Liana pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the Alpha's mansion, her exhaustion growing as the noise inside washed over her. The drawing room was chaotic—adults lounging on the luxurious furniture, chatting as though they didn’t have a care in the world, while maids and omegas darted around, balancing trays and fulfilling commands. Children, her cousins and their friends, raced through the mansion, their raucous laughter echoing loudly.
Liana winced as her headache flared, her patience wearing thin. After surviving the cursed forest, failing her hunt, dealing with rogue attacks, and receiving an unexpected invitation from the Alpha King, all she wanted was peace. But her home was anything but.
Before she could even take a breath, her aunt Beatrice's shrill voice pierced the air. "Liana, finally! We've been wondering when you would grace us with your presence."
Liana forced a tight smile, struggling to keep her temper in check. "I’ve been working, Aunt Beatrice. Some of us have an actual job and role to fulfill, or do I need to remind you that I work for the King."
"Yes, well, don't leave us behind when you reach the sky. We were starting to think you’d forgotten about us," her uncle Henry added, not even bothering to look up from his book. "The children have been so restless."
Liana clenched her fists, taking a deep breath to remain composed. "I’ve had a lot on my plate, Uncle Henry."
Her aunt waved off her words. "Work, work, work. You need to balance your responsibilities, dear. The family can’t always wait."
"Exactly, Aunt," Liana bared her teeth. "I am balancing my responsibilities. And I live alone, so I have no familial responsibilities."
"Oh, hush," Aunt Beatrice snorted. "We are your blood and flesh, dear."
Then why are you consuming mine!
Liana bit back a sharp retort, reminding herself that losing her temper wouldn’t help. But the dismissiveness, the way they acted as though her efforts meant nothing, only fueled her frustration. All she wanted was a moment of peace, a chance to recover from everything she’d been through. But her knuckle headed family couldn’t even offer her that. How much longer would they stay, anyway?
Her gaze flicked around the room, searching for any sign of understanding, but all she found were indifferent or judgmental glances. It was as if her struggles, her pain, didn’t exist to them. They expected her to be perfect, to handle everything without complaint. And if she didn’t? Well, then they’d preach, claiming it was for her own good.
With an exhausted sigh, Liana grabbed a glass of water from one of the maids and sipped it, planning to retire early to her room like she had been doing the last two weeks.
"Liana, darling, you look exhausted," Aunt Beatrice remarked, eyeing her critically. "You really should take better care of yourself. It's unbecoming to let yourself go like this."
Liana rolled her eyes. "I’ve been a bit busy saving lives, Aunt Beatrice," she replied, her voice laced with sarcasm.
Her aunt barely reacted, already turning back to her conversation with another relative. "Look at our darling Isabel, she's the epitome of regal beauty! Just a month ago, the Alpha of Swift Claw pack fell in love with her at first sight, bowing to her before he even knew her name-"
"My Felicity is extremely well-behaved too. She is exceptionay talented in the art of pianoforte, violin, painting-"
"Daughters are good but they will not stay around forever. Stephen works as the General Manager at the main branch of Redhart Security-"
"Because you begged me to take him in. Not that he does anything; we ensure that he has no work to do, lest he cause more problems than he already does," Liana muttered.
The room quietened slightly. Her second uncle, Eddie stared at her, his eyes wide and panicked. "What?" Liana scoffed, drinking the rest of the water and placing her glass on a shelf.
For once, the relatives' filthy eyes were not trained on her. She was just short of sniffing Uncle Eddie's trepidation in the air, with fear of the truth being discovered spread across his pasty face.
"Liana, my dear, what did you just say?" Aunt Beatrice leaned towards her, her mouth gaping. "Did you help Stephen-"
"I’m going to rest," Liana said, her voice firm, cutting through whatever her aunt was about to ask.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and headed toward the stairs, annoyed. She could still hear the children laughing, her family’s chatter, but it all seemed distant, as if she were underwater.
Back in the hall, she could faintly hear her aunt's shrill shriek as she yelled obscenities at Uncle Eddie for faking his son's way into a higher position. Liana shook her head, not bothered in the least about the fight she knew would take place between them.
Once every few months, her 'relatives' would pay her an unexpected visit to ensure that she was 'safe and cared for'. Ironically, those were the times she'd wake up looking like she spent the night in a cemetery. And they would shamelessly stay for days, even weeks sometimes. There had been times when Liana had to send someone to secretly cause trouble at their houses in the city(which were paid for by her father) to urge them to leave. But then, they would show up again.
She was used to it.
When she finally reached her room, she closed the door behind her, the noise from the rest of the mansion fading. The room was a sanctuary, filled with soft light and the familiar scent of jasmine. But even here, she could faintly hear the noises.
She sat on the bed, burying her face in her hands as the tears she’d been holding back finally spilled over. It wasn’t fair. She had given everything to protect her pack, to prove herself, but here she was, unable to catch the culprits and feeling more alone than ever.
Maybe she would have been better off as a commoner among the humans. At least she wouldn't feel so dejected at her failures.
A sharp knock on the door startled her, and she quickly wiped her tears, forcing herself to stand. When she opened the door, one of the maids stood there, looking nervous.
"Alpha Liana, your aunt requests your presence in the drawing room," the maid said, her voice trembling slightly. "She wishes to discuss… the gathering."
Liana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Of course. Even in her exhaustion, even after everything, her family couldn’t let her rest. The demands were unrelenting. How did they even know about it?
"Tell her I’ll be down in a moment," Liana replied, her voice tight.
The maid nodded and quickly scurried away, leaving Liana alone once more. She took a moment to collect herself, smoothing down her clothes and wiping away the last traces of her tears.
As she made her way back to the drawing room, her heart felt heavier with every step. The thought of facing her family again, of discussing the upcoming gathering and all it would entail, was almost too much to bear.
On one hand, Liana knew that she was to blame for their arrogance. She had been excited to meet her family, that she had been servile and accomodating, bearing every damage they caused with a smile. Hence, her relatives gradually assumed her to be a pushover. Due to Liana's ingrown sense of familial duties, she let them barge into her life whenever they wished.
Now, she was starting to regret it. Lately, as the relatives continued to push at her strings, the pressure from her lack of leads and progress, as well as her disappointment, seemed to overwhelm her. Her heart was empty, desolate.
But she had no choice. She was always answerable to pack matters. She was Alpha Redhart, and no matter how much it hurt, she had to keep moving forward.