Just for the Alpha

The courtyard had never been this quiet. Even the pines seemed to watch as Sarah stepped out with the tray in her hands. Steam rose from the bowl of herbs she had crushed before sunrise. Her hands moved carefully, steady from years of helping the healer. She has always wanted to since from childhood, just like her mother did. though her mind was far away. The Warriors trained on the field, the sound of fists and growls filling the air. The she-wolves were preparing for the Alpha’s morning meal. Sarah smiled politely at them. “Morning ladies” she greeted with a gentle smile, that showed off her red roses chick. though most of them barely noticed her. She had learned to be quiet, gentle to blend in. It was safer that way. She knows better than to stir up trouble. She stopped near the long table and placed the bowl down. “Fresh herbs for the feast,” she said softly. Lydia’s sharp laugh floated across the room. “Oh, Sarah. Still trying to impress the Alpha with your little stinking plant tricks. Oh! please. Stop it. You rig of desperation”. Sarah looked up. Lydia stood at the center of the room, her golden hair glowing in the light that came through the windows. She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m only doing my duty Lydia”. Sarah said, keeping her voice calm. “Duty?” Lydia walked closer, her heels clicking. “You mean the same duty that keeps you hanging around the Alpha’s quarters like a shadow? You desperate wretch”. A few pack members snickered. Heat climbed to Sarah’s cheeks, but she said nothing. Lydia always found a way to make her look small, and Sarah had no wish to start a fight. But before she could alter a word, the door opened. Silence fell. Alpha Nova entered, tall and broad-shouldered, his dark eyes commanding attention. His eyes scanning the room as he moved closer to the table were Lydia and Sarah were. The air seemed to change when he walked in. Every wolf lowered their head in respect. Sarah’s heart thudded once, hard. He was her mate, her fated one, but no one knew, not even him. He had never completed the bond. To him, she was just another pack member. “Alpha,” Lydia greeted with a bright smile. She moved close, brushing her hand against his arm. “We were just talking about the feast.” Nova nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping the room. It passed over Sarah for a moment, cold and unreadable. “Make sure it’s ready before the meeting,” he said. “Yes, Alpha,” Sarah whispered. She said as she lowered her head down. Lydia turned to Sarah and smirked. “You heard him. Don’t ruin it.” Sarah took a breath, forcing herself to focus on her work. This was her place. to serve, to stay silent, to keep peace. Still, something inside her ached whenever she saw Lydia standing so close to Nova. The ache was sharp and deep, like claws under her ribs. That night, the feast began. The hall was filled with laughter and the smell of roasted meat. Sarah moved between tables, serving and refilling cups. Lydia sat beside Nova, glowing in a red dress that caught every eye. She leaned close, whispering something that made him smile. Sarah looked away. Her hands shook as she lifted a jug of wine. “Sarah, stay calm…breathe”. She said to herself, to stay invisible. Then Lydia coughed. At first, it was small, a soft sound that drew a few glances. Then she coughed again, harder this time. The laughter stopped. Her face went pale, her hands gripping the edge of the table. “Lydia?” Nova said, his tone sharp. Lydia gasped, reaching for her throat. “My drink,” she wheezed. “It…it burns!”. Chaos broke out. Some people rushed forward. Someone grabbed the cup Lydia had been drinking from. The sharp smell of bitterroot filled the air. “Poison!” a voice cried. Every head turned toward Sarah. The jug she carried was still half full, the same one Lydia’s drink came from. Sarah froze. “No,” she whispered. “I..I didn’t”. One of the warriors grabbed the jug and sniffed it. “Bitterroot,” he said. “Same as her cup.” Lydia was now lying in Nova’s arms, breathing weakly. Her eyes fluttered open. “I don’t… understand,” she whispered faintly. “Why, Sarah?” Tears filled Sarah’s eyes. “I didn’t do this. I swear on the moon, I didn’t!” Nova’s gaze lifted slowly to meet hers. His expression was dark, unreadable, and it made her knees weak. “You handled the drinks,” he said quietly. “Did anyone else touch them?” “N-no,” Sarah stammered. “But I would never harm her.” “She’s jealous,” someone muttered. “Everyone knows she wanted the Alpha.” Lydia made a small sound, like pain. “It’s all right, Nova,” she breathed. “Maybe… maybe I pushed her too far.” The pack murmured in shock and pity. Sarah’s chest tightened. She wanted to scream, to shake them, to make them see the truth. but no one would listen. Lydia had played them perfectly. Nova stood, his jaw tense. “Take her to the healer,” he ordered his Beta. Then he turned to Sarah. “You will stay here.” Sarah’s voice cracked. “Please, Alpha, you have to believe me.” He stepped closer. The room was silent except for the fire crackling in the hearth. Nova was confused. Something in him wanted to believe her. “Sarah has been here for years, she has never harmed anyone before. Why now?” But the state he saw Lydia in, spoke otherwise. It provoked him the more. And the side talks of the crowd too wasn't encouraging. “I trusted you,” he said. “You’ve served this pack for years. But now you bring poison to my table?” “No! I would never.” Sarah said as she fall to the ground in tears, in shock. Her hands trembling in fear. “Enough.” His tone cut through the air like ice. “Until this is settled, you are no longer welcome among the Whitemoon Pack.” Her heart stopped. “Alpha!...please!” “If you are innocent,” he said coldly, “the moon will judge you. But if you are guilty, may it never forgive you.” The guards moved toward her. Sarah stumbled back, shaking her head. “Nova, please… you’re my mate!” Gasps spread through the hall. Nova’s eyes flashed with shock, then anger. “Do not call me that.” The bond between them shuddered. Sarah felt it like a knife in her chest. Pain spread through her body as if her soul was being torn apart. “You are not my mate,” he said, voice low and final. “And you never were.” Sarah wept even louder, still on her knees, clutching her chest. The room spun. Lydia’s faint smile from across the hall was the last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her. The night was cold when they threw her out beyond the border. The forest was thick and silent. Her bare feet sank into the mud as she stumbled forward. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Her heart still burned where the bond had broken. She wanted to scream but no sound came out. Her body was weak, her soul hollow. Rain began to fall, light at first, then heavy. She kept walking until her legs gave out. The forest seemed to close around her, dark and endless. “Why?” she whispered to the sky. “What did I do? If I have done you wrong show mercy. oh! Moon goddess. No answer came. only thunder. In the distance, wolves howled. She didn’t know if they were wild or from her pack. She didn’t care anymore. Her tears mixed with the rain. She sank to her knees, staring at the faint glow of the moon above the trees. It looked pale, distant, and uncaring. Maybe that was how fate worked. cold and cruel. But even as she shivered in the mud, something deep inside her refused to die. It was small, a spark under the pain, whispering that this wasn’t the end. Sarah looked up at the sky one last time. Her lips trembled as she spoke to the night. “I’ll survive,” she said. “Even if the world wants me gone.” The wind howled through the trees, carrying her words away. She took one slow breath, then another. Somewhere deep in her chest, her wolf stirred weakly, refusing to fade. She didn’t know it yet, but this night would change everything. Sarah sat there on the cold floor wishing she had ran away long ago. She regretted her staying back, knowing fully well that Alpha Nova never liked her, despite the fact t hat she was his mate. Before dawn, she would no longer belong to him, or the pack, or anyone at all..