Ever's POV

Only two words. But they pierced me like stone daggers. The crowd went into a frenzy as gasps and murmurs flew around.

"It can't be." I whispered almost silently, my gaze falling back to Hagan.

"She's his mate?" One of the high borns exclaimed. "So the rumors were true."

I searched Hagan' s eyes for some sort of objection to whatever this was. But his eyes didn't seem to deny what Beta Roy had just said.

She took his hand, smiling, and as they turned, his gaze fell back to me, cold and distant in away I couldn't explain.

I didn't see what happened next as Kia forcefully pulled me out of the crowd.

"I told you we shouldn't have come." She said, her voice drenched in panic.

The matrons were gaining quickly on us and she was in deep panic. I could barely feel my legs as my mind still dabbled in the words Beta Roy called out so casually, "His Luna." My face whitened.

Was this some sort of sick prank? It couldn't be real. Could it? I tried to make sense of it.

Three years we'd been mates. He'd promised...

"Ah, you fucking Omegas! Who fucking let you in here?" One of the warriors we bumped into screeched as he pushed Kia to the floor. I snapped back to reality and tried to help her up, but someone else shoved me to the ground too.

The matrons had heard the commotion and rushed to where we were. Kia' s eyes shut tightly as they eventually closed in and spotted us, shooting us displeased looks.

.......................

"This is the third time...this year we've caught you both out of your stations...without permission." The Senior Matron said, her voice full of frustration. She scribbled our names down again in the black list.

If I were given a shekel for every time my name had entered that list, I'd be richer than many merchants in the pack.

"It seems cutting your rations doesn't work anymore." She said. "And I don't think cleaning the ranch. Or the Pack house, is enough punishment for two meatheads who never obey instructions." She lashed out.

"So..." she continued her scribbling. "For the whole of this week, before and during lights out,you both will tend the horses...and keep their stables clean." She wrote down.

Kia and I glanced at each other, relieved.

"And..." She continued as we both jerked back in panic. "I'll be cutting your rations shorter. One ration a day, and that will only be mid-day when you're done with cleaning the pack house." She penned again. I almost laughed aloud. Being given dry bread and sloppy soup only once a day sounded more like relief to me, I don't get how that should be a punishment. Kia's face said otherwise.

"Luna is also going to be needing extra assistance getting to know the Pack" she added. "And she must be comfortable. At all costs. You both will be part of those making sure her chambers are as comfortable as possible." I swallowed hard. "And if you cause any more troubles..." The matrons who had caught us both glared at us.

"You'll be facing the elders directly" Senior Matron established. "And then you'll know how privileged you are to still be in this ranch." She said, making sure her words sank in. "Unless of course, you find the Harem or being ousted from this pack a better option" Kia and I gulped.

She eventually dismissed us and the matrons led us out. We, amongst other omegas, were later carefully instructed on how to tend to the "Luna" and make sure everything was at her beck and call.

First, Hagan brings back this mysterious woman, after being away for a whole month, then called her his Luna before everyone in the Pack, and now...I was being made to serve her.

My fists clenched tightly and instinctively as I recalled the cold and detached gaze he gave me.

No hint, no objection. Just...cold. Did three years of us really mean nothing to him? My gaze weakened.

I snapped out of my thoughts as we finally arrived at her chambers. Speak of the devil, and she appears.

There she was again, wearing that same flawless smile she had on earlier, which for some strange reason, made me cringe on her behalf. Like she was doing too much to be accepted.

"These are your servants, Luna," the Matron spoke first, introducing us. "Just let them know whenever you need anything." She told her. "And if any of them..." Her gaze shifted to Kia and me.

"

cause you any trouble, just let us know."

"That's fine, thank you. I'll take it from here." She responded. Even her voice was strangely elegant. Something tightened painfully in my chest as the memory of Hagan reaching his handout to her resurfaced again. He had a lot of serious answering to do when we eventually met.

Because I was sitting here plagued and confused while he was probably off in his chambers getting cold baths and congratulatory remarks.

"So..." She said when the Matron finally left. "I'm Rhaeya." She smiled. "And you all look terrified." She let out a soft laugh, and I found her sweetness as fake as fake could be. It wasn't newfound knowledge that many highborns were extremely disgusted by our mere existence.She wasn't any different. And she would reveal it soon too. It was just a matter of time.

The other Omegas, excluding Kia and myself, however, seemed to have fallen for her charade.

"We're at your service, Luna." We all kneeled and said in unison as I forced the word "Luna"down my throat.

"You don't have to kneel when we're alone. I particularly find that exhausting." She ushered us up.

"But you're..." Mila, one of the Omegas, spoke as we were all dumbfounded, myself included.

