JILLIAN

The academy was quiet as the last bell rang. Everyone else rushed out, laughing, gossiping, and racing to their dorms or the streets beyond the walls. Not me. I stayed.

Unlike the other students, I had work to do.

I was an omega who survived by staying invisible, but the academy didn't care about invisibility. The poor omegas always cleaned, polished, and tidied, moving quietly while the elites strutted through corridors like they owned the moon and stars. I worked in the shadows, scrubbing the floors, dusting the shelves, emptying bins, and checking lights.

I didn't mind. I'd learned to find comfort in silence.

Tonight, the only light came from the dim lamps above, casting long shadows across the hallway. I hummed softly, trying to keep my mind off everything-especially Larson.

I was smart, faster than most of the other omegas. The king himself had allowed me certain privileges, letting me study in the library after hours, granting me access to texts others would never touch. I didn't belong to the elite, but I had his favor.

Or... at least I thought I did.

As I scrubbed the floor near the bathroom, I froze.

There. Waiting.

Mariel.

Her Beta blood radiated dominance even in the low light, and her three friends-Emily, Agatha, and Lesley-stood like predators. My stomach twisted into knots.

"Oh, Jillian," Mariel purred, stepping forward. "Thought you could hide, huh?"

Before I could react, she grabbed a fistful of my hair. Pain shot through my scalp, and I stumbled forward, barely able to catch myself.

"Mariel, please-" I whispered, but she ignored me.

She shoved me into the nearest bathroom cubicle, slammed the door, and twisted the lock.

Click.

I spun around, pressing my hands against the cold metal door. "Please... let me go..."

Laughter echoed through the small space.

"Next time," Mariel snapped, "know where to stand. Never look at Larson. He will never like you. HE IS MINE!"

I sank to the floor, hot tears streaming down my face. My wolf, Gigi, growled angrily inside my mind.

Why aren't you fighting, Jillian? she hissed.

"I can't!" I whispered back. "She's Beta Harry's daughter! She's strong! She's... she's the mate of Larson! The future king! I'm nothing!"

So what? Gigi snarled. Mariel has no worth to be queen. You are stronger than her in every way that matters!

But strength didn't matter right now. Not in this tight, locked cubicle, not when Mariel and her friends were laughing outside.

"I'm going to make sure you become the lowest slave in this school," Mariel sneered, voice echoing faintly through the walls. "And if I'm queen one day... you will regret every second you ever looked at Larson."

The girls' laughter followed them down the hallway, leaving me alone in the silent, dim cubicle.

I pressed my hands over my face. I was trapped. Everyone else had gone home. The maintenance staff had left hours ago. The lights flickered and then went out.

Darkness swallowed me.

I curled into myself, tears flowing freely. My wolf paced inside my chest, restless, furious, untamed.

You can't stay like this, Jillian! Gigi snapped. You're letting her win!

"I... I can't fight her," I whispered, voice cracking. "I... I'm weak. I'm nothing."

Nothing? Gigi hissed. You're not nothing! You are me!

I squeezed my eyes shut. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to feel it-but in this cubicle, trapped, locked, abandoned, all I felt was despair.

Minutes-or maybe hours-passed. The darkness was complete. The sounds of the academy faded into silence. I cried until my throat ached, until my wolf's growls echoed in my skull like thunder.

I pressed my palms against the door. I banged, screamed, begged. Nothing.

"Please... anyone... help..." My voice barely carried, swallowed by the thick walls.

Then... a pulse. Something different. Something strong.

Before I could understand it, the door rattled violently, and someone kicked it open.

I yelped and scrambled back. My heart slammed against my ribs.

Standing in the doorway-towering, imposing, yet somehow... familiar-was King Carlton Davis. And beside him, the impossible, stormy presence of Larson Davis.

King Carlton's brow furrowed as his piercing golden eyes scanned me. "Who locked you in here?" His voice was calm but sharp, carrying the authority of a king.

Gigi growled through my mind. Tell the truth, Jillian!

