Ironclad Wolves Precipice of Godhood 1

The floor did nothing to ease her pain. The hard surface hurt her sore knees, but the Alpha's house remained unforgiving, never stopping for anyone foolish enough to slow down.

Stella pressed the brush harder against the floor, moving it in tight circles, back and forth. The rough surface scraped against her knuckles. Sweat ran down her face, and she let it.

Around her, the hall echoed with the movements of the other Omegas. Their heads were bowed, their eyes fixed on the floor. They had learned to make themselves invisible. Invisibility was a skill here. Those who had not learned it yet carried the marks on their skin. Stella had learned early, and that skill had protected her.

"Shut up and get back to work!" the Head Omega's voice cut through the hall.

Stella bent lower and continued scrubbing, her jaw tight, her hands moving on their own. This was her reality, not just today or this moment. Ever since she had been old enough to hold a brush, this had been her life. Even on the hardest days, she had almost grown used to it.

Almost.

A shadow stretched across the wet floor.

Stella noticed the shoes first. Polished black. Expensive. Perfectly clean.

She lifted her head, and her stomach sank when she recognized him.

Caden. The Alpha's son.

He didn't need to announce himself. The whole hall seemed to change around him. Backs straightened. Voices faded. He stood with the confidence of someone who had never needed to prove he was the most powerful person in the room.

Stella immediately looked away. She had learned one rule before anything else.

Don't look at Caden. Don't speak to Caden.

She stared at the floor, waiting for his shadow to move away.

It didn't.

Then she noticed a second presence. An expensive perfume filled the air. It was Keisha, Caden's girlfriend and, in Stella's words, the devil's daughter. She moved with complete confidence, carrying the pride of someone born into wealth and power. As the daughter of a neighboring Alpha, she had every reason to. She never needed a reason to make Stella's life difficult.

Across the hall, Stella caught Lina's eye. Her face was blank, but fear showed in her eyes. Their eyes met for only a moment before Lina looked away. They both knew that holding eye contact for too long could bring trouble.

A sudden slap came from the side, hard enough to turn Stella's head. Pain spread across her cheek as she reached out to steady herself, but her hand slipped, sending the brush clattering to the floor.

For a moment, everything tilted. She blinked through the sting and raised her head.

Keisha.

Of course it was Keisha.

She stood there with her hands on her waist, her face perfectly calm. It was clear she had enjoyed every second of it.

"Do you want another?" she asked with a scoff, smacking her lips.

"I'm sorry," Stella whispered, lowering her head again. "I wasn't looking at him. I swear I wasn't."

"You were staring," Keisha shot back.

"I wasn't. I would never..." Stella began.

"Are you calling me a liar?" Keisha cut in.

Stella's mouth closed immediately. There was no right answer with Keisha. There never had been. This wasn't about the truth. It was about reminding Stella of her place, and it was working. Shame settled over her, heavy and hard to shake. Her face burned, and she kept her eyes down, refusing to let Keisha see how deeply her words had reached her.

Keisha smiled. She turned toward Caden and slipped an arm around his waist, making it clear to everyone that he was hers. She looked over her shoulder at Stella.

"Don't mind her," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Wolfless trash always forgets its place."

A few people chuckled.

Caden gently removed Keisha's arm and took a step back. Without saying a word, he turned and walked away.

He never said anything. He never did.

But just before he disappeared from view, Stella felt his eyes on her. It lasted only a second. There was no warmth in his gaze, but there was no cruelty either. Just an unreadable look. Stella couldn't tell what he was thinking, and she hated that she cared enough to wonder.

After that, he was gone.

Keisha didn't follow immediately. She paused and looked down at Stella. Her expression held no pity or hesitation. Stella knew exactly what was coming.

Keisha turned to the Head Omega, who had appeared at the center of the hall, and spoke two words as if they meant nothing to her.

"Twenty-five lashes."

That night, the Omega quarters were dark and cold. Stella lay face-down on the thin mat she shared with Lina. Her cheek rested against the rough fabric while pain spread across her back.

She tried not to think about it.

The twenty-five lashes had left a deep, lasting pain. Her back throbbed with every breath, and each small movement brought the pain back. She hadn't forgotten what had happened. She couldn't.

Worst of all, she hadn't eaten. Then again, that was nothing new.

Lina sat beside her. She pressed an oil-soaked cloth against Stella's back. Her touch was tender, much softer than anyone would expect. But her hands were shaking. Every now and then, Lina stopped, trying to hold herself together. A moment later, Stella heard the small, choked sound Lina was trying to hide.

"Are you crying?" Stella whispered, her voice muffled against the mat.

"No," Lina answered quickly.