The Lycan's Hidden Queen

The Defective Daughter

Arya POV

I dip the ragged sponge into the bucket of ice-cold water, wringing it out until my knuckles turn white. The grand lobby of the Sterling Cross Pack headquarters is massive. It boasts floor-to-ceiling glass windows, modern steel pillars, and imported white marble floors that cost more than my life is worth. And right now, I am scrubbing every single inch of it on my hands and knees.

My back aches and my hands are covered in angry red blisters, but I don't stop. If the head housekeeper catches me resting for even a second, she will report me.

I wasn't always the pack's punching bag. Three years ago, my name was Arya Vance, the beloved eldest daughter of Beta Marcus. I had a massive bedroom on the top floor of this very estate. I had friends, a future, and the respect of the entire pack. I was meant to take over my father's corporate divisions.

Then my eighteenth birthday arrived. The day every werewolf is supposed to shift and meet their inner wolf.

But my wolf never came.

I remember the silence in my head. The agonizing, empty silence where a wolf's voice should have been. I remember the absolute disgust on my father's face when the pack doctor officially declared me wolfless. A human. A defective disgrace to his elite bloodline.

Within twenty-four hours, my father stripped me of my title. He packed up my expensive clothes and banished me to the Omega quarters in the basement. He told me that if I wanted to continue living on pack territory, I would have to earn my keep like the rest of the untalented labor force.

The sharp clicking of designer heels echoing across the marble floor snaps me out of my painful memories. I keep my head down, scrubbing harder, praying she walks past me.

"Well, well. If it isn't the pack failure."

I squeeze my eyes shut for a second before looking up. Sienna stands over me, wearing a perfectly tailored red dress and a smug smile. She is my younger half-sister, the product of my father's second mating. Unlike me, Sienna shifted early at sixteen. She has a beautiful, strong white wolf. The moment I was cast out, she gladly stepped into my shoes, taking my room, my title, and the father who used to love me.

"You missed a spot, Arya," she says, her voice dripping with fake sweetness.

Before I can respond, she casually kicks my bucket. The dirty, freezing water spills everywhere, flooding across the pristine white marble I just spent an hour drying.

"Oops. My foot slipped," she laughs, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sienna, please. It took me so long to clean this," I whisper, my voice cracking just a little.

"Then you better start scrubbing faster, weakling. The board of directors is arriving first thing in the morning for the coronation gala. The estate needs to be spotless." She leans down, her green eyes flashing with malice. "You wouldn't want to ruin Liam's big day, would you?"

Just hearing his name makes my heart skip a beat, but I refuse to let Sienna see how much she affects me. I grab my towel and start soaking up the dirty water without another word.

Heavy footsteps approach us, and my father, Beta Marcus, steps into the lobby. He is wearing a sharp charcoal suit, holding a tablet. His chocolate brown eyes—the same exact color as mine—flicker over the puddle on the floor, and then settle on me. There is no warmth in his gaze. Only irritation.

"What is this mess?" he snaps.

"I'm sorry, Dad," Sienna lies smoothly, pouting her lips. "Arya was being clumsy and knocked her bucket over right as I was walking by. It nearly ruined my shoes."

My jaw tightens. "That's not what happened. She kicked it."

"Silence," my father growls. The Alpha command in his voice forces my head to bow in submission. Even without a wolf, my body reacts to a superior rank. "I don't want to hear your excuses, Arya. Clean this mess up immediately, and then get out of sight. I don't want you embarrassing this family tomorrow."

He places a gentle hand on Sienna's shoulder. "Come on, sweetie. Let's go review the guest list."

"Yes, Dad," Sienna says, throwing one last victorious smirk over her shoulder as they walk away.

I swallow the massive lump in my throat and focus on the floor. I won't cry. I have spent three years crying over a father who threw me away like actual garbage. I won't waste another tear on him.

It takes me another two hours to finish the lobby. By the time I drag myself down the concrete steps into the basement, my entire body is shaking from exhaustion. The Omega quarters are damp and smell like mildew. I walk into my tiny room, which barely fits a twin mattress and a small dresser.

I strip off my wet, dirty uniform and step into a quick, lukewarm shower. When I get out, I pull on a pair of black leggings and an oversized hoodie. I check the small clock on my nightstand. It's midnight.

My exhaustion vanishes, replaced by a sudden rush of adrenaline. I crack my bedroom door open and peek into the hallway. It's completely empty. Moving as quietly as a mouse, I slip out the back exit of the basement and step into the cool night air.

I stick to the shadows, avoiding the security cameras scattered across the massive estate, until I reach the edge of the woods behind the gardens.

"You're late."

The deep, familiar voice sends a rush of warmth straight to my chest. I step into the clearing and find Liam leaning against a massive oak tree.

He looks incredibly handsome. He is wearing dark jeans and a black button-down shirt that clings to his muscular chest. Liam is the current Alpha's son. We grew up together. We were childhood best friends, and over the years, that friendship grew into a deep, consuming love.

He is the only reason I survived the last three years in the basement.

"I got held up in the lobby. Sienna kicked my bucket over," I say, wrapping my arms around myself as a chilly breeze sweeps through the trees.

Liam's jaw ticks with anger. He pushes off the tree and closes the distance between us in two long strides. He wraps his strong arms around me, pulling me against his warm chest. I bury my face in his neck, breathing in his intoxicating scent of pine and fresh rain.

"I'm so sorry, Rosie," he whispers, kissing the top of my head. He is the only person in the world who still calls me by my old childhood nickname. "I hate that they treat you this way. I hate that I have to stand by and watch it happen."

"It's okay, Liam. It's just how things are," I murmur, closing my eyes and just enjoying the feeling of being held.

"No, it's not okay," he says fiercely, pulling back just enough to cup my face in his warm hands. His blue eyes search mine. "But it ends tomorrow. Tomorrow I turn twenty-one. Tomorrow I take the Alpha title and officially become CEO of Sterling Cross."

My breath catches in my throat. We have been dreaming about this day for three years. Because Liam wasn't the Alpha yet, he couldn't challenge my father's decision to banish me. He had to play the perfect, obedient son to ensure his father handed the company and the pack over to him without a fight. We had to keep our relationship a complete secret.

"Are you sure?" I ask, my voice trembling. "What if the board of directors rejects me? I don't have a wolf, Liam. The pack laws..."

"Screw the pack laws," Liam cuts me off, pressing his lips softly against mine. The kiss is sweet and full of a promise that makes my heart flutter. "When I am Alpha, my word is absolute law. I don't care if you don't have a wolf, Arya. You are the strongest, most resilient woman I know. You are going to be my Luna."

Tears prick the corners of my eyes. "Do you really mean that?"

"I have loved you since we were ten years old. I'm never going to let you go," he says, brushing a stray tear from my cheek with his thumb. "Tomorrow night, at the coronation gala, the mate bonds will trigger. I know it's going to be you, Rosie. The goddess wouldn't be that cruel. And once the bond snaps into place, I am going to pull you up on that stage and claim you in front of everyone. Sienna and your father will never be able to touch you again."

A huge, genuine smile breaks across my face for the first time in weeks. I wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. "I love you, Liam."

"I love you too. Just one more day in the shadows. I promise," he whispers against my lips.

An hour later, I sneak back into my tiny, damp room in the basement. I climb into my lumpy bed and pull the thin blanket up to my chin. My body aches, but my heart is soaring.

I close my eyes, drifting off to sleep with a smile on my face. Liam is going to save me. Tomorrow, all of my suffering will finally be over. Tomorrow, I get my life back.