THE ALPHA BROTHER'S MATE

THE SERVANT'S BURDEN

“Up, omega.”

A bucket of icy water slammed against my side, soaking my thin shift and stealing the breath from my lungs. Gasps and snickers rippled through the room. I blinked, shivering, as Lila’s smirk came into focus. She leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, savoring my humiliation.

“Did you think Marcus would change his mind by morning?” she purred. “Dream’s over, trash. Get moving. The floors won’t scrub themselves.”

Her words sliced sharper than the cold water. I sat up slowly, my hair plastered to my cheeks, my shift clinging damply to my body. All around me, the other servants stirred—some smirking, others avoiding my gaze entirely as they pulled on worn tunics and hurried past me. None dared speak. None dared help. To them, I was already cursed, a cautionary tale not worth the price of kindness.

I swallowed hard, forcing strength into my voice. “You shouldn’t be here, Lila. These are servant quarters, not yours.”

Her laughter chimed, light and cruel. “Oh, but watching you crawl where you belong is far too delightful to miss. I couldn’t resist.” She pushed off the doorframe, striding closer, her perfume a sharp contrast to the mildew and ash clinging to the room. She crouched beside my straw mattress, her green silk gown pooling elegantly on the filthy floor.

I forced myself to meet her gaze. “The bond chose me.”

Lila’s smirk widened. “And yet he rejected you in front of everyone. Seems the bond isn’t enough after all.” She leaned in until her breath fanned against my ear. “Face it, Teyana. You’ll be scrubbing floors until your knees bleed.”

A tear slipped free before I could stop it. She straightened, smoothing her skirts with deliberate grace. “Move,” she snapped, kicking a coarse brush toward me. It skidded across the stone floor, stopping at my bedside.“The kitchen needs cleaning before the warriors’ breakfast. Unless you still think you’re above it?”

“I’m not,” I said, my voice low, barely steady. I grabbed the brush, my hands raw from yesterday’s work. The mate bond flared, a sharp ache, as if Marcus were nearby, his presence tormenting me. Lila’s smirk widened, sensing my pain.

“He loved me,” I whispered, more to myself than her as I walked out of the room and into the kitchen area. The memory of Marcus’s kisses, his promises under the pines, clashed with his cold rejection. A faint heat sparked in my fingertips, a silver flicker like the one I’d seen in the courtyard when he walked away. I hid my hands in my soaked shift, my heart racing.

What was that light? The first time I noticed it had been weeks ago, when I was wrapped in Marcus’s arms, listening to him whisper sweet nothings against my hair. Back then, it was fleeting—so faint I convinced myself it was a dream. But now, after his betrayal, it burned brighter, as if my pain itself had awakened something inside me.

“You missed a spot,” Lila’s voice coiled from behind as I scrubbed the stone floor. I hadn’t even heard her follow me into the kitchen.

I clenched my jaw and scoured the spot again.

Footsteps approached, softer than Lila’s. “Enough, Lila,” came Toren’s voice, calm but edged with steel. My only friend among the betas stood in the doorway, his hazel eyes flicking between us. “She’s doing what you asked. Let her work.”

Lila spun, her lips curling. “Defending the omega trash, Toren? Careful, or you’ll be scrubbing floors with her.”

Toren’s jaw tightened, but he held his ground. “She’s pack. You don’t have to make it worse.”

I glanced at him, gratitude warring with shame. Toren had stood by me during the ceremony, his words a faint comfort against the pack’s jeers. But his protectiveness felt heavy now, tinged with pity—or something else I couldn’t name. “I can handle it,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper, though my trembling hands betrayed me.

“Can you?” Lila said. “Don’t expect Marcus to swoop in. He’s with the betas, planning for the Eclipse Pack’s raids. You’re nothing to him.”

The mention of Marcus stung, and a wave of nausea hit. I clutched the brush, my head spinning. Was it the hunger? The exhaustion? I forced myself to move, my legs shaky.

The kitchen was a chaos of clattering pots and sizzling meat, the warriors’ breakfast in preparation. Mara handed me a wash cloth, her voice soft. “Scrub the plates, Teyana. Lila’s watching.”

I nodded, as I poured some detergent into the water and began washing the plates. As I scrubbed, my vision blurred, dizziness washing over me. The bond pulsed, Marcus’s presence somewhere in the compound, and the pain of his rejection surged anew. A faint silver spark flickered at my fingertips, gone in an instant. I froze, my breath catching.

“Teyana, faster!” Lila barked, her voice cutting through my thoughts. “The warriors don’t eat off filthy plates.”

“I’m trying,” I said, my voice tight. Lila’s eyes narrowed, catching my weakness.

“What’s wrong with you?” she said, stepping closer. “Too frail to handle a little work? No wonder Marcus tossed you aside.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” I lied, but my hands trembled, and another faint spark flickered, unnoticed by Lila. My heart pounded—what was happening to me? The bond flared again, Marcus’s voice echoing faintly from the courtyard, barking orders to his betas.

“Teyana,” Toren said, stepping closer, his voice low. “You look pale. Are you sick?”

I shook my head, avoiding his gaze. “Just tired,” I said, but my voice wavered. Toren frowned, his eyes searching mine. He’d always been kind, but his concern now felt like a spotlight on my vulnerability.

“You’re not fine,” he said, lowering his voice. “I heard the servants talking, Marcus is meeting with the betas constantly, something about a raid, Obsidian may get hurt, or worse— destroyed. He’s not himself. Whatever’s going on, it’s bigger than you.”

I swallowed, the nausea spiking. “It doesn’t change what he did,” I said, my voice cracking. “He rejected me, Toren. In front of everyone.”

Toren’s face darkened, his hand brushing my arm. “I know. But you’re stronger than this, Teyana. Don’t let Lila break you.”

I nodded, unsure of what else to say to Toren. His words echoed, but I pushed them away. Stronger? How could I be, when my body betrayed me at every turn? My stomach twisted violently, and I lurched to the side, barely making it to the slop bucket before bile rose from my throat.

The kitchen went silent. Even Lila’s smirk faltered for a breath before she recovered.

“Disgusting,” she muttered, pinching her nose. “You can’t even wash dishes without retching like a drunk.”

Heat burned my cheeks. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, forcing myself upright though my knees trembled. Mara’s eyes softened as she pressed a cup of water into my palm.

“ Take this,” she said, “you can go out for some air now, I’ll continue with the plates,” she gave me a small reassuring smile.

My heart stuttered. A cold sweat slid down my spine. As I walked out of the kitchen, I heard Toren follow me. I found a small rock at the edge of the wall and sat on it, sipping the water.

“You’ve been sick every morning this week,” Toren whispered.

His gaze held mine, quiet understanding dawning in his eyes. He lowered his voice further. “You should check. Before someone else puts the pieces together.”

I clutched the water, my hands trembling so hard it sloshed onto the floor. The room spun as Marcus’s voice carried again from the courtyard—sharp, commanding, the man who had once whispered promises now giving orders that excluded me entirely.

I pressed a hand to my stomach, horror and wonder warring inside me. A spark flickered against my palm, faint but real, pulsing in rhythm with my racing heart.