And then the very thing I had always dreaded came true—just as I had once overheard in a hushed conversation between Alpha Chester and Beta Julian.

The cool night air carried the mingled aromas of pine and sweetened wine, while the grand banquet hall buzzed with laughter, music, and the gentle clinks of goblets. Wolves from every corner of the kingdom had assembled for a festive gathering. The Alpha King, in a gesture of goodwill, had extended the invitation to all the packs—including mine, the Nightingale Pack. It should have been a night of joy and unity. Instead, it became the evening that shattered everything I believed in.

I had barely taken a sip from my glass when I heard a spoon tapping gently against crystal. The sound silenced the room. At the center stood Alpha Chester Crosby—the man I had known since childhood, the one who had pulled me out of my darkest days. His piercing blue eyes scanned the hall with calm confidence.

“I would like to make an announcement,” Chester said, his voice deep, commanding, and familiar to me in ways I could never forget.

That voice had once soothed my anxieties, a constant presence during the nights we spent at the shelter that raised us. My fingers clenched the goblet tighter as anxiety twisted in my chest. I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Chester shifted his gaze to Princess Stella. Her golden locks shimmered under the chandelier, her lilac dress making her look like a vision from a dream. She was my stepsister. The Alpha King’s daughter.

Then Chester dropped to one knee.

It was as if all the air had been sucked from the room.

“Princess Stella,” he said, his voice unwavering, “Will you do me the honor of becoming my mate, my Luna, and ruling beside me over the Nightingale Pack?”

Thunderous applause erupted. Gasps of surprise and delight filled the room as Stella covered her mouth in shock before breathlessly replying, “Yes! Yes, I will!”

I was paralyzed. My grip loosened, and red wine spilled over the rim of my goblet. My heart pounded so violently it drowned out the roar of celebration around me.

It happened. The thing I prayed would never come to pass—was now real.

And then, eyes turned to me. I could feel them, the stares full of sympathy—or was it pity?—and I knew they believed I couldn’t hear. So they whispered freely.

“Poor thing,” someone murmured.

“She’s been in love with him since they were kids.”

“Did she really think an Alpha would choose a deaf Omega as his Luna?”

“Of course, he’d pick Princess Stella. Everett’s just a nobody. A powerless Omega. Not fit to be anyone’s Luna.”

Every word stabbed like a dagger. I wanted to cry out, to scream that they were wrong, that their words were cruel lies. I wanted to shout at Chester, at all of them. But I was frozen. My body wouldn’t move, and my throat couldn’t form a sound.

My wolf stirred within me, tense and furious. We don’t belong here anymore, Everett. Leave.

Without meaning to, my legs moved, carrying me toward the tall doors of the hall. As I passed through the crowd, I caught a glimpse of my mother—my real mother—now Queen Luna Vanessa. She was crying tears of joy, clapping with pride for Stella.

Her joy wasn’t for me.

She saw me and tried to say something, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t. The pain in my chest was too much. It felt like my entire soul had splintered.

When I turned eighteen, she had appeared and told me the truth—that I was her daughter. At first, I didn’t believe her.

She was the Queen Luna of the Western Wolf Territory. And that meant Stella was my stepsister.

But Stella had no idea. The only ones who knew were my mother and her current mate, Alpha King Nathaniel.

Why wait so long to tell me? Why only after I had spent years in that awful facility? Why not save me sooner?

She never gave a clear answer. Just said she hadn’t been ready. The only thing she revealed was that she and my birth father had separated a long time ago.

As for why I ended up in the organization? She claimed my biological father had hidden me there and that she hadn’t known. I had endless questions, but asking them made her look at me like I was being difficult.

“You can’t come live with me in the palace, Everett,” she told me once. “My husband is the reigning Alpha King. Can you imagine the scandal if people, or Stella, found out the truth? Just stay in the background. Let them believe you're an Omega—for everyone’s peace of mind.”

From that day forward, I kept my secret. Even Chester, the one person I truly trusted, didn’t know who I really was.

What my mother did make clear—repeatedly—was that my father was a dangerous man. A tyrant. Wicked beyond redemption. If he ever reached out to me, I was not to believe anything he said.

And then, about a month later, he did.

He began calling, messaging, claiming to be my father.

The Alpha King of the Eastern Territory. The man known far and wide as a ruthless tyrant. A villain. A monster.

And when the terrible accident happened three years ago that took my hearing, my mother’s coldness deepened. She didn’t even try to hide her indifference. I told myself she was just busy, that being Queen Luna came with its own burdens. I kept making excuses for her.

But after Chester’s betrayal… it felt like every part of my life had been built on lies. Lies from my mother. From Chester. From everyone.

