bChapter /bb149 /b

    bra’s /bbPOV /b

    “bGet /bon your knees.”

    Mi’s words clung to the air, thick with contempt. She was

    was still standing there, her gaze steady as she fixed her eyes on meb, /bdaring me to

    make the bfirst /bmove.

    I didn’t have the luxury of time. And I certainly didn’t have the strength to fight back. A flicker of hesitation crossed my mind before I heard the sharpmand from Lance.

    “Guards,” he said, his voice cold but oddly calm, “Lady Mi needs assistance.”

    At his words, the guards moved forward, their boots scraping against the stone floor as they closed in. I could almost hear the excitement bin /btheir steps. They were eager to see someone brought low, eager for a spectacle.

    “Wait!” Mi’s voice rang out, trembling slightly, but still holding an edge.

    I stood frozen, my feet unwilling to take a step forward. Being forced into position like this–by these lowly guards, no less–felt worse than any fall to my knees. It made me feel even smaller than I already did.

    “Just get it over with,” I muttered under my breath, feeling the weight of the room press down on me.

    I shuffled forward with a sigh, my heart a tangled mess.

    “ra…” My voice faltered as I spoke her name, a bitter taste rising in my throat.

    “Get into the right position,” Thorne’s voice was like ice. It cut through my words like a knife.

    I shuddered. Every time I faced Thorne, it was as if the past came crashing back. He had been my Alpha once. And now? Now I was the one

    who had betrayed him.

    With great effort, I forced my body down onto my knees in front of ra.

    “J–ra…” I gritted the words out.

    “I am… sorry,” I whispered, but the words felt weak. Insincere. It wasn’t enough, and I knew it..

    “Louder,” ra’s voice was steady, yet piercing. “I can’t hear you.”

    tred at her, my hands curling into fists at my sides. Resentment bubbled up from deep inside me. But I knew there was no way out.

    “ra,” I repeated, this time with more force, “I am sorry!” My voice wavered, betraying the anger swirling within me.

    But ra didn’t let it end there. No, she wanted more. “Sorry for what?”

    My teeth ground together. “I… I am sorry for what I did to you… behind Alpha Thorne’s back… And I beg you, please forgive bme/bb…/bb” /b

    She chuckled softly, augh that sent chills down my spine. “You’re sorry for what? For betraying me? For thinking byou /bcould ever bwalk /bball /bover me and get away with it?”

    I felt a flush of heat crawl up my neck. “I

    “bYou /bbdon’t /beven have your King’s support, do you?” ra’s voice grew colder. “How does bthat /bmake you bfeel/bb? /bbYou’re /bbon /bbyour /bbknees /bbwithout /b

    banyone /bbto /bbback /bbyou /bup. Does that make you feel like a fool?”

    bI /bbsnapped /bmy gaze upward, my eyes shing with fury. “I’m not going to answer that!” I bit

    themb. /b

    out, the words slipping out faster than I could stop

    “Answer her,” Thorne’s voice was a low growl. He wasn’t asking.

    Lance cleared his throat from the side, his presence a silent reminder that he was still there, watching. He didn’t intervene. Just stood bby/b, like

    an observer to my humiliation.

    I swallowed hard, my head heavy with the weight of the moment. It felt as if the ground itself wanted to swallow me whole. I couldn’t escape.

    “Yes,” I spat out. “I feel like an idiot.” The words were

    I could feel the soldiers‘ eyes on me, their quietught

    They had no love for me. I knew that. They never did.

    nomous, but they were true.

    filling the air like a distant echo.

    I had treated them like dirt. Made their lives harder than they should’ve been. I had punished them when I was Queen in Direstone Packb, /bbbut /bolliit. They didn’t care who I had been. They wanted me brought low. /li/ol

    here, in this new world, there would be no tolerance f

    “Yesi, /ian idiot.” ra’s voice was sharp, her words slicing through the tension like a de. “Don’t forget that. And don’te near me again, understand?”

    I didn’t say anything. Instead, I shot her a look that was full of silent hate, a promise of revenge. She might think she had won now, but one day–one day, would make her pay for this.

    But 1 wasn’t afraid of her. I couldn’t afford to be.

    ra didn’t seem to mind. She had made her decision long ago. She wasn’t going to let me off the hook. She would find her revenge in her

    own way.

