Meredith’s POV

I kept my head down as I walked through the dim corridors of the packhouse, my fingers tightening around the edges of my dress. I had learned long ago that walking silently, moving unnoticed, was safer. It was easier to pretend I was oblivious, easier to endure when they thought I couldn’t hear their words.

Princess Rachelle walked beside me, her steps graceful, her presence overbearing. Ever since Alpha Kael proposed to her, she had been living in the packhouse.

Then—a sudden force against my foot.

I barely had time to react before I stumbled, my balance thrown off. I caught myself just in time, but the sharp movement sent a dull ache through my stomach. My pulse spiked.

Rachelle, feigning innocence, gasped and quickly signed, "Oh, I’m so sorry!"

But her lips said something else entirely.

"Serves you right, deaf! I don’t even know why you’re still here when you’re just a nobody. A lowly omega."

I clenched my jaw, my nails digging into my palms.

"I know this deaf girl just wants to steal my man," she continued with a smirk, her voice a quiet sneer. "Thinking she can seduce the Alpha? Dream on. As if Kael would ever marry a pathetic, deaf Luna."

I lifted my head and looked at her. Just looked.

Her smirk deepened, and she chuckled before signing again. "Oh, nothing."

But her voice carried on with its venom. "How pitiful. You don’t even know that everyone has been cursing you right in front of your face for years. Even the maids of this pack laugh at you."

I swallowed the sharp sting in my throat and kept my expression carefully blank. Don’t react.

Her laughter trailed behind me as we entered the dining area.

I took my usual seat, forcing my hands to remain steady as I reached for my cup.

Then, Rachelle signed sweetly, "Meredith, could you pass me the soup?"

I hesitated but nodded, reaching for the steaming bowl. As soon as her fingers touched the edge—she shoved it forward, right into her own dress. The thick, hot soup spilled all over her pristine silk gown.

"Ahh!" she shrieked dramatically, pushing back from the table.

I stiffened in shock, my eyes widening. I hadn’t even touched her. But before I could move, before I could even process what had just happened, the doors burst open. A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Kael.

His presence filled the room instantly, his sharp blue eyes scanning the scene. His gaze landed on Rachelle first, then flickered to me—and darkened.

"What the hell is going on here?"

His voice sent a tremor through my bones. He signed to me, “What did you do?” And he had already assumed it was my fault—not even asking what happened first.

Rachelle whimpered, clutching the soiled fabric of her dress, looking every bit the fragile, innocent victim.

"Oh, Alpha," she sniffled. "Please don’t be angry. It’s not her fault. Maybe she’s just... jealous of me. I mean, I understand. After all, I get to marry you soon while she’s still just a lowly omega. Maybe she just couldn’t help herself."

The breath caught in my throat. She was playing the role perfectly. And he was buying it. Kael turned to me, his expression stern, his hands moving sharply as he signed—

"Why would you hurt royalty? Are you wishing for death?"

The words hit harder than any slap. My heart pounded painfully against my ribs. I wanted to scream. I wanted to shout the truth, to let him know what kind of woman he was about to make his Luna. But I knew it wouldn’t matter.

It never did.

Slowly, I lowered my hands. And nodded. Then, without another word, I turned and walked away. Each step felt heavier than the last, but I kept moving, kept my head high even as my vision blurred.

Then I heard it. Kael’s voice—gentle now, coaxing.

"I’ll reprimand Meredith for this," he murmured. "Don’t worry, Rachelle. I won’t let her get away with it."

A bitter laugh built in my chest, but I swallowed it down. Instead, I placed a trembling hand over my stomach, pressing lightly against the life growing inside me.

"How could your father do this to us?" I thought.

Meredith’s POV

I always told myself I’d hold on just a little longer. That maybe one day, Kael would look at me differently. That my mother might remember I was her daughter too. That things could change. But after hearing those words and learning the truth, all I wanted was to hurt them all back. To avenge my unborn child and to make him suffer the same amount I did.

I was already miserable, but tonight, the Goddess decided to cripple me emotionally.

