Dinner Theater

Vera POV:

The dining room was suffocating.

Crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow, but the atmosphere was colder than a winter grave.

I hadn't packed yet. I needed to survive this dinner first. If I tried to leave now, amidst the celebration, Dax would physically stop me. He was a Beta, stronger than my human form, and he loved a scene.

So I sat.

I sat at the far end of the table, the spot reserved for children or disgraced relatives.

Eris sat at the head, to my father's right. Cain sat beside her.

"The Elders at the Academy were astounded," Eris was saying, her voice thick like syrup. "They said they hadn't seen an Alpha Aura this potent in a female for three generations."

"Incredible," my father breathed, looking at her like she was a winning lottery ticket. "A female Alpha in the Darkthorne line. This changes everything for our standing in the Council."

"It was hard," Eris sighed, leaning onto Cain's shoulder. "The transformation... the power... it takes a toll on my body. That's why I'm so frail."

"You are a warrior, my love," Cain murmured. He cut a piece of steak and fed it to her.

My stomach rolled.

"My love." He had never called me that.

"Oh, Vera!" Eris suddenly looked at me, eyes widening in mock surprise. "I didn't see you there. You're so... quiet. Like a little mouse."

The table went silent.

"Welcome home, Eris," I said steadily. I sliced into the rare steak on my plate. Blood pooled on the white porcelain.

"How was your little ceremony?" Eris tilted her head. "Cain was so worried about me, he just couldn't tear himself away. You aren't mad, are you?"

She released a scent then. It was supposed to be an Alpha command, a wave of dominance.

But to me, it smelled like burnt rubber and cheap perfume. Chemical. Artificial.

"Of course not," I said, not looking up. "Why would I be mad? Cain made his priorities very clear."

My mother chimed in, voice shrill. "Vera is a sensible girl. She knows family comes first. And Eris is the future of this family."

"Exactly," Dax grunted, stuffing his face with bread. "Vera is happy to serve. Aren't you, V?"

I looked at Dax. Then Cain.

Cain was frowning, watching me. Usually, when Eris exerted dominance, I would flinch. Tonight, I was staring him down.

"I am not angry," I repeated. "I am clarified."

"Clarified?" Cain asked. "What does that mean?"

"It means I understand my position. And yours."

A shiver seemed to pass through Cain. He rubbed his arms.

"Well, good," my mother clapped her hands nervously. She picked up a piece of meatloaf—the dry, overcooked brick the staff made—and dropped it onto my plate.

"Eat up, Vera. You look thin. We can't have people thinking we don't feed you."

A scrap for the dog.

I stared at the meat.

Suddenly, Eris gasped.

Hands flew to her throat. Face turning a violent purple.

"I... I can't..." she choked.

"Eris!" Cain jumped up, chair clattering. "What is it?"

"The air..." Eris wheezed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Her scent... it's... it's attacking me!"

"What?" Dax roared, slamming his fist on the table.

"It burns!" Eris screamed, throwing herself into Cain's arms. "She's doing something! Her Omega stench... it's reacting with my Alpha Aura!"

Bullshit. Omegas are calming. Neutral. We don't have offensive scents.

But logic didn't matter here. Only Eris mattered.

"Vera!" My father stood up, face red. "Stop it! Whatever you are doing, stop it now!"

"I am doing nothing," I said calmly, putting down my knife.

"She's turning blue!" my mother shrieked. "Call the doctor! Get the suppressants!"

Chaos erupted. Servants ran. Dax shouted orders. Cain swept Eris up, looking at her with terrified devotion.

As he rushed past me toward the medical wing, Cain shot me a look of pure venom.

"If anything happens to her," he snarled, "I will make you regret you were ever born."

They ran out. The dining room was empty again.

I sat alone among the half-eaten food and overturned wine glasses.

That wasn't a reaction to you, Vespa said, her tone dry. That was a side effect. She overdosed.

Overdosed on what?

Steroids, Vespa replied. Synthetic hormones. She isn't an Alpha, Vera. She can't even shift. She's juicing to mimic the pheromones. And right now, her body is rejecting the poison.

I looked at the empty chair where the "Alpha Female" had sat.

It was all a lie. Her power, her aura, her fragility. A performance.

