Crowned By Betrayal

I jolted awake, gasping as icy water drenched my face and soaked through my thin blanket. The shock stole the breath from my lungs. For a second, I couldn’t even move—just lay there, blinking up at the figure towering over me, cold water dripping into my eyes, down my neck, soaking the thin mattress beneath me. “Get up, useless girl!” Kael’s voice thundered above me. I blinked harder, forcing my vision into focus. There he was — the Alpha’s son, holding an empty metal bucket with one hand and glaring down at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his boot. His eyes were sharp, furious. His dark hair hung over his forehead, wild from the early morning breeze, and the veins in his neck pulsed with rage. “Why the hell haven’t you made breakfast or decorated the venue yet?” he snapped, his voice like a slap. For a moment, I couldn’t even process the question. My mind, slow from sleep and cold, tried to catch up. Then it hit me like a punch to the gut. The Blood Moon Festival. “— ’m sorry,” I stammered, scrambling up from the mat on the floor. My clothes were already damp and clinging to my skin, but I yanked my faded hoodie over my head anyway, trying to stop the shaking. The cold clung to me like a second skin, but guilt burned even hotter beneath it. Kael didn’t wait for an answer. With a muttered curse and one last glare, he stormed out of the tiny shed I slept in, slamming the door behind him hard enough to rattle the frame. I stood there for a moment, shivering, heart pounding, breath coming in short bursts. I had stayed up half the night again, staring at the ceiling, wondering what life would’ve been like if I’d had parents who loved me. If I weren’t just a nameless omega in this cruel pack, clinging to scraps and hoping to survive each day without getting hit. Stupid. Delusional. No one cared about omegas. Not here. Especially not orphaned ones like me. I yanked on my shoes and rushed out the door, feet pounding against the dirt path that led to the main grounds. The sky was still dim, the sun not yet risen, but the pack was already buzzing with energy. Everyone was preparing. Everyone but me. Normally, I handled breakfast and pup care. But not today. Today was different. Today, the Blood Moon Festival was being held here — on our grounds — and I’d been tasked with something far more important. The feast. The decorations. The entire damn venue. It was an enormous responsibility, far more than they’d ever given me before. But it wasn’t trust that earned me the task — it was punishment. A setup. If I failed, it wouldn’t just be Kael’s wrath I’d face. It would be the whole pack. And the truth was… I had no idea what I was doing. None. My hands shook as I tried to remember the mental checklist I’d made the day before — tables, centerpieces, food trays, the bonfire pit, hanging lights — but everything was a blur, smeared together by exhaustion and fear. I ran to the storage shed, yanked open the doors, and grabbed the crates of dried flowers and festival cloths. I dragged them to the field, heart hammering in my chest, each breath tight and painful. I wasn’t even halfway through setting the first table when I heard the heavy footsteps. My stomach dropped. The steps were too loud to be Kael's. Too firm. Too heavy. Then came the voice — deep and thunderous, cutting through the crisp morning air like a whip. “Why is there no food on the tables?” I froze. The Alpha. “I—” I turned, hands still full of napkins and wooden platters, but the words stuck in my throat. The Alpha’s eyes were already blazing. His mouth curled into a snarl. “You lazy little bastard,” he snapped. “After everything we’ve done for you, this is how you repay us? On the day of the festival? ” I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t move. My lips parted, but no sound came out. His words hit harder than any slap. Shame burned through me. I looked down, my vision blurring. I knew what came next. I had seen it too many times — seen what happened when omegas failed, even just once. The pack didn’t tolerate failure. Especially not from someone like me. As an orphaned omega, failure isn’t just frowned upon — it’s punished. One small mistake means bruises. Bleeding lips. Locked doors. Days without food or water. Sometimes longer. My stomach turned at the memory. Even now, I could feel the ache in my ribs from the last time I’d forgotten to sweep the elders’ hall. I tried to steady my breath, tried to will my body to move. To say something. Anything. But fear had me in its grip. And the Alpha just kept staring. His gaze was a blade pressed to my throat. Then he spat at my feet and walked off. The tension didn’t leave my body, not even after he disappeared around the corner. I forced myself to keep working. To place each item with trembling hands. To press down the tablecloths, even as the breeze fought against me. To smile and nod when the other omegas passed, pretending I wasn’t on the verge of tears. But inside, I was drowning. Drowning in panic. In pain. In memory One of the worst ones surfaced — unwanted, like a splinter working its way back to the skin. I was eight. Just eight. I had made the mistake of speaking back to Kael once. Just once. He’d called me a worthless mutt, and I, trembling with too much fire and too little sense, had whispered back, “At least I have a heart.” It was stupid. So, so stupid. The next morning, I found my kitten — the only thing I’d ever loved — drowned in a barrel behind the kitchen house. I still remember the way its small, lifeless body floated. Its tiny paws limp. Its eyes glassy. Its fur matted and soaked, twisted in the murky water. I screamed. I screamed until my voice cracked, until my throat bled. The Alpha had stood over me then, too, cold, unmoved. “This is what you get for disobeying the pack,” he’d said. And then he turned and walked away. I never cried in front of them again. Never raised my voice. Never defended myself. That was the day I learned love is a weakness. And in this pack, mercy doesn’t exist. But the worst part? Even now, after everything, some small, pathetic part of me still hopes. Still dreams of something better. Of someone… different. A mate who wouldn’t hurt me. A pack that might protect me. It isn’t very smart. Stupid. But tonight is the Blood Moon Festival — the night our wolves stir, the night the Moon Goddess chooses mates. And maybe… Just maybe… My mate won’t be from this pack.