Tonight, as I stood in the dimly lit kitchen, scrubbing the grease off my hands and listening to their laughter echoing from the dining hall, I realized something: I’d been a fool.

“Meredith, hurry up with the stew!” one of the omegas tapped me and signed, breaking my thoughts.

I clenched my jaw and nodded, keeping my expression neutral. I wasn’t above helping; I’d done it countless times before. But this? This was humiliation, plain and simple. I was no omega. I was no servant. But no one knew. For them, I was nothing but a useless she-wolf, a weak deaf omega who was only meant to serve the higher beings.

And here I was, stirring pots while my mother, her Alpha King husband dined like a picture-perfect family.

Meanwhile, Kael and Rachelle were on their way to dine with them. With that, they would be complete.

A family.

The word tasted bitter in my mouth as I peeked around the corner of the wall. They were seated at the long table, their faces glowing in the candlelight. My mother smiled warmly, proud and radiant beside her mate.

I stepped back, leaning against the cold wall to steady myself. My wolf stirred inside me, pacing and restless.

We don’t belong here. Her voice was quiet but firm, a truth I could no longer ignore.

I tried to shake off the ache in my chest and forced myself to focus on the task at hand. The stew bubbled in the pot, filling the air with its rich aroma. But the scent that once brought comfort now churned my stomach.

“Meredith!” My mother signed as soon as she saw me.

I wiped my hands on my apron and hurried towards them. She sat there, regal and poised, her eyes locking onto mine with a look that made me feel small. Then she signed again, “We’re running low on bread. Can you bring more to the table? Also, as soon as Kael is finished teaching Rachelle how to drive, tell them we are here.”

I nodded quickly. “Of course, Mother.”

She didn’t even thank me.

As I placed the breadbasket on the table, I caught snippets of their conversation. I walked away after placing the food they wanted and rested my back on the wall that separated the kitchen and the dining area. I sighed deeply and was about to leave the place and go back to my room when their conversation started to intrigue me.

“Alpha King Valentin has been quiet lately,” my mother said, her voice casual but calculating. “He hasn’t sent any new threats, has he?”

The Alpha King’s voice sounded. My mother immediately answered, “No. The man knows better than to provoke us while Meredith is here. As long as we have her, he won’t dare move against the kingdom. Once we let go of Meredith, it will cause feud between the territories.”

“Exactly,” the king said with a laugh. “It’s almost amusing. Valentin—the most feared tyrant—brought to his knees because his daughter is under our roof. He can just dream, but I will never surrender Meredith to him—not when we can still milk him knowing his weakness is here.”

The table erupted in laughter.

I froze, the breadbasket trembling in my hands.

I didn’t wait for them to talk more. I turned and walked back into the kitchen, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might crack my ribs. The weight of their words pressed down on me like chains.

That’s all we’ve ever been to them, my wolf growled. A pawn.

She didn’t care about me. Not my mother. She didn’t love me—they used me. They used me to control my father, the man they claimed was a monster.

They made me believe that my father was an evil tyrant to stop me from coming with him. For what? To milk him dry? To use his weakness—me—against him?

But how monstrous could he be if he sent gifts and letters, if he reached out while the people who were supposed to love me treated me like a tool?

My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the counter, struggling to steady my breathing. I’d been lied to. Manipulated.

I stumbled out of the packhouse, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The cool night air bit at my skin, but it did nothing to numb the fire burning in my chest.

They lied to me.

All these years, I thought my mother was protecting me. That she saw me as someone important. That I had a place here. But I was never more than a pawn—a tool to keep my father, Alpha King Valentin, at bay.

The laughter from the dining hall still rang in my ears. Once we let go of Meredith, it will cause a feud between the territories.

I was nothing to them. Nothing but leverage.

Tears blurred my vision as I wandered through the empty streets of Aurora Pack, my feet moving without direction. My wolf whimpered inside me, but I ignored her. She was just as lost as I was.

But I was pushed back to reality when I saw a car speeding to my direction.

At that moment, I knew, I was doomed. Again.