And my mate had fallen for the act, hook, line, and sinker.

I stood up. I didn't clear the table.

I headed for the stairs. I had packing to do. And this time, no one was stopping me.

The Harvest

Vera POV:

I was halfway up the stairs when I heard the slap.

It wasn't physical, but the sound of my mother's voice from the hallway felt like a blow.

"You poisoned her!"

I turned. My mother stood at the bottom of the stairs, chest heaving.

"I did no such thing."

"Don't lie to me!" She rushed up, face twisted. Smack.

My head snapped to the side. The sting was sharp, hot.

"Eris is covered in hives!" my mother screamed. "The doctor says it's an allergic reaction to a foreign contaminant. You put something in her food! You were jealous!"

I touched my throbbing cheek. "I didn't make the food, Mother. The kitchen staff did. Ask them."

"You were in the kitchen!" Dax appeared behind her. "I told you to go there. You must have slipped something in."

"I never went to the kitchen. I went to my room."

"Liar!" Dax spat. "You've always been jealous. That's why we sent you North. To protect her from your toxic energy."

I froze.

Is that the story they told themselves? That they sent a twelve-year-old to a frozen wasteland to protect the golden child?

I remembered the North. The biting wind. The Rogue wolves throwing themselves at the outpost fences. I remembered picking up a silver-plated dagger at fourteen because the perimeter was breached and I was the only thing standing between the mess hall and a massacre.

I had killed three Rogues that night. I hadn't peeled potatoes. I survived.

"Think what you want."

I turned my back and walked into my room, locking the door.

They pounded on it for a minute, shouting threats, but a scream from the medical wing drew them away.

I moved quickly.

I didn't take the silk dresses or the jewelry.

I reached under my bed and pulled out a black tactical duffel. Inside was my gear from the Outpost.

Kevlar-lined combat suit. Silver-edged daggers. A first-aid kit tailored for wolfsbane poisoning. And a burner phone.

I changed out of my funeral dress into cargo pants and combat boots. They felt like a second skin.

I picked up the burner. Old tech, untraceable.

I dialed a number I hadn't used in six months.

"Secure line," a gruff voice answered. "Identify."

"Designation V. Requesting reactivation."

Pause. Then, the voice softened. "Commander V? We thought you retired to play house."

"The house burned down," I said. "I'm coming home, Rike."

"Gate's always open. We have a Rogue surge in Sector 4. Could use your blade."

"ETA ten hours."

I slung the bag over my shoulder.

Suddenly, a Mind-Link forced its way into my head. Cain. A roar of aggression.

If she dies, Vera, I will kill you myself. You are my mate, but I will reject you. I will make you a Rogue.

My heart didn't even flutter. The bond felt like a rotting rope.

Save your breath, Cain. I didn't send it.

I unlocked my door. The hallway was empty.

I walked silently down the corridor. As I passed my parents' bedroom, the door was slightly ajar. Hushed voices.

I stopped.

"...doctor says her blood count is unstable," my father whispered. "The synthetic boosters are destroying her marrow. She needs a transfusion. Compatible donor."

"Use Vera," my mother said. Her voice was calm. Chillingly practical. "She's an Omega, she recovers fast. We can keep her here. Drain what we need weekly."

"And the engagement?" my father asked. "Cain is furious."

"Let him break it," my mother hissed. "We petition the Council. Say Vera is unstable. Unfit. We propose a new union. Cain and Eris."

"But they aren't mates."

"Who cares? Eris is an Alpha female! Think of the power! Vera can stay... she can be Eris's lady-in-waiting. Take care of their pups. We tell the public Vera is sick, that she needs to stay home for treatment. It covers the blood draws."

I stood in the shadows, gripping my bag until my knuckles turned white.

They weren't just neglecting me. They were planning to harvest me. To turn me into livestock.

"You're right," my father sighed. "It's for the good of the pack. Vera is... replaceable."

Replaceable.

Something inside me snapped. Not a bone, but a chain.

I pushed the door open.

My parents jumped. My mother's eyes widened at my combat gear.

"Vera?" she stammered. "What are you wearing?"

"I heard you," I said, voice low, vibrating with a growl.

"Vera, listen," my father stepped forward, Alpha posturing. "We are under stress..."