"Luna, I know. But there are better things we could do with the time you'd spend kneeling at my feet." She chuckled. I could swear I heard an almost maniacal laugh break out. Like she had something suspicious planned out. She'd make us believe she was sweet, only to torture us later when we got very comfortable. Bowing in servitude was something most highborns never took for granted. So I found her dismissing it quite unnatural...and weird.

We quietly helped her prepare a bath as she requested and helped her take her garment off when she was ready to get in. She was as beautiful as you could possibly imagine. Her blonde hair slid down her hourglass frame as her body slid into the water.

We spread ourselves out. Different people focused on different parts of her body. I was the one massaging her hair while Kia was one of the Omegas tending to her feet.

I couldn't help but briefly glance over her body. I wondered if she and Hagan had ever had anything intimate to do with each other. The thought alone quietly broke me, and I really hoped I was wrong.

"So..." She began again when the silence became exhausting. "As you know, I'm not really from your Pack." Oh, trust me, I know, I voiced in my head. "My father's an Alpha of Moon storm, east of Rozaria." She said, like we were supposed to applaud her for being an Alpha's daughter.

If there was anything Omegas hated more than Matrons, it was Highborns, females to be exact.

This one might seem genuinely different for now, but I surely wasn't the only one who believed she had something up her sleeves.

"Why don't you tell me more about your pack..." She insisted. "...And your Alpha?" My fingers tightened instinctively. I instantly forced them both to relax, but it was too late as my thumbs mistakenly pressed down too hard on her forehead. She winced in pain and turned to stare at me.

Kia gestured to me to apologize immediately.

"I'm...I'm sorry...Luna." I forced out, dropping to my knees. "I really didn't mean to...."

The other Omegas glared at me furiously, and I lowered my gaze.

"Here's a painkiller, Luna. Let me dab that for you." Mila offered.

"No, it's fine." She let out a nervous laugh. "It's just a bump, nothing too serious." She said as she turned to me. "What's your name?"

I lifted my gaze to hers, trying to read the mischief hiding behind those emerald green orbs.

"Ever, Luna." I answered.

"Ever, well, I think you may need to go slower." She said. "I have a pretty steep forehead." She giggled, and they broke into laughter, easing the awkward tension.

"Now where were we, your Pack..." She laid back down like nothing happened. My eyes widened slightly. She was really going to let it slide?

Well, maybe she wasn't as bad as I thought, I told myself. But that didn't change the fact that Hagan had everyone believing she was his mate.

And that was something I couldn't just brush off and act like it didn't happen. Especially when I knew who his true mate was.

The other Omegas quickly got super comfortable as they began telling her most of what they knew about the Pack, the Alpha, and how things weren't as different in Grey mark as they were in other Packs in Rozaria.

"I'm glad we get to have someone like you as Luna." Mila said, and I just cringed. It hadn't even been a day and she was already trying to gain favours. "The Alpha lucked out on a mate like you." She added, all smiles.

Rhaeya smiled heartily at the compliment.

"And you, do you all have mates too?"

She asked, genuinely curious.

We lowered our gazes, not knowing how to answer.

It seemed she barely knew much of how Omegas were treated in Rozaria.

"Omegas like us aren't usually accepted by our mates. Even when we have any," I found myself answering her before I could stop myself. "We're seen as shameful..." I continued, gaze refusing to meet hers. "Unworthy, dirt, both to the pack members and to our mates." I found the courage to finish. My mind went back to the night when Hagan and I found out we were mates.

I may have agreed to keep it secret, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt that all the while we'd been together, he tried his possible best to hide the fact that we even knew each other.

And for three years I played along.

A knock interrupted our talk.

"Rhaeya?" Hagan's thick voice tore through and I stiffened. "We need to talk." He said, his tone more serious than ever.

And as fate would have it, Rhaeya gestured to me to let him in.

Ever's POV

Reluctantly, I stood up. The others helped her get dressed while I headed towards the door anxiously.

I bit my lower lip, not knowing how to act as I got closer to the door.

My heart raced frantically against my chest as I pulled the handle, revealing him standing there.

A mix of emotions swept through me. I wanted to scream at him, hug him, kick him all at the same time, but I forced myself into composure.

His eyes rested on mine for a while. They held a mix of emotions too. Only that I couldn't properly name them. Without a word, he slid a note into my hand.

"Hagan?" Rhaeya called out from behind and interrupted whatever was going on between us.

His cold demeanor returned. He breezed past me like I wasn't even there to begin with. I squeezed the paper into the fold of my palms.

Kia extended a questioning gaze to me, and I reassured her with a subtle nod that everything was okay. Only that it wasn't. I was barely hiding my unease as she approached him in her bathrobe. My lips pursed into a thin line when she held his hands.