Third Person’s POV

The late sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the training grounds near the packhouse. Alpha Kael stood beside a sleek black car, his arms crossed as he observed Princess Rachelle sitting nervously in the driver’s seat.

"Relax," Kael instructed, his voice even but firm. "Ease into it. The car moves with you, not against you."

Rachelle gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white. "I'm trying, Alpha, but this thing is terrifying!" she whined, pouting slightly as she flicked her eyes toward him.

A small smirk played on Kael’s lips. "It’s just a car, Princess. You can command it the same way you do people—with confidence."

Rachelle huffed but nodded, pressing her foot on the gas pedal tentatively. The car lurched forward, making her yelp in panic. She jerked the wheel to the side, narrowly missing a boulder on the dirt road.

"Focus!” Kael barked, his hand hovering near the wheel, ready to take control if necessary. "Watch where you’re going!"

But Rachelle’s fear got the better of her. She saw the massive tree ahead and panicked, her hands tightening around the wheel in a death grip. The car was going too fast. It was heading straight for the tree.

"Alpha!" she screamed, her foot slamming on the gas instead of the brakes.

Kael cursed under his breath. In one swift motion, he lunged forward, grabbing the wheel. But instead of steering them into the tree—which would undoubtedly cause injury to Rachelle—he twisted the wheel at the last second, redirecting the car.

Right toward Meredith.

She stood a few feet from the tree, unaware of what was happening until the sound of screeching tires filled the air.

Her heart stopped.

The car was coming straight for her.

She barely had time to react before the impact sent her body flying.

Pain exploded through her as she hit the ground hard. The sharp crack of her skull against the earth sent shockwaves through her entire being, but it was the searing agony in her abdomen that made her gasp.

Blood.

It was pooling beneath her, warm and thick, soaking into the ground. A sharp pain tore through her belly, and her trembling hands moved instinctively to her lower abdomen.

No.

No, no, no.

She knew what was happening even before she felt the dull, hollow ache inside her. She was losing her baby. Again.

A strangled sob escaped her lips, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Her wolf whimpered inside her, weak and broken, unable to do anything to stop it.

Her vision blurred, but through the haze of pain and dizziness, she could make out Kael’s towering form. Relief flickered through her for half a second.

But then she saw where he was kneeling. Not beside her. Not even looking at her.

"Are you okay, my love?" Kael’s voice was filled with concern—but not for her.

He was cradling Rachelle, running his hands over her arms, checking her for injuries. Rachelle, who had nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises.

"Call the doctor! She has scratches!" Kael roared.

Meredith’s stomach churned. Scratches.

She let out a weak, bitter laugh, though it sounded more like a ragged breath. Her vision swam, the pain intensifying, but she forced herself to look at him. To really see him.

This was the man she had once loved. The man she had sacrificed everything for. And yet, here he was, tending to another woman while she bled out on the cold, hard ground. Her wolf whimpered again, but this time, it wasn’t just from pain. It was from betrayal.

"Alpha," a voice called—Beta Lucas. He had rushed over, his face pale as he took in the sight of Meredith’s blood soaking the ground. "Alpha, Meredith is bleeding heavily. She—"

"Get her a doctor," Kael interrupted, his voice cold, impatient. "I don’t have time for this right now."

He didn’t even look at her. Meredith felt something inside her break. Not just her body. Not just the loss of her child.

Her spirit. Kael had already abandoned her.

A sob bubbled up in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She had cried enough over him. She had wasted too much of her heart on a man who never saw her, never truly cared.

Her fingers trembled as she reached for the last thread of strength she had left.

Her father.

Her mind was slipping, the darkness closing in, but she forced the mind-link open, her thoughts reaching out into the abyss.

"I’m sorry, Dad... I misunderstood you before. I’m sorry for believing them over you. I should’ve known… If only I had time left, I would spend it with you.”

She felt a flicker of warmth, as if his presence was reaching back to her, but she knew it was too late.

"I’m sorry... I don’t think I’ll get the chance to see you again."