Chapter 28 Chapter 28: The Cursed Shadow

Chapter 28 Chapter 28: The Cursed Shadow
Callistra's POV

The next morning, my body felt like it had been run over by a pack of runaway wolves. Every muscle ached from the endless errands Rafael had forced me on, and my ankle was stiff beneath the tight bandages the doctor had applied. I wanted nothing more than to stay under my thin blanket and hide from the world, but life as an Omega doesn't allow for "sick days."
If I wasn't downstairs by 6:00 AM, the head maid, Beatrice, would have my head.
I limped into the main hallway of the pack house, clutching my bucket and mop. The morning light was hitting the polished stone floors, making everything look way too bright for how miserable I felt. I kept thinking about that shed—the way Rafael’s hand felt on my cheek and that split second where he looked like he might actually care if I lived or died.
"Snap out of it, Zara," I hissed to myself, dipping my mop into the soapy water. "He called you a nuisance. He pushed you away. He’s probably laughing about it with his warrior friends right now."
I started scrubbing the floor near the grand staircase. My ankle throbbed with every move, but I gritted my teeth. I had survived years of being the pack's punching bag; I could survive a sprain and a broken heart.
The Strange Change in Beatrice
That was when I saw her. Beatrice was coming down the hall, her heels clicking loudly. Usually, the moment she saw me, she’d find something to scream about. She’d point out a spot I missed or dump a vase of water just to watch me clean it up. She lived to humiliate me, especially after she saw Rafael staring at me in the library.
I braced myself, lowering my head and waiting for the insults.
"You! Omega!" She started to bark, but then something weird happened.
As she stepped toward me, her foot suddenly slipped on a patch of floor that was completely dry. She didn't just stumble; she went flying. Her arms flailed, and she landed hard on her backside with a loud thud.
I froze, my mop mid-air. "Are you okay?" I asked, actually worried.
Beatrice looked at me, her face turning a bright, angry red. "You did that! You put something on the floor!"
"I haven't even mopped that spot yet, Beatrice," I said quietly.
She scrambled to her feet, huffing and puffing. She moved to grab my bucket, probably intending to dump it on me, but as she reached for the handle, the heavy iron bucket suddenly tipped the opposite way. The soapy water splashed all over her expensive leather boots instead of me.
She screamed, jumping back. "What is wrong with this place?!"
She glared at me, her eyes filled with a new kind of fear. It wasn't the look she usually gave me—the one that said I was dirt. It was the look you give a ghost. She didn't say another word. She just turned around and ran back the way she came, limping slightly.
I stood there, totally confused. "What just happened?"
The Accidents Continue
Over the next few hours, the gossip started spreading through the servant quarters like wildfire. Apparently, Beatrice was having the worst week of her life.
"Did you hear?" a kitchen maid whispered as I passed by. "Beatrice tried to throw Zara’s laundry into the mud this morning, but a stray dog ran in and tripped her. She ended up face-first in the dirt herself!"
"That's not all," another servant replied. "She tried to report Zara for being slow, but when she opened her mouth to speak to the Beta commander, she suddenly lost her voice. She couldn't make a sound for an hour!"
I listened to them, my heart racing. I knew I hadn't done anything. I didn't have the power to make dogs trip people or make buckets move on their own. I was just a weak Omega. I didn't have magic.
But then I thought about the library. I thought about how Rafael had looked at me when he realized the bond was pulling him.
I remembered his voice in the shed: "Because you're the only thing in this world I can't control."
Was he doing this? Was the arrogant, playboy prince of the pack playing guardian angel?
The thought made my stomach flip. It was almost scarier than him hating me. If he was protecting me in secret, it meant he couldn't stay away. It meant the bond was winning, even if he fought it with every breath.


The sun was setting, bleeding orange and purple light across the long gallery. 

It was beautiful, but I was too tired to care. My ankle felt like it was being poked with hot needles, and I still had one more giant window to scrub. 

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass for a second, just trying to breathe.

Suddenly, the air changed. That heavy, electric feeling crawled up my spine. 