I pressed my lips together and shook my head. My hands clenched my books tightly. No. If I tell, he'll punish me... or worse, Mariel will get even more vicious.

"I... I did it... accidentally," I whispered, barely able to meet their eyes. My gaze stayed glued to the floor, cheeks burning.

The king frowned again, but he didn't push. "Go home," he said, voice softening. "Rest. You've had a long day."

I nodded quickly, murmuring, "Yes... thank you, sir. I'll... excuse me." I turned to leave, relief mixing with shame, but a hand landed on my shoulder.

I froze.

Larson's hand. Warm. Strong. Electric. My body shivered. My wolf, Gigi, hissed inside me, teeth bared.

He leaned slightly closer, voice low but tense. "Why do you have a bruise on your neck? Did Mariel hurt you again?"

I looked down, swallowing hard. "No..." I whispered, barely audible. Then, without another word, I bolted, running as fast as I could out of the academy.

Why the hell didn't you tell him?! Gigi growled.

Tears blurred my vision as I ran. "If I tell him... Mariel will bully me even worse!" I sobbed to myself.

By the time I reached my tiny home at the edge of the Crescent Moon Pack, I felt hollow. The small shared space with the other neighbor omega felt even smaller, suffocating. I sank into the corner, clutching my knees, the weight of loneliness pressing down.

"I... I can't stay here. I should leave the pack," I whispered through my tears.

No, Gigi snapped. King Carlton gave you a chance. A chance to study, to work, to rise above being just another omega. Don't throw it away.

I nodded weakly, but my mind wandered. If Mariel marries Larson and becomes queen... my life will be worse than now.

Gigi changed the topic sharply. Tell me, Jillian... do you feel anything for King Carlton? Or Larson?

I pressed my palms over my eyes. "I... I have no right to feel anything... not for either of them," I whispered.

I lay down to sleep, heart pounding heavily, tears still wet on my cheeks. One side of my mind pulsed strangely whenever I thought of them-the father and son-something unfamiliar stirring, confusing, dangerous, and... magnetic.

Sleep came fitfully, shadows of fear, longing, and something else I didn't understand crawling into my dreams.

JILLIAN

I woke up feeling like my whole body was on fire. My head throbbed, my limbs ached, and the room spun around me. Even Gigi, my wolf, was silent inside me. Normally, she'd be pacing, alert, and restless-but today, she seemed... quiet. Worried, maybe.

I wanted to stay in bed, curl up, and let the world pass me by. But I couldn't. Omegas had obligations. Rights? We had none. I had to go. I had to face the academy, even if it nearly killed me.

The sun was merciless. The day felt hotter than any summer I could remember. Every step to the academy made my body sweat and tremble.

"Miss Richards," a sharp voice cut through the air as soon as I arrived. Mrs. Karen Smith, a professor known to be close with Mariel's family, frowned at me. "Clean the roof today. Now."

I swallowed my nausea. "Y-Yes, ma'am," I whispered, voice shaking. I wanted to refuse. I wanted to collapse right there. But I had no right to say no.

Up the ladder and onto the sun-baked roof I went, every step making my head spin. I tried to focus on scrubbing, sweeping, working. Anything to survive.

And then I heard it-laughter. High-pitched, cruel, familiar.

Mariel and her friends were waiting at the edge of the roof, sneering.

"Well, well," Mariel mocked. "Look who's here. How did you even escape the bathroom yesterday?"

I wanted to say it-the truth. The king, Larson... they helped me. But I swallowed it down. If I said that, Mariel would become worse. I stayed silent.

They didn't wait. Cold juice poured down my head. Trash followed, tumbling over my shoulders, onto my arms and the floor.

Mariel laughed, leaning against the wall. "Did you think you could escape me? How pathetic."

Emily snickered, pointing at my drenched hair. "Look at her! She looks so funny right now."

Agatha stepped closer, kicking a small puddle toward my feet. "Is this all you can do? Crawl around and cry?"

Lesley giggled. "Didn't your wolf tell you to run faster? Or are you too weak even for that?"

