Peppa's POV.

“Ah- yes, Alpha, a little more.”

“Alpha, I can feel you inside of me, hit me deeper-”

The words and moans emerging from ‘his’ room fill me with disgust, my face twisting at each sharp cry. Seated outside His door, I listen to the ear-torturing sound of excitement coming from inside.

I couldn't bear it, and yet I had no say in this matter; my short break was almost over, and the last thing I would want at this moment would be to be caught eavesdropping.

I sigh, barely able to pretend to ignore them, but- that is nothing compared to the pain I feel inside of me.

If I could, I would barge in and tell everyone the truth, but I fear their reaction, especially his; after all, who could come to love a scentless wolf like myself?

Right behind this door, Nathan, my mate, was making love to another. I wouldn't blame him; it isn't his fault; there's no way he could tell I was his fated mate even if I stood before him so that I couldn't call this cheating.

To everything, I felt entirely hopeless.

It's been three months since I discovered he was my mate. I found out on my eighteenth birthday.

At first, I thought all my problems would be over, and I thought I could finally be happy, finally be….. free.

But it was all a fantasy, a simple dream.

“Hey, Ant!”

My shoulders hitch, breath catching at the sound of the head maid's voice. I straightened quickly, waiting patiently for the woman to arrive, even as anxiety twisted in my gut.

I was so careless and got swept away in my thoughts, forgetting that I had chores to do

“I've been calling you, Ant! can't you hear me, or have you finally gone deaf!” Tisha, the head maid, yells as she storms up to me. I whimper softly, throat going tight.

The woman's face reddens with anger at my silence, practically steaming as she pulls me by the ear. “What's the matter, you little nuisance? Cat's got your tongue?”

Ah- it hurts, but I keep silent, knowing the cost of resistance.

“No, ma'am!” I manage to say, body going limp in her hold.

“Then why can't you speak up when I'm talking to you,” she scowled.

“I'm sorry, ma'am.”

Ant.

The name I wear like a brand was given to me after I was adopted by the Omega shelter years ago.

I was hoping you could make no mistake. I'm grateful in the least that they did, but I can't help but think that every day here since has been hell.

“Nathan!”

The woman inside screams.

I could tell she was enjoying it, but I couldn't help but grit in anger, jealousy gnawing at me.

Tisha also seemed startled by the noise, staring in the direction of the sound before slowly flicking her eyes at my subdued form.

Her eyes narrow before they widen with something like glee.

“Oh ho, what do we have here,” Tisha laughs mockingly, nearly brimming with excitement. She releases the hold on my ear, hands cradling her stomach as she laughs loudly, tears pouring from her squinted eyes.

I wait in fearful silence, hope of escape dimming darker and darker.

Finally, she stops, pining at me with an unreadable look.

I shiver, terrified of the look on her face.

Tisha pays me no mind as I tremble under her gaze, leaning closer as she looks from the door to me. She chuckles again, delighted.

“Hey, Ant-” She whispers.

Splash!!!

The bucket of cleaning water is upturned on my head, the filthy water landing on my hair and pouring down, drenching me in cold, bubbly water.

“Do yourself a favour, and don't reach for something you can't get. You're way below his league, too low to even be taken in as one of his whores,” she says. “Now, get back to work if you don't want a beating next.”

Tisha leaves me alone to mop the entire floor, now covered in water.

I suddenly feel exhausted. Why is this happening to me? Why did I have to be born this way?

My name, I'm not even sure anyone here knows what my real name is.

My name has been called no one by me for years. It's been so long that I'm also starting to forget. Everyone calls me Ant, and it's been that way ever since my parents died.

All because I'm a scentless wolf, because it's impossible to find any trace of me, it's almost as if-

As if I don't exist.

The noises from inside the bedroom seem to have died down. I guess they're done.

Once again, my chest tightens. It's so bad that I nearly collapsed.

With a weak moan, I rush to a hidden nook to hide, my back hitting the wall as I slowly slide down to the floor.

“Ah!”

The weak cries of my wolf, Jane, make me panic as I try to connect with her.

Unlike me, she takes more blows each time Nathan cheats on me with another woman.

I'm not sure I can even call it cheating when he has no clue I even exist. Nathan can hardly recognise me when I'm right in front of him.

If this keeps up, Jane might…..disappear forever.

I can't lose her, and she's the only family I have and the only reason why I'm able to survive in this cruel world.

“I'm sorry you must go through all that, Jane,” I say wetly.

“Don't- don't blame yourself, little one. None of this is your fault. Besides, it's my duty as your wolf to protect you,” she says weakly.

It's always been like this: I've always needed protection. I can't even protect the wolf that lives inside of me. Why- why do I get to be the only one going through all this?

He's the one who's doing a bad thing, but here I am, going through all the pain.

“You should go clean up, p Peppa. It would be best if you took a shower,” she urges me, reassuring me.

With a sigh, I lever myself to my feet, the constant pain settling into a low hum as I exit the alcove.

Walking back to the hallway, I pick up my mop and begin again despite my terrible appearance.

The last thing I want is for Tisha to return here and see this mess.

*****

It takes me thirty whole minutes to get this mess all cleaned up.

Having completed my task, I return to the utility room and prepare to take a shower.

Since I live in a small room, I have to share the same bathroom with the other female servants, which wouldn't be a problem, except they don't like me very much.

It's the reason I race there every morning before the sun is out.

I sneak into the bathroom, trying to avoid the others, but luck isn't on my side.

“Well, look who it is, isn't it, Ant,” Erika, a fellow maid, says from behind me.

I cringe, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths to calm myself since I had already predicted someone else would be here. It isn't ideal, but I know that I can handle whatever Erika dishes out to me.

However, when I turned around I realised that she was not alone, Erika's friend Vivian was also there.

“Does our little ant need to take a bath?” Vivian asks mockingly.

Erika thinks for a while, placing her hand on her chin in a considerate manner before she breaks the act and erupts into loud laughter. “I don't think so,” she says, “don't they die if they stay in the water for a little while?.”

“That's true,” Vivian laughs.

Erika clears her throat, adopting a false sympathetic look, “Um, we're leaving now. Please don't drown. If you do, I don't know how we'll be able to find you; you're so small, and… you might get flushed away!”

The two women leave the bathroom with heavy laughter while I remain behind, looking at the off-white tiles.

How long do I have to tolerate this? How long can I take this?

I'm already eighteen, and I have the legal right to leave this place now. I can go to the human world, get a job and work.

“I'm finally going to do it today. I'm leaving this hell hole.”

However, As soon as I finish bathing and begin packing, my heart starts to waver.

In all my three months of hoping he'd recognise me even once, he never did, but it'll be a shame to leave here without meeting him up close.

I wait till the day is gone, and right about noon, I quietly begin to execute my plan, and the only plan I have is to see him quietly and then leave.