The echo of heavy footsteps in the corridor above made my hands shake as I scrubbed the stone floor. Something had happened. I could hear Alpha Magnus’s voice, sharp with irritation, and the hurried responses of pack guards. My heart hammered against my ribs as I tried to make myself invisible, pressing closer to the wall.

“Keep working,” Eos whispered in my mind, her voice tense. “Don’t draw attention.”

But it was too late.

“SLAVE!” Luna Morgan’s screech cut through the air like a blade. “Get up here NOW!”

I dropped the scrub brush, my wet hands trembling as I scrambled to my feet. The bucket of dirty water sloshed as I hurried toward the stairs, my bare feet slipping on the damp stone. Each step felt like walking toward my execution.

Luna Morgan stood at the top of the service stairs, her face twisted with fury. Behind her, I could see Alpha Magnus speaking in hushed tones with two guards. One of them was pointing down the corridor where I’d been working.

“Yes, Luna,” I gasped, immediately bowing my head as I reached the landing.

Her cold eyes raked over me with disgust. “A guard was found unconscious near where you were cleaning. Explain. Now.”

My stomach dropped. “I… I don’t know anything about that, Luna. I was just scrubbing the floors like you ordered. I didn’t see anyone.”

The words tumbled out In a rush, panic making my voice higher than usual. I had been alone down there, completely focused on my work. How could a guard have been hurt? Who would have done such a thing?

“Liar!”

CRACK!

Her palm connected with my already bruised cheek, and I stumbled backward, stars exploding across my vision. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as my lip split against my teeth.

“I didn’t see anything, I swear!” I cried, pressing my hand to my burning cheek. “Please, Luna, I would never lie to you!”

But her eyes held a different kind of fury now, something must have made her really angry, and she was taking her frustration out on me.

“Do you want to find your mate, slave?”

The question caught me so completely off guard. My mate? Why would she ask about… my heart began to race as Eos stirred restlessly in my mind.

“I… what?” I stammered, confusion clouding my thoughts.

“Answer me!” she snarled. “Do you want to find your mate?”

When I was a kid, back when my parents were still alive, I used to dream about my mate. He would be tall and handsome and he would love me. But the torture I had endured had wiped such dreams from my head. But now, now that I have a wolf, maybe things could be different. Maybe someone would love me. I’m not picky and would accept anybody who shows me interest. Then I answered her.

“Yes,” I whispered. “Yes, I want to find my mate.”

CRACK!

This slap was harder than the first, sending me crashing into the wall. My vision blurred as pain exploded through my skull, and I tasted more blood.

“You ungrateful little wretch!” Luna Morgan grabbed my hair, yanking my head back to force me to look at her. “When your parents betrayed this pack, when they committed treason that got good wolves killed, I took you in! I saved you from exile! I fed you!”

I glanced down at the threadbare rags that hung from my skeletal frame, stained with years of scrubbing and cleaning. Fed me? The hollow ache in my stomach told a different story. When was the last time I'd had a real meal? Days? Weeks?

“I clothed you!” she continued, following my gaze to my tattered dress with a sneer. “I gave you shelter when you deserved nothing but death!”

Her nails dug into my scalp as she shook me. “And you think you can just leave my service? You think some mate will come and take you away from your obligations?”

“Luna, I never said…”

“NO!” she screamed, spittle flying from her lips. “You will pay me back for every morsel of food, every scrap of clothing, every day of shelter I’ve provided! You owe me a debt that will take a lifetime to repay!”

The crushing weight of her words settled over me like a burial shroud. Even if my mate existed, even if they wanted me, she would never let me go. I would die in this pack house, scrubbing floors and enduring beatings until my body finally gave out.

“Better cast that mate idea out of your head right now,” Luna Morgan hissed, her face inches from mine. “You belong to me. Your life belongs to me. And I will never, EVER, let you forget it, let alone letting you go.”

She released my hair so suddenly that I collapsed to the floor, my knees hitting the stone with a sickening crack. Pain shot up my legs, but I didn’t dare cry out.

“Guards!” Luna Morgan called, her voice carrying down the hallway.

Two large men appeared almost instantly, their faces impassive as they looked down at me crumpled on the floor. I recognized them both. Marcus and Kane had been among Tristan’s group of tormentors for years, though they’d graduated to more official positions within the pack hierarchy.

“This slave needs to be reminded of her place,” Luna Morgan said coldly, stepping over me like I was nothing more than debris. “Do whatever you want with her. Just make sure she’s still able to work tomorrow.”

“No,” I whispered, scrambling backward on my hands and knees. “Please, Luna, I’ll work harder. I’ll do anything you ask. Please don’t…”

But she was already walking away, her heels clicking against the marble with cold finality.

Marcus stepped forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “Well, well. Looks like it’s our lucky day, Kane.”

“Been a long time since we had any real fun with the pack’s pet,” Kane agreed, flexing his fingers with anticipation.