Sophia POV:

The clatter and steam of the kitchen died the moment Gideon walked in, replaced by a silence so profound it felt like a physical weight.

His presence was a heavy weight that pressed down on all of us.

He walked straight to my serving station, his face a mask of cold stone.

I did not look into his eyes.

I picked up a large spoon and with a single, graceless motion, dumped a pile of plain, boiled tubers onto his plate.

I pushed the plate toward him without a word.

Gideon stared at the bland vegetables.

A low, dangerous growl rumbled from deep within his chest, the sound vibrating against the silver platters.

My hands shook slightly, but I kept my chin high.

He took the plate and walked away, completely silent.

Three days passed exactly like this.

I gave him standard portions, no herbs, no premium meat.

He came every day, eating the plain food as if my months of special care had never existed.

On the fourth day, the kitchen was a chaotic mess of hungry wolves.

A massive Warrior shoved his way to the front of my line.

"Give me the roasted meat, Omega," the Warrior demanded, slamming his fist on the wooden counter.

"You must wait in line," I said, my voice steady. "That is the pack rule."

"I am a Warrior! You are dirt!" he snarled, baring his sharp teeth at me.

Before I could speak, the air in the room grew freezing cold.

"Step back."

The voice was low, but it carried the terrifying weight of the Alpha's Command.

It was an ancient power in his blood that forced lower wolves to submit completely.

The Warrior choked, his knees buckling under the invisible pressure.

He whimpered, tucking his head down, and scrambled to the back of the line.

Gideon stepped up to my counter.

I filled his plate with the standard ration and held it out.

As he took the silver platter, his large, rough fingers brushed against mine.

A violent, crackling energy shot up my arm, a sensation so sharp and bright it stole the breath from my lungs.

It was the Electric Touch, the undeniable physical reaction between true mates.

Gideon froze.

He stared deeply into my eyes for one long second, his gaze wild and searching.

Then he turned and walked away.

That night, Eliza dragged me to the courtyard for the full moon bonfire.

"You need to get out of that kitchen," Eliza insisted, handing me a wooden cup of ale.

The flames reached high into the dark sky, illuminating the ancient castle walls.

I stood near the edge of the crowd, watching the high-ranking wolves dance.

My breath caught in my throat.

Across the fire, Lady Victoria was smiling up at Gideon.

She whispered something in his ear, and he nodded.

They turned and walked away together, disappearing into the shadows of the rose maze.

I dropped my cup.

The ale spilled over the cobblestones.

"Let's go back," I told Eliza, my voice trembling.

"Sophia, you have to face reality," Eliza said softly, her eyes full of pity. "The Alpha needs a strong Luna to bear strong pups. He will choose a noble."

I returned to my small room in the servant's tower.

I took all the rare herbs I had saved for Gideon and boiled them into a thick soup.

I gave the entire pot to Eliza the next morning.

I was done.

Later that day, Victoria glided into the kitchen.

She wore a rich velvet dress, looking completely out of place among the soot and grease. She was holding an empty silver tray, clearly here to retrieve a special order.

"Omega," Victoria called out, her tone dripping with arrogance.

I wiped my hands on a towel and faced her.

"How may I help you, My Lady?" I asked flatly.

"I am just curious about the Alpha's meals," Victoria smiled smoothly. "He told me last night that your portions are always very generous."

The fine hairs on the back of my neck stood erect, and the feeling in my fingertips, which had just registered the rough texture of the towel, vanished completely, replaced by a nauseating hum that seemed to vibrate behind my eyes.

He had noticed.

He knew exactly what I was doing for him.

And he used my silent devotion as a casual topic of conversation with the woman he intended to marry.

His silence had wounded me. His words, used so carelessly, cut deeper still.

Sophia POV:

Victoria turned and left the kitchen, her laughter echoing off the stone walls.

I stood completely still.

My inner wolf curled up in the dark corners of my mind, its throat emitting a series of low, broken whimpers, the strength to even lift a paw having been utterly drained away.

That night, I climbed the narrow stairs to my tower room.

A rough sheet of parchment was pulled from beneath my bed, along with a bottle of ink.

As the quill scratched against the fibrous surface, a plan to escape the Blood Moon Pack began to take shape, black and irrevocable.

I wrote to an old friend who had moved to a distant pack, asking her to find me a mate.

I was ready to leave the Blood Moon Pack forever.

Weeks passed, and the September winds grew bitter cold.

One evening, I was carrying a heavy bucket of ash to the courtyard.

I saw Victoria standing near the armory doors, talking to Gideon.

"Alpha, the silver-laced weapons need to be moved to the high armory," Victoria said, batting her eyelashes. "But they are so heavy."

Silver was deadly to us.

Even the smell of it made a werewolf nauseous.

Gideon looked around the empty courtyard.

His eyes landed on me.

"Sophia," Gideon called out.

I stiffened and walked over, keeping my eyes on the dirt.

"Help Lady Victoria carry these crates to the armory tower," Gideon ordered.

I looked at the massive wooden crates.

I was an Omega. I was small.

But I was still a wolf, and I had pride.

"Yes, Alpha," I said coldly.

I lifted the heavy crate.

The faint, acrid scent of silver seeped through the wood, coiling in my stomach like a cold serpent.

I carried the crate up four hundred spiraling stone steps, a journey measured in burning muscle and the sting of sweat in my eyes.

Victoria walked ahead of me, her hands completely empty.

When we finally reached the top, Gideon was waiting there to inspect the armory.

I let the crate fall to the stone floor with a loud, echoing crack.

I turned around to leave.

"Sophia," Gideon said softly.

I stopped, but I did not look back.

He stood there in silence for a long moment.

"Thank you for your hard work," he finally muttered.

I let out a harsh, bitter laugh.

"You are welcome, Alpha," I sneered, and walked away.

When I told Eliza what happened, she slammed her fist onto our small wooden table.

The wood splintered and cracked.

"His brain is entirely broken!" Eliza yelled. "How can he treat you like a pack mule?"

"It does not matter anymore," I said calmly. "My wolf no longer wants him."

By mid-October, a messenger bird arrived at my window.

It brought a letter from the Silver Leaf Pack.

My friend had found someone.

His name was Julian. He was a Beta.

Betas were second-in-command, known for their steady and calm nature.

He was a healer, and he was looking for a quiet life.

I sat at my desk and filled three pages of parchment with a letter to Julian.

I did not hide anything.

I told him I was a lowly Omega. I told him I scrubbed pots and smelled of smoke.

I told him I had a big appetite and strong arms from carrying heavy loads.

I sent the letter away, feeling a strange sense of relief.

The very next afternoon, I was walking back from the kitchen.

A large crowd of wolves had gathered in the main courtyard.

I pushed through the murmuring crowd to see what was happening.

Victoria's mother, a high-ranking noblewoman, suddenly rushed forward.

Before I could react, she dropped to her knees right in front of me.

The entire courtyard gasped in shock.

I did not yet know that this kneeling woman would be the first stone in an avalanche designed to bury me.