Chapter 12 Esmeralda's Pov

• I lay in the dimly lit room, my body aching from exhaustion and my mind heavy with the confusion and anger Sheldon had left me with. The events of the past few hours hang over me like a storm cloud, his words replaying in my mind, each one a fresh insult, a wound deeper than any physical pain.
• Then, an unexpected scent wafts through the air, making my stomach growl involuntarily. I sit up slowly, my senses sharpening. It has been days since I had a proper meal, and the idea of warm food feels almost surreal. As if in answer to my unspoken prayer, the door creaks open, and a young woman steps inside, carrying a tray filled with a feast of steaming dishes.
• The woman is slender, with wide brown eyes that shone with something I recognize as sympathy. She moves with a graceful yet cautious demeanor, as though afraid of being seen.
• “Who are you?” I ask, my voice coming out rougher than I intend. My throat aches from shouting and from days of dehydration.
• The girl gives me a faint, warm smile as she sets the tray on a small table near the bed. “My name is Aurora,” she says softly, glancing over her shoulder as though making sure we were alone. But I'm sure the Alpha could hear whatever with his super hearing abilities. “I’m one of the maids here.” She gestures to the food. “Please, eat. You look like you haven’t had anything in days.”
• I hesitate, eyeing the food as my stomach protests loudly again. I am not sure if I can trust this stranger, but hunger soon wins over caution. I reach for a piece of bread, barely noticing the warm, soft texture as I devour it, savoring each bite.
• Aurora watches me for a moment before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Her eyes soften with concern. “There’s… something you should know, ma'am,” she begins, her voice a gentle murmur all the while glancing around. “Something about this place, about Alpha Sheldon and… the Luna.”
• At the mention of Luna Karel, I pause, my fingers hovering over the tray as a strange chill runs through me. “What is it?” I ask quietly, glancing at her.
• Her gaze grows troubled, as though she were weighing whether to reveal what she knew. Just as I am wondering whether to push her to talk or not, finally, she takes a deep breath.
• “You’re not the first,” she says softly, almost as if it were a confession.
• My brows knit together in confusion. “Not the first…?”
• “Breeder,” Aurora whispers, her voice barely audible, but the words strike me like a physical blow. “There was another before you, chosen to bear an heir for the Alpha… but she didn’t last long. She… didn’t survive.”
• My breath hitches, and I set the bread down, my appetite vanishing as my heart thuds with dread. “What happened to her?”
• Aurora hesitates, her eyes darkening as she looks down, picking at the edge of her dress. “Luna Karel… she wasn’t always the only one in Alpha Sheldon’s life,” she began slowly. “And she can be… very possessive. When she discovered that the breeder was carrying Sheldon’s child, her jealousy…” Aurora’s voice breaks off, and she seems to be searching for the right words. “She made life so unbearable for that girl that eventually, she couldn’t handle it anymore.”
• My hands clench into fists, anger swirling with fear in my chest. “And the Alpha… he let this happen?”
• Aurora nods, sadness flickering across her face. “I don’t think he cared. That breeder was just a tool to him, and he believed that by ignoring her suffering, he was proving his loyalty to Luna Karel.” Her lips press into a thin line, her voice growing bitter. “It’s not right. None of it is.”
• I feel a sick feeling grow in her stomach, a mixture of emotions. I had known Alpha Sheldon was ruthless, but this level of wickedness is beyond anything I'd imagined.
• Aurora reaches out and touches my hand, her voice urgent. “I don’t mean to scare you, Esmeralda. I just thought you deserved to know. Things are different now… but not by much.” She hesitated, then continued in a lower voice, “Luna Karel doesn’t know you’re his mate, but she sees you as competition, an obstacle in her path. And she doesn’t tolerate anyone who could threaten her position.”
• I swallow, my throat tightening as I look at Aurora, barely able to speak. “How did you know we were mates?”
• She smiles knowingly and keeps quiet. Leading me to ask desperately.
• “So, what happens now?”
• Her grip tightens on my hand, and she leans in closer. “There are a few of us here who know what it’s like to live under Karel’s thumb. We don’t have much power, but we look out for each other. I’ll help you as best I can, but you must be careful.” Her eyes flicker with a spark of determination and righteous anger.
• Something slightly stirs in my chest, though it was tinged with skepticism. This is not my first time hearing promises, but they have always ended in disappointment. My mind is in a turmoil as I stare at her confused.
• Did this mean I was going to end up the same way she had?
• Aurora gives a small, sad smile and continues, “You can’t trust just anyone here. Karel has spies everywhere, and the Alpha… Well, he’s unpredictable.”
• I nod, absorbing the warning, but a part of my mind lingers on the last thing Aurora had said about Sheldon. “Unpredictable? You mean he could change his mind… about me?”
• Aurora sighs, her expression darkening. “He’s ruled by his desires, but his loyalty to Karel is strong. He’s fiercely possessive of anything he claims as his, but he can just as easily discard it if it suits him. Right now, he doesn’t see you as more than a tool—a breeder.” Her tone was laced with bitterness.
• I flinch at the mention, my hopes quickly dimming. It was foolish to believe Sheldon would change, that he would ever see me as more.
• Aurora gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know you have every reason to hate this place, Esmeralda, but there is strength in you. Don’t let them break you, like they broke me.”
• A surge of emotions swells in my chest, and my eyes sting with unshed tears. No one had spoken to me like this since she’d arrived here. Aurora’s words were like a balm, a reminder that she was more than the role they had forced upon her.
• “Thank you,” I whisper, my voice thick with gratitude. “I won’t forget this.”
• Aurora offers me one last comforting smile before standing. “I’ll come by when I can, but for now, rest and gather your strength. You’re going to need it.”
• I watch as Aurora leaves, my heart still pounding with a mixture of dread and determination. I lay back on the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, my mind racing with everything I had learned.
• The pack was a dangerous place for someone like me, someone seen as nothing more than a vessel. But I wasn’t just a breeder. I had to prove it somehow. I am Esmeralda, and I am more than the purpose they have forced upon me.