Meredith’s POV
I always told myself I’d hold on just a little longer. That maybe one day, Kael would look at me differently. That my mother might remember I was her daughter too. That things could change. But after hearing those words and learning the truth, all I wanted was to hurt them all back. To avenge my unborn child and to make him suffer the same amount I did.
I was already miserable, but tonight, the Goddess decided to cripple me emotionally.
Tonight, as I stood in the dimly lit kitchen, scrubbing the grease off my hands and listening to their laughter echoing from the dining hall, I realized something: I’d been a fool.
“Meredith, hurry up with the stew!” one of the omegas tapped me and signed, breaking my thoughts.
I clenched my jaw and nodded, keeping my expression neutral. I wasn’t above helping; I’d done it countless times before. But this? This was humiliation, plain and simple. I was no omega. I was no servant. But no one knew. For them, I was nothing but a useless she-wolf, a weak deaf omega who was only meant to serve the higher beings.
And here I was, stirring pots while my mother, her Alpha King husband dined like a picture-perfect family.
Meanwhile, Kael and Rachelle were on their way to dine with them. With that, they would be complete.
A family.
The word tasted bitter in my mouth as I peeked around the corner of the wall. They were seated at the long table, their faces glowing in the candlelight. My mother smiled warmly, proud and radiant beside her mate.
I stepped back, leaning against the cold wall to steady myself. My wolf stirred inside me, pacing and restless.
We don’t belong here. Her voice was quiet but firm, a truth I could no longer ignore.
I tried to shake off the ache in my chest and forced myself to focus on the task at hand. The stew bubbled in the pot, filling the air with its rich aroma. But the scent that once brought comfort now churned my stomach.
“Meredith!” My mother signed as soon as she saw me.
I wiped my hands on my apron and hurried towards them. She sat there, regal and poised, her eyes locking onto mine with a look that made me feel small. Then she signed again, “We’re running low on bread. Can you bring more to the table? Also, as soon as Kael is finished teaching Rachelle how to drive, tell them we are here.”
I nodded quickly. “Of course, Mother.”
She didn’t even thank me.
As I placed the breadbasket on the table, I caught snippets of their conversation. I walked away after placing the food they wanted and rested my back on the wall that separated the kitchen and the dining area. I sighed deeply and was about to leave the place and go back to my room when their conversation started to intrigue me.
“Alpha King Valentin has been quiet lately,” my mother said, her voice casual but calculating. “He hasn’t sent any new threats, has he?”
The Alpha King’s voice sounded. My mother immediately answered, “No. The man knows better than to provoke us while Meredith is here. As long as we have her, he won’t dare move against the kingdom. Once we let go of Meredith, it will cause feud between the territories.”
“Exactly,” the king said with a laugh. “It’s almost amusing. Valentin—the most feared tyrant—brought to his knees because his daughter is under our roof. He can just dream, but I will never surrender Meredith to him—not when we can still milk him knowing his weakness is here.”
The table erupted in laughter.
I froze, the breadbasket trembling in my hands.
I didn’t wait for them to talk more. I turned and walked back into the kitchen, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might crack my ribs. The weight of their words pressed down on me like chains.
That’s all we’ve ever been to them, my wolf growled. A pawn.
She didn’t care about me. Not my mother. She didn’t love me—they used me. They used me to control my father, the man they claimed was a monster.
They made me believe that my father was an evil tyrant to stop me from coming with him. For what? To milk him dry? To use his weakness—me—against him?
But how monstrous could he be if he sent gifts and letters, if he reached out while the people who were supposed to love me treated me like a tool?
My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the counter, struggling to steady my breathing. I’d been lied to. Manipulated.
I stumbled out of the packhouse, my breath coming in ragged gasps. The cool night air bit at my skin, but it did nothing to numb the fire burning in my chest.
They lied to me.
All these years, I thought my mother was protecting me. That she saw me as someone important. That I had a place here. But I was never more than a pawn—a tool to keep my father, Alpha King Valentin, at bay.
The laughter from the dining hall still rang in my ears. Once we let go of Meredith, it will cause a feud between the territories.
I was nothing to them. Nothing but leverage.
Tears blurred my vision as I wandered through the empty streets of Aurora Pack, my feet moving without direction. My wolf whimpered inside me, but I ignored her. She was just as lost as I was.
But I was pushed back to reality when I saw a car speeding to my direction.
At that moment, I knew, I was doomed. Again.
