The cold slap of a mop handle against the cot jolted Nia awake.
“Up!” a voice barked, harsh and impatient. “Let’s go, princess. Time to earn your keep.”
She blinked, dazed and aching. Her bones felt soaked in concrete, every muscle stiff from the hard cot and the cold that clung to her skin like damp cloth.
The room was still dark—barely past dawn—but already alive with motion.
Before Nia could fully sit up, a pair of hands yanked the thin blanket from her and shoved a rag and a metal pail into her chest.
“No special treatment for pretty faces,” the older omega from yesterday muttered, already turning away.
Nia gritted her teeth, biting back a groan as she stood. Her legs trembled under her weight, and her palms burned from where the mop handle dug into her skin. But she didn’t comp
