hina'

ut suffering was that it did

arrived with t

you. And sometimes, it lived in a house where hundreds of peop

I began living in the servants' quart

nths since the pack members who had bowed to my father began spitting at his name. Six mont

ies ached, and learning that hunger could become so famili

ching my mother prete

e and kissed my forehead. Every

ied when she thou

to her. Whenever I heard that quiet, broken sound, some

to pretend with me. I wanted her to kn

words aloud, the last little piece of

retend

hin blanket was enough to keep me warm, and the little

to notice how my mother flinched w

pretending was the only

ina, wa

voice reached me th

ng air was cold against my skin. My mother knelt beside

ing already

hair away fro

art. We have

, rubbin

mach g

changed as she glanced at the small wooden table beside

ke it into two pieces, h

red a

this one

not h

rds so many times that I had learned to rec

lways not

s stoppe

ly regrette

ry," I w

r sat be

e for noticing

in my hand and closed

ng in the kitc

I ate the bread anyway. Refusing

once belonged to another servant. The sleeves were too lo

had repair

will we get

paused at

uld take the

ings become easi

will t

sm

oo

ed that grown-ups sometimes sa

kissed m

theart. We mus

wed her

e Crystal Moon Pack was waiti

-

quarters were

of laundry. Men moved between the kitchen and storage

ad time

d time to

of us were barely old enough to unde

en while I followed Morgan's inst

the task every mo

grand staircase. Its polished marble floor reflected the

ck's mansion was a place of honor. He had said the

e would say if he

girl kneeling on the floor w

hat I could do nothin

u staring a

tar

r end of the corridor, her a

y," I sai

esn't cle

head and resu

inspecting the marble. Sh

ater is

ing to ch

eturns and sees you maki

ma'

et fres

avier than I expected, and my arms tremb

out, "And make sure you d

tened

he stairs before my foot

cket t

hed across

ing at the sp

rd Morgan'

ave you

sor

t the water,

idea how expensiv

ok my

once, didn't it? Perhaps you were too busy

ce bu

er worke

xpression

r fa

allo

epped

f he had been an honest man, perhaps you wo

uck harder th

d at th

wasn't a

was

remained silen

ther person speak about my fathe

s a go

grabbed

has been generous enough to allow you and your mother to rema

sed me wi

the w

to my

them away. I would not cry in front of he

om the floor until t

away without

for several seconds,

n inside me

one could be so cruel to a chil

-

kitchen was u

ash the breakfast dishes. My hands smelled of soap and gre

er carried a tray of foo

g several plates while a seni

from the cor

ooked

ed tired for

she remembered what it felt

g and wash t

ade me turn back

ely resume

ped my hands on my dr

May I have som

glanced

finish yo

, ma

e grateful you sti

ot unde

eas

ard a basket of

washing area. After

ulders

s I was, but I lifted it and car

rea, I heard laughter co

stood sli

t around a long table. Bowls of steaming soup, roas

ll reac

mach c

lace another basket o

imagined her laughing again, my father at the head of t

eone ins

one seen

d the voice

ael Bla

tened around th

he kitchen, Alpha,"

e finishes everythi

, Al

r voic

r is here to

a dismis

hould learn to w

ughter

de the door,

my mother worked until her hands trembled and that I spent m

did n

e were no

more servants who

and continued towa

sed painfully a

d no

th

ke people kinder. Sometimes, they o

-

my mother sitting on

small pie

had once used. My mother had kept it hidden among our few bel

the doo

the

ly wiped

're

and sat b

re you

d down at

at belonged t

d its wo

membe

le appeared

carry it e

o you when yo

es

sat together w

ed against

u miss

turned t

ced something change in her face, as though the wound

y," she w

y arms arou

to

the top o

, sweet

Sometimes, when I hear footsteps out

lips press

en I re

d not

rms, and for several min

n that had been sitting

we do somet

drew

ha

hy everyon

yes w

ed to e

servants laugh when they talk about us

e grew

omething to

e before taking my fa

N

irmly that I stopped b

sten to me. We did

everyone trea

he window, struggli

she pulle

er believe a lie than admit that some

he entered a room. I thought about my father, whose name had become an

hy nobody

r closed

rha

face against

Father w

tightened

do

as better whe

to be grateful for what we had.

moment, I w

e room, the world belonge

s arms, I was still a

-

er divided the little foo

nt of me and kept the

at the

you can h

ook he

ready discu

ou're

are

ed more t

are still

row

eel like I

r laughe

at her in surprise. I could not rememb

ced my e

t is

thi

mil

ious seconds,

f boots echoed o

le disa

and placed the remai

returned so quickly that it was as t

ne kn

her st

it?" s

the

s a g

er look

re, swee

d the doo

side, holding a fol

r from t

tightened around t

t or

duties tomorrow morning. The Alpha is hosti

dy completed our

looked at

k for you

N

eady befor

the paper an

r closed

he remained where she

lowered hersel

roach

the

aper and placed

hing is

d at he

ere tr

er and held th

ave to prete

ce cru

r arms, pressing my h

time, she s

almost missed it, she whispe

sed m

kno

rying s

ow, M

ld me

you to have

pped down

nt you to

ken sound and buried

of us sp

he same thin blanket, holdin

e would wash the floors, carry the basket

e Alpha demanded because

r's breathing gradually grow

o we had been before the Crystal M

espected man, that my mother had once lived without fear, and th

had taken everything from us would under

nce between justice and revenge. I did not know why the powerf

er was hurting, and I co

rayed that, when morning came, she would

y mother's smile remained the only thing in t

th the fear and the helplessness, a

re cruelty before something

no a

d of watching my mother suffer, and tired of livin

and held her ha

ight, it w

, another day beneath the roof of a

greater pain, unexpected power, and a chance to

ly ten y

dured long enough, someone mi

one day, I would have to become