1. REID

Chapter one

REID

The sharp smell of bleach bites at my nose as I lean over the kitchen counter, scrubbing at the marble for the third time today. My hands ache, the skin around my knuckles cracked and raw from hours of exposure to harsh chemicals. A faint tremor runs through my fingers as I wring the rag into the sink. It’s barely noon and I’m already dead tired.

Hailey “accidentally” spilled a smoothie earlier—vivid red splatters streaked across the pristine white cabinets. She hadn’t bothered to clean it herself, of course. That’s my job. Everything in the Wilhelm household eventually becomes my job. I suppress a cough as I rinse the rag again, trying to ignore the growing tightness in my chest. I’m pretty sure I’m coming down with something, but I can’t afford to look weak.

One wrong move, look, or even a fucking cough, and Hailey finds a reason to scream which gets me disciplined or yelled at by the Wilhelm Alphas, Jackson and Lyle. All three of them are the bane of my existence but the pack bond on my upper arm enforcing the contract as their pack Beta makes it impossible to leave. I don’t even know how I got here but escape feels futile.

The house is quiet, for now. Jackson and Lyle are both out and the absence of their looming presence offers a fleeting sense of reprieve. The silence is deceptive—as it always is; Hailey’s somewhere upstairs, likely lounging in her nest or scrolling through her phone, waiting for the next opportunity to summon me.

I glance at the clock. There are still a few hours until the Alphas return. If I’m lucky, Hailey might leave me alone until then. I’m rarely lucky.

The sound of soft footsteps approaching the kitchen shatters that hope. I straighten instinctively, swallowing down the resentment rising in my throat. It’s become harder and harder to swallow down my retorts and backhanded comments, bowing down to this Omega as she abuses me with her words. She appears in the doorway, her delicate frame wrapped in a see-through blush silk robe, her hair perfectly tousled in that effortless way only Omegas can manage.

Just another thing Hailey does to get me in trouble. Her Alphas have told me time and time again that I’m not truly part of their pack and will never have Hailey, that I’m not to lay eyes on her the way they do. Hailey knows that and purposely streaks through the hallways and the common areas, trying to tempt me into wanting her. As sweet as she is–she’s not, a hint of vanilla and something else surrounding her, she’s not my Omega.

I’m not attracted to her perfect blonde hair and deep green eyes and definitely not her personality. Still, that doesn’t stop Hailey from trying while at the same time ridiculing me for my entire existence.

I should address her, ask her if she needs anything, and then wait for her to respond. That's what the contract says at least. Hailey shifts, letting the robe slip open, the barely there lace bra and panties showing. I’m not sure why I’m not attracted. She’s a day or two from her heat but even my dick is limp in my pants.

“Yes, Hailey?”

Her nose wrinkles as she steps into the room. “You stink,” she says, her voice light but laced with disgust. “Did you even shower this morning?”

I did. I shower every morning and whenever I come from outside, partly because I know she’ll say something if I don’t and partly because it’s one of the few moments of solitude I’m allowed in this house. But I can’t tell her that. Instead, I drop my gaze to the floor and mumble, “Yes, Hailey.”

“Well, you need to do it again. It smells disgusting in here.” She waves a hand in front of her face, as though my presence is polluting the air. “Honestly, Reid, do you even try?”

My jaw clenches but I keep my expression neutral. Any hint of defiance, even a flicker, will be reported to Jackson or Lyle and I’ll pay for it later. I’ve learned that lesson too many times in the past three months I’ve been here. Being yelled at is one thing but the occasional kick to my ribs and the jabs to the back of my knees are unbearable.

“I’ll take care of it, Hailey,” I say through gritted teeth.

She doesn’t respond immediately, just stands there, studying me with those cold, calculating eyes. For an Omega, she’s harsh and rough around the edges. I’d say I have no idea how she snagged Jackson and Lyle but they are just as prickly as she is. Hailey clicks her tongue, a sound that feels sharper than any reprimand. “Good. And when you’re done, make sure my tea is ready. Properly this time. Last night’s was terrible.”

I nearly react but just curl my hand into a fist behind my back, relishing in the bite of pain that comes as my nails dig into my palm. Hailey would sip the tea and then find something wrong with it. I spent nearly two hours remaking the tea for her until she discarded it after only drinking half. Bitch, I say to myself, holding back a smile. “Understood, Hailey,” I repeat, my voice steady.

Her lips curl into a small, satisfied smile before she turns on her heel and disappears back down the hallway. The faint sound of her humming drifts back to me, a mocking melody that grates against my frayed nerves.

I let out a slow breath as I lean back against the counter, checking out my bloody palm. There are indentations and scarring from the multiple times I swallowed my anger and irritation with my situation. My shoulders ache from scrubbing, my legs feel like lead, and my head pounds with the beginnings of a fever. But there’s no time to stop. There’s never time to stop.

If I knew that this was what being a pack Beta meant, I would have fought harder but the contract made this seem like a job as a caretaker not a fucking servant. The only perks are the paycheck but my parents get that in almost its entirety because they were the ones who signed the contract. I thought I was being a good son, a good little Beta but all it did was bite me in the ass.

Now, I’m stuck in this house for five years, forced to serve Hailey and submit to her Alphas. I can only hope that they throw me away at some point.

