**Tiana's POV**
I stood frozen, my mind racing as I tried to process Fiona's words. "Huh?" I managed to utter, my voice tinged with confusion and hurt.
Fiona's smile remained, but it did not reach her eyes. I had been wrong about her. She never meant well and she never will. It was obvious she hated me outright, and I wondered for a minute that maybe Layla was right.
Fiona was probably in love with Theo and did not want other women to receive his attention. If she wasn't in love with Theo, as his best friend, she would have been supportive of him, trying to get to know me instead of being jealous. If Theo showed the slightest bit of romantic interest in me, shouldn't she be happy and excited the same way Amara and Layla were?
"I'm confused,” I said after a little bit of tense silence. I literally wanted to ask her why she was out to get me. To ask her if I stayed away from Theo, would she leave me alone and stop with her snarky remarks?
Then again, Theo was literally the Alpha's son. If he demanded to see me and I avoided that, it would be rude. I could not say no to his gestures of friendship. Especially after all that he had done for me.
"Yes, aren't you a bit too useless?" she repeated, her tone dripping with condescension. She looked at me from head to toe and had a look of unveiled disgust and hatred.
I blinked, unable to comprehend what she was saying. "What do you mean?"
"You’re basically just eating our food, drinking our water and wine," she continued, her words slicing through me like a knife. "Everybody is attending to you. Maids are attending to you. You’re having training sessions for free. But it’s the taxes of our citizens that are supporting you. And what are you doing in return? Nothing."
I felt a flush of shame creep up my neck. It was true that I had been receiving a lot of care and attention since arriving at the pack, but I never thought of myself as a burden. I hated to admit it but she was right. Still, Fiona’s words stung deeply.
"I… I understand where you’re coming from, Fiona," I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the lump forming in my throat. I was offended, but I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.
I had been selfish all along by enjoying the attention and bass without thinking of giving anything back. Was it because I was so used to being treated as a slave that I was enjoying the princess' treatment too much?
"Well, I'm glad you understand," she spat. "But seriously, how did you get so comfortable being that selfish?"
"I..."
"Our people work tirelessly and pay for the clothes and food you've been getting. You're not even a visitor or some noble person, yet you're comfortable without offering anything," she spat, her hands akimbo. "Even noble people who are invited give gifts to the Alpha. You're literally an invader. People like you should be in jail and not given this kind of treatment."
"I apologize," I said with a small smile. I was trying to stop the tears from pouring out of my eyes because she was right. I had done nothing to earn this.
I was literally eating the fruit of other people's labour, which was unfair. I remember how I hated working like a dog day and night, living off of leftover meals from my family members in my pack and hating them because they only enjoyed at the expense of my suffering.
Yet here I was, doing the same thing to pack members.
As if she could read my mind, Fiona's next words were, "One would think that because of the hardship you claim to endure in your pack you would be considerate of others. I guess you are just a bad person. You really deserve all that happened to you. I'm sure, and I'm so glad the moon goddess has decided to punish you by not allowing you to wolf out."
I took in a deep breath. Trying harder not to cry. "I didn’t mean to be a burden. What do you suggest I do to give back to the society?" I asked.
A look of satisfaction flickered across Fiona's face. "Follow me," she said curtly.
I followed her down the hallway, my mind still reeling from the harshness of her words. We walked in silence, the tension between us was so thick that I was certain a sharp knife would not cut through. I couldn't help but feel a mix of resentment and guilt. I wanted to contribute, to prove that I wasn’t just some helpless outsider, but Fiona's approach had left me feeling small and insignificant.
We eventually reached a set of double doors that led to a spacious room filled with various supplies and equipment. Fiona gestured for me to enter. "This is our storage and preparation area," she explained. "We’re always in need of extra hands here. You can start by helping with inventory and organizing supplies. It’s a good way to get involved and support the pack."
I nodded, swallowing my pride. "Alright, I’ll do my best."
Fiona's expression softened slightly, but there was still an edge to her voice. "Good. Remember, everyone in the pack contributes. It’s about time you started pulling your weight."
I bit my lip, nodding again. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity."
She turned to leave but paused at the door. "And Tiana," she said without looking back, "don’t let anyone else know we had this conversation. It’s between us."
"Um, okay?"
"I am dead serious. I mean, seriously, do you want people realizing you're just a bitch who did not think to lend a helping hand without someone calling her out for her misbehaviour?" She asked with a raise of her brows. "Didn't think so," she smirked when I did not reply.