CROWN OF CLAWS

Come here, you damn slave. Let me have a taste of you." Collin, the Alpha’s nephew, said it like he owned the air I breathed. Since he was the Alpha’s nephew, he’d been bullying everyone. He walked around like the rules didn’t touch him because he was under the Alpha’s protection. I looked at him and felt disgust crawl under my skin. What the hell was wrong with Blue Moon Pack? Was this what an Alpha’s family looked like? No manners. No shame. Disgusting. But I’d learned to keep my head down. To survive. So I ignored him and kept walking. "Hey! You little b***h. Can’t you hear me talking to you? Are you mute? Guys, is she mute?" His friends turned to look. The one with greasy hair I think he was the Beta’s adopted son shrugged. "I’ve never heard her say a word to anyone before. Maybe she really is mute." "Is that so?" Collin grinned. My stomach turned. He was close enough that I could smell him. Did the man not bathe? God. "Then playing with her won’t be a problem," he said slowly. "I’ve always wondered what it’s like. A mute. No noise at all." His eyes dragged over me, head to toe. Anger burned hot in my chest. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to break his jaw. I couldn’t. Not yet. I was still training. Still waiting for the day I was strong enough to take him and that rotten Alpha down. "Hey, baby," Collin said, voice dropping. "Even though you’re just a slave, you’ve got a nice body. I wouldn’t mind making you my mistress." I kept my face blank. Timid. The mask I’d worn for months. Yuck. He was so annoying. "N...not... interested." The courtyard went quiet. They all stared at me like I’d grown a second head. They’d never heard me speak before. Not once. Collin’s grin stretched wider. "Ohh. She talks. Yeah. Too bad she stammers. Haha." They all laughed. "You should be grateful," he said, stepping closer. "I want to make you my mistress, you f*****g slave. You might have a decent body, but you’re still just a slave. I’m the Alpha’s nephew. I can crush you like an ant. Anywhere. Anytime. Got it? So let me have a taste. Maybe I’ll even upgrade you. From slave to Omega." My brain short-circuited. Upgrade? That was the same thing with a different collar. Was his brain eaten by a dog? I didn’t have time for this. I had to get back to the servants’ quarters before Emily started something. Last time it was water on my bed. I didn’t want to know what it would be this time. Collin snapped his fingers in my face. "I’m talking to you, you little b***h. Whatever. I’ll just take you right here. Let’s see who stops me. You’re just a mere slave." My heart slammed against my ribs. No. No, no. This couldn’t happen. I’d been training in secret for months, but I wasn’t ready. Not for him. Not for three of them. And no one was coming to help. Even if someone saw, they were all terrified of Collin. No one dared cross the Alpha’s nephew. The walls of the courtyard suddenly felt too close.