Morale had never been higher.
My father and brother had crushed the rogue packs that plagued the Unclaimed Territories for years, even capturing their war-chief's firstborn.
From that moment on, the two of them saw me as a woman of calculating ambition.
Even when the pup I bore turned out to be only a little girl, she was sent away from the pack den the very next day.
The memory of that tiny face, glimpsed for barely a second, sent a dull ache through my chest.
I had done what I knew I shouldn't have. I had wanted too much.
I met Cassius's dark, unreadable gaze and spoke with all the sincerity I possessed:
"If the Alpha still holds any regard for our past and cannot bring himself to banish me to the Hollow Den, then send me beyond the territory walls to be with Rosalind. Tell the pack I left of my own will, to offer prayers to the Moon Goddess for the pack's prosperity."
A crease of anger had already settled between Cassius's brows:
"I've already shown you more kindness than you deserve. I even sent for Rosalind to be brought into the den. What more do you want?"
"Even if Eloise went too far today, you raised her for ten years. That she turned out this way is your failure. What right do you have to be dissatisfied?"
My voice remained steady, earnest:
"I have no dissatisfaction. I only ask for the Alpha's grace."
Cassius was silent for a long moment before his voice turned cold:
"No bonded Omega has ever left the pack den. Since you've begged to be thrown into the Hollow Den, I'll grant your wish."
His tone shifted: "If you regret it, I can still revoke the order. The command hasn't been announced to the other quarters yet."
I pressed my forehead to the ground, baring the back of my neck in full submission, and accepted. "I thank the Alpha for his grace."
"Seraphina!"
Cassius ground out my name through clenched teeth, then turned and swept from the room. The scent of black frost and iron trailed behind him, sharp enough to cut.
The Hollow Den was bleak and desolate, yet I felt lighter than I had in years.
If I hadn't come here, Eloise would only have grown more furious seeing me close to Rosalind.
She didn't love me, but she was fiercely possessive of me.
To embroider the perfect blessing charm for her, I had stitched a hundred and seventy-seven before she finally picked the one she liked.
The rest she burned in a single fire.
At the time, Eloise had said:
"I know you wanted to save one for Rosalind. But she doesn't deserve to have the same things as me."
Her smile was innocent. Her eyes were as cold and deep as her father's.
A plate of coarse bread and half-raw greens was set before me.
The den attendant who brought it looked vaguely familiar. She smiled and said:
"You're no Luna-Designate now. You should count yourself lucky to get even this."
"If you hadn't served the Alpha all those years, you probably wouldn't get anything at all."
When I gave no reaction, she let out a theatrical sigh:
"Really, all you'd have to do is bow your head to the Alpha, and you could have any delicacy you wanted. You were a pampered young lady in the Thornfield bloodline. Why ruin yourself over a moment of stubbornness?"
Behind the crumbling door, a sliver of the Alpha's ceremonial gold peeked into view.
I understood. This was Cassius's clumsy way of offering me a way out.
He had always used other people's mouths to remind me that I was nothing without him.
And I had always followed meekly behind him and his daughter, without a word of complaint.
Ten years of being hollow. I was done.
I fixed my gaze on that sliver of gold fabric and spoke:
"No feast in the world compares to this simple meal. These days in the Hollow Den have given me more peace than I ever knew before."
Here, I didn't need to please anyone. I didn't need to carry the weight of my bloodline's honor.
And no one stood over me every waking moment to remind me I was a replacement, a cuckoo in another wolf's nest.
The door slammed shut. The flash of gold vanished.
I had no interest in chasing after him. I turned back to my meal.
But a small figure came darting out from behind the door.
She had her hair tied in two little buns, and the moment she saw me, she called out for her mother, over and over.
We had never met before. Yet I knew her at a single glance. Something deep inside me went very still, then ached with a recognition that had nothing to do with sight. This was my flesh and blood, separated from me for five long years.
