THE WEIGHT OF SURVIVAL
1170 Words
Henrietta barely slept that night.
The strange knock she had heard earlier kept replaying in her mind, echoing like distant thunder inside the palace walls. Even after the servants finished their duties and the halls fell silent, the uneasy feeling refused to leave her chest.
She lay on the thin mattress in the servant quarters staring at the cracked ceiling above her. The cold crept through the stone walls and settled deep into her bones, but the chill she felt had nothing to do with the weather.
Her wolf was restless.
For years it had been silent, weak, almost nonexistent. But lately it had begun to stir, vibrating faintly inside her chest like a heartbeat that did not belong entirely to her.
Something was changing.
And it terrified her.
Henrietta slowly sat up, rubbing her arms as goosebumps covered her skin. Her silver hair slipped from the scarf she had loosely tied around her head before sleep. She quickly adjusted it again. If anyone saw her hair in the morning, especially Lila, it would only give the princess another excuse to punish her.
The palace servants were already awake when she entered the kitchen before dawn.
The air smelled of bread and smoke. Pots clanged, water boiled, and the cooks shouted instructions across the busy room. Henrietta quietly picked up a broom and began sweeping the stone floor.
No one greeted her.
No one ever did.
To them she was invisible.
Or worse.
Lila arrived not long after.
Henrietta heard her before she saw her. The sharp clicking of expensive shoes against marble floors always came with trouble.
“Well look at that,” Lila said mockingly as she entered the kitchen. “The palace stray is awake.”
The other servants immediately lowered their heads.
Henrietta stopped sweeping and bowed slightly.
“Good morning, Princess.”
Lila walked slowly around her like a predator studying weak prey.
“You missed a spot.”
Henrietta glanced at the floor. It was perfectly clean.
Still, she immediately knelt and began sweeping again.
Lila smirked.
“You’re getting slower. Maybe the palace should throw you back into the forest where you belong.”
Henrietta said nothing.
Inside her chest, the wolf growled softly.
The sound was faint but clear.
Her fingers tightened around the broom.
She hated how helpless she felt. Every insult, every slap, every cruel laugh built a storm inside her that she was never allowed to release.
Lila suddenly kicked the bucket beside her.
Dirty water splashed across the floor and onto Henrietta’s dress.
The kitchen fell silent.
“Clean it again,” Lila said sweetly.
Henrietta slowly nodded and grabbed a cloth.
Her knees hit the cold floor as she began scrubbing the water away.
Behind her, the servants pretended not to watch.
Everyone in the palace knew about Lila’s cruelty.
No one dared stop it.
Not even the Alpha.
Especially not the Alpha.
Hours later Henrietta carried a heavy tray of food toward the dining hall. Her arms trembled from exhaustion, but she forced herself to keep moving.
If she dropped anything, the punishment would be unbearable.
The grand dining hall was already filled with nobles and pack elders.
At the head of the long table sat Alpha Herod.
Henrietta kept her eyes lowered as she walked past him.
She had learned long ago never to look directly at the Alpha.
Something about his presence always made her uneasy.
It was a strange feeling she could not explain. Whenever he was near, the wolf inside her reacted differently.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Something else.
Something deeper.
She quickly placed the tray down and turned to leave when Lila’s voice cut through the room.
“Wait.”
Henrietta froze.
Slowly, she turned back.
“Yes, Princess?”
Lila leaned back in her chair, pretending to study her.
“You forgot the wine.”
The nobles began whispering.
Henrietta knew she hadn’t forgotten anything.
The wine was already on the table.
But arguing would only make things worse.
“I’m sorry, Princess.”
“Sorry?” Lila laughed loudly. “Sorry doesn’t fix mistakes.”
Before Henrietta could react, Lila grabbed the wine glass and threw the contents directly at her.
Red liquid splashed across Henrietta’s face and dress.
The nobles laughed.
Heat burned behind her eyes but she refused to cry.
Her wolf growled again.
Louder this time.
Henrietta quickly bowed and walked out of the hall.
Her heart pounded violently.
She didn’t stop walking until she reached the empty corridor outside the kitchens.
Only then did she lean against the wall and breathe.
Her hands trembled.
“Why…” she whispered softly.
Why did they hate her so much?
What had she done?
Her life had been suffering from the moment she could remember. Hunger. Beatings. Endless work.
Sometimes she wondered if dying in the forest as a baby would have been kinder.
Her wolf suddenly stirred sharply.
Henrietta straightened.
A strange sensation spread through her chest like heat rushing through her veins.
Her breathing slowed.
The air felt different.
Heavy.
Powerful.
Then it came again.
The knock.
But this time it was louder.
The massive palace doors echoed with the sound.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Every servant stopped moving.
Even the guards near the entrance stiffened.
Something about the knock felt wrong.
Henrietta’s wolf began vibrating violently.
Her heart raced.
Footsteps echoed through the corridor as palace guards hurried toward the entrance.
Lila’s voice could be heard in the distance complaining loudly about the interruption.
But Henrietta barely heard any of it.
Her senses had sharpened.
Every sound.
Every scent.
Every movement.
Her wolf was reacting in a way it never had before.
Someone powerful was approaching.
Very powerful.
The palace doors slowly began to open.
Cold wind rushed into the hallway.
Henrietta’s breath caught in her throat.
For some reason her body refused to move.
It felt as if something invisible was pulling her toward the entrance.
Her wolf growled loudly now.
Not in fear.in recognition.
A deep voice echoed from the doorway.
“I am Alpha Harris of the Black Howl Pack.”
The name alone sent whispers through the palace.
Henrietta had heard the stories.
Every wolf had.
Alpha Harris was known across the continent.A ruthless warrior.
An undefeated Alpha.
A man feared by enemies and respected by kings.
Henrietta slowly looked up.
And for the first time in years
Her scarf slipped from her head.
Silver hair spilled down her shoulders.
And her glowing purple eyes lifted directly toward the entrance.
At that exact moment
Alpha Harris stepped into the palace.
His sharp golden eyes locked onto hers instantly.
The entire world seemed to stop.
Henrietta’s wolf exploded inside her chest.
And Alpha Harris froze.
Shock flashed across his face.
Then something far more dangerous followed.Recognition.
Possession.Desire.
His voice dropped to a whisper filled with disbelief.Mate.
The word echoed across the hall.
Lila turned pale.The nobles gasped.
Henrietta’s heart nearly stopped.
Because the most powerful Alpha on the continent had just claimed her.
- Writer
