CHAPTER 42: BIG-HEADED ALPHA

Nikki’s room was a storm.

Perfume bottles lay shattered like fallen stars; broken glass winked from the carpet. A vase lay in pieces by the wall; feathers from a torn pillow drifted slowly to the floor.

Seraphine and her daughters stood at the far end of the room, heads bowed, shoulders coiled. None of them dared move. They had seen Nikki angry before, furious, even, but never like this.

"That bitch!" Nikki screamed, her voice sharp enough to make Lena flinch. "How dare she stand there acting all high and mighty after humiliating us like that!" She grabbed another pillow and hurled it across the room. It struck the mirror, rattling the brush set on the vanity and sending a hairpin skittering into the wreckage.

Her chest heaved. "Did you see the way the Alpha looked at her?" she spat, turning on them. "Did you?! When she called him darling, that fool was blushing!" Her hands clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms. "He actually blushed for her!"

Seraphine’s mouth opened slightly, but no words came. She knew better. This wasn’t a question that needed an answer.

"I thought he hated her," Nikki hissed, pacing like a caged animal. "I thought he wanted her gone. Why was he looking at her like that?" Her voice cracked. She slammed her palm on the dresser. "Why can’t she just disappear and leave my Alpha alone?"

Lena and Lyra exchanged a quick, nervous glance and shrank back under Nikki’s flashing gaze. Seraphine gave them a subtle shake of her head, don’t speak, and folded her hands so hard her knuckles paled.

Nikki turned away again, snatching the sheets off her bed and throwing them to the floor. "She thinks she’s special now because the Moon Goddess blessed her? Pathetic!" she snarled. "I’ll make her regret it. swear I’ll make her pay for today’s humiliation!"

Her voice rose with every word until it broke into a frustrated growl. Then, as if the storm had spent itself, she sagged. Nikki collapsed onto the mattress, the movement bone-deep exhausted. She curled around a pillow and pressed it to her face.

"Why..." she muttered, muffled and raw. "Why can’t he just see me? I’m the one who truly loves him..."

A strangled yell tore out of her,half grief, half animal rage. She screamed into the pillow until her throat burned, her body shaking with every ragged breath, the fury bleeding into exhaustion.

When the room finally fell silent again, only the sound of her ragged breathing filled the air.

Seraphine stood still, watching her daughter’s back rise and fall, knowing better than to comfort her. The last thing Nikki wanted right now was pity.

Lena and Lyra stayed frozen, not daring to speak, afraid that even a breath too loud might set her off again.

Then, the sound caught them off guard. A small, broken sob.

Nikki had turned onto her side, her shoulders shaking. The proud, sharp-voiced woman who’d just been swearing vengeance was suddenly crying, soft, desperate, and real. The sight left the room colder.

Seraphine stiffened, her hands curling into fists. She didn’t know if it was pain or anger she felt. She hated seeing Nikki like that, hated how powerless she looked. But the truth burned worse: Rhea had done this. That insolent girl had humiliated them all and left her lady in tears. Seraphine’s nails bit into her palm.

Lena and Lyra exchanged quick worried glances, unsure of what to do.

Then the door burst open.

Eberhard didn’t bother to knock. His presence filled the room instantly, tall, broad, and frowning. His sharp eyes swept the wreckage: broken glass, overturned pillows, Seraphine standing stiffly by the wall, and his daughter sobbing into a ruined bedspread.

"What happened here?" he demanded, his voice low but cutting.

Nikki jerked upright at once. "Father!" she gasped, scrambling to her feet. Her face was streaked with tears, her hair wild. "We have to do something! We can’t just let that bitch humiliate us like this!" She grabbed at his arm, desperation pouring from her voice. "You’ll make her pay, right? You won’t let the Alpha change his mind and mate her, right?"

Eberhard’s expression hardened instantly. His jaw ticked, and his glare turned on his daughter. He was still seething from how the Alpha had spoken to him earlier, and now, this sniveling display from Nikki only worsened the sting.

He stared at her, his rage simmering under the surface. If I didn’t need you for what’s coming... he thought darkly. You’d be nothing but a burden to me right now.