Mariel crouched slightly, eyes cold and sharp. "Next time, little omega, remember your place. Never look at Larson. He's mine. And if you even think about stepping out of line again..."

She smirked and threw the last of the cold juice over me. "I'll make sure you regret it. Crawl, beg, suffer-it's all you're good for."

The three of them burst into laughter, echoing down the hallway as I stood there, shaking and humiliated.

I sank to my knees, trying not to faint. The heat, the sickness, the embarrassment-it was too much.

When Mrs. Smith arrived, her eyes narrowed at the mess. "You didn't do your work!" she snapped. She slapped my face sharply. "Now clean this!"

My body trembled as I fell to the floor, scrubbing the mess. The dizziness hit hard, and suddenly, I vomited.

Mrs. Smith's face twisted with anger. She grabbed my head and pushed it down toward my own puke. "You omega! You're disgusting worthless bitch! Look what you've done!" she shouted. "Clean it now!"

I cried silently, shivering, soaked, humiliated beyond words. My hands trembled as I finished the cleaning, finishing every corner, every stain. Exhaustion hit me like a brick wall, my body trembling uncontrollably.

I staggered toward the elevator-but it was locked. Mrs. Smith's final punishment, no doubt.

I started climbing the stairs, each step heavier than the last. My vision blurred. My knees buckled. I knew I would fall.

And then-strong arms caught me.

"Careful," a deep, commanding voice said.

I froze. I dared not look up. My wolf growled softly, alert and confused.

When I finally did, my eyes widened. King Carlton Davis. He held me in his arms, solid and impossibly strong.

"I... I'm sorry, sir," I whispered, bowing instinctively. Fear and respect mixed with something... else.

"You're sick," he said gently, ignoring my apology.

Something in his voice, in the warmth of his arms, made my heart slow. Safe. Secure. The dizziness ebbed slightly. I rested my head against his chest, feeling the rise and fall of his breathing, the strength radiating from him.

He carried me down the stairs effortlessly, ignoring the murmurs of students who saw us. Every step, I felt calmer, more protected than I had ever felt in my life.

He didn't stop until we reached his private elevator. "We're taking you to my office," he said, pressing a button. The doors slid shut, quiet, private.

Larson was already there when we arrived, his expression tense. "Dad, what happened?"

"She's sick," King Carlton said simply. "Call Pack doctor, now."

The doctor arrived quickly, examining me as my body shook with chills and weakness. Larson hovered nearby, his stormy gaze flicking between me and his father.

"Jillian, what happened?" Larson asked softly. His voice wasn't angry-it was concerned. My heart thudded painfully, shivering at the sound.

"I... I'm fine," I murmured, though I knew I wasn't. My fever burned hotter. My limbs trembled uncontrollably.

"You're not fine," Larson said quietly, stepping closer. My wolf stirred, ears alert. The electricity between us thrummed deep in my chest, confusing and terrifying me.

King Carlton's hand rested lightly on my shoulder. "Rest, Jillian. We will take care of you. No one will harm you."

I felt tears prick my eyes. Safe... protected... in the arms of a king. And yet, the presence of his son nearby stirred something I didn't understand. Desire? Fear? Both?

Gigi growled softly, confused by the pull between the two strongest wolves I had ever sensed.

The doctor guided me onto a soft couch in the office. My body shivered violently. "Sleep," he whispered. "You need rest."

Larson knelt beside me. "Do you want anything? Water? Blanket?"

I shook my head, too exhausted to speak. But my heart kept racing, trapped between fear, heat, and something impossible.

King Carlton's golden eyes softened as he adjusted the blanket around me. "You're safe now. Sleep. Tomorrow will be better."

I nodded weakly, my eyes fluttering closed. My wolf, Gigi, rumbled softly, sensing the tension, the electricity, the unspoken pull between me and the two most dangerous men in the academy.

Even as sleep took me, my mind lingered on their faces-the warmth of King Carlton, the storm of Larson-and a strange, confusing feeling curled deep inside me.