"Okay, girls, we'll continue this later," she dismissed us.

I left with the rest, trying to settle how uneasy I felt seeing them this close together. In Rhaeya's chambers at that. I felt Hagan's gaze on me as I left before he turned to talk to Rhaeya.

"Missing me already?" Her words to him met my ears as I left, and my eyes shut tightly, wishing I didn't hear it. His footsteps followed behind me, and I turned to look, but her chamber doors shut tight in my face. My stomach dropped.

"Ooo, I've never seen Alpha this way before," Mila remarked to the other omegas. "Why'd you think he shut the doors?" she let out, and they giggled amongst themselves.

I lowered my gaze as the volume of their giggles increased in my head. I wished I could take what they'd said as what it was, mere words. But for some reason, their words affected me strangely.

"Sorry you have to go through this..." Kia's voice let out from behind me. My gaze met hers as I tried to mask my unease.

"We should get going to the stables. It's almost light out," I brushed off, holding the note Hagan had given to me tightly.

"Yeah, we should," Kia agreed.

I paused on our way there to read what was on the note.

Let's meet at the lake tonight. I read in disgust. I miss you.

Happy tears filled my eyes to the brim.

"That fool," I wiped them off before Kia would notice them. "He has a lot of explaining to do," I told myself as I slid the note into my worn-out shoes.

Kia and I took our midday rations and headed to the stables after eating.

"Is blindness a common trait with you omegas?" a highborn she wolf let out, frustrated at the young omega kneeling at her feet. "So it's not enough that your kind is already loafing off our pack. Still, you have the audacity to go around, ruining other people's day with your rotten luck,"she yelled, attracting attention from other passers-by.

I clenched my fists furiously as memories of when I used to be treated like this during my time at the orphanage home came flooding back. I was too weak to stand up for myself back then, but I wouldn't let someone else go through the same while I just stood and watched.

I attempted to confront the highborn, but Kia held me back, shaking her head in disagreement.

"Not now, Ever," she told me. "You'll get both us and that poor girl in trouble."

"She's already in as much trouble as she can be. And if no one does anything, it'll get worse for her," I replied, and Kia dropped my arms in surrender.

"Where's your Matron?" The highborn kicked the girl who was still on the floor. "Answer me."She raised her hands to hit her when I caught it midair.

Gasps and murmurs flew around us following what I had done.

My anger had now hit its brim. Physically, it was clear I stood no chance. Her wolf was strong,even as puny as its host was, but I wasn't going to turn a blind eye either.

She turned to me, her anger now charged at me. I let go of her hand and hurriedly helped the shaky girl to her feet. She certainly reminded me of young me, bones very visible and her scrawny little figure.

The only difference was she didn't have as many scars as I did, each set I got every time I got into trouble with the Matrons. And I always did. Her scared expression as I helped her up remained.

"Go," I told the girl as she looked between me and the fuming Highborn. "Go on," I urged her.

"Did I say she could leave?" The lady puffed. I gave her a little boost forward, my eyes fixated on the Lady. She hesitated before picking up her pouch on the floor and running.

Just as she left, the lady crossed the distance between myself and her and choked me tightly. I winced in pain, struggling to get out of her grasp. "Seems you like to play the hero, don't you?"She tightened her grip as I began grasping for air pathetically. Her claws shot out as her eyes turned a deep amber.

"Just as I expected," she said, shoving me to the floor. "All talk, no action." I let out a choked cough, trying to steady my breathing. It felt like she had squeezed all the air out of me. I could still feel the fresh impact her claw had left on my neck.

My eyes searched frantically for Kia, but she was nowhere to be found. Well, she had warned me. But as usual, I didn't listen. So the consequences were definitely mine to bear.

She crossed the distance between us once again, holding me up by my neck. She choked the life out of me as I struggled for air. People nearby just stood by and watched without intervening.

This was it. The life of an Omega. You could be choked out, raped, stoned to death for all the world cared. It was all the same to them, our deaths meant a great favour to the Pack.

"Leave her," Rhaeya's voice rang out from the courtyard as people turned to where her voice was coming from, including the female who had me in a choke hold.

"That's the Luna." Whispers and murmurs began. "She's really here?" More followed.

"I said...leave her," Rhaeya repeated, now losing the calm her first order had. That was the first time I'd seen her that serious.

Right beside her was a panting Kia. Did Kia go to call her? What? Why? Why her of all people?

I felt the grip on my neck drop as I fell to the floor, trying to find my breath.

Kia ran to help me up.

"But Luna, you can't possibly be protecting her. She's an Omega. She...she insulted me.

Everyone here saw it," she tried explaining.

"I'm sorry for the trouble she must have caused you. She's my servant. I'll decide how she should be punished," Rhaeya apologized, and I became furious.