    But now? Now, I had to think about surviving. About getting out.

    “I’m going to have you checked by a doctor,” Thorne said, his voice softer now, though there was an edge to it.

    He bent to reach for me, but I jerked back, avoiding his touch like it

    was

    a

    venomous snake.

    “I’m fine,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. “I can walk.”

    Thorne’s face darkened at my rejection, his jaw clenching. “You’re injured.”

    “My legs are fine. I can walk just fine,” I snapped.

    I attempted to rise, but my body was islow /ito respond.

    And just then, Lance’s voice rang out again, the sound smooth and condescending. “Alpha Thorne, I think we’re far from finished here. We still haven’t discussed her punishment.”

    Thorne’s eyes narrowed, his body stiffening. “We’ve already discussed it,” he growled. “My stance is clear.”

    Lance tilted his head, as though pretending to consider the matter. “Sureb, /bsure, But cutting off ra’s hands wasb… /bexcessive. bHowever/bb, /bI bcan’t /bjust let her off lightly. Especially now that she’s one of us. Those soldiers she killed? They’re our soldiers too nowb./bb” /b

    His eyes locked ionto /iThorne’s, his smirk growing. “If you don’t do something about it, bI /bmight start to question bif /byou’re breally /bbone /bbof /bbus/bb./bb” /b

    ra’s heart sank. She knew what Lance was doing. He was setting the stage for a confrontationb, /btrying to manipte Thorne into bdoing /bhis bidding.

    “Well, I’ve been thinking,” Lance continued, his voice dripping with mock sincerity, “Maybe a minor punishment would do. Gamma ra how about you take up some maid duties to make up for your… mistake?”

    ra’s eyebrow shot up at the suggestion. He wanted her humiliated. Degraded to a servant. But she wasn’t exactly unfamiliar with that role.

    And honestly, the thought of it didn’t bother her that much. It would give her a chance to move around. To find a way out.

    “Yes,” ra said without hesitation, her voice steady despite the emotions running underneath.

    But then, Thome spoke. And his words felt like a p to the face.

    “No.” His voice was low, tight with anger.

    His eyes were full of something unreadable as they met mine. “You would let them do this to you?” His voice dropped to a hiss.

    I met his gaze, my heart pounding. “It’s none of your business,” I snapped.

    Thorne’s breath grew shallow, his fists clenched as if he were fighting bto /bcontrol himself. “I know what you’re doing, ra. You want to stay away from me. You want to serve Lance and Mi, don’t you? Is that how much you hate me?”

    His words cut through me. “Yes, I hate you,” I answered, my voice filled with a cold truth.

    And I didn’t even try to hide the contempt in my eyes as I continued. “You let me work as a maid for years, remember? When I was your

    Luna?”

    Thorne’s face faltered. His eyes hardened, and for a moment, I saw the cracks in the armour he wore.

    With a low growl, he finally spoke. “If this is what you wantb, /bfine. But don’te crawling back to me when you need help.”

    With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out.

    Lance pped his hands together with an eerie grin. “Well then! Looks like a decision has been made! Gamma ra, are you ready for your new job?”

    I met his eyes, cold and unfazed. “Yes,” I said, my voice steady.

    “Great,” Lance’s smile widened. “Just remember, don’t try to run away again. We’ll be keeping a close eye on you.”

    A maid came forward, guiding me out of the room and toward my new “duties.”

    As we walked through the pce halls, Mi’s voice floated to my earsb, /bsickly sweet, dripping with malice. “My King, can bI /bboss that bbitch /baround now? Since she’s a lowly maid?”

    Lance’s voice responded fondly, almost too casually. “Of course, you can do whatever you want.”

    I followed the maid, my mind already calcting how to make my escape.

    But thenb, /bsomething caught my eye. A sign on the wall. “bNo /bentry to the West corridor on the b-4 /bfloor.”

    I pointed to the sign, curiosity piqued. “What’s in the West corridor? Why can’t anyone go thereb?/bb” /b

    The maid shot me a nced, but didn’t respond.

    I knew there was something more to this ce. Something dark and hidden. And I intended to find iout /iwhat.