Kenia POV:

The next morning, the air in the Silver Lake territory was thick with anticipation. Colorful banners hung from the lampposts, celebrating the "Union of Strength."

I hadn't packed much. Just my sketchbook and the locket Elder Evans had given me. I tried to leave the estate grounds, heading toward the southern border where I hoped Gael would meet me, but the gate scanner flashed red.

ACCESS DENIED.

"Sorry, Miss Kenia," the guard said, not looking sorry at all. He smirked, chewing on a toothpick. "Alpha Heir's orders. No one leaves the compound until after the... festivities."

I was a prisoner.

I retreated to the garden, my senses on high alert. Being an Omega meant I wasn't strong, but my survival instincts were honed sharp. My hearing, usually average, seemed to stretch, desperate for information.

I crouched behind a hedge of hydrangeas as Holden and Estella walked by on the gravel path.

"Is everything set for the finale?" Estella asked, linking her arm through his.

"It's going to be hilarious," Holden chuckled. "We take her to the cliff for a 'security check.' The guys are waiting in the bushes. We simulate a Rogue attack."

"And then?"

"And then, the 'trust fall,'" Holden said, kissing her temple. "I tell her I can't save us both. I shove her off the ledge. There's a safety net ten feet down, hidden by the fog. She'll scream her head off, land in the mud, and realize she's the punchline. It's the perfect send-off before the wedding."

My stomach turned. It wasn't enough to cheat on me. It wasn't enough to put Evans in the ICU. They had to break my spirit one last time.

I could have hidden. I could have fought. But a cold resolve settled over me. If they wanted a show, I would give them one. But I would rewrite the ending.

Two hours later, Holden found me in the library.

"Kenia!" He flashed that charming smile that used to make my knees weak. Now, it just looked like a predator baring its teeth. "Come on. I need you to check the perimeter defenses with me. Just a quick run to the Northern Cliff."

"Okay," I said softly.

We took the jeep. Estella was in the back, claiming she wanted to "learn the ropes" of being a Luna. The drive was silent. I stared out the window, watching the trees blur.

We reached the cliff. It was a sheer drop, hundreds of feet down into the rocky gorge below. The wind howled here, masking the sound of approaching footsteps.

Suddenly, five wolves burst from the treeline. They were shifted, large and grey, but their movements were clumsy. Fake Rogues. Holden's frat boy friends in fur.

"Oh no!" Estella shrieked, her acting terrible. "Rogues! Holden, save me!"

Holden grabbed my arm and Estella's arm, dragging us toward the edge. "Stay back!" he yelled at the wolves.

One of the wolves lunged—slowly, deliberately.

"I can only save one!" Holden shouted, the script clumsy and cruel. He looked at me, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight. "Sorry, Kenia. Survival of the fittest."

He shoved me.

He didn't just let go. He shoved me toward the wolves.

The "Rogues" didn't attack. They laughed. A barking, guttural sound in their wolf forms. One of them, a brown wolf I recognized as Holden's Beta, shoved me back toward the edge.

"Please," I said, my voice flat. "Don't."

"Beg!" Estella laughed, clapping her hands. "Beg for him to save you, you little stray!"

I looked at Holden. "Is this what you are?" I asked. "A man who hurts those weaker than him for fun?"

Holden's smile faltered for a second, but Estella was watching. He hardened his expression. "You're an Omega, Kenia. You exist to be used. Now, hand over the defense blueprints you drew. Estella needs the credit."

"No."

"What?"

"No."

Holden's face turned red. "I am your future Alpha! I command you!"

The Alpha's Command slammed into me. It was a physical weight, forcing my knees to buckle. My body wanted to obey, wanted to submit, to bare my neck. It was biology. It was torture.

But beneath the submission, something else stirred. A spark of silver heat.

"You... are... nothing," I gritted out, fighting the Command.

Holden snarled. He stepped forward and pushed me hard.

My heels slipped on the loose gravel.

I fell backward.

The wind roared in my ears. I saw Holden's face, not in horror, but in triumph. I saw Estella laughing.

I didn't scream.

I plummeted down, the grey sky spinning.

Gael, my mind whispered.

I braced for impact, for death.

