Chapter 1 Silence Beneath the Alpha's Feet

Aria's pov.

The brush in my hand scraped against the marble floor, my knuckles turning red from how hard I scrubbed. The scent of soap mixed with wolf musk and polished stone filled the wide lobby, almost choking me as my shoulders burned from bending for so long. The bucket beside me sloshed every time I dipped the rag, the water already gray from dirt.

The Alpha's lobby was always spotless. At least, it was supposed to be. It didn't matter that most of the pack never noticed. To me, it was my job, my role, my shame. Omegas didn't get choices. We were given tasks and expected to carry them out without a sound.

I kept my head bowed, my hair falling forward like a curtain as I rubbed harder at a stain that wasn't even there. It was easier to look busy, to pretend I was invisible, to pretend no one saw me at all. Because when they did see me, it was never good.

The sound of sharp heels clicked across the marble, and my stomach tightened. I didn't need to lift my eyes to know who it was. Vanessa.

Her scent hit me before her words did, roses and spice, strong, proud, and expensive, like she was made of power and perfection. She was the daughter of a prominent family, a beta by blood, and as far as everyone was concerned, the future Luna of this pack.

Her laugh was high-pitched, carrying like a whip as two of her friends trailed behind her. They always did, like her personal guard of gossip and bully army.

"Well, if it isn't the little maid wolf," Vanessa said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

I pressed the rag harder against the floor, biting down on my tongue so I wouldn't say anything. Silence, that was the only trick to survive moments like this.

The sound of her heel stopped right beside the bucket. My chest tightened at the thought of what she was about to do now but to my little surprise, she kicked it.

The bucket made sounds against the marble, water spilling everywhere, seeping under my knees, soaking my dress. My heart lurched, but I didn't move. I stayed on the floor, my palms pressing into the wet stone, trying not to tremble.

"Oops," Vanessa said. "Did I do that?"

Her friends laughed, sharp and it was cruel of them.

My lips pressed together, holding back words, holding back everything. Because if I said anything, if I even dared to meet her eyes, she would only push harder and who knows? Accuse me for not knowing my place in the pack since everyone has to kiss her feet as the future Luna.

"You know, Aria," Vanessa said, crouching down so she was eye level with me. Her perfectly styled hair swung forward, and her eyes narrowed like blades. "You really should be grateful. Not everyone gets to scrub the Alpha's lobby. You're lucky we even let you live here. Useless little omega."

Her words cut deeper than her nails ever could, though I wouldn't have been surprised if she decided to scratch me next.

I told myself to breathe. I told myself to swallow the anger rising in my throat. Because none of this mattered. Not really.

I had a secret.

Something no one, not even Vanessa, not her little pack of shadows, not even the rest of the wolves who sneered at me knew.

Every night, I climbed the stairs to the Alpha's private wing where I would slip into his room and he would be waiting for me.

Alpha Zac.

My heart softened at just the thought of him. The man everyone feared, the leader of this pack, the wolf whose name carried power and dominance across wolves territories, he was mine.

Or at least, I believed he was.

He would pull me close, the warmth of his body comforting me, his lips pressing against my skin. He would whisper promises, words that made my chest ache with hope. He told me to wait. To be patient. That when I turned nineteen, everything would change. He would claim me in front of everyone. He would make me his.

Those promises kept me alive during the day.

So when Vanessa's laughter filled my ears again, when her foot nudged my shoulder so I stumbled onto my hands, when her friends whispered about how pathetic I looked, I stayed silent.

Because soon, all of this would end.

Soon, Zac would claim me.

Soon, Vanessa would choke on her own laughter when she realized the weak omega she loved to torment would be her Luna.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?" Vanessa asked, her eyes glittering as she looked down at me. "Or do you like crawling on your knees in front of everyone?"

I lowered my gaze, pretending her words didn't matter. Since she wanted a reaction, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of one.

But her patience snapped anyway. Her hand shoved hard against my shoulder, and I fell forward, my palms smacking the wet floor. My hair fell into the dirty water, sticking to my cheeks. The sting of humiliation burned hotter than the scrape of marble against my skin.

Her friends laughed again.

Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't cry, not in front of her.

I pushed myself up, but Vanessa's heel pressed against my wrist, pinning me down like I was nothing more than a bug under her designer shoe.

"You really think you belong here, don't you?" she whispered, her voice low enough that only I could hear. "You really think someone like you could ever matter or become someone important in this pack?"

Her words hit harder because if anyone else had said them, I might have believed them. But Zac's voice echoed in my head, stronger, gentler. 'You matter to me, Aria. Always.'

I clung to that, like I always did.

Vanessa froze when she heard sharp footsteps, already guessing who it was, she straightened, smoothing her hair, forcing her expression into something soft, innocent and sweet. She lifted her foot off my wrist and stepped back, her friends mimicking her movements like trained dolls.

I scrambled to my knees, my heart pounding as I realized who it was.

Alpha Zac.

He entered the room, tall and broad, his presence filling the space like a the protagonist from this cheesy romance book, that the pack bookstore always sells. His dark eyes scanned the room, sharp and cold, until they landed on me who was already wet, disheveled, kneeling in front of Vanessa's perfect shoes.

Heat rose to my face, shame and fear crashing together in my chest. I never wanted him to see me like this, not when I'm looking weak and pathetic.

But then his gaze shifted, turning to Vanessa and her friends. His beta, Marcus, walked just behind him, his sharp eyes catching every detail.

"What's the meaning of this?" Zac's voice roared, filling the lobby like thunder.