Without a word, he brushed past her, his tone clipped. "Seraphine, you and your daughters, clean up this mess."

Seraphine bowed her head instantly. "Yes, Sir Eberhard." She motioned to her daughters, and the three women hurried to pick up shards of glass and feathers, moving quickly to avoid drawing attention.

Nikki froze, disbelief flashing across her face. "Father?" she called, voice trembling. When he didn’t turn, her tone sharpened. "Why are you ignoring me?! I’m the one who..."

The sound cracked through the air before she finished.

Eberhard’s hand came down across her face, the slap echoing in the wrecked room.

Seraphine gasped. Lena dropped the vase shard she was holding, and Lyra’s hands flew to her mouth. None of them had ever seen this, Eberhard had never raised a hand to Nikki.

Nikki stood frozen, eyes wide, her cheek burning, her lips trembling. "F–Father?" she choked, voice breaking.

Eberhard’s voice was cold, sharp as a blade. "I don’t know what I did to deserve a daughter like you. Can’t you think for yourself? Do you always need someone to fight your battles for you?"

Her tears welled up again, confusion mixing with shock.

"At least that wench..." he continued, bitterness twisting his tone, "no matter how beaten she was, she stood back up. Even when everyone turned their backs, she fought. I can’t believe a filth like her can think smarter than my own daughter!"

"F–Father..." Nikki whispered, her voice small, trembling, breaking apart.

Eberhard’s eyes stayed cold. "I’m disappointed in you."

He turned sharply and strode toward the door. The slam that followed made the entire room tremble.

For a moment, silence held everything together, then it broke.

Nikki dropped to the floor, her legs giving out beneath her. Tears streamed freely down her face, mixing with the sting on her cheek. Her voice rose again, raw and furious.

"This is all her fault!" she screamed, pounding her fist against the floor. "It’s all that witch’s fault!"

******

Rhea sat at the dining table, one elbow resting lazily against the polished edge as she studied the feast laid out before her. Platters of glazed ribs gleamed beside seared lamb chops bathed in dark sauce. Slices of smoked salmon fanned neatly over crushed ice, crowned with lemon and herbs. A crystal bowl overflowed with jewel-toned fruits, grapes, cherries, mango, and pomegranate seeds. There were skewers of roasted meat, bowls of spicy prawns, and a platter of marinated wings slick with honey glaze.

Across from her, Tavian and Jason stood stiffly, not quite sure what to do with themselves. Their hands were clasped behind their backs like obedient soldiers, but the corners of their mouths tugged upward as they watched her.

Rhea’s eyes darted from dish to dish, her expression almost childlike in its wonder. Her fingers twitched slightly on the table as if restraining themselves from diving in.

Jason’s smile softened. The way she looked at the food, like she hadn’t seen a proper meal in her entire life, was both funny and heartbreaking. Then the thought hit him, and his chest tightened. Maybe that wasn’t far from the truth. Everyone in the pack knew what she’d endured... starved, beaten, cast aside. It wasn’t hard to imagine she’d gone nights without even a crust of bread.

Tavian’s jaw tightened slightly as he looked at her. He didn’t speak, but his eyes betrayed the same thought.

"Where do I even start from..." Rhea muttered, rubbing her palms together, her tone somewhere between awe and sarcasm.

Jason moved before he could think twice. He grabbed one of the plates and began to serve her, scooping a bit of everything, careful not to spill a drop.

Rhea blinked, watching him with a raised brow. "What are you doing?"

Jason froze mid-motion, spoon in hand. "I–I just wanted to serve you, my...Rhea" he stammered, cheeks coloring.

Rhea gave a small laugh, waving a hand dismissively. "No, no. I don’t need serving. Sit down, both of you. Let’s dig in together."

The two omegas exchanged a startled glance. Sit... with her? That wasn’t how this worked. Not with someone of her new standing.

Rhea arched an eyebrow, smirking faintly. "What are you waiting for? I said sit."

That was all the invitation they needed. They scrambled for seats, Tavian sliding into the one on her left, Jason on her right.

For a moment, the three of them sat there in silence, staring at the feast.