Among the wolves she was alone
1811 Words
Eden Grace
Jake stiffened beside her. He had not expected this either. Without a word, he released her hand and stepped forward.
“Dr. Heyes! It's a pleasure to meet you!”
Freya’s father turned with a chuckle, clearly pleased. “The pleasure’s mine, Dr. Jake. You don't believe this Mr. Rowen but we keep hearing about your son nonstop among peers. Freya keeps telling me he's the golden Alpha of Saratoga. I must tell you, he has a good future ahead.”
Jake offered a modest smile. “I'm not worth your praise sir. You're the one who is with a golden hand and skill like God's. I can't match you.”
“Oh, don’t be so humble now! That reconstructive case last month..? The entire staff talked about it. Even the chief surgeon couldn’t stop singing your praises. I saw the scans myself. That was a masterpiece.”
They were soon drowned in conversations. On the other side Eden was left alone.
For a moment, she thought her eyes were deceiving her. She didn't know what to do now.
Almost all powerful people of Saratoga Hospital management were here. Alphas, Beta leaders, Territory heads, Elder council members everyone were there.
Eden’s breathing grew shallow. She quietly moved toward the table hoping to find a seat at the far end.
She spotted one chair near the center table. Relief flickered briefly.
She took two steps forward but before she could reach it, Freya smoothly slid into the seat.
At the same time, Emily pulled another chair closer and sat beside her, laughing lightly. The last empty place was gone.
Now Eden was in an awkward position. She was the only one without a chair now.
It's like she didn't belong here at all.
“Oh,” Freya exclaimed dramatically, smiling without warmth. “I am so sorry, Eden. I only booked limited seats. I thought this was strictly for pack members and family so...”
The words cut deeper than any physical blow.
Clarisse leaned forward, her scent sharp and disapproving. “Why are you standing here? Can't you see this gathering is for elite pack members only? How shameless can one girl be? Get out now.”
Eden stammered. “But…”
“What…? You think you are some high rank werewolf because Jake pays attention to you? Don't forget that you and Jake are not true mates, it's not officially chosen by Moon goddess. You're nothing but a cursed wench not even goddesses want. Go before you taint my son's name here.”
Eden’s face burned. How could she say that? She kept her head down, refusing to cry.
At the same time Freya’s father turned at that, frowning in mild confusion. “And…who is she?”
His voice wasn’t unkind, but there was a definite note of disapproval.
At once, every head turned.
Dozens of gazes converged on Eden, sharp and unblinking, filled with curiosity, judgment and quiet disdain.
Whispers began to ripple through the crowd, soft yet cruel.
“Oh my, isn't that infamous doctor who is wolfless?”
“Why is she here?”
“I heard she grew up with Jake.”
“But she has no status.”
“No pack.”
“No future.”
Each murmur slid into her heart like a blade, slow and deliberate.
“She's…” Jake’s voice had barely left his lips when his father’s sharp gaze cut through him.
His father, Henry Rowen did not raise his voice but that one look was enough. A silent warning.
A reminder of position, reputation, and consequence.
Jake’s words died in his throat.
Henry took over, “She's just a colleague of Jake, who works in the Saratoga Hospital. From the emergency unit, I believe.”
Just a colleague..? Eden was perplexed. For a moment, she wondered if she had heard him wrong.
She lifted her eyes instinctively toward Jake, waiting, hoping for him to deny it. To correct it. To say something. Anything. But he remained silent.
His jaw was clenched, his fists were subtly tightened at his sides. Yet he said nothing. He did not fight it. He did not object. He let it stand.
And that silence hurt more than any insult ever could.
Freya’s father nodded slowly, clearly unimpressed. “Ah. I see.”
Even though Eden worked in the same hospital, he didn't recognize her.
He studied Eden now with quiet scrutiny. “Then…is she going to stay here too?”
Clarisse however was quick to answer, “No, absolutely not! She was here just for work. She was only here to deliver some reports and documents for Jake. She insisted on coming by herself, as usual.”
Clarisse glanced at Eden with thinly veiled contempt. “Her work is done now. She will be leaving shortly.”
Every syllable spoken by Clarisse was meant to remind Eden of her place.
Freya added, smiling. “Oh, Eden, you should not strain yourself staying here so long. You must be tired after work. Why don't you go rest? Jake will understand.”
She turned to Jake briefly. “Right?”
Jake’s eyes met Eden’s. For a fraction of a second, something flickered there.
His lips were pressed into a line, and all he could do was glance at Eden with guilt swirling in his eyes.
