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.

Third Person’s POV

The evening sun dipped low, casting a golden glow across the dusty training field near the packhouse. Alpha Chester stood tall beside a polished black vehicle, his arms folded across his chest as he quietly observed Princess Stella, who sat stiffly in the driver’s seat, visibly tense.

“Take it easy,” Chester instructed, his tone steady yet commanding. “You need to feel the car’s rhythm—it’s not working against you.”

Stella clutched the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles had turned pale. “I swear, Alpha, this thing is a beast!” she exclaimed with a slight pout, glancing anxiously in his direction.

A faint smile curled Chester’s lips. “It’s just a machine, Princess. Treat it like you do everyone else—be confident and in control.”

Though visibly frustrated, Stella gave a small nod and hesitantly pressed the gas pedal. The car jerked forward, catching her off guard. She shrieked in alarm and yanked the wheel sharply, narrowly avoiding a large rock on the dirt path.

“Pay attention!” Chester barked, his hand hovering near the steering wheel, ready to take over if things got worse. “Keep your eyes forward!”

But fear overwhelmed Stella. When she spotted the towering tree straight ahead, her panic surged, and she froze. Her grip on the wheel tightened, and instead of hitting the brakes, she mistakenly slammed her foot down on the gas.

“Alpha!” she cried out, voice high with terror.

Chester cursed under his breath. Without hesitation, he lunged forward and grabbed the wheel. At the very last moment, rather than allowing the vehicle to crash head-on into the tree—which could’ve seriously harmed Stella—he turned the wheel abruptly.

Right toward Everett.

She had been standing just several feet away from the tree, unaware of the unfolding chaos. The screech of tires tearing across the dirt snapped her attention to the danger.

Her breath caught in her throat.

The vehicle hurtled toward her with frightening speed.

She didn’t even have time to scream before the impact struck, sending her body sailing through the air.

Blinding pain surged through her as she slammed into the earth. Her skull struck the ground with a sickening thud, but it was the violent, stabbing pain in her lower torso that left her gasping for air.

Blood.

She could feel it, warm and sticky, rapidly spreading beneath her. She instinctively moved trembling hands to her abdomen, dread building in her chest.

No.

This couldn’t be happening. Not again.

Even before the true depth of the pain settled in, she knew. She was losing her baby. Again.

A broken, muffled sob escaped her throat. Her breathing came in fast, uneven puffs. Inside her, her wolf whimpered faintly—powerless, crushed, unable to do anything.

Her vision began to dim, yet through the blur and spinning world, she could still see Chester’s form.

For a fleeting moment, relief sparked inside her.

But it vanished in an instant.

He wasn’t beside her. He hadn’t even glanced in her direction.

“Are you hurt, love?” Chester’s voice, soft and urgent, reached her ears—but it wasn’t meant for her.

He was crouched next to Stella, gently inspecting her arms for any cuts, his fingers brushing against her skin tenderly. Stella, who seemed barely scraped.

“Someone get the physician! She’s injured!” Chester shouted in panic.

Everett’s insides twisted. Injured? For minor cuts?

A bitter, broken sound left her lips—part sob, part laugh—as she stared in disbelief. Her entire body ached, her vision dimmed by pain, but she made herself watch him. Really see who he was.

This was the man she once gave everything to. The man she loved. The man she once trusted with her heart. And now he was comforting another, while she lay bleeding out alone.

Her wolf’s whine echoed again. But this time, it wasn’t merely from pain—it was from the sting of betrayal.

“Alpha!” another voice shouted—Beta Julian. He ran up, his face pale and stricken as he saw Everett lying in a pool of blood. “Alpha, Everett needs urgent help! She’s bleeding out—”

“Handle it,” Chester cut in coldly. His tone was sharp, dismissive. “I have more important things to deal with right now.”

He never even spared her a glance. In that moment, something inside Everett fractured—not just her body or her womb, but her very spirit. The part of her that had clung to the hope he might still care—died.

A sob clawed at her throat, but she forced it back down. She had shed enough tears over Chester. She had wasted enough of her soul on someone who never really saw her.

Her fingers quivered as she reached deep within herself, summoning what little strength she had left.

Her father.

As her mind began to slip and the world dimmed around her, she sent a desperate message through the pack bond, hoping—just hoping—he would hear it.

“Dad… I was wrong about you. I regret believing their lies. I should’ve known better… If only I had more time, I would spend it with you.”

In her final conscious thoughts, she felt a fleeting warmth, as if her father's presence answered from afar. But she knew it wouldn’t be enough.

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