BOUND TO MY EX’S FATHER

POV - SOPHIA **** The stew was burning. I smelt it before i even saw it. The sharp scent of charred vegetables rose from the massive iron pot hanging above the kitchen fire, mixing with the smoke already thickening the air. I lunged forward. "Damn it." Quickly grabbing a wooden spoon, I stirred the contents before they could stick completely to the bottom. A few nearby kitchen workers glanced at me. One of them snorted. "Careful, omega. If dinner gets ruined, they'll blame you again." I offered a small smile. "They usually do." The other woman laughed. Not because it was funny. Because it was true. I lowered my eyes and continued stirring. Outside the kitchen windows, evening sunlight painted the mountains gold. Silver Crood Territory stretched beyond the packhouse like something from a storybook. Endless forests covered the slopes. Waterfalls cut through cliffs. Mist drifted between ancient pine trees. Beautiful. Powerful. Cruel. Most wolves saw Silver Crood as paradise. But I saw it as a prison. A prison where everyone knew exactly where they belonged. Alphas ruled. Betas obeyed. And omegas endured. My place had been decided long before i was old enough to understand what status meant. I had learnt early not to argue. Not to complain. Not to expect kindness. Those lessons kept people alive. Especially wolves like me. "Move." A shoulder slammed into my back disturbing my thoughts. I stumbled forward. Hot stew splashed onto my wrist. Pain stung my skin, but I bit back a cry. Behind me stood Marla, one of the senior kitchen supervisors. The older woman folded her arms. "Are you sleeping while you work?" "No." "Then why is dinner late?" I glanced at the clock. It wasn't late. Not even close. But correcting Marla would only make things worse. "I'm sorry." Marla's expression darkened. "You always are." Several workers laughed. I kept stirring. The laughter eventually faded. People lost interest when their target refused to fight back. The kitchen doors suddenly burst open. Instant silence followed. Every wolf in the room straightened immediately. I didn't need to look up. I already knew who had entered. The scent hit me first. Cedar. Rain. Wild mountain air. Gabriel. My wolf stirred instantly. A painful ache twisted through my chest. Mate. The word echoed inside me. I hated how quickly my body responded to him. One glimpse. One scent. One heartbeat. That was all it took. The future alpha walked into the kitchen surrounded by three warriors. Laughter followed him. Confidence radiated from every step. Gabriel Stein didn't merely enter rooms. He owned them. I looked up despite myself. Mistake. Always a mistake. He was unfairly handsome. Dark hair. Strong jaw. Broad shoulders. The kind of man artists carved into statues. The kind of man every unmated female in Silver Crood dreamed about. Including me, especially me. For years. The mate bond tightened painfully. Gabriel glanced around the kitchen. His eyes passed over me. And kept moving. Like i wasn't there. I immediately looked away. The familiar disappointment settling into my stomach. It shouldn't hurt anymore. Yet somehow it always did. "Food ready?" Gabriel asked. Marla practically bowed. "Of course, future alpha." I focused on stirring. Those thoughts never led anywhere good. The warriors behind Gabriel started grabbing bread from nearby baskets. One of them wrinkled his nose. "Smells decent today." Marla pointed directly at me. "The omega managed not to ruin it." More laughter. But I kept my eyes on the pot. Gabriel said nothing.Not a defense nor an objection. Nothing. The silence hurt more than the joke. Because it confirmed what everyone already believed. I wasn't worth defending. After a moment, the men left. The kitchen noise gradually returned. But I remained frozen. My wolf whimpered quietly. Mate. The word sounded weaker now. Sadder. A few hours later, darkness covered the mountains. Dinner had ended. Most pack members were gathering near the main square for evening celebrations. The upcoming Blood Moon Hunt was only days away. Excitement buzzed through the territory. I was still cleaning. Of course I was. I scrubbed large cooking pots alone behind the kitchen. Cold water numbed my fingers. The moon hung above the trees. Bright. Beautiful. Watching. Sometimes I imagined the Moon Goddess could hear me. Tonight i found herself speaking aloud. "Was he really chosen for me?" The question disappeared into the night. No answer came. Only silence. I laughed softly. "What a surprise." I finished cleaning and dried my hands. Most wolves would head home, but I had somewhere else to go. Somewhere nobody knew about. I quietly slipped away from the packhouse and entered the forest. The sounds of celebration faded behind me. The deeper i walked, the lighter i felt. Trees surrounded me and the air smelled clean. Free. After nearly thirty minutes, I reached a small clearing hidden between cliffs. A smile finally touched my lips. My secret place. Nobody came here, nobody to shout at me or order me around. In the center stood a small wooden cabin. It wasn't much.Just a simple structure i had built herself over several years. Most wolves didn't even know it existed. I stepped inside. The warmth immediately filled my chest. Maps covered the walls. Handwritten notes. Lists. Sketches. Dreams. My own dreams. The cabin wasn't really a home. It was a plan. A future. A sanctuary. A place where rejected mates, rogues, abandoned wolves, and omegas could live safely. A place where nobody would be forced to bow because of their status. I ran my fingers across one of the maps. "One day." The words came out quietly. But I meant them. One day. I didn't know how, or when. But someday i would build it. A real sanctuary. A place that belonged to people like me. The thought filled my with warmth. A rare feeling. For several precious minutes she allowed herself to imagine it. Children laughing. Families healing. Wolves finding homes. No fear. No hierarchy. No cruelty. A knock shattered the silence. I froze. Nobody knew about the cabin. Nobody. Another knock came. Slow. Deliberate. My pulse accelerated. A scent drifted beneath the door. Male, wolf and very familiar…..Terrifyingly familiar. Gabriel. What was he doing here? The future alpha knocked a third time. Then his voice came through the wood. Low. Calm. Dangerously unexpected. "Sophia." My heart stopped. Because Gabriel Stein had never once come looking for me before. And somehow i knew this wasn't going to change my life for the better. It was going to change everything. The door handle began to turn.