Claimed by the Ruthless Alpha

Chapter 6

The girls scrambled to their feet and ran as fast as they could. Sarah gave me one last look of pure hatred before disappearing around the corner.

Now, it was just me and Kael. The smell of spilled wine and his dark, masculine scent filled the air. He was still holding my wrist. His thumb brushed against my palm, right over where the wound had been. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through my whole body. The bond was singing, even though he looked like he wanted to kill me.

"What are you?" he asked. His eyes were no longer blue. They were gold, his wolf right at the surface.

"I'm an Omega," I said, my heart pounding. "You said it yourself."

"Omegas don't heal in seconds. Omegas don't throw warriors against walls without touching them," Kael growled. He pushed me back against the stone wall, his body pressing into mine. "Tell me the truth. Who were your parents?"

"I don't know!" I cried. "They died when I was a baby. I was found on the border. That's all I know."

Kael leaned in, his face inches from mine. I could see the anger and the confusion in his eyes. He was fighting the bond. I could feel it. He wanted to kiss me. He wanted to bite me. He wanted to claim me right there in the middle of the hallway. But he also hated himself for wanting it.

"You are a liar," he hissed. "You are hiding something. Are you a spy? Did the Southern Packs send you here to weaken me with this bond?"

"I would never!" I said, tears of frustration stinging my eyes. "I’ve lived here for eighteen years! I’ve been your servant! I’ve been your slave! If I was a spy, wouldn't I have done something by now?"

Kael didn't answer. He just stared at me, his gaze dropping to my lips. For a long, silent moment, the world stopped. I could hear his heartbeat—it was fast, just like mine. I could feel the heat of his skin through my thin shirt.

He leaned in, his lips almost touching mine. I closed my eyes, waiting for it. I wanted it so badly it hurt.

But then, he pulled away. He let go of my wrist so quickly I almost fell.

"Clean up this mess," he said, his voice cold as ice once more. "And don't think this changes anything. Tonight, you are a servant. You will wear the uniform. You will keep your mouth shut. If I see you using any 'tricks' on the guests, I will lock you in the silver cages myself."

He turned and walked away without looking back.

I sank to the floor, my legs shaking. The silver fire in my chest had dimmed, leaving me feeling hollow and exhausted. I looked at the broken glass and the red wine. It felt like a symbol of my life—broken, messy, and stepped on by people who thought they were better than me.

*He is scared,* Aria said. *He feels our power, and it scares him.*

*He doesn't want a mate who is strong,* I thought. *He wants a mate he can control.*

I spent the next hour cleaning up the glass. I didn't care about the pain in my back or the hunger in my stomach. I was thinking about the ball. Kael wanted to humiliate me. He wanted to show me off as a servant.

But I wasn't just a servant anymore. I was something else. Something royal.

I went to the kitchens and found the uniform I was supposed to wear. It was a simple black dress with a white apron. It was plain and cheap. I took it back to the attic and sat on my thin mat.

I looked at the dress. Then I looked at my hands.

"Tonight," I whispered to the empty room. "Tonight, the masks come off."

I didn't know what was going to happen at the ball. I didn't know who the other Alphas were or what secrets they carried. But I knew one thing for sure.

Kael Blackthorn thought he was the most dangerous thing in this house. He was wrong.

The monster he had helped create was finally waking up. And she was hungry for more than just scraps.

I closed my eyes and let Aria take over for a moment. I felt the wolf's power flowing through me, healing my tiredness and sharpening my mind. We were ready. We would endure the insults. We would serve the drinks. We would play the part of the Omega.

But we would be watching. We would be learning. And when the time was right, we would show them all what it meant to wake a sleeping Queen.

The storm was coming, and I was right in the center of it.