"You want my blood? You want me to raise her pups?"

"It is your duty!" my mother cried, pivoting to anger. "Your sister is sick!"

"She is not sick. She is withdrawing from drugs," I said coldly.

My father paled. "What did you say?"

"Check her blood for synthetics. If you were a real Alpha, you would have smelled it."

I turned around.

"Where are you going?" my mother shrieked. "You can't leave! You are grounded!"

"I am not a child. And I am not yours."

I walked toward the stairs.

"Vera!" my father bellowed, using his Alpha Command. "STOP!"

The command hit me like a physical wall. My muscles seized. My wolf whined.

But I wasn't just a pack member. I was a warrior of the North. In the North, pain is just information.

I gritted my teeth. Forced my leg to move. Then the other.

I shattered the command.

My father gasped. An Omega breaking an Alpha Command? Impossible.

I didn't look back.

Burn It Down

Vera POV:

I reached the heavy oak front doors. The "WELCOME HOME" banner mocked me one last time.

I reached for the handle.

"You think you can just walk out?"

Dax blocked the door. He held an ice pack to his head. He looked at my bag, then my boots.

"Playing soldier again?" he sneered. "You look ridiculous. Go upstairs and apologize to Mom."

"Move, Dax."

"Or what?" He stepped closer, looming. "You'll hit me? You're an Omega, Vera. Weak. Without this family, you're nothing but Rogue bait."

"I am leaving. Get out of my way."

"No." He crossed his arms. "You're acting out because you're jealous. Because Cain loves Eris. Admit it."

Servants gathered in the hallway, whispering. Guards watched, unsure.

"Cain doesn't love her," I said. "He loves the lie she built."

"He's with her right now!" Dax laughed. "Holding her hand. Praying to the Goddess for her."

I pulled my smartphone out.

"Let's see."

I dialed Eris.

Dax frowned. "She won't answer you."

But she did. Eris loved drama too much to ignore a call from the sister she was framing.

"Hello?" Her voice was weak, breathy.

I hit speakerphone. Held it high.

"Eris. Dax says Cain is praying for you."

A giggle. Then a wet, smacking sound. A kiss.

"Oh, he's doing more than praying," Eris purred. Her voice suddenly stronger, the 'dying' act dropped for a moment of gloating. "He's peeling me an apple. Aren't you, baby?"

Cain's voice rumbled in the background. "Here, open up. You need your strength."

The servants gasped.

"Vera," Eris continued, tone dripping with poison. "Don't be mad. I told you, he needs a real woman. A Luna. You can still live in the attic if you want. I'll need someone to wash my silk robes."

Dax's face went white.

"Did you hear that, Dax?" I asked, voice echoing in the marble foyer. "Did you hear the 'dying' Alpha female?"

"Eris..." Dax whispered.

"Oops," Eris laughed. "Is Dax there? Tell him to bring more wine. The doctor left."

I ended the call.

The silence was deafening. The servants stared at the floor, embarrassed to witness the naked cruelty of their masters.

Dax looked like he'd been slapped. The illusion of the "tragic emergency" was shattered. Eris wasn't dying; she was flirting and drinking wine while her sister was accused of attempted murder.

"She... she's delirious," Dax stammered, unconvincing.

"She is a fraud," I said. "And you are a fool."

I stepped forward. Dax instinctively stepped back.

"I am leaving the Asheville Pack," I announced to the room. To the witnesses.

"But... you can't," Dax said. "Where will you go?"

"Home."

"This is your home!"

"No. This is a cage."

I pushed past him. He didn't stop me. He was too busy processing the humiliation of his precious sister exposing herself on speakerphone.

I pushed the doors open. The night air rushed in, smelling of pine and rain.

I walked down the steps to my battered jeep—bought with my own wages from the Outpost.

As I reached the driveway, my phone buzzed. A text from my mother.

Get back inside now. You are embarrassing us.

I threw the phone onto the gravel.

I lifted my boot and brought it down hard. Screen shattered. Metal crunched.

I got into my jeep, throwing the tactical bag onto the passenger seat.

I started the engine. It roared to life—a rough, mechanical beast.

I didn't look in the rearview mirror. I hit the highway and turned North.

Vespa threw back her head in my mind and howled.

Free, she sang. We are free.