But I didn't hit rocks. I hit something semi-soft. A massive, industrial-grade safety airbag hidden on the ledge below.

I bounced, the breath knocked out of me.

From above, a chorus of howls and laughter erupted.

"Look at her face!" someone yelled. "She thought she was going to die!"

"Happy Bachelor Party, Holden!"

I lay on the yellow plastic of the airbag, staring up at the sliver of sky. I was alive. But Kenia, the girl who loved art and believed in goodness, had died on that fall.

My inner wolf, usually a quiet, gentle presence, curled into a tight ball in the back of my mind. She closed her eyes and went silent. She severed the connection to the pack.

I was alone.

And for the first time in my life, I felt truly dangerous.

Kenia POV:

The laughter eventually faded, along with the roar of the jeep's engine. They left me there.

Holden had thrown a plastic card down before he left—my ID badge. It fluttered down like a dead leaf, landing in the mud a few feet away.

"Find your own way back, stray!" Estella had screeched.

I climbed off the safety airbag, my limbs shaking from the adrenaline crash. The wind on the cliffside was biting, cutting through my thin blouse. It began to rain—a cold, miserable drizzle that soaked me to the bone.

I picked up the ID card. Mud smeared Holden's face on the hologram. I wiped it on my jeans.

I walked.

It took me four hours to hike back to the main road. My shoes were ruined. My hands were scraped and bleeding from climbing the embankment.

I found a small bus shelter near the territory border. I huddled in the corner, shivering violently. The physical trauma of the miscarriage was still fresh, and the cold was making the lingering cramps feel like knives.

My phone buzzed. It was Gael.

"Location," the text read.

I sent him the GPS pin.

One week, he replied. I cannot enter Silver Lake territory without declaring war until the Council meets next Tuesday. Can you survive?

I have to, I typed back.

A black sedan pulled up ten minutes later. It wasn't Gael. It was a Beta woman with kind eyes and a sharp business suit. Sarah, Holden's secretary. She was the only one besides Evans who didn't treat me like dirt.

"Get in, Kenia," she whispered, looking around nervously.

I climbed in. The heat was on. It felt like heaven.

"He... he told everyone you got lost during the drill," Sarah said, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. She reached into her purse and handed me a packet of dried venison jerky. "Eat. You look like a ghost."

I took the meat. I felt like a beggar. "Thank you, Sarah."

"He's crazy, Kenia. The power... it's gone to his head."

She dropped me off at the back entrance of the clinic. I collapsed before I could make it to my room.

When I woke up, the smell of antiseptic filled my nose. And something else. A cloying, expensive cologne.

Holden.

I opened my eyes. He was sitting in the chair next to my bed, looking annoyingly fresh in a crisp suit. He held a basket of fruit.

"You're awake," he said, smiling as if he hadn't pushed me off a cliff yesterday. "You really are dramatic, Kenia. Passing out from a little hike?"

I stared at him. The hate in my chest was so cold it burned. "You pushed me."

"It was a joke," he dismissed, waving his hand. "A prank. The boys were blowing off steam. Don't be such a buzzkill."

He leaned forward, his eyes flashing amber—his wolf pushing to the surface. "And you will not tell anyone otherwise. Do you understand? If anyone asks, you slipped during a perimeter check and I saved you."

He used the Alpha's Command again. It pressed down on my tongue, sealing my throat.

"Nod," he ordered.

I nodded stiffly, fighting the urge to vomit.

"Good girl." He picked up an apple from the basket and began to peel it with a small silver pocket knife. "You need to get your strength up. The Charity Gala is tonight. You're coming."

"I... can't," I rasped.

"You are. Estella needs someone to hold her train, and you know the layout of the venue better than anyone. You designed it, didn't you?"

He sliced a piece of apple and held it to my lips.

"Eat."

I looked at the apple. "I'm allergic to apples, Holden."

He paused, the slice hovering near my mouth. He blinked, genuinely confused. "What? No, you're not. Estella loves apples."

"I am not Estella," I whispered.

He stared at me for a moment, then shrugged and tossed the slice into the trash. "Whatever. Just get ready. Be downstairs in an hour. And Kenia?"

He stood up, towering over me.

