Page 38 of Knot the One They Want

They left.

Of course they left. Why would they stay? They made it perfectly clear what I mean to them.

Nothing.

I'm just a burden. An unwanted responsibility.

And today may be the day after my whole world was upturned, but to them, it's the same as any other day.

I let myself wallow for a few hours. It only feels fair. Slowly, I uncurl from my protective ball, joints aching from being clenched so tightly. The blankets are a tangled mess around me, the sheets beneath damp with tears I didn't even realize I shed. Pathetic.

I force myself to sit up, scrubbing at my puffy, raw face. I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the ornate vanity mirror across the room. Tangled hair, blotchy skin, eyes red-rimmed and haunted. I look as broken as I feel.

No. I refuse to wallow.

I am Evangeline Beaumont.

And I don't break.

Lifting my chin, I meet my own bloodshot gaze. Time to put on my armor.

I slip out of bed, wobbling slightly as I stand. When was the last time I ate? It doesn't matter. I have no appetite anyway. The throbbing in my head intensifies and I wince, massaging my temples. I thought going back to bed would help, but I feel worse than ever.

I need to get dressed. Look presentable. Maybe the rest of my things will arrive today and I can finish setting up my room.

My room. Because it certainly isn'tourroom.

I select a simple sundress, not bothering with makeup. Who am I trying to impress? I'll be shocked if I see another soul today. Resigned, I emerge from my room, steps slow and measured. The hardwood floor is cool beneath my bare feet as I pad down the hallway.

"Oh! Miss Beaumont, you startled me."

I look up to see the maid from last night frozen in place, her arms full of fresh linens she seemed oblivious to the existence of last night.

The maid's eyes widen as she takes in my appearance, her gaze lingering on the bandage around my throat beneath my collar. I resist the urge to tug at the gauze self-consciously. Her brow furrows and she shifts the linens in her arms.

"Is… there anything I can get for you, Miss Beaumont?" she asks, her tone polite but strained.

I clear my throat, wincing at the rawness. "I wouldn't mind some breakfast, actually."

Her lips press into a thin line as she pointedly glances at the untouched tray beside my door. "You have breakfast right there, Miss Beaumont. Unfortunately, the kitchen is closed and won't reopen until the alphas are home for dinner."

Something in me bristles at her dismissive tone. At the implication that I'm not worth the effort. That I'm somehow less important than the alphas who rejected me.

It's the same way the household staff started treating me after my mother died and Vivienne took over as lady of the house. Little indignities that piled up into becoming a second class citizen in my own home. I know how quickly the new normal sets in. A spark of indignation flares to life, momentarily overtaking the hollow ache in my chest.

I may be broken, but I refuse to be treated like I don't matter. Like I'm not a real part of this pack. Drawing myself up to my full height, I meet the maid's pale brown eyes directly.

"Then open it again." My voice is quiet but firm, leaving no room for argument.

She blinks at me, taken aback. "I'm sorry, Miss Beaumont?"

"Miss Blackwood," I correct her, taking a step forward, squaring my shoulders. "It's Miss Blackwood now."

She casts another pointed glance at the bandages around my neck, as if thinking of challenging me on the fact that I'm not properly marked yet. Let her. It's a shame on her masters, not on me. Let her pitch a bitch fit about how I'm not their rightful omega, and I'll take the very same complaint to the Council of joint coalitions. We'll see whotheydecide is to blame.

"Yes, Miss Blackwood," she finally says, her eyes flicking down in defeat. "But as I said before, the kitchen is?—"

"Closed. Which means it can be reopened." I keep my tone even, but there's an unmistakable edge of steel beneath the polite veneer. "I'm not asking for a seven course meal. Just something fresh I can actually eat. I was up late, trying to make a proper nest out of the insufficient materials your staff failed to provide me."

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