Everett’s POV

I kept my gaze fixed on the floor as I made my way through the shadowed hallways of the packhouse, my hands tightly gripping the fabric of my dress. I had trained myself long ago to tread quietly, to remain invisible. It was less painful to let them believe I was unaware, to let them think their insults bounced off deaf ears.

Walking beside me was Princess Stella, her steps smooth and elegant, yet her aura oppressive. Ever since Alpha Chester had publicly declared his intention to make her his mate, she had taken up residence here. Her mere presence made the air feel heavier.

Suddenly, something struck my foot. I stumbled forward, losing my balance for a split second. I managed to catch myself before I could fall, but a sharp pain pulsed through my lower abdomen from the jolt. My heart started to race.

Stella let out an exaggerated gasp and quickly moved her fingers to sign, "Oops! My bad!" But while her hands feigned concern, her lips told a different story.

"Serves you right, you worthless deaf girl. Honestly, why are you still hanging around when you clearly don’t belong? You're nothing—just a useless omega," she muttered venomously under her breath.

I bit down hard, my teeth grinding together as my fists clenched at my sides, fingernails digging into my skin.

"Everyone knows you want to take Chester from me," she hissed, her tone mocking. "You actually think you could steal the Alpha’s heart? Keep dreaming. There’s no world where he would choose a broken, deaf excuse for a Luna."

I lifted my head and met her eyes without flinching. I said nothing, just stared.

Her grin widened, and she gave a low chuckle before signing again, "It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it."

But her voice, dripping with disdain, continued: "You’re such a joke. Can’t even hear how people insult you right to your face. The maids snicker at you all the time."

I felt a tightness in my throat but forced my face to stay neutral. No emotion. No response.

Her soft giggles echoed behind me as we stepped into the dining room. I took my usual seat quietly, my hands trembling as I reached for my cup, trying to steady myself.

Then came the sugary voice. "Everett, would you mind handing me the soup?" she signed sweetly, her expression angelic.

I hesitated but nodded, reaching for the hot bowl in front of me. As soon as her hand touched the edge of it, she gave a sudden push, tipping the bowl straight into her own lap. The thick liquid splashed all over her elegant, pale gown.

"Aah!" she cried out theatrically, leaping back from the table in an overdone display of shock and distress.

I froze in place, stunned. I hadn’t even touched her. The confusion hadn’t even left my face when the doors to the hall were flung open. A cold chill ran down my spine.

Chester.

He strode in with his usual commanding presence, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room. It stopped on Stella first, then darted to me—his expression immediately darkened.

"What happened here?" he demanded, his voice like a blade slicing through the air. His hands moved rapidly as he signed at me, “What did you do?” He didn’t wait to hear an explanation. He had already decided I was guilty.

Stella clutched her stained dress and gave a trembling sniff. She looked up at him, the image of a wronged and delicate princess.

"Oh Chester," she said in a soft, trembling voice, "please don’t be mad at her. She probably didn’t mean it. Maybe it’s just... envy. I mean, I can’t really blame her. You’re about to be mine, and she’s just... well, still an omega. Maybe her emotions got the best of her."

I choked back a gasp. She had rehearsed this role to perfection, and Chester, blind to her games, looked at me with disappointment etched in every line of his face. His signing grew harsher.

"How dare you harm someone of royal blood? Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Each gesture landed like a physical blow. I felt my chest cave under the weight of his disbelief. I wanted to scream the truth, to tell him everything about who she really was behind the sweet smiles. But I knew—it wouldn’t change anything.

It never had.

My arms dropped slowly, the fire inside me burning low. I gave a small nod, and without defending myself, I turned and walked out. Each step felt like I was dragging my soul behind me, but I refused to look back, even as tears blurred my sight.

Then I heard him. His voice, now low and comforting.

"I’ll discipline Everett for this," he murmured. "Don’t worry, Stella. She won’t go unpunished."

A bitter sound bubbled in my chest, but I forced it down. Instead, I placed a trembling hand over my belly, pressing gently over the small life growing inside me.

"Why would your father betray us like this?" I thought, my heart heavy with sorrow and disbelief.

Everett’s POV

I always promised myself that I’d endure just a bit longer. I clung to the belief that one day, Chester would see me in a new light, that my mother would finally acknowledge me as her daughter, not just an inconvenience. I had held on to hope. But after what I discovered tonight—after hearing those cruel revelations—every part of me screamed to fight back. I wanted them all to feel pain. I wanted vengeance for my unborn child. I wanted Chester to suffer the agony I’ve carried for so long.

