I stood in front of Yulianna's room, not quite ready to knock, my trembling hand hovering mere inches from the wood.
My heart pounded against my ribs, and my lips felt dry from sheer nervousness. How could anyone remain calm when they were about to face their tormentor?
But I couldn't hesitate. The longer I made her wait, the more violent the Luna became. Taking a deep breath, I forced my knuckles against the door, my stomach twisting into knots as Yulianna's voice rang out, inviting me inside.
"Good morning, Luna," I said, silently thanking myself for getting the words out without stuttering.
Yulianna stood next to an easel, scrutinizing an unfinished oil portrait with her head tilted slightly, eyes flicking over each brushstroke.
"Come here quickly," she commanded, motioning with her elegant pale hand. "Grab the tools and start working. The painting needs to be dry by tomorrow."
"Y-yes, Luna."
I bowed my head quickly, then hurried to grab a set of brushes, taking a seat on the stool before the easel. Carefully, I opened the lids of the wooden boxes containing the paint.
I had been painting for Yulianna ever since the other omegas discovered my gift for drawing.
When I was five, Coryn had once caught me using a piece of charcoal to sketch barn animals on the walls behind the abandoned old sheds. He had run straight to the late Alpha Theron, expecting me to be punished for ruining his property. But instead, rumors of my artistic ability spread across the pack, and soon, high-ranked wolf girls began forcing me to complete their art class assignments for them.
I hadn't minded much. I liked drawing. And once I had been introduced to colorful paint, I had fallen in love with art even more.
Yulianna had, of course, taken full advantage of my talent.
Unable to learn art herself, she forced me to paint for her, passing off my work as her own whenever someone asked to see "her" creations.
And now, I was painting a portrait of Odette, Yulianna's sister-in-law—a farewell gift from the Luna to her.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Yulianna snapped, kicking the leg of my stool. I whimpered, flinching at the impact.
Swallowing my fear, I dipped the tip of the brush into the mixed paint and moved my hand over the canvas, adding a soft highlight to Odette's wolf's fur.
Painting was the easiest job I could have in the Alpha's mansion, but with Yulianna's piercing gaze burning into my back, I often felt that chopping firewood or cleaning the suffocating toilets of the gamma wolves would have been far less exhausting.
Once I had finished Odette's portrait, Yulianna wasted no time in kicking me out of her office, barely allowing me to put away her painting tools.
I hurried back to my room, only to realize, as I reached the door, that I was still wearing Yulianna's apron—now covered in streaks of paint from where I had wiped my hands.
If anyone saw me like this, I'd be in serious trouble.
I sighed. I didn't want to go back, but I had no choice. Everyone knew I painted instead of the Luna, but holding onto proof of it? That would mean certain death for me. Especially since Yulianna's husband, Alpha Noel, still somehow remained clueless.
I carefully made my way back to the Alpha's floor of the house and raised my hand to knock when I heard Yulianna's voice from inside.
"How do you know it's true?"
A deep voice responded. Noel.
"His messenger arrived today. His letter stated that he was summoned by the King at the last minute, so he's sending one of his Betas instead."
"How disrespectful!" Yulianna squealed. "Just because he's the King's right hand doesn't mean he can neglect our invitation like this! We are not the last pack in the kingdom!"
"Whatever," Noel groaned. "Just make sure everything runs smoothly when he arrives. I've heard rumors that his Betas secretly spy on other packs. I don't want my name appearing in his bad reports."
Silence followed. I froze, unsure whether I should stay or run.
Then Noel's voice cut through the quiet.
"What is this?"
Yulianna's reply was surprisingly nervous. "Wh-what do you mean? It's Odette's portrait! I prepared it as a farewell present for her—don't you like it?"
A long pause. Then, Noel exhaled tiredly, his tone cold.
"I hate it. Make sure none of the guests see it."
The door to the Luna's office suddenly swung open. Noel stepped out, his towering figure passing by without so much as a glance in my direction.
Sensing the shift in Yulianna's mood, I instinctively tried to slip away. But I wasn't fast enough.
Before I could move, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me into the room.
Pain exploded through my scalp, and I barely had time to react before I was thrown to the floor, my forehead slamming against the cold wood. A large canvas flew toward me, its sharp corner grazing my cheek. I winced, biting back a cry.
Then came the sharp sting of her shoe. She slammed her heel against my already throbbing forehead, standing over me as she bared her fangs.
"You cunning little bitch!" she hissed, her pupils dilating with fury. "Was that your plan all along? Were you trying to mess with me by painting that abomination?"
She kicked the canvas, and I watched as it tore beneath the pressure.
"Now, thanks to you, I have no gift for Odette's banquet tomorrow! Do you even realize how humiliating that will be for me?!"
Yulianna leaned down, her claws tightening around my throat, digging into my skin.
If she wanted to, she could snap my neck in an instant.
But she wouldn't. There was no pride in killing someone as weak as me. And she needed an outlet for her constant frustration.
With a scoff, she finally let go, shoving me backward against the wall. I gasped as pain shot through my spine, my vision blurring for a second.
Then she threw the easel at me, snarling, "Get the hell out of here."
I sniffled, scrambling to my feet, my whole body screaming in pain as I crawled out of her study.
I would heal much slower than the others. This pain would last for days. And no one would help me.
As I stumbled down the hallway, barely keeping myself upright, I clenched my fists, willing myself not to cry.
But by the time I reached the omega quarters, my vision had already blurred with tears.
Thankful that my roommate would be gone until late, I collapsed onto my bed, curling under the thin blanket.
And then, unable to hold back any longer, I sobbed until exhaustion pulled me into sleep.