Chapter 23 Someone else
Lira
Once again, he chose something else, someone else over me.
After arguing back and forth and trying to make him see reason, he still didn’t agree with me. Morals, duty, my mum, everything else came first.
After he left, I cried for what felt like twenty minutes. My heart had broken and I didn’t know what I would do with myself. I just felt so alone and cast aside. To Kael, I wasn’t even worth the risk.
I wiped my tears and decided to go out. I needed air. My room felt suffocating and like the walls were closing in on me. I wore trousers and changed the top I was wearing to something a little prettier.
I hadn’t been around the palace, so I wasn’t sure how to navigate my way. My legs carried me around and as I admired the paintings, statues and special antiques in the pack house, I felt my soul become lighter.
My eyes widened in shock when I stumbled on a fight and I realized where I was. The entrance of the training ground. Rowan was sparring with a new recruit, and the recruit was losing badly.
Rowan hit him multiple times, refusing to give him a break before landing another one. It was almost like he thought he was fighting a punching bag.
He finished his fight with a blow that caused a sickening crack of his ribs to echo in the training ground.
Ouch. That would hurt like a bitch for months.
I turned to leave, deciding whatever was going on was none of my business, but luck didn’t seem to be on my side. Not with Alpha Kael, and now, certainly not with Rowan.
Big hands wrapped around my arm and yanked me forward. “And where do you think you’re going to?”
Rowan
I was beginning to hate that question. “Back to my room,” I shot back.
I stared at Rowan, taking in the cruel twist of his lips and the malice in his eyes. He was relentless when it came to hurting me. It was like he thrived on it. Like my pain was some kind of sick entertainment for him.
“What? Little puppy is running back to her room so no one will know she’s been punished by the Alpha? That’s what you get for throwing Alicia into the pool.”
A bitter scoff escaped my lips before I could stop it, and I watched his expression shift from smug satisfaction to raw anger.
"You know," I said, my voice dripping with contempt, "you sort of look like her lap dog now." I didn’t push Alicia, but if it was him, I’d hold his head underwater if I had to.
His hand came against my face before I could register the movement. Pain exploded across my mouth, hot and sharp. I tasted copper on my tongue, and felt the warmth of blood trickling from my split lip.
But I didn't look away. I met his gaze with every ounce of hatred I had buried inside me, letting him see exactly what I thought of him.
"You're a rat," he snarled, his face twisted with rage. "How dare you insult me?"
"You’re only angry because you know it’s the truth," I said, wiping the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Apologize." His voice was low. "Now."
I lifted my chin, ignoring the throbbing pain in my lip. "I didn’t do anything wrong. I am not apologizing."
His hand shot out and he grabbed a fistful of my hair. The sharp pull made my scalp burn, he dragged me to the middle of the training ground and before I could fight back, he forced me down to my knees. The rough ground bit into my skin through the trousers I was wearing.
"You two," Rowan barked at two of the guards. "Get over here. Hold her down. Make sure she doesn't stand up."
They exchanged uncertain glances, their feet rooted to the spot.
"But..." one of them started, his voice hesitant. "Lady Lira is also a madam of the house. We can't-"
"Are you questioning me?" Rowan's voice cut through the garden like a blade. "Because I can make sure you're both thrown out of this pack house by morning. Is that what you want?"
Helplessness washed over me as I watched them rush forward, their hands clamping down on my shoulders. They wouldn't meet my eyes, but their grip was firm, unyielding. I was trapped.
Rowan crouched in front of me, and his hand connected with my face again. The slap rang out in the garden, and my head snapped to the side. Fresh blood filled my mouth, mixing with the bitter taste of humiliation.
I wanted to scream. To fight. To do anything but kneel here while he degraded me. But the recruits held me down, and my own weakness mocked me from inside me.
"Look at you," Rowan said, his tone filled with mockery. "A worthless omega who can't even shift. You know what? I'm happy I rejected you. You're good for nothing. You'll never be anything more than this."
Each word was a knife, twisting deeper into wounds that had never fully healed. But I refused to break. Not in front of him.
He stood up, towering over me with that smug expression I had grown to despise. "Kiss my shoe."
I blinked. What the fuck did he just ask me to do??
"That's the only way you can be forgiven for insulting me," he continued. "Don’t you think I’m being generous? If you kiss my shoe, I'll let you go. If not… We could do this all day long."
"I’m not going to kiss your disgusting shoe," I said, my voice shaking with barely contained rage.
“This shoe is worth more than you can dream of. So you better think twice before you open that stupid mouth of yours.”
His hand tangled in my hair again, yanking my head down until my face was inches from his feet. The position sent a spike of pain through my neck, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to cry out.
"Kiss. My. Feet." Each word was punctuated with another painful tug.
A tear slipped down my cheek, hot and unwelcome. I hated it. Hated that he could reduce me to this. The injustice burned in my chest, suffocating me.
I closed my eyes, fresh tears threatening to fall. Maybe if I just did what he wanted, he would leave me alone. Maybe I could go back to my room and pretend this never happened. I leaned down, bringing my face closer to his shoe, but then I stopped.
A presence washed over me, powerful and commanding. My wolf stirred with longing in response.
Kael.
"Who gave you the right to do this?"