The scent of freshly brewed coffee, usually a comfort, felt like a judgment this morning. I stood in my usual spot, a shadow in the grand dining room, dressed in rags while my family feasted. Sarah, my stepsister, tapped her porcelain cup with a silver spoon, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Honestly, after so many years, you’d think she’d have learned how to do it by now."

My stepmother, Victoria, Luna of Moonstone, glared at me with pure disdain. "What a pathetically useless mutt our little Maeve is." The words, though familiar, still twisted in my gut. I lowered my head, hiding the sting of tears. "Please, forgive me," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I’ll do better next time."

A heavy sigh from my father, Alpha Burton, punctuated the silence. He didn't even look at me. "Leave us, Maeve, and find something productive to do with your time." I gritted my teeth, retreating to the kitchen. An omega servant, no better. Just a blemish to be concealed.