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.