I glance at the rag in my hand, the faint streaks of blood on the edges where my split skin has started to bleed. I should bandage my palm, but that’ll have to wait until later. For now, I grab the kettle and fill it with water, forcing my hands to stay steady as I set it on the stove. The tea needs to be perfect, or I’ll hear about it tonight when Jackson and Lyle get home.

I can’t afford another mistake.

They’ve punished me in ways I didn’t think possible, their creative cruelty matched only by Hailey’s endless list of complaints. I’ve been made to scrub floors with a toothbrush, stand outside barefoot in the winter air, and recite apologies until my throat was raw not to mention the fucking beatings. And all of it is justified in their eyes—Beta discipline, they call it. A way to teach me my place.

The thought of enduring this for five years is unimaginable. Five years of folding Hailey’s blankets just right, of cooking her meals, of tending to her every whim, and listening to her sharp criticisms. Five years of hiding the bruises and scratches beneath my clothes, of swallowing my pride, and pretending it doesn’t hurt when they strip me of every last shred of dignity.

The kettle begins to whistle, a shrill sound that cuts through the oppressive silence. I move quickly, preparing Hailey’s tea the way she likes it—just the right amount of honey, a dash of lemon. I place the cup on the tray and carry it to the base of the stairs, knowing better than to go up uninvited.

“Tea’s ready, Hailey,” I call out, hoping and praying that Hailey is too worked up with her impending heat to play with me. She doesn’t have heat spikes like most Omegas, her heats usually starting in the evening and then carrying on for a few days.

There’s no response, but I know she heard me. She always hears me. I set the tray on the side table and retreat to the kitchen, where the mess I’d been cleaning earlier still waits for me. My muscles protest as I pick up the rag again, but I push through the pain.

The faint sound of Hailey’s footsteps on the stairs reaches me a moment later. She pauses in the doorway, her sharp eyes scanning the room.

“You missed a spot,” she says, pointing to an invisible stain on the counter.

My hands clench around the rag but I nod. “I’ll take care of it.”

She tsks again before a cackle slips through her lips, a terrified shiver running down my spine. Her bare feet slap across the tile and I hold my breath, waiting for whatever blow she’s going to dish out. Hot liquid splashes on top of my head before spilling down my face and seeping into the collar of my shirt.

I hiss from the burning tea on my skin, moving out of the way so that I don’t have to continue suffering. Hailey’s eyes are alight with mischief as she chucks the porcelain against the wall. It shatters across the kitchen floor, her lips pulling up in a snarl. “I thought I told you to make it perfectly. ” I know for a fact that she didn’t even taste it but pointing that out will only make this worse.

“I apologize. I thought I did.” My snark slips out but it’s too late to pull it back.

“I told you to take a shower!” she snaps, her tone dripping with disgust. “You smell disgusting . Like other Alphas.”

That doesn’t make any sense since I haven’t left today but Hailey’s reality is the only one that matters here. I start to open my mouth to apologize, but the words die in my throat as she reaches out and rips the rag from my hand.

I flinch, instinctively stepping back, but it doesn’t matter. She raises the damp cloth and slaps it against my face with a wet, stinging crack. The shock of it burns more than the pain, but the welt she leaves behind throbs all the same.

My ears ring as I stumble, catching myself against the counter. The overwhelming smell of bleach fills my nose and for a moment, the room tilts, the edges of my vision blurring. But I blink it away, forcing myself to stay upright. I take several deep breaths to calm my anger, knowing that attacking an Omega, especially my pack’s Omega will land me in jail.

“You reek ,” she hisses, her voice lower now but no less venomous. “Do you think Jackson and Lyle want to come home to their Omega smelling another Alpha on the help? Do you think I want to smell it?”

The help. That’s all I am. I’ve heard horror stories from pack Betas but I thought those were few and far between. The Wilhelm family is well known in this part of the city. I should have known better that that didn't mean anything.

I keep my head bowed, my fists trembling at my sides. “I’ll shower again.”

“You’ll do it now ,” she demands, tossing the rag into the sink with a wet splat. “I don’t care if you have to scrub your skin raw, Reid. Get rid of that stench.”

She steps closer, her head tilted back to glare up at me. She’s smaller than me by a good foot, her frame delicate, the perfect version of an Omega. If the dynamics were different, I could overpower her without a second thought. But they aren’t. The Wilhelm mark on my shoulder isn’t a bond—it’s a brand, a reminder that I’m here to serve, not belong.

Her gaze lingers on my face as I feel the weight of her scrutiny. I force myself to stay still, to keep my shoulders slumped and my expression neutral. Any sign of defiance, even unintentional, will only make this worse.

Finally, she scoffs and steps back, her lip curling in disgust. “Pathetic,” she mutters, more to herself than to me.

She turns on her heel and stalks out of the kitchen, her robe trailing behind her. I stay frozen in place, waiting until the sound of her footsteps fades into silence as she heads upstairs. Only then do I allow myself to breathe.

The sting on my cheek burns, a reminder of how easily she can break me down. I reach up, my fingers brushing the welt, refusing to let myself experience the emotions I keep stuffing down. Anger. Fear. Sadness. Rage.

I stare at the sink, at the rag she discarded, and the shame wells up in my chest like a tide. I swallow it down, lowering my gaze to the floor. Taking my chances, I sweep up the porcelain pieces and discard them, knowing that Hailey would have my ass for that later should I leave it. Then, I escape into my room at the end of the hall.

Showers have always been my escape, my moment of peace. They’re slowly becoming part of this hell.