"I didn't do anything. You were assaulting that poor girl. What exactly did she do to deserve that? Just because she's Omega? You prey on weaker people to feel better about yourself. Your kind sickens me." The words slipped out faster than I could think twice.

Rhaeya facepalmed hard.

"What did you just say to me?" The lady furiously approached again, and this time Kia stepped in front of me.

"I apologize for how she's behaved. She's been very stressed lately. I promise I'll keep her in check," she said and pulled me away.

"You better do," she shot, and after bombarding me with glares, she finally left. Rhaeya dismissed the crowd as well and everyone disappeared.

Kia helped me up and out of the courtyard to Rhaeya's presence.

"Thanks for intervening, Luna," she thanked Rhaeya and gestured to me to do the same.

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Luna," I reluctantly let out.

"You didn't. I don't need the full story to know she definitely started it." Her response surprised me. "Hope you weren't seriously hurt?"

"Um, no, I'm fine, thanks. Just a few scratches," I explained.

"Glad to hear that." She beamed me a smile. "Although I still have to keep my word. You'll have to serve punishment for a commotion in the courtyard." She let out, and I almost scoffed. I called it. She was no different. I just didn't expect I'd confirm it this early. Kia and I exchanged glances.

"I'll accept any punishment you give...Luna," I forced out.

"Well then," she let out. "You'll be part of those touring me around the Pack house." She smiled.

"You...and your friend." She beamed at Kia, who was also lost for words at her offer of punishment.

"It would be my honor, Luna," Kia replied, bowing. Rhaeya looked to me for my response. I tried hard to find one but couldn't. All I could think of was how she'd once again made me feel like the bad person here. Because how could I bring myself to hate her when she kept giving me reasons not to.

"She'll be happy to, Luna," Kia nervously replied on my account.

"Great...I'll see you girls tomorrow then." She smiled and left.

I turned to glare at Kia.

"What? She was the best option I could think of."

"I know, it's just..."

"Yeah, I understand." Kia placed a hand on my shoulder. "Well, let's get going, those horses won't feed themselves, we'll get to talk freely there," she tried to lighten my mood. I forced up as mile and we headed there.

Fortunately, we got to the stables just in time. And finished up before midnight.

"And that's the last horse," Kia pushed a dark stallion into his stable.

"Kia?" I asked her.

"Hmmm?" She turned to me.

"Do you like Rhaeya?" I asked her. That was too stupid a question, even I myself knew. What was there not to like about her?

"Well, if she's going to be the reason my best friend gets sad... I don't," she let out, and I smiled.

"Do you think the Alpha really likes her?" I asked. Why was I even asking her these questions?

Kia wasn't Hagan. How was she supposed to know?

"I don't know that...but knowing you, I do know he does have a lot of questions to answer," she let out, and we shared a laugh. "Why not talk to him and find out for yourself?" she urged.

"I will," I reassured her. "And thank you," I beamed at her.

"Of course, what would you do without me? Every pen needs paper. You're my pen, messy and unfiltered. And I'm your paper," she let out, and we both laughed.

"What an awkward way to describe us. But yeah, sounds promising." I let out, and we shared another laugh.

"So should we get going, it's pretty late?" She asked, preparing to leave.

"You, go on without me, I have someone to meet." A blush crept up my cheeks.

"Ooh, we're back to the late-night meetings, are we?" She teased.

"No, it's not like that, just something I need to clear up." I tried to hide how red my cheeks were.

"Well, I'll be in our room when you get back," she told me before retiring back to the pack house.

"And I'll be reading, anticipating all the juice." She flexed her brows.

"Eww, Kia. No. What the. There definitely will be no juice. God, you're disgusting." I locked up the stable doors.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. How'd you know what I meant by juice if you weren't already thinking it?" she said, mimicking smooching sounds.

"Kiaaa!" I chased her off and she ran away laughing.

"Whatever you do, Ever," she yelled out in the distance. "Remember, Pups are pretty expensive to manage," she yelled as she took another look back, smiling. I shook my head at her as my cheeks turned red. She would never change.

With one big exhale, I made for the Lake. It had been one of our secret meeting places for all the time we'd been together. And the only place besides his chambers where we got to actually talk.

I made for it, my heart beating rapidly against my chest. The moonlight was bright enough to see where I was going but not enough to see clearly. Or maybe it was my anxiety that made vision hard.

When I got there, my eyes caught sight of a familiar silhouette on the close side of the lake as the rhythm in my chest got louder.

"Hagan?" I whispered. The figure took slow strides to where I was. I slowly shut my eyes as a familiar sandalwood scent hit me. Large arms wrapped me warmly from behind.

"I've missed you, Ever."