Aisha

Blood smeared my hands as I pressed the cloth against the pup’s wound. His constant whimpering made my chest ache.

"It’s okay," I murmured, tightening the bandage. "You’re going to be fine."

The moment I pulled away, his mother shoved me so hard I hit the ground with a painful thud.

"Get away from him!" she snapped, her eyes flashing with disgust. "You think you can help when you don’t even have a wolf?"

I swallowed the sting of her words. Arguing was useless. No one in this pack trusted me, no matter what I did. I stayed on the ground, my fingers curling against the cold tile, willing myself not to retaliate. If I did, it would only give them more reason to hate me.

"Mom…" The pup's voice was quiet but his mother heard it. She turned sharply, probably expecting more cries of pain. Instead, he was staring at his wound with his eyes wide. "It’s... healed."

Silence fell over the room. His mother hesitated before yanking the bandage away.

A sharp inhale followed. The deep gash was now barely a scar. She turned back to me, suspicion hardening her features. "What did you do?"

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure myself. I had done the same thing I always did, cleaned, bandaged, soothed the patient. But I wasn’t about to claim credit, not when it would only earn me more scrutiny.

Before she could press further, the head of the pack’s medical center arrived.

His sharp gaze flicked from the healed pup to me and it narrowed.

"Strange," he muttered. "But it doesn't matter. If it weren’t for the increase in pack attacks and your cheap labor, you wouldn’t even be allowed in this hospital."

I bowed my head, biting back a retort. Soon. Soon, I would be free of this place.

Hours later, after tending to the last injured wolf, I was finally told to leave. The moment I stepped outside, the crisp night air filled my lungs, offering me the only solace I’d had all day. I walked with my head high, my mind drifting to a truth I had never been able to share.

They thought I was an Omega. Weak. Useless. But I had shifted at fourteen, two years earlier than even the strongest Alpha. My wolf was more powerful than any of them knew.

And no one could ever find out.

April had made me swear to keep it secret. "Not yet," she had warned in her most serious voice, "They’ll fear you, and fear makes people dangerous." I had trusted her, so I had kept the secret, no matter how much I hated pretending to be powerless.

Now, I was paying the price.

I reached my house, if I could even call it that. A cold, empty structure where cruelty greeted me at the door. The moment I stepped inside, a sharp slap cracked across my cheek.

Pain bloomed as my stepmother’s daughter, Lisa, sneered at me. "You’re late," she hissed, her nails digging into my arm as she shoved me back.

Blood trickled from the corner of my lip, but I refused to react. That would only feed her satisfaction.

With a slow, deliberate motion, she picked up the plate of food from the table. My stomach twisted in anticipation, already knowing what would happen next.

A cruel smile curled her lips before she dumped the food straight into the trash.

"Oops." She flicked her golden hair over her shoulder. "Looks like you’ll have to try being on time tomorrow."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms. My stepmother watched the scene unfold with her usual indifference. "Clean it up," she ordered, her voice void of warmth.

Not a single glance of concern. Not a shred of acknowledgment for my exhaustion. Just another command to be obeyed.

I forced my feet to move, kneeling beside the trash can to pick up the discarded food. I wasn’t even sure why I bothered anymore. I could survive on scraps. had been doing it for years. But every time, the injustice of it all made my blood boil.

Soon. Soon, I’ll have my inheritance, and I’ll get out of here.

Lisa leaned against the counter, watching me like a cat toying with a trapped mouse. "Be on time for dinner next time," she cooed before sauntering away.

I resisted the urge to throw something at her retreating figure.

By the time I finished the rest of the chores, my body felt like dead weight. I collapsed onto my small, worn-out bed, too drained to even pull a blanket over myself.

Then, my phone vibrated.

I blinked, forcing myself to sit up. My heart jumped when I saw the name on the screen.

Jake.

Our pack’s Alpha. My secret boyfriend.

A single message from him sent a rush of warmth through my tired body.

Happy Birthday.

I exhaled shakily, a real smile breaking through my exhaustion. No one else had remembered. No one else had even cared. But he did.

A second message followed, making my heart pound.

Tomorrow, I’ll announce you as my mate.

Everything stilled.

I read the words over and over, my hands shaking. My breath caught, a mix of excitement and disbelief flooding my chest.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, everything would change.