Silent and powerless.
Eden's fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.
“Then..I won’t disturb you anymore.” Eden's voice was low but steady, hiding the pain behind her practiced calm.
She turned before her mask could slip.
“Wait.”
Eden had taken barely three steps away when a voice rose from one of the tables.
The speaker was an older man, a senior doctor. “Must she go..? Actually there is no one managing the barbecue. The meat has been sitting there unattended for a while now. Why don't we give it to her?”
“That is true.” another man added. “We have been waiting for quite some time.”
Clarisse immediately let out a fake excited laugh, “Oh, of course she can do that!”
She turned sharply toward Eden. “Did you hear that? Go help. Do something useful for once.”
Eden’s fingers tightened around her purse. Her first instinct was to refuse. But she knew better than to refuse all the authorities of the hospital and the high rank members of the pack.
She had no choice but to accept. “Okay.”
She turned and walked toward the grill area. The first thing that greeted her was the heat, then smoke. Then the sharp smell of meat and oil.
A staff member hurriedly handed her a pair of tongs and a cutting board.
“Sorry, miss,” he muttered awkwardly. “We are short staffed tonight.”
“It is fine.” Eden replied quietly.
She tied on the spare apron and took her place beside the grill. Flames flickered in front of her.
Fat sizzled. She flipped the meat carefully, sliced portions neatly and arranged them onto trays.
Her movements were precise.
Practiced. Silent.
Around her, powerful wolves laughed, negotiated and planned their futures.
No one spoke to her.
No one thanked her.
No one acknowledged her.
She had become part of the background.
From across the hall, Freya watched her with a faint, satisfied smile.
Clarisse looked pleased.
And Jake sat frozen, staring at Eden’s slender figure framed by fire and smoke, slowly realizing that he had just allowed the woman he cared for to be treated like hired help in front of everyone.
Smoke kept drifting into Eden's eyes but she blinked repeatedly, refusing to complain.
Eden reminded herself that this was temporary. Just get through it. Then leave.
Suddenly Freya rose gracefully from her seat, calculations shimmering beneath her smile.
“Eden.” Freya said softly. “You have been working for so long. You should stop now. You must be tired.”
Eden glanced at her, surprised by the sudden concern.“I am fine,” she replied quietly. “It is nothing.”
She knew Freya was not the type to pity anyone without reason. That sweetness never came without a purpose.
Freya’s smile deepened.
Before Eden could turn back to the grill, Freya reached out and gently but firmly took hold of the tongs in her hand.
“No! Enough is enough. I cannot watch you work like this anymore. I feel so bad, you were supposed to take your day off but we made you work.”
Clarisse, who had been watching from her seat, immediately straightened, pride filling her expression.
“Look at her,” she said loudly. “Always thinking of others. So kind, so considerate. That is the upbringing of a proper future Luna.”
Several guests nodded in agreement.
Freya lowered her eyes modestly, as though embarrassed by the praise.
Eden felt her chest tighten.
“You there…now that the work is done, why don't you go home now?” Clarisse said to Eden.
Eden clenched her fist. She wanted nothing but to walk away from this suffocating atmosphere but then Freya interrupted.
“Oh, wait.”
Freya opened her purse slowly, deliberately, making sure everyone could see.
She took out a few notes and walked toward Eden.
“You forgot this,” she said lightly. “For helping here.”
The words hit Eden like ice water, her eyes widening as she stared at the money.
“…Excuse me?”
Freya tilted her head innocently.
“You worked so hard, serving everyone, taking care of the food. This is just a small token. You should accept it.”
“I did not do this for money,” Eden replied, her voice trembling despite her effort to stay composed. “I am not staff here.”
For a brief moment, Freya’s smile faltered. “Oh come on, but you still worked here. Don't be shy and just take it. You can treat yourself later.”
Freya shoved the money forcefully on Eden's hand. Eden froze, humiliation spreading through her chest like poison.
Clarisse rose slightly from her chair, “That's enough. You have been paid. Now leave.”
She gestured toward the exit.
A few guests whispered. Some avoided looking at Eden.
Jake stood frozen, his expression dark, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. He should have said something. But he did not.
And that silence hurt her more than anything else.
With every step Eden took away from that posh room, something inside her trembled. The laughter and chatter behind her slowly started fading away but her ears still rang with Jake’s silence.
Tears formed her eyes but she blinked it away.
Don’t cry here, not here. She told herself but the tears were traitors, hot and sudden, and they brimmed anyway.
- Writer