"Don't embarrass me. Or I'll make sure the funding for Elder Evans's care gets cut off. I hear life support is expensive."

He walked out, leaving the door open.

He knew exactly where to hit.

I slowly sat up. My body screamed in protest. I walked to the mirror. My face was pale, my eyes hollow. I looked like a corpse.

Good, I thought. Let them see a corpse.

Kenia POV:

The Charity Gala was a display of obscene wealth. Chandeliers dripped with crystals, and the air smelled of champagne and expensive perfume.

I stood in the shadows near the back, wearing a simple black dress that Sarah had found for me. It was the color of mourning.

Holden and Estella were on the stage. Estella wore the red gown I had designed. It was supposed to symbolize passion and vitality. On her, it looked like spilled blood.

"We are so grateful," Estella cooed into the microphone, flashing a dazzling smile. "When I designed the new shelter blueprints, I just knew we had to do more for the pups."

The crowd applauded politely. Flashbulbs popped.

She was taking credit for my work. Again.

"And," Holden added, his arm around her waist, "we are dedicating this night to our beloved Elder Evans, whose vision guided Estella's hand."

A low murmur went through the crowd.

I saw a group of Omega servers in the corner. They were looking at me with sad, sympathetic eyes. They knew who really did the work. But they couldn't speak. Omegas had no voice in the Silver Lake Pack.

Holden stepped down from the stage, dragging Estella with him. They moved through the crowd, accepting congratulations.

Holden spotted me. He steered Estella over, his grip on her possessive.

"You look like a funeral attendant," he hissed in my ear, using his superior hearing so no one else could hear. "Smile, damn it."

"Where is the credit?" I asked, my voice steady. "I drew those plans. I stayed up for three weeks."

"You're an Omega," Holden scoffed. "Nobody cares what you draw. Estella is the future Luna. She needs the image. You exist to support her. That is your purpose."

"My purpose?"

"Yes. To be useful. Don't think just because I slept with you that you're special. You were a convenience."

The words hung in the air between us.

"Holden!" A reporter pushed forward. "A photo with the happy couple!"

Holden beamed, turning his charm on instantly.

I stepped into the frame.

"Get out," Holden gritted through his teeth, still smiling for the camera.

"No," I said loudly.

The music seemed to stop. The nearby guests turned.

"What am I to you, Holden?" I asked, my voice ringing clear in the sudden silence.

Holden's smile twitched. "Kenia, you're drunk. Go to your room."

"I'm not drunk. I'm waking up." I reached into my purse and pulled out the 'Chosen Mate Contract'—the document we had signed three years ago. It wasn't legally binding without a Marking, but it was a promise.

"You promised me a family," I said. "You promised me a future. Instead, you gave me nothing but pain."

Gasps rippled through the room.

"She's hysterical!" Estella shrieked. "Security!"

"I reject this," I said. I ripped the paper in half. Then in quarters. I threw the confetti of our relationship into his face. "I am done being your shadow."

Holden's face turned purple with rage. "You reject nothing! You belong to this Pack! You belong to me!"

He grabbed my wrist. His grip was bruising.

"Take her to the East Wing," Holden barked at his guards. "Lock her in. No food. No water. Until she learns to heel."

Two massive warrior wolves grabbed me. I didn't fight. I let them drag me away, my head held high.

As they hauled me out of the ballroom, I saw Estella smirking.

But I also saw something else. The Omegas. The servers, the cleaners. They weren't looking at the floor anymore. They were looking at me. And in their eyes, there was a spark of anger.

They threw me into a guest room in the East Wing and locked the door.

I went to the window. It was barred.

But they forgot one thing. I had fixed this wing last year. I knew the ventilation shaft behind the heavy wardrobe was loose.

I waited until the moon was high.

My phone buzzed. A message from Sarah.

"Evans... he didn't make it, Kenia. He passed away an hour ago. They're burying him at dawn. Pauper's field. They aren't even giving him an Elder's rite."

That was the final insult.

I pushed the heavy wardrobe aside, my muscles screaming. I unscrewed the vent cover with the nail file from my purse.

I crawled into the dark, dusty tunnel.

I'm coming, Evans, I thought. And then, I'm gone.