My wolf, who usually hides in the corner of my mind, suddenly sat up and wagged her tail.

I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The scent of rain and expensive wood was already filling the hallway.

"If you have more chores for me, Rafael, I'm almost finished here," I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I kept my back to him, scrubbing the same spot over and over.

"You’re still limping like a broken toy," his deep voice echoed. It sounded rough, like he hadn't slept either.

I turned slowly, using the window sill to keep myself upright. He was leaning against the stone archway, looking at me with those dark, intense eyes. 

He had ditched his fancy Alpha-son jacket, and his black shirt was unbuttoned at the top. He looked powerful and dangerous.

"I'm fine," I said, holding my chin high. "The doctor you sent helped a lot. Thank you."

He let out a short, mean laugh. 

"Don't thank me. I didn't send him because I care about your comfort, Zara. I sent him because a limping maid is a slow maid. You were falling behind on your work."

"Right," I muttered, looking at the floor. "Stupid of me to think otherwise."

He walked toward me, his steps slow and heavy. He stopped right in my space, so close I could feel the heat coming off him.

"I heard Beatrice has been having a lot of 'accidents' today," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. 

"Slipping in the kitchen. Falling down the stairs. Ruining her own clothes. The whole pack is saying she's cursed because of how she treated you."

I looked up at him, and for a second, I felt a tiny spark of hope. 

"Is it you? Are you the one doing it? Are you punishing her for what she did to me?"

Rafael’s face didn't soften. Instead, he looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"Me?" he asked, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. 

"You think I’d waste my time playing pranks on a maid? 

Don't be ridiculous. I enjoy seeing you suffer, Zara. I like watching you struggle because it reminds me that I'm still the one in charge."

My heart sank. The hope I felt turned into lead.

"But," he continued, his jaw tightening until I heard a bone pop, "this stupid bond and my wolf... they’re making it hard. 

My wolf screams every time you're hurt. It's like a ringing in my ears that won't stop. 

“But make no mistake I am not your knight in shining armor. I didn't touch Beatrice. I wouldn't dirty my hands for an Omega."

I blinked, confused. "If it wasn't you... then who? 

Beatrice is terrified. She thinks I'm the one doing it, but I don't have that kind of power."

Rafael leaned in, pinning me against the window with his shadow. 

"I don't know who is doing it, and I don't care. Maybe you have another secret admirer. Or maybe the Moon Goddess is just as bored as I am."

He slammed his hand against the glass next to my head, and I jumped. His eyes were burning with rage and pain.

"Don't get it twisted," he hissed. "I hate this connection. I hate that I can feel your ankle throbbing right now. It’s like a sickness under my skin, and I’m going to find a way to rip it out."

He leaned down, his breath warm against my skin. 

"It's not love. It's a curse. And I'm not going to let a weak little Omega be the end of me."

He pulled back suddenly, his face turning back into a mask of ice. 

"Go to your room. You’re done for the night. If I see you in the halls again, I’ll give you a real reason to be scared."

He turned and walked away, his heavy boots making a lonely sound in the big hallway.

I sank to the floor, my bad ankle finally giving out. I watched him go, my mind spinning. 

If Rafael wasn't the one scaring Beatrice, who was? Someone was watching over me, someone powerful enough to mess with a Beta and get away with it.

I looked at my reflection in the window. I looked tired and messy, but there was a new light in my eyes.

"You're lying, Rafael," I whispered. 

"You say you hate it, but you're the one who can't stay away."

I forced myself to stand up and start the long walk back to the servant quarters. 

As I passed by the other maids, they didn't whisper insults anymore. 

They stayed quiet. They looked at me with wonder and fear.

The "clumsy Omega" wasn't so easy to bully anymore. Something was protecting me, and even if Rafael denied it, he was still the one circling me like a hungry wolf.

I closed my door and locked it, my heart still racing. I had a mysterious protector and a mate who wanted to hate me but couldn't help but watch me.

"This is going to be a long war," I sighed, rubbing my sore ankle.

But for the first time in my life, I felt like I might actually win.