THE ALPHA'S OBSESSIONs

"Where the hell is she?"

Beta Kieran's voice cuts through the house like a shotgun blast, and my stomach drops because, of course, he's talking about me the lone miserable servant still breathing under this roof of insanity.

I groan quietly and drag myself up from the floor, grabbing the cleaning basket like it's some kind of lifeline. Technically, it is. If my hands aren't busy, someone always finds another way to remind me how useless I am.

Kieran spots me immediately. His lips curl like a predator that's just found wounded prey. He storms toward me, grabbing my arm so hard his nails scrape across my cheek.

I don't scream.

Years of surviving this circus have trained me well.

Keep your mouth shut. Keep your eyes on the floor.

Breathe quietly. Speak only when spoken to. Move only when commanded. Pain is routine. Humiliation is standard. Survival is optional if you screw up.

"Alpha Kael and I are expecting a guest, and somehow, magically, you've still managed to screw up the office!" Beta Kieran snarls, each word dripping with venom.

I tighten my grip on the cleaning basket.

For a brief moment, I imagine swinging it at his face, hard enough to break his nose. The fantasy lasts less than a second. Kieran is faster, stronger, and far more cruel than I could ever afford to challenge. One wrong move and I'd spend another week without food... or chained in the cellar again.

"Do you even understand how crucial this is?" he continues. "Alpha Kael. The alliance. His pack"

The rest of his rant fades into noise.

I stare at the floor instead. Answering him would only give him another reason to hurt me.

Still, one name echoes in my mind.

Alpha Kael.

Rumors about him spread through every pack territory like wildfire. Crimson eyes. Ruthless.

Powerful. The kind of Alpha whose presence alone could make lesser wolves bow their heads.

Leader of the largest pack in existence. Feared by wolves smart enough to stay out of his way.

And here I am... staring at a cleaning basket while my life continues to rot around me.

Kieran shoves me forward roughly, his nails digging into my shoulder like shards of ice as he pushes me down the hallway toward the office.

"Useless wolf," he mutters before disappearing.

I bite the inside of my cheek, swallowing the anger burning in my chest. Screaming would only make things worse.

The office door slams shut behind me.

I sink slowly to the floor, staring around the room. It's spotless. Perfect. Every surface gleams like it belongs in a palace instead of this cursed pack house.

Perfect enough for a powerful Alpha to judge.

Perfect enough for someone to decide my fate without a second thought.

I exhale shakily.

Eighteen years old.

Technically an adult. Technically free.

Freedom.

What a joke.

Four years later, I'm still here. A ghost. A servant. A mistake with a pulse.

A quiet throat clears behind me.

My