I was already broken inside. But tonight, fate—or perhaps the Moon Goddess herself—decided to crush me even further.

As I stood in the poorly lit kitchen, my hands raw from scrubbing the sticky remnants of stew off them, I could hear laughter bubbling from the dining hall. Their joy, so loud and unbothered, only deepened my silence. And in that moment, I saw the truth clearly—I had been naive.

“Everett, move faster with the stew!” an omega barked, tapping my arm and signing impatiently, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I ground my teeth but nodded calmly, keeping my face unreadable. Helping out wasn’t beneath me—I had done it plenty of times before. But this wasn’t just work. This was disgrace parading as duty. I wasn’t truly an omega. I wasn’t some servant bred for obedience. But no one knew that truth. To everyone around me, I was merely the deaf girl—a powerless, low-rank she-wolf whose only worth was in servitude.

And so I stirred the pot, invisible, while my mother—the woman who birthed me—shared the table with her Alpha King mate, smiling like a queen from some perfect fairy tale.

Chester and Stella were due to join them shortly. With their arrival, the picture would be complete.

A perfect, happy family.

The word alone made bile rise in my throat. I peered around the edge of the kitchen wall, stealing a glimpse of them gathered around the grand table. Their faces glowed in the warm flicker of candlelight. My mother’s expression radiated contentment, proud and lovely beside her powerful mate.

I pulled back from the sight, resting against the cold stone wall, hoping it would steady the spinning in my head. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, her voice solemn.

We don’t belong among them. The certainty in her tone left no room for denial.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the twisting sensation in my chest. I turned my attention to the bubbling stew, its aroma heavy in the air. It used to offer comfort. Now, it turned my stomach.

“Everett!” my mother’s sharp signing caught my attention.

I wiped my hands quickly on my apron and stepped toward her. She sat tall and elegant, meeting my gaze with a look that stripped me of any sense of worth. She signed again, curt and commanding: “We’re almost out of bread. Bring more to the table. And when Chester finishes teaching Stella to drive, make sure they come straight here.”

I dipped my head. “Yes, Mother.”

She didn’t bother to acknowledge my reply. Not a nod. Not a word of thanks.

As I set the breadbasket down at the table, fragments of their conversation reached my ears. Once I placed everything, I walked back toward the kitchen and leaned against the wall that separated me from them. I exhaled deeply, intending to return to my room. But then their words pulled me back.

“Alpha King Tyler has remained awfully quiet,” my mother said, her tone light but sharp with underlying purpose. “No more threats lately?”

The Alpha King’s voice responded soon after. My mother immediately chimed in again, “None. He knows better. He won’t take action as long as Everett is here. She’s his leash. If we let her go, we’re asking for war.”

“Exactly,” the king replied with an amused chuckle. “Tyler—the same ruthless tyrant who once ruled with fear—now dances on our strings. All because his daughter lives under our roof. Let him fantasize. I’ll never release Everett—not while she keeps him at bay and benefits us.”

Their laughter erupted, full and cruel.

I stood frozen, the basket trembling in my hands.

I didn’t wait to hear more. I spun on my heels and rushed back into the kitchen. My heartbeat pounded like war drums, echoing in my ears. Their words weighed on me like shackles.

That’s all we’ve ever been to them, my wolf whispered with rage. Just a pawn on their board.

My own mother didn’t care for me. She didn’t protect me. She didn’t love me. They manipulated me to control him—the father they called a beast.

They told me he was a monster, a threat to my safety. They filled my head with lies so I wouldn’t run to him. So I would stay and be used.

But how terrible could he be if he sent me gifts? Letters? If he reached out while those who claimed to care treated me like a disposable tool?

My hands trembled as I gripped the counter, trying to keep myself from collapsing. My world had been a lie. I was nothing but a piece in their political game.

Without thinking, I stumbled outside, away from the suffocating walls of the packhouse. My breathing came in short gasps. The chill of the night brushed my skin, but even that couldn’t cool the burning fury inside me.

They lied to me.

All this time, I thought my mother kept me close because she valued me. I believed I had a place among them. But I was wrong. I had always been wrong. I was merely a strategy—leverage to restrain Alpha King Tyler.

Their laughter still echoed in my mind. Once we let go of Everett, it will cause a feud between the territories.

To them, I was nothing. Nothing but a weapon. A bargaining chip.

Tears blurred my vision as I wandered aimlessly through the quiet streets of Nightingale Pack. I didn’t know where I was going—my feet moved on instinct. My wolf whimpered, broken and disoriented, but I ignored her. We were both lost.

Then, headlights blinded me. A car speeding in my direction snapped me back to reality.

In that instant, I knew—I was doomed all over again.