pack house and the evergreen shrubs that leave a sharp pine scent in the air. No one comes to this part of the garden.

After an hour passes and my panic has settled down, I make my way back down to the basement and put on another pair of rubber gloves. The sheet in the soaker tub is gone, and Lilly gives me a sympathetic glance while I go and fold the dry clothes. She is one of two people who know what happened, knows the night that officially killed my hope of being a Beta Female again.

With steadfast determination, I keep an eye on the time, working hard and sticking to the basement or the kitchen, helping with meals for the day. When Eloise comes in and explains that the Omegas can finish for the day and enjoy the rest of the night off at seven thirty, I sigh with relief, finish folding the laundry fresh from the dryer, and hand it off to a waiting Omega for him to deliver to its respective room. y dedication keeps me focused, dedicated to the tasks at hand, whether it's sorting through laundry in the basement or assisting with the preparation of meals that would sustain the pack for the day.

Being the last to leave the laundry room and to climb the stairs closest to the pack kitchen, I take a deep breath at the top of the stairs and confirm that no one else is around. Many are most likely in the dining hall, the smell of freshly baked bread, stew, and cupcakes lingering in the air. I see the goods sitting on the stove and counters, my stomach grumbling with hunger pains at the thought of being able to fill my stomach.

Since Beta Caspian and his wife took over, Omegas are nothing more than tools deserving only enough food to live and nothing else. No extra food, no treats, and no drinks other than water. I've spent countless nights trying to fill my stomach with water in hopes of calming down the hunger pains since my first week as an Omega. Tears fell from my eyes as I cried from the cramps caused by an empty stomach when Beta Caspian took away my food privileges for some reason or another. I've spent days trying to make it until Finn would sneak me into something small enough to eat, just to make it through another day. I learned quickly how to steal in order to keep on living and held onto the hope of finding my own mate one day.

With a deep breath, I scan the area for any lingering scent of pack members. Most seem to be in the dining hall, so my scent will be gone by the time dinner is over. With a grin, I quickly grab the tote bag stashed earlier in the day from the small broom closet beside the basement stairs and fill it with the bread and other easy-to-store goods from the pantry, along with a thermos of still-hot soup. I leave the cupcakes with a reluctant gaze, knowing that there is only enough made for those dining in the hall, and quickly run up the stairs towards my room in the attic with my stolen goods.

Seven years have passed since I was demoted to an Omega, and in those seven years, this small room with bare wooden walls, a day bed, and a dresser slowly became home. A lock on the handle was newly added two years ago, as well as a deadbolt that I lock each and every night since that incident three years ago – a safety measure Finn put in place for me in case a visiting wolf needed a "bribe" from Beta Caspian. Placing my stolen goods on the desk beside my laptop, I sigh and take a seat at the worn wooden furniture.

The damp cold only associated with an attic seeps into my body, causing goosebumps to form and shivers down my spine. Flicking my laptop open and waiting for it to power on, I reach into the bag of goodies and pull out the stew. With school still ever-present in my daily life at thirteen, I have no choice but to comply and do the homework needed for the following Monday. Between bites of food and multiple assignments later, my tired eyes glance at the time and sigh.

It's already midnight, and I am finally done. I find myself caught in a whirlwind of activity. Between savoring quick bites of sustenance and tackling a series of demanding assignments, my focus remains unwavering, determined to conquer each task that stands before me. The minutes seem to merge into one another, a steady rhythm of nourishment and labor punctuated by the ticking of the clock on the wall.

With a sigh that carries the weight of both exhaustion and satisfaction, I allow my shoulders to relax. The silence that envelops the room is a soothing balm, a respite from the constant hum of activity that had filled the hours. The clock's hands continue their journey forward, but now they seem to mark a different cadence—a rhythm of rest rather than labor.

With a groan and a final sip of the stew, I stash the remaining food I stole into an airtight container hidden in the walls and climb into the small bed for some much-needed sleep.