Chapter 4

I carried the tray of drinks and pushed open the door to the private booth where Alpha Kamden Ross and Estelle Alexander sat at the center. The air was thick with the scent of dominance and power, a reminder of the hierarchy that governed our pack. Kamden’s aura, sharp and commanding, filled the room, while Estelle’s presence beside him radiated a calculated sweetness that made my skin crawl.

"Ellis, is that you?" Estelle exclaimed, covering her mouth in mock surprise. The pack members around her exchanged glances, their whispers sharp and judgmental. Why would someone of Estelle’s status acknowledge an Omega like me?

Kamden stood abruptly, his towering frame closing the distance between us in a few strides. "Because she’s my former mate," he said, his voice cold and cutting.

I was wearing a dress that left much of my back exposed, a choice that drew disapproving stares from the pack. Kamden’s eyes burned with resentment as he looked me over. "Ellis, you really know how to disgrace yourself. Just days ago, you were acting all virtuous, and now you’re out here serving drinks like some rogue?"

His words ignited a fire in me, but I kept my voice steady. "Alpha Kamden, I need money. Watching me fall is exactly what you enjoy, isn’t it? You promised me eighty thousand and took back half. Does wielding that kind of control make you feel powerful?"

Kamden’s brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. "What do you mean, took back half?"

Estelle stood, her hand resting possessively on Kamden’s arm. "I went back and, on second thought, I couldn’t stand it. So, I had the finance team withdraw forty thousand. You’re not upset I acted on impulse, are you?"

Kamden laughed, the sound indulgent and dismissive. "Of course not. My money is yours."

He turned back to me, his smirk widening. "If the money isn’t enough, why not donate a kidney? You love your child so much; what’s stopping you?"

His words cut deep, but I refused to let him see the pain. "Or entertain my guests tonight, and I’ll give you back that forty thousand," he added, crossing his arms as if daring me to refuse. "How far would you go for money?"

To him, I was nothing more than a desperate Omega, driven by greed. But when he mentioned the forty thousand, I took a deep breath. "Fine."

The pack members around us exchanged knowing glances, eager to curry favor with their Alpha. "Miss Ellis, if you drink all the bottles on the table, we’ll put in a good word for you with Alpha Kamden," one of them said, his tone dripping with mockery.

"Yeah, it’s just forty thousand. If Alpha Kamden agrees, I’ll cover it myself," another added, his laughter echoing in the room.

"It’s just a few bottles of wine; Miss Ellis shouldn’t have any problem," a third chimed in, his smirk cruel.

The taunts continued, and Kamden’s mocking gaze never left me. I stepped up and lifted a bottle, downing it in one go. I hadn’t had alcohol in four years, and the fiery trail down my throat made my eyes water.

I coughed violently, gasping for air. "How can you choke after just a sip? If you can’t handle it, don’t push yourself," someone jeered.

Their laughter and insults persisted, and I shut my eyes tightly, taking another swig. My throat burned, and my stomach twisted in pain. After finishing a bottle, I stood unsteadily before collapsing to the floor.

Estelle feigned concern, crouching beside me. She leaned down, patting my back as she whispered in my ear. "Ellis, didn’t you wonder why a friend you hadn’t heard from in years suddenly offered you a job?"

"Kamden has been fixated on you all these years, so I wanted him to see how low his precious memory has sunk."

"I have plenty of ways to ensure Kamden won’t give you that forty thousand. I’ll drain the life out of that pup of yours!"

Her words unleashed a fury within me that I could no longer contain. I grabbed the wine bottle nearby and smashed it against Estelle’s head. Wine mixed with blood as she screamed and slapped me. Her friends rushed over, hitting and kicking me.

"Alpha Kamden, she’s trying to kill me!" Estelle cried, clinging to him.

The alcohol deadened my senses, making me oblivious to the strikes on my body. Through the haze, I saw a familiar figure pushing through the crowd to lift me up.

"Kamden..."

My mind was a chaotic whirl, the last four years a blur of emptiness. Before me stood the Alpha I had once loved, his eyes filled with a mix of anger and something I couldn’t quite place. The buzz in my ears was overwhelming until the Healer’s voice cut through.

"This woman’s condition is critical."

"She had a kidney transplant four years ago and hasn’t received proper post-op care. Her health is worse than that of a seventy-year-old."

Kamden’s voice wavered, filled with disbelief. "She had a kidney transplant? That’s impossible!"

"She must have sold her kidney and squandered the money. She’s always been after wealth!" Estelle’s voice was sharp, her lies cutting through the air like a knife.

But I was too weak to defend myself, my body and spirit broken by the weight of it all.